Meet Lisa: English teacher, translator, proofreader …

Throughout uni, you’d be most likely to find me on the 6th floor of the library, surrounded by piles of huge dictionaries – or in the sports hall training with the Hull Uni Ju Jitsu Club.

Thanks to all that time in the library, I aced my assignments and exams and graduated with a First Class Honours in Combined Languages, with distinctions in oral German and oral Italian. I also won multiple university awards:

2003 (second year):

• Lionel Thomas Prize (German)
• Netherlands Embassy Book Prize

2005 (fourth and final year):

• German Departmental Prize
• Friends Association Prize in Dutch Studies
• Jamieson Prize for Combined Languages

Remember that small seed planted during my internship in Germany? Well, that took root and grew, and I stayed on at the University of Hull to complete a Master’s in Translation Studies.

3 semesters of theory and practice, a multitude of translation assignments (including a technical manual and a chapter of my favourite German fantasy novel) and lots more ju jitsu later, I had my master’s degree (and a blue belt!) in the bag and was ready for my next adventure.

Another little seed had been planted during my Bachelor’s – teaching English in Japan. Put forward as an alternative to my Master’s and initially rejected, the idea slowly germinated and blossomed.

I got a job in Kure, Hiroshima prefecture with a famous Japan-wide chain of conversation schools … which went bankrupt 2 months after I arrived. Ugh. But instead of giving up and flying home, I used my connections to find another job and ended up staying for almost 3 enriching years of teaching.

I returned to the UK to “get a sensible job”. Instead (after a bit of temping for the NHS), I got a distinctly unsensible job as an International Tour and Operations Manager at Traveleyes, planning holidays and then leading groups to destinations around the world.

There’s something special about Traveleyes: half of the travellers in their groups are blind, while the other half are sighted travellers who guide the blind people, describing the sights, in exchange for a discount.

My highlights? Breathing in the scent of lemons and olive oil while strolling through the streets of Sorrento, Italy. Standing awestruck, trying to describe the sheer majesty of the Taj Mahal in India. Basking in the magic of La Traviata at the Arena di Verona. Plus Iceland, Vietnam, Austria, Peru, Brazil … and so much more.

So many inspiring experiences … but something was niggling at me. A longing to return to the world of translation. So, my tour manager chapter closed, and a new project management chapter opened.

During my 3 years at thebigword in Leeds, I progressed from translation project manager on the European Team to senior translation project manager, before being promoted to project director (team leader) of the Public Services Team and then transferring back to the European Team, this time as their manager.

I gained so much translation industry expertise during those years (and my brown-white belt in ju jitsu!), but something was still missing; that little niggle came back, stronger than ever.

As a PM, I performed the final pre-delivery check on a lot of translations and I realised: my translation would be at least as good. And that niggle turned into an urge to try, to test myself, to prove myself.

So, I sent off applications and test translations, hoping to get feedback to improve – and the job offers started rolling in. I picked Global Voices in Stirling, Scotland for its glorious location at the foot of the Ochil Hills.

I couldn’t have hoped for a more versatile start to my translation career: I was translating or proofreading hotel brochures, marketing materials for a luxury car manufacturer, financial reports, recipes, airport announcements … you name it. Best of all, I got to translate from both of my main source languages: German and Italian.

One day, on LinkedIn, I stumbled across a job advert for a translation position at Airbus Defence and Space in Taufkirchen near Munich through a recruitment agency – what an opportunity! Obviously, I applied … and got the job!

My time at Airbus was a steep learning curve. Thanks to the incredibly meticulous proofreading of my talented colleagues, my translation skills developed in leaps and bounds, and I gained in-depth knowledge of the aerospace and defence sector.

In 2020, the Corona pandemic hit and really put things into perspective for me: I wanted to be near family. I had a choice: return to my hometown in Yorkshire – or move to South Tyrol, a place I’d loved since I was a child.

As luck would have it, South Tyrolean software, marketing and consulting agency Brandnamic was looking for an in-house English copywriter and translator. Perfect! And so, the time had come to pack up again and head southwards through the Alps.

I stayed at Brandnamic for more than 5 years, creating native English copy and translations for the hospitality industry. Naming, claiming, brochures, websites, newsletters, social media posts … I love the versatility. I’m also proud to have spearheaded the introduction of a computer-assisted translation tool, memoQ.

2026 brought a big change: I decided to go freelance. Why? Because I felt that urge to grow, to explore other areas of translation and proofreading and return to teaching English. To push my limits and see where it will take me.

So far, my main focus has been on academic proofreading, fun, immersive English lessons for adults and in kindergartens in Wipptal, and certified English translations for the UK. Plus a translation of an Italian dystopian novel in the works, an English course for yoga teachers, my English Tea Club for tea, biscuits and friendly chats in English … and more to come!

Watch this space!