Flexible and Structured Environment Translators

Flexible-environment translators will prefer to work in a number of different contexts every day: at an office, at home, and in a client's conference room; at fixed work stations and on the move with a laptop or a pad and pencil. They will gravitate toward working situations that allow them to work in noise and chaos some of the time and in peace and quiet at other times. Flexible-environment learners will often combine translator and interpreter careers.

Structured-environment learners tend to have very specific requirements for the type of environment in which they work best: in absolute silence, or with a TV or radio on. If they prefer to work with music playing, they will usually have to play the same type of music whenever they work. Structured-environment translators will typically work at a single work station, at the office or at home, and will feel extremely uncomfortable and incompetent (slow typing speed, bad memory) if forced temporarily to work anywhere else. Many structured-environment translators will keep their work stations neat and organized, and will feel uncomfortable and incompetent if there are extra papers or books on the desk, or if the piles aren't neat; some, however, prefer a messy work station and feel uncomfortable and incompe­tent if someone else cleans it up.

Independent, Dependent and Interdependent Translators

Independent learners learn best alone. Most can work temporarily with another person, or in larger groups, but they do not feel comfortable doing so, and will typically be much less effective in groups. They are often high in intrapersonal intelligence. Independent translators make ideal freelancers, sitting home alone all day with their computer, telephone, fax/modem, and reference works. Other people exist for them (while they work) at the end of a telephone line, as a voice or typed words in a fax or e-mail message. They may be quite sociable after work, and will happily spend hours with friends over dinner and drinks; but during the hours they have set aside for work, they have to be alone, and will quickly grow anxious and irritable if someone else (a spouse, a child) enters their work area.

Dependent learners, typically people high in interpersonal intelligence, learn best in pairs, teams, other groups. Most can work alone for short periods, but they do not feel comfortable doing so, and will be less effective than in groups. They like large offices where many people are working together on the same project or on similar projects and often confer together noisily. Dependent translators work best in highly collaborative or cooperative in-house situations, with several translators/ editors/managers working on the same project together. They enjoy meeting with clients for consultation. Dependent translators often gravitate toward interpreting.

Interdependent learners work well both in groups and alone; in either case, however, they perceive their own personal success and competence in terms of larger group goals. They are typically high in both intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligence. Interdependent translators in in-house situations will feel like part of a family, and will enjoy helping others solve problems or develop new approaches.