Lexa Olivera-Smith

Biography

I have more than 25 years' experience both teaching in Higher Education, and translating/interpreting freelance for numerous clients in the UK and abroad. I was born in Cuba, where I completed my first degree (Licenciatura en Lengua y Literatura Inglesa), a 5-year long programme that included intensive training in translation and interpreting. From 1994 until 1999 I was employed as a Lecturer at the English Language Department of the Universidad Central de Las Villas (UCLV), Cuba. I taught several undergraduate courses, including English; Translation; Interpreting and General Linguistics. As part of my role, I also worked as a translator/interpreter on ad hoc assignments for other university departments and local institutions. I first came to the University of Essex in 1997 to complete an MA in Applied Linguistics under a British Council Chevening Scholarship. After completing the MA, I went back to Cuba for another year to continue my role at UCLV, before finally relocating to the UK in 1999, when I joined the Department of Language and Linguistics at Essex. Parallel to my teaching activity, since 1999 I have also continued to work as a freelance translator and occasional interpreter for numerous clients in a variety of fields. Over the past 20 years I have collaborated regularly with the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), the Open University of Barcelona (UOC), the University of Barcelona (UB) and other HE institutions in Spain and Latin America, translating and revising academic research and conference papers, book chapters and monographs. Many of my translations have been published in international journals, such as Studies in Higher Education, Teaching & Teacher Education, Computer & Education, among others. Course Director of MA Audiovisual and Literary Translation Partnerships Coordinator, Dept. of Language & Linguistics Spicer Library Coordinator Member of European Association for Studies in Screen Translation (ESIST) Member of Sociedad Espanola de Lenguas Modernas (SELM)

Qualifications

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

• MA Applied Linguistics - University of Essex

• BA Hons. English Language and Literature UCLV - Universidad Central de las Villas,