ENEIDA Garcia Villanueva

Have you heard of the Latin epic poem The Aeneid? Do you know anyone with that same name, or a translation of that name? Now you do! My name is Eneida and I am a Spanish translator and interpreter who has been living in this country long enough to call it home. 

I started studying French and Spanish when I was in primary. At that young age, I already was an avid reader and writer of short stories in the two languages I was learning besides my native Spanish. My Gran passed on to me her love for poetry and her ability to recite in public, but it would not be until I saw one of my aunties interpreting French <> Spanish that I realised that the hobby I was so passionate about, was indeed a professional choice.

During my adolescence, I also dedicated a fair amount of time to my then other favourite pursuit – ballroom dancing – managing to obtain the Bronze level of the Medal Test System at the age of fourteen. Once I finished my secondary education, I left my town in the northeast of Spain to move to Barcelona to study at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). A new challenge presented there since all the non-language related subjects – in my case Spanish, English and Russian – were taught in Catalan so I learned and adopted Catalan as my first language for the entirety of my degree. I spent the academic year 2004/05 in Prague, where I did my 3rd year abroad as part of the Erasmus Programme. At the Charles University of Prague I obtained my specialisation in translation with merit.

In 2006, I graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Translation and Interpreting and a PGCE in Secondary Education. That same year, I continued nourishing my interest in creative writing skills and also completed some additional courses to gain direct entry to 3rd Year Journalism.

After graduating, I moved once more. This time, my destination was Valencia ‘city of light and flowers’ where I completed an MSc in EU Law and International Studies at the University of Valencia (UV). Following graduation in 20017, I was ready to move to London where I worked as a language assistant (Spanish and French) in a secondary school, combining my teaching commitments with translation and interpreting projects.

A year passed in London and I felt it was time to move again and set off to Edinburgh. Why? Well, I fell in love with this wonderful city the very first time I set foot in it and immediately desired to stay there for a ‘wee’ while... As it turns out, I also fell in love with a Scotsman and my life became inexorably attached to this land. In 2015, and due to my partner’s job as a Lecturer in Mathematics (and also the fact that he is a West Coast boy at heart) we are now located at the beautiful city of Glasgow. Please do not ask me which one I like more... they are both incomparable :)

I am an extraordinarily active and curious person ready to take on every opportunity I see as fun and/or stimulating. I consider myself very lucky since I can proudly announce that I love what I do for a living. If you like what you have read about me and have some linguistic request, please give me a call or drop me a line and I will provide you with a no obligation quote.

¡Hasta pronto!

I specialise in the Legal and Medical fields, and sporadically take on projects related to Education, Politics, Tourism and the Media. I act as a consultant performing independent Quality Control checks in the fields I specialise both for the public and private sectors, and giving advice on ethical matters and professional issues.

Further to a solid base of national and overseas clients, I regularly collaborate with the main TICS providers under the Scottish Government Interpreting, Translation and Transcription Framework Agreement, the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) and the Home Office. Since 2011, I also provide linguistic services to the City of Edinburgh Council Interpretation and Translation Service (ITS).

Always striving to both linguistic and ethical perfection, you can rest assured confidentiality will be observed at all times. If you require linguistic services and wish to improve your cultural awareness, my services are endorsed by my current professional body memberships. I am a Chartered Linguist (CL — Interpreter), MCIL (English) and ACIL (Catalan) of the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL). CIOL is the only chartered body for language professionals where I proudly gained a seat on Council in March 2018. Since November 2016, I serve as a Secretary at the CIOL Scottish Society and act as the Higher Education Language Partner Scheme Coordinator for Scotland.

I am a Member of the International Association of Translators and Interpreters (IATPI), a Professional Member of the Spanish Association of Translators, Copy-editors, and Interpreters (ASETRAD), an Associate (AITI) of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) and a member of Critical Link International (CLI). 

Since my move to Glasgow, I have further developed my teaching practice in Higher Education (HE). I currently hold an Associate Lectureship with the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) where I teach Spanish in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) to level 1, level 2 and PGDE students. With the UWS I have also been involved in delivering the linguistic element of the Primary Language Learning 1+2 strategy in one local authority.

Also under the 1+2 Language Policy, in 2016  I delivered a range of PLL (Primary Language Learning) twilights in several local authorities and delivered three immersion courses holding Professional Recognition as awarded by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) with Erasmus+ funding.

