Recaps
Featured Reader
Would you introduce yourself?
Sue Ellen Wright, Kent State University, Professor Emerita.
Where do you live?
Kent, Ohio (Akron-Cleveland area).
How did you get started in this industry?
I studied German because of my father’s German-American heritage, and I began translating literary works during graduate school in the early 1970s, but trended to sci-tech translation. I came from a family of scientists, engineers and inventors, and was introduced to technical processes as a kid, so it was not difficult to move in this direction. I tell people I became a terminologist at six when my grandmother started teaching me the names of rocks and plants, and it became clear that my family passionately valued knowing about “things” in our natural and human-made world.
What language(s) do you speak?
I am fluent in English and German, but work in French and Spanish as well, which has been a strength in teaching students from many linguistic backgrounds.
Whose industry social feeds (twitter, blog, LinkedIn, Facebook) do you follow? (If any)
I’m mostly on Facebook and LinkedIn, focusing on some of the translation and terminology groups (as well as Scottish terriers). I keep up with many former Kent State students and colleagues this way.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I walk dogs, cook, garden and enjoy music.
What industry organizations and activities do you participate in?
I am a certified member of ATA and of the German Terminology Association. I worked together with my husband and software developers to create the first PC-based terminology management program (Mercury/Termex), which was designed to run in parallel with word-processing programs to support translators. Many of our ideas were later incorporated into Windows-based successor programs still on the market today. This led to involvement in ISO TC 37 (Language and Terminology), where I currently serve as chair of the US mirror group. I collaborated with Professor Gerhard Budin in Vienna to publish the original Handbook of Terminology Management, and continue to publish articles in the area of terminology management and language standards.
Do you have any social feeds of your own? Twitter handle, blog?
No — too busy writing for publication most of the time, and working on standards.
Why do you read MultiLingual?
Like everybody else, I’m trying to keep up with what’s happening in the industry. Articles like David Filip’s recent one on technical industry standards are priceless. Multilingual offers the highest level of industry-related content on an international basis.