Invite your partners to Smartcat and get $100 for every new business subscriber you bring Learn more What about qualifications? > Surprisingly, many translators do not consider themselves writers, even though translation is writing. The only difference is you don’t have to come up with the content - which might be easier in some sense - but on the flip side, you have to be faithful to the tone, purpose, and message of the original while ensuring it makes perfect sense as a standalone text in the target language. Surprisingly, many translators do not consider themselves writers, even though translation is writing. This also means that you have to be a good writer. If any of these activities make you feel empty inside, then that’s a pretty clear indication that translation is not for you. That’s why it makes such a huge difference if you live or have lived in a country where your second language is spoken. Language is only meaningful within its cultural context, and you need to be fully aware of the context of the original text to accurately portray it in the translation. Fortunately, language and culture go hand in hand. You can have all the language skills in the world, but if you’re lacking in cultural awareness, you’re going to find this career path very challenging. You need to work on your language skills (both source and target languages), get the right training, and gain plenty of experience before you can call yourself a good translator. That being said, speaking two languages isn’t sufficient. your mother tongue and a foreign language, you can absolutely build a career in translation. Oh, and did I mention that she is the president of the American Translators Association? So, if you speak two languages well, i.e. Luckily, she came back to translation years later, became ATA-certified, and is now one of the most prominent and successful translators in her field. French-to-English translator Corinne McKay did not study translation at university because she was told she couldn’t become a translator with “just” one foreign language. Some people think that you need at least two foreign languages to become a translator, but that’s simply not true. Kudos to you if you speak many languages, but it’s more about quality than quantity. Just make sure you know exactly what you’re getting into before taking the plunge! The basicsīefore you even start thinking about a career in translation you need to know the absolute basic requirements. It’s never too late or too early to get into this amazing profession if you have what it takes. Whether you’re choosing what to study after high school, stepping into the job market for the first time, or looking for a career change, translating for a living could be just the thing for you. Share: What it takes to become a translator Need translations? Try Smartcat for free!
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