ABOUT GERMAN LINK TRANSLATION SERVICES

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”

– Dr. Suess

I was born and educated in Germany and have been living and working in Canada since 1985. Over the course of my never boring life that surprised me with many unexpected turns, I have had the opportunity to quickly adapt to new circumstances, use my creativity, stay focused, and improve my patience in a large variety of jobs: I worked long and boring hours in a jam factory, and helped out in delicatessen shops [as a high school student], waitressed in pubs and cleaned hotel rooms [during my university studies], tutored, taught Middle High German to undergraduate students and had lots of fun introducing a team of Serbian athletes to “German as a Foreign Language”, offered courses on weaving, spinning and the plant-dyeing of natural fibers worked on my own little self-sufficient farm, growing organic produce, raising 10 chickens, 6 sheep, and, eventually, 4 children. And some time during the Mid-Eighties, I bundled up my books my two favourite people and moved across the Atlantic to Canada. And then, 6 years after completing my PhD in Slavic and Germanic languages, I decided to balance my academic studies by beginning my training as a Waldorf kindergarten teacher in Toronto, Ontario.

“It is fun to have fun but you have to know how.”

– Dr. Suess, again 🙂

After spending 6 years in the beautiful province of Ontario, I moved with my little family even further West, this time all the way to British Columbia; we settled in North Vancouver, and I began working as a freelance translator for various local translation agencies. In 1998, I was accredited by the Society of Translators and Interpreters in BC (S.T.I.B.C.) as “Certified Translator” for the language combination German to English and one year later for the combination English to German. A few years later, in 2001, I took another important step and incorporated my business and am now the cheerful owner of German Link Translation Services Inc.!

I rely on a dependable network of experienced colleagues who can assist me with terminology questions and proofing, if required.

While effective communication is a highly desired skill, successful communication in a foreign language represents a few additional challenges: not only does it require an ear for subtle nuances and a thorough familiarity with idiomatic expressions, but also mental flexibility, sound knowledge of the subject matter, linguistic aptitude in both languages, and a finely tuned cultural sensitivity.

Do you need an accurate, well-written translation to attract new clients, to serve your existing customer base, or to explore a new market segment? Here’s where I come in: I have the self-discipline (after all, I was raised in Germany!), optimism and motivation (the North American influence…) and the technical know-how to accommodate large and/or challenging projects. I am well-organized (a skill that I have honed as a mother of four children), meticulous by nature, and possess a keen eye for detail. And, most importantly, I am also aware of my own limits and will not accept work that lies beyond my area of expertise! I can build on a sound knowledge in the areas of medicine, law, and general political and social issues. My academic background, my practical experience in terminology research, and my solid European education, and – last, but not least – my passion for the written word have proven to be my most valuable assets.

I really feel lucky to be able to work as a translator! My regular clients have told me that they appreciate the dedication, commitment, and absolute honesty with which I approach each and every job.