Professional Translator Qualifications
As professional translators, we answer questions often, and many times the questions have no simple answers. In this forum, I will post frequency asked questions related to what makes a translator qualified and related topics. I will post some of the best answers from other translators, translation students and others interested in professional translation.
Week 3: February 24, 2020: Qualifications for Translators and Interpreters; What Makes a Translator Qualified
Question 3 (Week 3): What makes a translator qualified? How do I know that a translator will do a good job? What makes one translator better than another? What credentials should a translator have? Are all translators the same? Do skilled, experienced translators charge more than less experienced translators? As for interpreters, what qualifications are needed? Are there state-specific certifications? Does speaking the target language qualify one as a translator or interpreter?
A translator is qualified if they can translate the document in question while still maintaining the original meaning of the document with appropriate grammar and word choice. References may be requested from a translator if their ability to translate is of question, but usually the volume of work they’ve completed or the number of years they’ve been translating is a good indicator of their abilities. Translators will always vary in abilities and command of the language, but most translators will do an equally fine job when translating, regardless of their choice of wording or writing style. Translators can pursue certification through different organizations, but certification isn’t necessary. Translators only need to have a good command of the target language and their native language, and a good command of grammar in both.
The price of document translation will vary based on the translator’s experience and whether or not they are specialists in their field, but most translators will be able to complete standard documents such as birth certificates, marriage certifications, and other government issued documents without an issue.
Interpreters, like translators, may pursue a number of different certifications, but those are not necessary in most situations. They’ll need to have a good command of both languages, but they also need to be prepared for varying types of interpretation and have the skill-set and vocabulary necessary for the setting they’ll be working in. Just because someone is fluent in a language, doesn’t mean they know all the terminology used in a courtroom or a hospital. Just because they know this terminology, doesn’t mean they can listen in one language and translate into the target language, such is the case with conference interpreting. Court systems and their certification processes will vary by state, but generally, certification is an additional, bolstering process, rather than a mandatory, state required process. Answered by AS
There are no requirements or certification that are needed to become a translator. There are ways to get certified but they are not really important. What makes a translator qualified is their experience and even people that recommend them. You will know a translator will do a good job because they have many recommendations they usually charge a bit more and they have a good resume with years of experience and training. For interpreting one does not always need any certificates depending what you are interpreting. If you are interpreting for the UN you need a first level degree from a university or institution of equivalent status. But for most jobs you just need experience and practice to do the job well. Speaking the language does not qualify to be a translator or interpreter it is still a hard thing to do and requires a lot of practice one cannot just start and automatically be good with both. You must have an excellent understanding of the language you are translating/interpreting from and the language you are translating/interpreting. Answered by JV
There are no requirements or certification that are required to become a translator. Certification is always accepted and helpful in certain instances, legal documents or some corporate work, but overall certification is not something that is needed, or required. A good translator is known as a good translator through his references, but that is only done through his experience in the field. That does not mean that a new translator could not achieve the same level of respect that other translators have, even without the same level of experience. In general, you must have a outstanding understanding of the language you are translating/interpreting from and the language you are translating or interpreting. Answered by JAFG
There are not any specific qualifications a translator must have in order to be a good translator. Certifications are available, but they are not necessary in most cases. A translator who is good at their job is accurate and conveys the original message of the text in their translation. The more experience, positive reviews, and references a translator has the more likely they will do a good job. Usually, a skilled translator will charge more than a less experienced translator. All translators are not the same. Some may specialize in a special type of document like birth certificates or marriage certificates. Translators and interpreters need to have excellent understanding and use of both the language they are translating from and the language they are translating into. However, just because one speaks the target language of a translation or interpretation does not make someone qualified. It is necessary to have lots of practice and experience in translating and interpreting. It is also important to be familiar with the legal jargon when translating a document. For interpretation, even more experience can be needed, especially in simultaneous interpretation. Hearing one language and simultaneously interpreting it into another is extremely difficult, and it can take years to master this skill. Again, the more experience an interpreter has the more likely they are going to a good job. Answered by GW
How a translator is qualified in their field is more on how well they know to talk and speak in the native language they know to the target language and vice versa. When it comes to their job, what makes a translator qualified is when they want to provide an excellent service to those who come to them. So, it comes to how well they are translating, with the details and grammar of the document or what the client is trying to transcribe on paper. When it comes to their experience in what they would do, they have to back up that experience with recommendations and people who have used their service and have seen amazing results of what was translated.
For credibility and credentials, one has to have more experience in the field and to have people review or verify them to ensure they are the real deal than some scam. For certifying as a translator, it isn’t required for people to take exams to prove much, since its paying mostly annual fees, and not many benefits coming from taking an exam or having to do programs to be certified. All translators can work without the certification if they choose to forgo the certification exam.
