April 11, 2003

Pilot

I edit things written in English by locals. Let foreign captains bring their ships over the ocean. I'm the harbor pilot, content to work the waters where I grew up. I take the wheel when the ship nears the shore and hope the whole thing doesn't suddenly sink before I get it into dock.

Do you live on your native language? Teacher? Translator? And especially for language teachers: were you qualified and experienced before you showed up for the job, or did you sell everyday abilities with your native language in a place where people don't speak your language?

Posted by Eeksy-Peeksy at April 11, 2003 12:05 PM
Comments

As a child I saw a movie based on some Russian novel, wherein a young, impoverished nobleman was employed as secretary to an older nobleman on the sole basis of his good penmanship. At the time it seemed to me very decadent and impossibly strange to land a job on such slender qualifications.

Not anymore, though.

Posted by: Mig at April 11, 2003 01:42 PM

I find myself suddenly grateful to a father who flipped if I put an apostrophe in the wrong place - if only because it means I can bear witness to poetically bad english (and of course who can forget the self confidence gained from sixth grade spelling championships..). Plus I think it's important in life to speak one language well and at least one other really badly.

Posted by: christiane at April 12, 2003 09:49 AM

Yeah, I'm a professional English speaker. No formal qualifications when I moved abroad - I just got sucked in by the gravity of the English language. I'm glad to have the skill, of course. But it means I'm not allowed to do anything else, or at least it feels like it means that.

Posted by: Diana at April 15, 2003 02:41 PM