Amy is a Certified Conference Interpreter (Mandarin/English), Certified Interpreter (Mandarin/English) and Certified Translator (English into Chinese).
My name is Xiaoxing (Amy) Wang, and I am a NAATI Certified Conference Interpreter (Mandarin/English), Certified Interpreter (Mandarin/English) and Certified Translator (English into Chinese).
I began working as an interpreter/translator after earning a Master of Interpreting and Translation from the University of Western Sydney in 2011.
I have spent most of the past 15 years working as a community interpreter, primarily in health and legal interpreting. To me, interpreting is not only a valuable skill but also an opportunity to keep learning more about Australia and how to make the most of my life here as a migrant.
My early years spent interpreting Workers’ Compensation claims taught me safe manual handling techniques, exercises to strengthen different muscles, as well as mindfulness and self-care. A few of my favourite recipes were collected through interpreting for home carers cooking for elderly migrants. While knowledge of complex medical terminology, basic human anatomy and common health conditions are byproducts of medical interpreting, the ability to navigate the Australian legal system and understand how the law affects our daily lives is a valuable lesson learnt by interpreting or observing court debates firsthand while getting paid.
But of course, interpreting means much more than just benefiting me as a person. It is also a privilege to help people make critical decisions during one of the most difficult times in their lives. Through medical interpreting, I help patients understand how to establish healthy habits and lifestyles to better manage or prevent certain conditions. I also help people who have lost their loved ones to tragic events find solace and closure. And in some circumstances, I even get to help patients make meaningful decisions about how they would like to say goodbye to the world and the people they love so much. Medical interpreting has this magic that encourages me to cherish every moment I have and be more patient and caring towards the people I encounter.
Legal interpreting, on the other hand, is no less fascinating for its ability to empower crime victims to speak up and protect their own rights, to facilitate understanding of complicated legal procedures and the likely outcome of a legal action, and to enable an informed decision-making process on a matter that is likely to change someone’s life forever. It is sometimes daunting because of the intimidating court environment and the huge responsibility for the accuracy of each word I interpret, but it is also deeply satisfying to be the only officer in court who enables people to tell their stories and/or learn about their legal responsibilities despite their language difficulties.
Working as an interpreter, I embrace every opportunity to learn new skills and knowledge. I held a few different positions while volunteering at AUSIT, but the professional development (PD) ones are always closest to my heart. I enjoyed planning PD calendars, organising and delivering PD events for practising interpreters and translators, and providing education sessions for clients on how to better work with interpreters.
I have been extremely honoured and proud to receive the 2023 AUSIT Excellence Award for Outstanding Contribution to Interpreting.