Skip to main content
Cambridge
  • Products and Services

    Products and Services

    • Products and Services

      Our innovative products and services for learners, authors and customers are based on world-class research and are relevant, exciting and inspiring.

    • Academic Research
    • English Language Learning
    • English Language Assessment
    • Educational resources for schools
    • Bibles
    • Educational Research & Network
    • Assessment Research
    • Cambridge Assessment International Education
    • OCR
    • Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing
    • Cambridge Assessment Network
    • Cambridge CEM
    • Cambridge Partnership for Education
    • Cambridge Dictionary
    • The Cambridge Mathematics Project
    • CogBooks
    • Bookshop
  • About Us

    About Us

    • About Us

      We unlock the potential of millions of people worldwide. Our assessments, publications and research spread knowledge, spark enquiry and aid understanding around the world.

    • What we do
    • Our story
    • People and planet
    • Governance
    • News and insights
    • Legal
    • Accessibility
    • Rights and permissions
    • Annual Report
    • Contact us
  • Careers

    Careers

    • Careers

      No matter who you are, what you do, or where you come from, you’ll feel proud to work here.

    • Careers
    • Jobs
    • Benefits
Change Language

Cambridge English Language Assessment

Main navigation

  • Products and Services

    Products and Services

    • Products and Services

      Our innovative products and services for learners, authors and customers are based on world-class research and are relevant, exciting and inspiring.

    • Academic Research
    • English Language Learning
    • English Language Assessment
    • Educational resources for schools
    • Bibles
    • Educational Research & Network
    • Assessment Research
    • Cambridge Assessment International Education
    • OCR
    • Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing
    • Cambridge Assessment Network
    • Cambridge CEM
    • Cambridge Partnership for Education
    • Cambridge Dictionary
    • The Cambridge Mathematics Project
    • CogBooks
    • Bookshop
  • About Us

    About Us

    • About Us

      We unlock the potential of millions of people worldwide. Our assessments, publications and research spread knowledge, spark enquiry and aid understanding around the world.

    • What we do
    • Our story
    • People and planet
    • Governance
    • News and insights
    • Legal
    • Accessibility
    • Rights and permissions
    • Annual Report
    • Contact us
  • Careers

    Careers

    • Careers

      No matter who you are, what you do, or where you come from, you’ll feel proud to work here.

    • Careers
    • Jobs
    • Benefits
Change Language
English Language Assessment
  • Home
  • Why choose us?

    Why choose us?

    • Learners

    • Who accepts our exams?
    • Visas and immigration
    • Study abroad
    • Cambridge English journeys
    • Organisations

    • English for higher education institutions
    • Our exams and tests
    • Verify results online
    • Setting your requirements
    • Exam security and quality
    • Employers
    • Research and Consultancy

    • English Research Group
    • English language consultancy
    • Impact monitoring and evaluation
  • Exams and tests

    Exams and tests

    • Cambridge English Qualifications Cambridge English Qualifications
    • Schools
    • General and higher education
    • Business
    • Pre A1 Starters (YLE Starters)
    • A1 Movers (YLE Movers)
    • A2 Flyers (YLE Flyers)
    • A2 Key for Schools (KET)
    • B1 Preliminary for Schools (PET)
    • B2 First for Schools (FCE)
    • A2 Key (KET)
    • B1 Preliminary (PET)
    • B2 First (FCE)
    • C1 Advanced (CAE)
    • C2 Proficiency (CPE)
    • B1 Business Preliminary (BEC Preliminary)
    • B2 Business Vantage (BEC Vantage)
    • C1 Business Higher (BEC Higher)
    • Linguaskill Linguaskill
    • IELTS IELTS
    • OET OET
    • Useful links

    • Test your English
    • Cambridge English Placement Test
    • How to register
    • Find an exam centre
    • What to expect on exam day
    • Study English in the UK
    • See exam results online
    • Cambridge English Scale
    • International language standards explained
    • Information for preparation centres
  • Learning English

    Learning English

    • Free activities
    • Exam preparation
    • Test your English
    • Parents and children
    • Games and social media
    • More resources
  • Teaching English

    Teaching English

    • Teaching qualifications
    • CELTA
    • DELTA
    • TKT (Teaching Knowledge Test)
    • Professional development
    • Cambridge English Teaching Framework
    • Cambridge English Trainer Framework
    • Become a Cambridge English Assessment Specialist
    • Resources for teachers
    • Webinars for teachers
    • Information for preparation centres
  • Blog
  • News
  • Events
  • Help

    Help

    • Lost certificates
    • Enquiries and appeals
    • Special requirements
    • Special considerations
    • Malpractice
    • Complaints
    • Corporate social responsibility
  • Test your English
  • Find an exam centre
  • Who accepts our exams?
English Language Assessment
Read more stories
Óscar Curros with his father

Óscar from Spain

‘I believe languages are a lifelong learning experience – you never stop learning, and each language has a beauty in its tone.’

