BY PELİN SU UZUNCAGİL (AMER/II)
Department of Translation and Interpretation instructor Zeynep Şengel received her BA and MA at Bilkent University. She graduated from the Department of Translation and Interpretation in 2005 and Conference Interpreting in 2008. She has worked as a conference interpreter. Before coming to Bilkent, she also worked in Çankaya University as an instructor. She has been teaching courses in Bilkents’ CINT and TRIN departments since 2021.
Why did you choose an academic career?
I have been working as a conference interpreter since 2008. In my tenth year, another university approached me to teach interpreting courses on a part-time basis, and I accepted the offer. I soon discovered a genuine passion for teaching. I also realized that real-world experience when combined with academic research and teaching can provide students with insights and practical skills that are relevant to what they will face in their careers.
For me, teaching is a sacred profession that goes beyond simply delivering course content. It’s about empowering and inspiring students to reach their full potential. So, I think all this inspired me to pursue academia and continue to grow as both an instructor and an interpreter.
Why/how did you choose Bilkent? What do you like the most about being at Bilkent?
I am a Bilkent graduate — class of 2005. I am also one of the first graduates of the Masters in Conference Interpreting program in Bilkent (MA, 2008). It was like coming home. I also had a sense of loyalty, but it was more than that. The Department of Translation and Interpretation at Bilkent University has an excellent track record of graduates. They translate and interpret for the public and private sector, serving high-profile clients as well as international institutions. That is why I thought it would be a privilege to join the ranks of Bilkent’s faculty members and contribute to this legacy.
What projects are you working on currently?
I am currently a PhD student at Hacettepe University where I’m working on my dissertation. My subject is the emerging field of accessibility and language, with a particular emphasis on “plain language.” Plain language is about ensuring that all individuals can access and understand important information, regardless of their background, status or ability. I am working on devising a national plain language guideline to improve the accessibility of information to migrants and refugees in Turkey. I am also working on website accessibility and access to information in times of crises for greater social inclusion.
What’s your best work?
I wish I could give a big, inspirational answer to this question but my answer is that the best is yet to come. Nevertheless, I think my biggest achievement was to listen to my heart and plunge into the world of academia at the age of 36. I am so happy that I found the energy and courage to do so.
What excites you about your work? What’s the coolest thing about your work?
I usually teach performance-driven classes. These are interpreting courses that keep students on their toes and where they are expected, in a way, to be public speakers. They race against time as they find equivalences in the target language in a milisecond, and this is a real pressure on them, particularly at the very beginning of the semester. The coolest thing is to witness their progress as they become more relaxed and eager to learn over the course of the year. The most exciting thing is to see the joy in the eyes of the students as they rise to the challenge.
Could you share a turning point or defining moment in your career?
For me it was the master’s program in Bilkent. It is a non-thesis, professional and a highly demanding program where all the instructors are practicing professional conference interpreters. I was there for the first year of the program, and only two students were enrolled — me and my colleague and dear friend, Mehmet Ali. So, the pressure was on. It was a taxing, nerve-racking nine months. I will never forget the day we graduated after passing the final exam, at which professional interpreters from EU institutions were present as jury members. It was the end of our school life and the beginning of our career. Graduating from this program meant genuine recognition as we embarked on our professional lives.
What has been the most exciting moment of your career so far?
Many conference interpreters have been privileged to witness important meetings between heads of state, government officials and other dignitaries, which they often humbly share as treasured memories. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to interpret in an important meeting in the Pentagon. This was one of the most exciting moments in my career as a conference interpreter.
What’s one piece of information from your field that you think everyone should know?
Interpreters are human beings 🙂 They can only be as good as the speakers. (Moreover, it is a shared responsibility between the interpreter and his/her employer to be prepared for a meeting. The employer must provide the interpreter with the context, the necessary resources and a briefing. Then the interpreter must do his/her own part and get himself/herself acquainted with the background information and terminology.)
When and where do you do your best thinking?
I am a morning person. I love waking up earlier than everyone in the house. Silence and the idea of a new bright day motivate me. The smell of coffee and the absence of the rush of the day for 30 minutes or so help me do my best thinking.
What distracts you?
I will be honest and admit that social media distracts me. As of this month, I have a spring resolution — I’ve heard they are better than the New Year’s ones —to limit my social media screen time. I sometimes find myself endlessly scrolling through cat videos and mouth-watering recipes at 2 am. It’s not doing my diet or sleep any favors, that’s for sure. So, I am resolute and ready to take on this challenge.
What’s the most common misconception about your work?
The most common misconception would be that anyone who speaks a foreign language can interpret, which is definitely not true. Being an interpreter is more than being a skilled linguist; it is about situational awareness, world know-how, research and discourse analysis. It is about communicating. Another fallacy would be that interpreters are always provided with the speeches beforehand, which is rarely true and, even so, it is not always a good thing. If there is a written speech, it means it will be read out at full speed, which is a nightmare, rather than an aid, for interpreters.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
My family and friends are very important to me, although sometimes they might not feel that. So, spending quality time with them, doing yoga and cooking are things I love to do in my spare time.
Which books have influenced you the most, and why?
“When Nietzsche Wept” by Irvin D. Yalom. I read this book when I was in high school, and I was fascinated by it. I think this book sparked my love for reading. I’ve always loved psychology and philosophy, and this book combined these two in a fictional and factual manner. The love, the hate, the suffering and the joy were all intertwined as they always are and presented so gracefully and with thrill. “The Prophet” by Kahlil Gibran holds a special place in my heart as my all-time favorite book. I also find the works of Alain de Botton and Hanif Kureishi captivating and thought-provoking.
If you weren’t an academician, what career would you choose?
I would love to be an architect or a designer of some sort, interior or product. Yet I would still want to teach.
What’s the secret to leading a happy life?
I believe happiness is an attitude. It does not come with prerequisites or conditions or criteria. Accepting the ephemerality of things brings calmness and humility. And that can bring happiness too. It is not downplaying life, it’s accepting that everything passes — one way or another. And that’s good.
If you could go back to your undergraduate/graduate student years, what advice would you give to your younger-self?
Ah! That would be about my French 🙂 Learn more, practice more and go stay in France or Belgium to become fluent. And then do all these things again for another language!
