Podcasts for interpreters and translators

Waltraud Hofer, Sant Just Desvern, Barcelona. Conference interpreter, Translator, Member of AIIC, the International Association of Conference Interpreters

The world is changing so fast right now. Actually, that’s a truism, because the world has always been changing.

With all the upheaval, it’s not always easy to get the latest news. Podcasts offer a wonderful way to stay up to date. Especially for those of us who make our living with language, podcasts are an invaluable resource that we can use not only to expand our knowledge, but also to cultivate our working languages.

In this article, I would like to list some podcasts in my working languages of German, Italian, English and Spanish that provide us with reliable information and help me keep my languages at the required level.

I would like to start with my native language, German. In the meantime, a routine has crept into my mornings, namely this is the podcast Was jetzt of the German weekly newspaper Die Zeit. In less than 15 minutes, one is enlightened about the most important events of the previous day.

Another source of information is the podcast Politikpodcast oft he public-broadcasting radio station Deutschlandfunk.

While searching for English-language podcasts, I came across the daily news podcast The Daily by the American Newspaper New York Times and the three podcasts Up First, Fresh Air and The NPR Politics Podcast from the radio station NPR.

For Italian, I can recommend the Corriere Daily Podcast from the daily newspaper Corriere della Sera, a podcast of about 15 minutes, commenting on a current topic. A little longer is the podcast Tutta la città ne parla of the radio station RAI Radio 3, which also discusses current events. The podcast Radio 3 Mondo, also broadcast by RAI Radio 3, covers topics of international current affairs in about 30 minutes. The podcast Radio 3 Scienza from the same station addresses current scientific topics. A real gem for language lovers is the podcast La lingua batte from the radio station RAI Radio 3, which observes the evolution of the Italian language. Da non perdere, as the Italians like to say.

Those who want to update their Spanish level can listen to the podcast Truco o trato, which interviews writers, philosophers, intellectuals for an hour. Another way to broaden your horizons is to listen to the podcast Tres amigos, in which, as the name suggests, three friends who represent different political ideologies discuss current political issues, always remaining polite.

The Coffee Break: Señal y Ruido podcast takes a more scientific approach.

A look back into the past is offered by the podcast Desenterrando el pasado, which in 20 minutes tries to explain where we come from and who we are.

In polished sharp language and with a lot of humor, a historical event is presented in the podcast Acontece que no es poco by Nieves Concostrina in the radio station Cadena Ser.

Have fun listening!