Zoe, tell us a bit about yourself and your background.

My name is Zoe and I participated in Alison’s English to Korean translation. I live in Korea and I am a Korean medical doctor, with a license for traditional Korean medicine. I’m also a freelance translator who specialises in the field of English to Korean medical translation.

How did you learn that Alison was looking for translators for its coronavirus course?

As a freelance English to Korean translator, I often check the information of different translation companies on LinkedIn. As the pandemic got worse, I saw Alison’s recruitment notice for coronavirus course translators on LinkedIn. 

What was your experience of Alison before volunteering to translate? Had you studied with Alison before?

I had read some articles introducing Alison as a free online education site. I was interested in online education sites because I’ve participated in translating these kinds of online courses as a freelance translator. I haven’t received any actual education there yet, but I want to study with Alison in the future. 

Why did you offer to translate our coronavirus course?

As everyone knows, South Korea has been dealing with COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic but, gradually, the virus spread all over the world. I saw an article that a lack of information and misinformation about the virus promoted infection. I thought that the right information was essential in the response to the pandemic. I happened to see Alison’s notice and thought participating in this would help others. 

Why is it important that everyone has access to important information on Coronavirus?

Although many epidemics have swept the world, COVID-19 is highly contagious and is having a significant impact worldwide. Especially in the early stages of the response, there were many problems, such as discrimination against Asians or the prevalence of incorrect treatment or prevention methods. Everyone should use the right information to respond to the virus and reduce these side effects properly. 

 

Tell us a little about your method when translating.

I use computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools for accuracy and consistency. Also, when translating documents related to significant issues, such as COVID-19, I refer to reliable announcements such as those from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. My medical knowledge as a Korean medical doctor has also been useful. 

Why is free learning so important, and why is it important to translate it into many languages?

During the pandemic, it was reported that the infection and mortality rates were significantly higher in low-income and underdeveloped areas. Also, false information about the virus often led to incidents. Even in an information society, in which the world is connected to the internet, the “digital divide” is still a social problem. We need to solve this problem, not just in times of pandemics, but for all future generations. Free education will narrow this gap and is essential in eliminating language barriers to spreading information.

Have you been learning through Alison during the pandemic? How has the lockdown been for you?

While translating for Alison, I also got a lot of information about the coronavirus myself. Fortunately, there was no “lockdown” in Korea. Korea was able to control the spread of the virus stably without a lockdown due to transparent information disclosure and quick examination. Of course, there were inconveniences, such as wearing face masks and avoiding crowded places, but I have been doing well.

What would you say to people who might be interested in translating for Alison?

As a Korean medical doctor and a freelance English translator, the translation of the coronavirus course with Alison meant a lot to me. It was a great pleasure to break down the barrier of language so that people could use the information they needed more easily. I would like to ask people to participate in finding opportunities to help others with their abilities. Everyone can make this world healthier.

If you’d like to play your part in overcoming the coronavirus pandemic by helping Alison give people access to the information necessary to keep themselves and their loved ones safe, please get in touch.

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