All translators don’t do the same rates since the need for having certain documents translated or having an interpretation of it is all different. Everyone, though, has their style of how they translated, so no translator is the same as another translator.
As for the interpretation side of languages, there usually is a certification for interpretation via the state-level government-issued certification. That’s how some get certified for courtrooms, hospitals, and more. When it comes to speaking the language, it is mostly interpreting since that involves the conversation and pacing aspect of what interpreting consists of. Answered by KH
Translators and interpreters are qualified when they can translate/interpret from one language into another while maintaining the tone, style, and remaining impartial. One can know if a translator/interpreter will do a good job based on recommendations from previous clients. Translators in the United States can get a translator certification; however, it is not a necessity because it is not required. All translators are not the same because everybody has different words for different things; the only thing that matters is the translator’s ability to translate a document while maintaining its tone and style. Less experienced translators/interpreters will often charge less because they want to get their name out there. Speaking the target language does not qualify one to be a translator or interpreter; it takes a lot of practice to do a good job. Answered by EH
To be a qualified translator and/or interpreter there are no specific qualifications to fulfill. Once they can translate/interpret from one language into another at a proficient level, and maintaining the tone of voice and remaining impartial during work, having boundaries they are considered good and ready . When looking for translator/interpreter you can identify if a translator/interpreter will do a good job based on recommendations from previous clients. Translators are able get a translator certification for more affirmation; however, it is not a necessity because it is not a requirement. One thing to be aware of when needing a translator, all translators are not the same, depending on the Spanish accent based on country has different meaning for different words; the only thing that matters is the translator’s ability to translate a document and the client understanding, Less experienced translators/interpreters will often charge less or do it for free because they want to get their name spread within the community.
There are no specific qualifications to become a translator. There also isn’t any credentials or certificates to call oneself a translator. This is different from interpreters, for example, a court or private hospital might have their own testing to allow someone to interpret for them. So the best way to know if someone is qualified for a translating job is to ask for references. If someone does a good job, then they become a regular at that particular business. It’s important to look at all types of businesses too, many non-profits ask for volunteer translators to translate documents. These references will then serve to answer any questions on how to know if they will do a good job. They could serve as a resume. Translators are all different and so if you sent the same document to 5 different translators, they would all vary in look but the original goal will be the same. It’s the use of different words that make everyone different. In Spanish for example, there are lots of ways to say “straw” and so depending where your translator is from, the word might be different. There is no one way to compare translators, at the end of the day it’s just preference. However, experienced translators will come at a greater cost.
Do skilled, experienced translators charge more than less experienced translators? As for interpreters, what qualifications are needed? Are there state-specific certifications? Does speaking the target language qualify one as a translator or interpreter?
A translator is qualified if they can translate from one language to another while keeping the original meaning of the documents. You can know if a translator will do a good job by looking at the number of translations they’ve done or for how long they have been doing it. That’s usually a good indicator of how well they translate, if not satisfied, you can also ask for references. Each translator is unique in their own way. Their abilities may vary but when it comes to translating they will do an equally fine job, regardless of the words they decide to use.
There are no credentials or certifications a translator should have in order to become a translator. Even though there are ways to become certified through different organization, it is not really important or a must. All translators are not the same because everyone has different words for things. The only important thing that matters is that the translator translates a document while maintaining the original document’s tone and style.
Skilled, experienced translators can charge more than less experienced translators just because they have that resume with all the years they have been translating. They have more experience therefore can charge a little bit more. Price will most likely be based not he level of experience the translator has. Although interpreters need at least a bachelor’s degree, whats more important is that they are fluent in two languages, English and one more. There are no certain qualifications needed to become an interpreter. You can get certified if you want but it is not needed or obligated to have. Speaking the target language doesn’t necessarily qualify one as a translator or interpreter. It is more of how well they can translate and how accurate they are in translating the information.
A translator and interpreter are qualified when they can translate/interpret from one language into another while maintaining the tone, style, and remaining impartial. One can know if a translator/interpreter will do a good job based on recommendations from previous clients. Translators in the United States can get a translator certification; however, it is not a necessity because it is not required. All translators are not the same because everybody has different words for different things; the only thing that matters is the translator’s ability to translate a document while maintaining its tone and style. Less experienced translators/interpreters will often charge less because they want to get their name out there. Speaking the target language does not qualify one to be a translator or interpreter; it takes a lot of practice to do a good job.
How a translator is qualified in their field is more on how well they know to talk and speak in the native language they know to the target language and vice versa. When it comes to their job, they want to provide an excellent service to those who come to them. So, it comes to how well they are translating, with the details and grammar of the document or what the client is trying to transcribe on paper. When it comes to their experience in what they would do, they have to back up that experience with recommendations and people who have used their service and have seen amazing results of what was translated.
