Professor, Chinese Translation and Interpretation
Laura Burian, Professor of Chinese/English translation and interpretation and C.V. Starr Professor in Linguistics and Language, earned her MA in Chinese Translation and Interpretation program at the Institute in the 1990s, and then moved to China where she became an in-house Chinese/English translator/ interpreter/ legal assistant in the Beijing office of a New York law firm. She then worked as a freelance conference interpreter, and returned to MIIS to teach in 2000.
Prof. Burian maintains a dynamic and high-profile conference interpretation portfolio with clients in both the public and private sector, and is a frequently invited guest speaker at conferences, workshops, and seminars worldwide. Her TEDx talk (co-presented with MIIS Professor Barry Olsen), which is often used as a primer for students, teachers, and end-users of interpretation, earned a TED “Editor’s Pick” accolade in 2014. Her short course in Note-taking for Consecutive Interpretation is a popular option for non-degree students to develop, refine, and strengthen note-taking practices.
Prof. Burian has received both the Eliason Teacher of Excellence Award and the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award. Her pedagogy aims to inspire her students to quickly become full partners in shaping the trajectory of their own professional and personal development. Her research focuses on deliberate or reflective practice for interpreters.
Prof. Burian has dedicated many years to service at the Institute, with two terms as Faculty Senate President and two terms as Dean. She is on sabbatical for the 24/25 school year.
Professor, Translation and Interpretation
When Burian decided to study language on a whim, it changed the course of her career and academic future.
My name is Laura Burian, I’m a professor of Chinese and English Translation and Interpretation here at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. I started studying Chinese in college pretty much on a whim because I was curious to learn about something that was completely different. And I really had no idea what I was gonna do if I mastered it with Chinese language skills.
I was living and working in Taiwan for a couple years after college, and I saw a sign with an advertisement for the institute. And I decided, lets give this a try, lets see if this is a good way to professionalize my language skills, and I had no idea what a wonderful and exciting career path it would take me on.
I ended up with opportunities as a freelance translator interpreter to learn about all kinds of different fields, to work with people ranging from CEOs of major corporations to the leaders in the government, leaders in the private industry, leaders in the film industry. Things of that sort that I definitely would not have predicted as a student.
And for me, coming back here to teach has been wonderful. It’s been great for me to be able to share my experiences with students and help them to see what they can do with the skills that they’re picking up here. And it’s also wonderful for me to see where the students actually take them.
For me when a student will call me up, and ask for mid career advice, and let me know everything that he or she has done, it’s very humbling, and it’s an honor to see that this time at the institute has started them on career paths. Whether they’re working as interpreters for major international organizations or as translators for really important documentation, it really is wonderful to see that they are making a difference and that they are excited about their careers.
So for me as a teacher, it doesn’t get better than that.
Aware that today’s translation and interpretation markets are ultra-dynamic, Dean Burian is determined to maintain her professional currency so that she can share new insights and trends with her students. Her recent translations include corporate legal documents, academic papers, and texts on Chinese culture. Her recent interpretation assignments include conferences on new internet technologies and energies, venture capital, paleontology, human rights, education and government.
Dean Burian’s research interests center around expertise acquisition, effective pedagogical approaches for the consecutive and simultaneous interpretation classroom, and learner autonomy. As an accomplished violinist, she enjoys drawing on musical analogies to make her teaching more meaningful.
Dean Burian has been teaching at the Institute since 2000.
| by Sierra Abukins
Over 8,000 people from across the world recently tuned in for a conversation with top employers, academics, and practitioners on how the field is changing and what’s next.
| by Sierra Abukins
The self-paced online course is taught by Professor Laura Burian and helps you build the foundation to build a strong note-taking practice over time.
| by Charles Cai and Xiaohui Hu
Second-year interpretation students organized and led the annual Fall Forum, which was not only centered on a food theme this year, but featured seven local restaurants serving different cuisines.
