Word Up Translations was founded by Sandy Alblas. Sandy developed her knack for languages early on. With a Dutch father and an American mother, she was immersed in English from a very young age. As a result, studying English Language and Literature at Utrecht University came as a natural choice.
Sandy graduated with honours in 1996, after which she obtained a degree in teaching. Following several years of teaching English both in the Netherlands and abroad, Sandy enrolled in a translation course at the ITV University for Translators and Interpreters to master the fine art of translation. In addition to obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in translation, she accepted a job as an in-house translator at Amsterdam-based translation agency The Language Lab. Thanks to her bilingual upbringing both her Dutch and English translations are authentic and accurate, and her experience in education and the business world serves as a valuable source of information for her translations.
SANDY ALBLAS
English translator/teacher
2008 - present
DUTCH-ENGLISH TRANSLATOR
Translation, editing and proofreading.
2006 - 2008
IN-HOUSE DUTCH-ENGLISH TRANSLATOR
English translator and proofreader at Amsterdam-based translation agency.
2001 - 2006
EDITOR/GROUP LEADER
Editor of research reports and articles. Worked with children with special needs.
1997-2001
ENGLISH TEACHER
Taught English to secondary school grades 1-4, and TEFL methods and techniques to all levels and age groups.