For credibility and credentials, one has to have more experience in the field and to have people review or verify them to ensure they are the real deal than some scam. For certifying as a translator, it isn’t required for people to take exams to prove much, since its paying mostly annual fees, and not many benefits coming from taking an exam or having to do programs to be certified. All translators can work without the certification if they choose to forgo the certification exam.
All translators don’t do the same rates since the need for having certain documents translated or having an interpretation of it is all different. Everyone, though, has their style of how they translated, so no translator is the same as another translator.
As for the interpretation side of languages, there usually is a certification for interpretation via the state-level government-issued certification. That’s how some get certified for courtrooms, hospitals, and more. When it comes to speaking the language, it is mostly interpreting since that involves the conversation and pacing aspect of what interpreting consists of.
There are not any specific qualifications a translator must have in order to be a good translator. Certifications are available, but they are not necessary and are very expensive. A translator who is good at their job is accurate and conveys the original message of the text in their translation. The more experience, positive reviews, and references a translator has the more likely they will do a good job. Usually, a skilled translator will charge more than a less experienced translator. All translators are not the same. Some may specialize in a special type of document like birth certificates or marriage certificates. Translators and interpreters need to have excellent understanding and use of both the language they are translating from and the language they are translating into. However, just because one speaks the target language of a translation or interpretation does not make someone qualified. It is necessary to have lots of practice and experience in translating and interpreting. It is also important to be familiar with the legal jargon when translating a document. For interpretation, even more experience can be needed, especially in simultaneous interpretation. Hearing one language and simultaneously interpreting it into another is extremely difficult, and it can take years to master this skill. Again, the more experience an interpreter has the more likely they are going to a good job.
Some important parts of being a qualified translator are having experience in the field, having a good understanding of both languages, and having recommendations from previous employers. I would say that the more experience a translator has the better they will be so, in general, you want to look for the translators with the most experience. This is not to say new and inexperienced translators can not do a good job just that it will be harder for them. Yes, normally skilled and experienced translators charge more for their services. No credentials or certification are needed to be a translator, but they could be helpful in a few cases. To be interpreter one must have experience and an exceptional understanding of both languages.
There are no requirements or certification that are required to become a translator. Certification is always accepted and helpful in certain instances, legal documents or some corporate work, but overall certification is not something that is needed, or required. A good translator is known as a good translator through his references, but that is only done through his experience in the field. That does not mean that a new translator could not achieve the same level of respect that other translators have, even without the same level of experience. In general, you must have a outstanding understanding of the language you are translating/interpreting from and the language you are translating/interpreting to.
There are no requirements or certification that are needed to become a translator. There are ways to get certified but they are not really important. What makes a translator qualified is their experience and even people that recommend them. You will know a translator will do a good job because they have many recommendations they usually charge a bit more and they have a good resume with years of experience and training. For interpreting one does not always need any certificates depending what you are interpreting. If you are interpreting for the UN you need a first level degree from a university or institution of equivalent status. But for most jobs you just need experience and practice to do the job well. Speaking the language does not qualify to be a translator or interpreter it is still a hard thing to do and requires a lot of practice one cannot just start and automatically be good with both. You must have an excellent understanding of the language you are translating/interpreting from and the language you are translating/interpreting to.
A translator is qualified if they can translate the document in question while still maintaining the original meaning of the document with appropriate grammar and word choice. References may be requested from a translator if their ability to translate is of question, but usually the volume of work they’ve completed or the number of years they’ve been translating is a good indicator of their abilities. Translators will always vary in abilities and command of the language, but most translators will do an equally fine job when translating, regardless of their choice of wording or writing style. Translators can pursue certification through different organizations, but certification isn’t necessary. Translators only need to have a good command of the target language and their native language, and a good command of grammar in both.
The price of document translation will vary based on the translator’s experience and whether or not they are specialists in their field, but most translators will be able to complete standard documents such as birth certificates, marriage certifications, and other government issued documents without an issue.
Interpreters, like translators, may pursue a number of different certifications, but those are not necessary in most situations. They’ll need to have a good command of both languages, but they also need to be prepared for varying types of interpretation and have the skillset and vocabulary necessary for the setting they’ll be working in. Just because someone is fluent in a language, doesn’t mean they know all the terminology used in a courtroom or a hospital. Just because they know this terminology, doesn’t mean they can listen in one language and translate into the target language, such is the case with conference interpreting. Court systems and their certification processes will vary by state, but generally, certification is an additional, bolstering process, rather than a mandatory, state required process.