English has always been a big part of Óscar’s life and his remarkable journey has been fed by a passion for languages and culture. Despite challenges along the way, he’s been a student in Brazil and a journalist in Spain, and now he works as the Chief Spanish Translator for a company based in West Hollywood, California.


Watch a short film about Óscar



My journey started with a major inspiration in my life. My father, Manuel Curros, made a career as an English teacher in the Spanish public education system. He’s now retired but still passionate about language.

I was born and raised in Santiago de Compostela. From an early age, my father got me interested in English. At home, he used to listen to music in English, ranging from pop or rock hits to a diverse array of styles. He enrolled me at a private English school that ran in parallel to the regular schooling in Spain, and when I was 16, I took B2 First from Cambridge English.

What I liked most at that time was listening to songs and learning the lyrics. This was a usual exercise in the English school I attended, presented in a ‘fill in the gaps’ way. It was a nice experience and preparing for the exam helped me become a better writer. I believe languages are a lifelong learning experience – you never stop learning, and each language has a beauty in its tone.

Óscar Curros

Being a Spanish translator is an exciting challenge. I really like what I do because every day I learn something new.

I did not always find English easy to learn, because growing up I was not that exposed to the language. The internet was not something in our lives, and it was only later, in my late twenties, when I travelled to London that I got real contact and experience of an Anglo-Saxon culture. Speaking English can be challenging because you tend to compare yourself to native English speakers, and it can be difficult if you have a different accent to someone from the United Kingdom or the United States. However, English has become my way of living and I suddenly had a realisation. My accent is a result of my cultural identity. I bring my personal and professional experiences to the table and use English as a means of communication with both native and non-native speakers.

I then moved to Bilbao to start my bachelor’s degree in Journalism. While living there, I continued to study languages. At high school, I had studied English, some French, Latin, and a bit of Ancient Greek. It was at this point that I prepared for and passed the C1 Advanced exam from Cambridge English. After a year I went back to Santiago de Compostela, where I majored in Journalism and got a Master’s degree in International Cooperation.

A major turning point was moving to Brazil in 2005, where I spent 11 years. I realised in Brazil there was a huge demand for Spanish translations, both from Portuguese and from English. That’s when I decided I wanted to be a translator.

During that period, I went to a private English school, where I obtained a C2 Proficiency qualification. Since I already had a qualification, I didn’t feel an immediate need to tackle Cambridge’s C2. But then, I decided to take it this year in 2021 to complete my certification series. Once again, my father encouraged me and supported me all the way from preparing for the exam to sitting for it.

Óscar Curros holding results

After 11 years living and working in Brazil, having completed two graduate courses there, I returned to my hometown. I was there when COVID-19 hit Spain in March 2020. Around this time, I started to work for Certified Interpreting Services on a remote basis. I began as a consultant and now I am the Chief Spanish Translator.

I always wanted to be a journalist as I was drawn to writing and publishing. Now I apply my journalistic skills to a job with a strong focus on culture, involving translations from diverse languages into Spanish.

Oscar with his family

Being a Spanish translator is an exciting challenge. I really like what I do because every day I learn something new. For example, I often come across a word that I don’t know, which means going off and doing my research. In my work, precision is key. It’s important to go deep into several specialisation areas. I have to go beyond learning just general English, but learn specialist English too, such as technical and business language. I love the remote interaction with my team in the USA as we get to talk about cultural factors and in particular the cultural context of words. We also like to compare language use in the USA and in Spain.

Due to my job and the projects I’ve worked on, I’ve been asked to speak at several virtual translation events around the world, which I did. My main subject has been literary translation.

I feel like my greatest achievement is my current job – not only the position, but also the fact that I have the opportunity to help people communicate better.

That’s a passion that drives me to go on learning.



About Óscar Curros

Óscar has taken B2 First, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency. He works as the Chief Spanish Translator for Certified Interpreting Services.

Read more inspiring stories

 

On this site

  • Home
  • Why Cambridge English?
  • Exams and tests
  • Learning English
  • Teaching English
  • News
  • Events
  • Help
  • About us
  • Who accepts our exams?
  • Agents
  • Consultancy
  • Research
  • Contact us
  • ALTE logo
  • English Profile logo
  • Cambridge University Press & Assessment
  • BSI Logo

View Related Sites

  • Cambridge English main site
  • Cambridge English helpdesk
  • Cambridge English Schools
  • Cambridge English Online
  • Cambridge English for Centres
  • Preparation Centres Online
  • Results Verification Service
  • Occupational English Test
  • ALTE
  • English Profile
  • Cambridge University Press & Assessment
  • Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing
  • Michigan Language Assessment
  • Cambridge Assessment Japan Foundation


© Cambridge University Press & Assessment

  • Terms & conditions
  • Data protection
  • Accessibility statement
  • Statement on modern slavery
  • Safeguarding policy
  • Sitemap
Back to top
We use cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving your consent for us to set cookies Dismiss