Interpreters and Translators
Additional Information
Duties
An interpreter or translator's usual job description is:
- Make a translation between the languages.
- Create glossaries and terminology databases for use in their oral renditions and translations of these materials.
- Two languages, one of which should be your mother tongue.
- Recreate the original language's tone.
- Produce precise, rapid, and clear verbal communication.
Interpreters and translators should apply cultural awareness to appropriately portray original content.
Translators and interpreters aid communication by translating between languages. While some translators and interpreters work in both sectors, they are not interchangeable.
The interpreter's specialization is translating from one sign language to another. An interpreter's job is to make the translation sound native. To promote communication between people who don't speak the same language, interpreters must be fluent in both languages.
The most common types of interpreting are sight translation, concurrent, and simultaneous.
Simultaneous interpreters communicate what they hear or see into another language. Simultaneous interpreters must have deep topic knowledge and intense focus in order to correctly and completely relay content. Due to the mental weariness involved, most simultaneous interpreters work in couples or small teams.
They continue to communicate the speaker's or signer's message after a translation pause It usually necessitates taking notes.
The interpreter speaks the text into a spoken language, rather than providing a written translation.
Translators convert written material across languages. Translators must be able to retain or recreate the original text's structure and style while retaining the thoughts and facts contained within. Translators must appropriately express slang and other nonliteral idioms.
All translators must be fluent in the source language. Translations into the speaker's native tongue are common.
The majority of translation work is now done online. An edit is often required before a translation is considered finished.
CAT systems often employ a database of previously translated words or segments to translate new information (referred to as a "translation memory"). CAT tools help translators work faster and more consistently. Translators alter machine translations. Post-editing is the procedure's name.
It is required in almost every field. Most interpreters and translators specialize in one or two professions, but many do both.
Translators and interpreters can be classified as follows:
Community interpreters conduct one-on-one or small-group interpretation in community-based situations. Professional and community interpreters are in high demand for parent–teacher conferences, community events, corporate and public meetings, social and government groups, and property acquisitions.
Non-English speakers attend conferences staffed by conference interpreters. Conference interpreters frequently work in international trade and diplomacy, but they can work for any firm that deals with people from various countries and languages. Interpreters with more experience are preferred, as are those who can translate from Spanish or French into their own language. Some jobs, like those at the UN, require this qualification.
In conferencing, simultaneous interpretation is common. Those who don't understand a speaker's language can listen to an interpreter who does.
Translators and interpreters help patients communicate with doctors, nurses, technicians, and other medical personnel. Translators and interpreters must be familiar with medical terminology in both languages. Their services can benefit researchers, regulators, pharmaceutical and instructional booklets, patient consent forms, websites, and medical records.
Healthcare or medical translators must always preserve ethical and private standards. Remote interpretation is also possible by phone or video.
Foreign guests who cannot speak in English are accompanied by interpreters. These interpreters ensure visitor interaction in both formal and informal settings. Assisting interpreters often travel.
Legal and judicial interpreters and translators are regularly seen in courtrooms and similar situations. They assist non-English speakers at hearings, arraignments, depositions, and trials. So they'll need legalese skills. Court interpreters frequently read documents aloud in a language other than the original language, a task known as sight translation. Legal and judicial translators and interpreters must be familiar with legal lingo.
Translating literary works from one language to another is the specialty of literary translators. Authors' style, tone, and intent are preserved. Literary translators strive to authentically represent the original work's content, as well as its literary and cultural context.
Localizers translate text and graphics used in a product or service from one language to another. Localization specialists aim to make the product appear to be from the country where it will be sold. They must also have a working knowledge of both languages, as well as the technological and cultural contexts in which they will be employed. Localizers often operate in teams and rely heavily on computer and web-based localization technology.
Localization may include adapting websites, software, marketing materials, user documentation, and other publications. These improvements usually target IT, industrial, and other commercial products and services.
Sign language interpreters enable deaf or hard of hearing people communicate with the hearing. American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters must be fluent in both English and ASL. ASL's grammar is distinct from English's since it is a separate language.
Some interpreters offer specialized deaf and hard of hearing interpretation.
Some deaf or hard of hearing people can lip-read English instead of ASL. These interpreters utilize "oral interpretation," which means they mouth silently and carefully so their lips can be read. They may also use facial expressions and gestures to help the lip-reader understand them.
Other methods of interpreting include cued speech, which uses hand shapes near the lips to convey extra information to lip-readers, signing exact English, and tactile signing, which uses hand gestures into the deaf and blind person's hand.
Trilingual interpreters facilitate communication between people who speak English, another language, and ASL. They must be able to express the identical message in all three languages without losing meaning.
Education
To work as an interpreter or translator, you'll likely require a bachelor's degree and fluency in two languages, at least one of which will be English. Business, communications, and social science are all frequent concentrations for bachelor's degrees, in addition to foreign languages.
Students who want to become interpreters or translators should complete a wide variety of courses in foreign languages and English writing and understanding in high school.
