Words are my bread & butter.
My name is Marlies Gabriele Prinzl, PhD, and I am a freelance language consultant. Currently, I am based in Seoul, South Korea, but work remotely with clients worldwide.
I am a seasoned copyeditor and proofreader, but also do translation, transcription and sometimes even interpretation work (usually as a fixer). I grew up with multiple languages in different countries, an upbringing that makes me particularly sensitive to regional variations and cultural nuances. With a solid academic background in literature, linguistics and translation, I worked as a tutor at the Writing Lab at University College London (UCL), a top British university, for four years. There, I gave workshops on topics such as “Introductions & Conclusions” and “Polishing Your Writing: Precise, Concise & Varied” and edited everything from dissertations to abstracts to articles for peer-reviewed journals. I have also taught English and German to language learners.
I am happy to tackle just about any topic and type of text. Beyond academia, I have worked with cover letters, CVs/resumes, film reviews, formal emails and letters, social media and blog posts, business reports, marketing pamphlets, grant applications, catalogues for museums and galleries, news updates – you name it!
I am a stickler for accuracy and consistency, so especially suited for long and/or complex requests. I have a 4.98 out of 5 stars rating for 4,000 jobs on one online editing platform I have worked with.
Some things I love: Language(s). Monsoon. Soondubu jiggae. Good tea and coffee. Both Kanji and Hangeul. Running and cooking a lot. And living everywhere.
Places I have called home: Austria, Thailand, Taiwan, USA, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Scotland, Costa Rica, England, South Korea.
(Image: © Jun Michael Park)
Qualifications
- PhD in Translation Studies (University College London, UK) – Jan. 2017
- MA in Translation Studies (University of Birmingham, UK) – 2009
- MSc in Comparative and General Literature (University of Edinburgh, UK) – 2005
- BA in Liberal Arts, Major: Humanities (University College Utrecht, the Netherlands) – 2004
Furthermore, I am an alumna of Taipei American School and the United World Colleges, where I obtained a bilingual IB diploma.
Experience
- Full-time language consultant since 2016 (see here for services offered)
- Part-time copyeditor, proofreader and translator since 2004
- Previously worked as a literature teacher and language tutor
Languages
- English (British, American) – Native
- German (German, Austrian) – Native
- Spanish (specialised in Latin American Spanish, with particular experience in Costa Rican and Cuban Spanish) – Advanced
- Dutch – Advanced
- Korean – Upper Intermediate (improving daily!)
Professional Membership
Finally, I am also an active member of the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA). While it is difficult for me to attend conferences overseas, I make time for professional development and continuously strive to hone and expand my skills.