I am a native British English speaker with a passion for foreign languages and proud to be a Chartered Linguist with the Chartered Institute of Linguists.
While I studied German at school, I learnt Spanish “on the ground” in Mexico while participating in the Rotary International Youth Exchange Scheme. I went to on study both languages at the University of Wales, Bangor, leaving with a First Class Degree and the Dr. Barbara Saunderson Prize for German.
In addition to a year in Mexico, I worked for 3 months on the Costa Brava, I have spent time studying in Austria and Spain, as well as working closely with colleagues in Germany, Switzerland, Spain [specifically Catalonia] and Mexico during my time at Romo Fabrics. My travels also include three months volunteering on the Makaibari Tea Plantation in Darjeeling, India.
I also work part-time for local travel company Rayburn Tours, specialising in educational group travel. This keeps my active languages skills alive and involves regular visits to mainland Europe with recent trips to Barcelona and the Costa Brava, Malaga, Berlin, the Rhineland, Salzburgerland, and Kandersteg, Switzerland.
I love books and reading. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had my nose in a book, sometimes ignoring the rest of my family while I “just finish this chapter!” The birth of my children in the early 2010s was a very definite turning point in my life – I stepped away from a career in export and switched instead to tutoring and translation.
It was during my Master’s Degree in Translation Studies at the University of Bristol that I realised I might be able to combine my two passions – languages and books!
Aside from my translation work, I volunteer in primary and secondary schools, talking to children about my experiences of a life with languages. In 2021, I was named Outreach Champion by the Institute of Translation and Interpreting. For more about this, please click here.
Claire Storey 