ITI Profile: Vivienne Cavagnoli Student

After many years of working in banking, I decided to revisit my passion for languages and combine it with new passions.

Coming from a bi-cultural background, languages have always been a part of my life. I graduated in modern languages at Sussex University, and always enjoyed the translation modules the most. After living in France and Australia for a while, I settled in Sussex and started working in banking. I then had my children and life got very busy, but translation has remained an interest, and in 2021 I finally decided to pursue this by enrolling in an MA course in Translation Studies at Portsmouth University. I translate from Italian to English, and I have chosen to specialise in tourism, as well as food and wine translation, and Italy is obviously very fertile ground for all of these things! 

As I already work and have a family, my only option was to study online and over three years, and although I have met some people on my course in person, the networking and support that the ITI offers is invaluable. I plan to work freelance at translation, and so again having a network that I can connect with will be very important. I recently completed a module for my MA on the professional aspects of translation, and the importance of connecting with fellow translators came up many times, not just for the acquisition of clients but also for continuing professional development. I have attended many CPD courses on the ITI site which have been extremely insightful and have helped me to narrow down my areas of interest. 

I am currently also studying for my WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) qualifications, so I can further develop my expertise. I am also lucky enough to live in one of the best regions for sparkling wine in the UK, and have some of the best vineyards on my doorstep!