QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE COUNT

I have a Post Graduate Diploma in translation from the University of the West of England. I am a member of MET - Mediterranean Editors and Translators. I have been involved in bilingual work environments that have required me to translate a wide variety of professional documents. My main areas of expertise can be divided in to three specialized fields: Education/Pedagogy, Social Sciences and Politics and Development

I am a qualified ESL teacher with an ESL certification from the GEOS English Academy, Hove, UK. I have spent many years in adult learning. I have experience teaching, especially in the field of business.

I have managed a team of ESL teachers, overseeing the operation of an onsite teaching program within a large pharmaceutical company in France. My role included liaising with training managers from the HR department in French and my own manager in English.

I maintained consistency and quality among all teachers and trained new staff to the high standard required by the company. I have played an active role in the evaluation of student learning styles, abilities and level of English. These factors enabled me to develop a bilingual curriculum that targeted their professional objectives within their learning styles. I have also given professional presentations in English and French on the advantages of an online language learning tool as a support to classroom learning.

Part of my role involved working with business clients to translate job specific documents from French to English including assisting lobbyists in large organizations to translate presentations and requests made to the European Parliament.

I have also had work experience in a school for children on the Autism spectrum, teaching them communication and how to respond appropriately to social cues.

I obtained a BSC Hons in Psychology from the University of Portsmouth, UK. which included biopsychology, cognitive, social, developmental, health, occupational psychology and philosophy.

I have also held a position with the Provincial Government in the Ministry of Community and Social Services in Ontario, Canada. I worked as a bilingual Caseworker providing social assistance and support to people living with disabilities who are below the poverty line.

As part of this job, I had to review and interpret legislation and directives in French and English. I received documents from clients that required translating and worked with government agencies and health care professionals (including mental health workers) in English and in French.

I have worked with individuals living with mental health issues - schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, trauma and developmental issues. I have assessed clients' abilities in order to provide them with tailored opportunities to become active contributors to society and raise their self-esteem through employment. I have worked in partnership with local and federal agencies to provide health support, housing and job opportunities. I have worked with Children's Aid to protect vulnerable members of society.

I wrote reports and participated in working groups which reported findings to the managers or the Deputy Minister. These groups focused on ways in which service delivery could be improved.

I worked in collaboration with various community agencies such as the Immigrants Women's Centre to assist asylum seekers and other categories of newcomers to adapt to their life in a new culture. I have also translated a presentation for an NGO involved in development in Africa, which was presented at an international convention in Geneva, Switzerland.

I have translated letters for SEL France (Compassion) written by French sponsors to their children in India and English speaking Africa.

While at University, I was part of a committee that welcomed international students and provided events where they could build community and learn about the culture in which they found themselves. I also organized a shoe box campaign during the conflicts in ex-Yugoslavia
I have played an active role in developing my local community through food drives, Christmas packages for a shelter for women who are victims of abuse and setting up a youth drop in centre.