Aspiring translators and interpreters might pursue a variety of educational paths after high school. Most college students major in a foreign language like Spanish or French. It is not necessarily required to have a bachelor's degree to work in a language-related field.
In order to learn American Sign Language (ASL) and find volunteer work with persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, students interested in sign language interpreting can join community groups.
Training
The majority of interpreters and translators do not require any formal training because they are assumed to be competent to interpret and translate prior to employment. When it comes to community-based interpreters and translators, job-specific training programs and credentials are more likely to be completed.
The majority of state court and medical interpreting certification programs require students to maintain their certification by attending classes on a regular basis. Several professional interpretation and translation organizations, such as the American Translators Association and the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters, often provide continuing education credits for its members.
Registration, Certification, and Licensing
For translators and interpreters, there is presently no universal certification requirement other than completing the state-required court interpretation examinations. There are a variety of exams that employees may take to demonstrate their skill level. As an illustration, the American Translators Association certifies translators in 29 different language pairs.
Spanish language interpreters can get certified by the federal courts as court interpreters. At least 20 languages are available for certification at the state level.
Certification for general sign language interpreters is offered by the National Association of the Deaf and the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. Legal interpreting, speech reading, and deaf-to-deaf (ASL to tactile signing) interpreting are all specialized examinations offered by the register as well as the general registry.
If you're interested in becoming an interpreter or translator, the US Department of State has a three-test series that includes one for simple consecutive interpreting (for transportation), another for simultaneous interpreting (for courts), and a third for conference-level interpreting (for international conferences). This is not a certificate, but it is an indication of a person's ability to do well in the field. Many organizations, like the National Virtual Translation Center, provide testing programs.
An Associate Healthcare Interpreter credential is awarded to those who can communicate in languages other than Spanish, Arabic, or Mandarin; a Certified Healthcare Interpreter credential is awarded to those who can communicate well in these three languages.
Medical interpreters that speak Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Russian, Korean, or Vietnamese can get certification from the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters.
Additional Experiential Information
Having lived abroad, interacted with people from various cultures, and studied a wide range of subjects in English and at least one other language is all beneficial preparation for a career in this field. For a higher level of interpretation and translation, some students choose to specialize in a particular field like as law, engineering, or medical.
Working in-house for a translation agency is an excellent approach for aspiring translators to get experience in the field. People who want to work as interpreters or translators might get valuable experience by working in an informal or voluntary capacity.
Volunteer opportunities for interpreters can be found in community groups, hospitals, and athletic events, such as marathons, that include foreign contestants.
Translators and interpreters can also get experience through paid or unpaid internships. Inexperienced interpreters may have the option to collaborate with a more experienced interpreter through escort interpreting. Because of the significant demand for language services in court and medical interpreting, interpreters may find it simpler to get started in these professions.
Anyone who wants to enter the profession of translation or interpretation should create mentorship ties with people who have been in the business for a long time. Interacting with a coworker or acquaintance who has worked as an interpreter or translation in the past may serve as both official and informal mentorship. A formal mentorship program is available via both the American Translators Association and Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf.
Advancement
There are a number of options for interpreters and translators once they've gained enough experience and expertise. They can also run their own company.
Self-employment as a way of career advancement is a common motivation for freelance interpreters and translators. They can apply for translation and interpreting employment by submitting their resumes and samples to a variety of firms. One of the most common ways for people to find work is through word of mouth or referrals from other professionals. In some cases, translators and interpreters form their own businesses and employ other translators and interpreters.
Criteria to Be Considered
Business know-how. Translators and interpreters who work for themselves must have a basic understanding of business principles in order to effectively manage their finances and careers. In order to grow their clientele, they must determine rates for their services, charge clients, keep records, and promote their products and services.
Concentration. Translators and interpreters need to be able to focus in the midst of noise and movement.
Awareness. Interpreters and translators must be aware of the cultural variations and expectations of the individuals they are working with. In order for translation and interpretation to be successful, it is necessary to have a thorough knowledge of both the language and cultural context in which it is being used.
Dexterity. When interpreting in sign language, the hands, fingers, and arms of the interpreter must be swift and synchronized.
Personality traits. Those who work as independent interpreters and translators must be able to work well with their clients and potential customers if they are to maintain and get new business.
The ability to pay attention and understand what is being said. As interpreters, interpreters must pay attention to what they are hearing and translating in order to get it right.
The ability to read. Translators are required to be fluent readers in the languages they are translating into.
The ability to speak. There are several languages in which interpreters and translators must be able to speak well.
Skills in writing. It is essential for translators to be able to communicate successfully across several languages.
Pay
In May 2020, interpreters and translators earned an average annual salary of $52,330. It is the pay at which half of the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest tenth earned less than $29,740, while the top tenth made more than $96,480.
Job Projections
Interpreters and translators are expected to see a 24% increase in employment between 2020 and 2030, which is significantly higher than the average for all occupations.