Experts in the Industry: Silvia Ferrero, English to Spanish translator and interpreter

Silvia Ferrero is an English to Spanish freelance translator and interpreter with a specialism in software and website localisation. Prior to going freelance, she gained valuable experience in the games localisation industry while working in-house for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. She holds a degree in English Philology from the University of Zaragoza in Spain and an MA from the University of Salford. Silvia is also Chair of the ITI’s North-West Translators’ Network. On Saturday 16th May, Silvia will present a paper on the move towards sustainability in the games localisation industry.

Check out the rest of the ITI Conference programme here.

Sarah Dillon: In two sentences, please describe what you’ll be talking about at the conference, and what translation and interpreting (T&I) professionals will gain from hearing it.

Silvia Ferrero: I will be talking about one of my main specialisations, games localisation. I will touch upon the industry in general, how it has evolved in the last few years and the challenges that the industry is facing at the moment, as well as attempting to provide some solutions. I think it’s a shame that games localisation does not receive the same level of recognition as other more traditional specialisms, and that many people still think that, because they are for kids they must be easy to translate and anybody could do it, a myth I’m hoping to dispel.

SD: If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing to make your workplace more sustainable, what would you do?

SF: Like most translators, I use a lot of paper when revising, so I would create a type of ink that would disappear in 48 hours after printing (not in my hands though!), so I could reuse the paper again and again without even having to recycle it.
In terms of sustaining my career, I would love to have a crystal ball that would reveal the market trends and new technologies for the next few years, so I could adopt them before my competitors!

SD: Which business leader, politician or public figure do you most respect?

SF: This might seem slightly surprising, but I admire Victoria Beckham for the way she has transformed herself from a former singer and regular “celebrity” into a very successful businesswoman who is clearly extremely passionate about what she does – whilst still looking fantastic every day!

SD: To what degree do you feel involved in and supported by your professional community, and why?

SF: I think I have been very lucky in that respect, because nowadays it’s easier than ever to communicate with other professionals. Even if I work from home most of the time, I keep in touch with other translators and interpreters regularly by e-mail, Internet groups and attending meetings and events, and there are always lots of people ready to give me a hand if I have any problems or questions. Similarly, I also try to give something back to the industry, and that is one of the reasons why I decided to put myself forward as Chair of the NWTN.

SD: Freeform – here’s where you are free to riff on anyone or anything, good or bad, or just share a pearl of wisdom.

SF: Mmm, this is tough question. I think the best piece of advice I can give you is to put yourself in your clients’ shoes and try to understand what they expect to get out of the experience when they contract you. Try to provide excellent customer service, adapted to their needs, and they should keep coming back (provided your work is of the best quality, of course).

Thanks for answering my questions, Silvia. Enjoy the conference.

This is the eleventh in a series of short interviews run in the lead-up to the ITI International Conference on 16th – 17th May.