Having been studying translation and interpreting for more than 15 years, I can confidently state that CPD is at the core of my vision. I develop, maintain and grow both my knowledge and skills by following my own continuous programme, which includes translation and interpreting courses, reading a variety of literature in the languages I work with and attendance at seminars for Spanish teachers and linguists.  

So far, during my academic journey, I have studied in seven universities — in 2011, I obtained my MSc in Translating and Conference Interpreting, specialising in Conference Interpreting, from Heriot-Watt University and joined a course in Advanced French at the Open University. In undertaking my MSc dissertation, 'Facing Ethical Dilemmas in PSI Scotland', I looked at the ethics of the profession thus completing my training not only at a linguistic but also at an ethical level.  I am a DPSI holder since 2010 and have been involved with the DPSI exams since 2011.

In 2017, I studied Sociology and Research Methods at the University of Glasgow and in early 2018, I returned to Heriot-Watt to start a PhD in Interpreting Studies. 

In 2007, I graduated from the University of Valencia with an MSc in EU Law and International Studies gaining a good understanding of EU policies, regulations, structure and directives and complementing my training in the legal field.

In 2006, I graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Translation and Interpreting: Spanish, English and Russian from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. I specialised as a translator, qualification which I obtained with merit, at the Charles University in Prague 2004/05 during my stay within Third Year Abroad Erasmus Programme. I spent the summer of 2006 in Moscow where I completed one of the Summer University Language Courses at the prestigious Pushkin State Russian Language Institute. If you would like to see a full copy of my CV containing all my qualifications, please request a copy by email. So far, I have undergone Higher Education studies in seven European universities and taught in four.

 

In 2016, I obtained the qualification of Examiner to the Diplomas in Spanish DELE C1-C2. The Diplomas DELE are official qualifications certifying the degree of competence and mastery of Spanish, granted by Instituto Cervantes on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport of Spain. The DELE examinations have been designed following the guidelines of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages  (CEFR) of the Council of Europe, which ensures a practical way of establishing a standard, international and objective measurement of the level that should be reached at each teaching stage, and in evaluating results  [extracted and adapted from the Cervantes Institute website].

In 2014, I was appointed in two different positions in June as an IGCSE Spanish Examiner for Cambridge International Examinations Board and since December 2014, as one of the developers of the New Higher qualification materials (Spanish) for the City of Edinburgh Council. The experience was so positive that I subsequently developed materials for the New Advanced Higher qualification, recorded materials, worked on the translation of bank vocabularies from English and French into Spanish and proofread materials produced by other colleagues.  

I often give talks and provide training to public service interpreters. In my role as a coordinator of the CIOL Higher Education Language Partnership Scheme, I have given a number of talks in Scottish HE institutions showing the benefits of belonging to a professional organisation and answering questions that aspiring linguists have before breaking into the job market.

Other presentations include a course on the Ethics of Court Interpreting complimenting the linguistic training of prospective court interpreters in Scotland and chairing the medical and legal workshops in the Translation Training Symposium in your Subject in the Digital Age organised by the University of Stirling both in 2014. In February 2013, I was invited to give a talk on the session organised by Heriot-Watt University Starting Work as Translator or Interpreter SWATI being part of the Translators and Interpreters Speakers Panel. My talk was entitled ‘Public Service Interpreting: interpreting in direct contact with your clients.’

I consider myself a committed individual and try to give something to the community and join projects on a voluntarily basis as often as I possibly can. The most recent pro bono publico project I completed was the translation of the subtitles of the documentary film Colours of the Alphabet. In 2014 I volunteered with the translation and interpreting team at the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF), joining the team once more both on a paid and voluntary basis in 2015 and again in 2016. I also volunteered as a Conference Interpreter for Caux Initiatives of Change during the Session ‘Children as Actors for Transforming Society’ in 2013, and in 2012, I completed a translation project for The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE)

Through my qualification as a secondary teacher, in 2014 I volunteered once per week delivering a dance club for students of P7 at the Edinburgh Academy. Prior to organising the dance club, in 2013 I also collaborated with a club for young people affected by the autism spectrum disorder and other social communication difficulties at Leith Academy. Every time I have taken on a teaching role, I have offered support study both in Spanish and French for my students at lunch time, breaks or after school. I am deeply interested and fully engaged with the learning and teaching community, and enjoy an excellent relationship with all my students. I have completed the Child Protection Level 2 certification with the relevant local authority and with the private sector and I am also fully-trained in GIRFEC.