Anna Maria Władyka-Leittretter Translation & Conference Interpreting

15/05/2025

📊 From 784 ppm to 1361 ppm CO₂ in just 20 minutes — measured during a recent interpreting assignment.

📸 The first photo shows the CO₂ level when we entered the booth. The second, taken less than half an hour later, shows a dramatic rise — and we still had over an hour to go.

Simultaneous interpreting requires sustained cognitive intensity, involving auditory processing, short-term memory, reformulation, and continuous speech production — all under time pressure.

But small, enclosed booths with limited ventilation can quickly become CO₂ traps, and this has measurable effects on brain performance.

🔬 At CO₂ concentrations above 1000 ppm, cognitive functions begin to decline:
-reduced concentration and mental clarity
-increased fatigue and slower reaction times
-impaired decision-making and verbal fluency
At 1400 ppm and beyond, these effects become more pronounced — a concerning fact when interpreters are expected to maintain peak performance for 90 minutes or longer.

🧠 To protect both cognitive accuracy and occupational health, regular breaks and proper ventilation are essential. This isn't just a question of comfort — it's a matter of quality assurance and workplace safety.

I regret I didn’t take a snapshot of the display when we were about to leave the booth, but I’m not so sure if you’d be willing to see it!

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Anna Maria Władyka-Leittretter
Conference Interpreter & Translator
English (§) - Polish (§) - German (§) | AMWL Sprachen
Konferenzdolmetscherin (M.A.) und Fachübersetzerin (B.A.),
öffentlich bestellt u. allgemein beeidigt,
Fachprüferin für die polnische Sprache (Landesamt für Schule und Bildung)
✉️ [email protected] | 📞 +4917638780507

11/04/2025

Two weeks ago, my profession took me to the — and I’m still buzzing with impressions! 📚✨
This year’s guest country Norway brought a Nordic breeze to the halls, and I had the pleasure of supporting the and taking care of the VdÜ (German Association of Literary Translators) exhibition stand.
We also shared leaflets, stickers, pens and many other goodies from the (German Association of Conference Interpreters), which sparked curiosity among young people exploring future careers in interpreting and multilingual communication (yes, indeed!).
A personal highlight: attending a reading with Nobel Prize winner Olga , who presented her thought-provoking new novel – a powerful work that is an ironic take on Thomas Mann’s “The Magic Mountain”.

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Anna Maria Władyka-Leittretter
Conference Interpreter & Translator
English (§) - Polish (§) - German (§)
öffentlich bestellt u. allgemein beeidigt,
Fachprüferin für die polnische Sprache (Landesamt für Schule und Bildung)
✉️ [email protected] | 📞 +49176-38780507

23/03/2024

Leipzig Book Fair 2024! We're in the middle of it, advocating the rights of literary translators and celebrating the nominated translations!

13/02/2024

Remember those fun look and find books we enjoyed as kids? Well, I just had the chance to revisit that joy thanks to a collaboration with Random House Verlagsgruppe GmbH / Prestel Verlag. I had the pleasure of translating a delightful storybook by Nikola Kucharska, 'A Year in the Castle.':

https://lnkd.in/ekucbbkP

If you're interested in the original Polish version or other books in the series, check out: https://lnkd.in/ewi9vkmb

23/01/2024

Reserves, equity, EPS... These terms are essential for conference interpreters who work at European works council meetings or annual general meetings. In addition to preparing for the respective assignment, it is extremely important to take a deep dive into these topics, because only then will you understand the context and won´t be surprised by abbreviations such as "FCF", "NOPAT" or "CFBIT". Many thanks to colleagues organising trainings on behalf of VKD and to Jacqueline Klemke for the training session on and reporting!

05/12/2023

Following "Faszinierende Chemie" and "Faszinierendes Gehirn", "Faszinierende Physik" hits bookshelves as my third translation from the "fascinating" Springer series, perfectly rounding off my business area literary translation in 2023. Many thanks to PWN - Scientific Publishers (WN PWN S.A.)!

30/03/2023

Throwback Thursday! Following a demanding interpreting gig on preserving historical monuments, I set out on a quick tour including snacking and sightseeing. That's how I discovered Dat Tortenhus in Waren (Müritz). My coffee-lover soul feels indulged :)

23/12/2022

18/11/2022

The magic of theatre and an interesting (albeit a bit vintage) console at the

09/11/2022

Where was I this time? No, it's not a spaceship, even if it is supposed to look like one. ;) Grateful for the exciting mission and for the unique experience!

31/05/2022

Honoured to have interpreted the negotiations between the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Polish Ministry of Infrastructure at 2022 in using my simultaneous interpretation equipment.

17/12/2021

As the year is coming to a close, we often look back and reflect on the past months. I’ve been quite silent on social media recently but I think I had good reasons for that:
▶️I’ve set up a small RSI hub in my office with a working space for 2 people and equipment for simultaneous interpreting and voice recordings.
▶️A new book translation is cooking up, this time devoted to the fascinating secrets of the human brain!
▶️I’ve discovered a new passion for speech-to-text interpreting and completed a postgraduate study programme at the University of Vienna devoted to Schriftdolmetschen. I am now qualified to offer this service with English and German and am excited to expand my service portfolio further.
▶️I’ve worked with very competent and fantastic (new and old) colleagues both online and on site. My last cool treat before the Christmas break included interpreting at a film set for a documentary which is going to be available on Netflix!
🔜My resolution for 2022? Find more time for CPD, some creative ideas and physical meetings with colleagues. 😊
What about your plans & highlights?