Language Translator: Job Profile and Role

There are more than 7,000 languages spoken all over the world. It goes without saying that you will never master each and every one of them. But if you want to work as a language translator, you should have mastered the languages you want to work with. Knowing languages is only one part of this job. This blog will take a close look at the other things that the job of a language translator entails. We will also look at the average annual salary, potential employers and the qualifications and skills needed for this profession. This blog concludes with insights into the day in the life of a language translator and with tips for thriving in this profession.

Short Summary

• As a language translator, you are tasked with reading and translating texts. This also involves doing thorough research and liaising with your clients.
• As a language translator, you are required to have an in-depth knowledge of the language/s you have specialised in. This includes knowing the respective cultural and historical backgrounds.
• As a language translator, you will need excellent writing and communication skills, both in your native tongue and in the language/s you translate.

Job description

As a language translator, you are tasked with translating either a spoken or a written text from one language into at least one further language. While doing this, you need to maintain the tone of the original text, including its cultural nuances, tone and meaning. As a language translator, you are enabling intercultural communication. By translating a text, you ensure that important messages, news and developments are accessible to a wide/wider range of people, thus bridging the language gap.

Responsibilities

• Research
• Translation
• Specialisation
• Confidentiality
• Client Relations
• Computer Skills
• Quality Assurance
• Meeting Deadlines
• Language Proficiency
• Proofreading and Editing

Different types of Language Translators

• Interpreter
• In-house Translator
• Specialist Translator
• Multilingual Translator

It’s all Greek to me!

Language translators have been asked which languages are easy to translate and which languages are not. The verdict: Spanish is one of the easiest languages, whereas Hungarian, Mandarin/Chinese and Korean are supposed to be among the most difficult. Also, the Top 5 languages translated are English, French, German, Russian, and Italian.

Salary

In the UK, language translators can expect an annual salary between £30,700 and £35,000. The salaries are dependent on a language translator’s work experience, the employer, the kind of employment and the location of the employing company.

Working hours

Your working hours as a language translator depend on multiple factors, the first being if you work as a freelance language translator or as an in-house language translator. Being a freelance language translator gives you greater flexibility in both the amount of hours you work per day/week and when you actually work these hours. As an in-house language translator, you may well work up to 40 hours a week, usually by working a 9 to 5 job.

Note that looming deadlines and project completions might increase your working hours, regardless of your employment type. You can expect to work both in the evenings and on the weekends.

You should also inquire about the possibility of remote work. Some companies are happy for their employees to work a certain number of hours from home.

Employers

Language translators can find employment in various sectors, ranging from government institutions to medical institutions and non-profit organisations. Here, the company size can range from small to medium-sized to large companies. In short: employment can be found in every area and every company that is in need of translation services. This may well involve working for international corporations and may therefore involve a certain amount of travelling.

Qualifications

You will benefit the most if you approach your job as a language translator with an academic background. This can be anything from a Bachelor’s degree to a PhD in languages, such as literature, linguistics and cultural studies. You can also do an apprenticeship, for example, as a translator.

Besides your educational background, you should acquire the following qualifications: Chartered Linguistic Translator (CL) and DipTrans (Diploma in Translation). In case English is not your native tongue but you want to work as a UK-based language translator, you should look into a TOEFL (Test for English as a Foreign Language).

Skills

Academic qualifications comprise parts of your hard skills. These should be accompanied by a set of soft skills. The combination of hard and soft skills will ensure that you will thrive as a language translator. Some of the essential soft skills are excellent writing skills, above-average research skills and fluency in at least two languages.

In this section, we will take a look at further skills that you should have or develop when planning to become a language translator.

Accuracy

It goes without saying that being accurate is an important skill to have when working as a language translator. Every little detail needs to fit, every little nuance needs to be taken into consideration when translating a text. Accuracy goes hand in hand with attention to detail and a “feel” for the language, like knowing how sentence structures need to be readjusted. This particular skill set is a vital one to have as a language translator.

Interpersonal Skills

Even though you spend a lot of time translating texts, you will still have to communicate with your respective clients and possibly colleagues. Therefore, you should have strong interpersonal skills, including verbal and non-verbal communication skills and conflict management skills.

Technological Knowledge

No matter how fluent you are in a language – there will always be the odd word that you will not know. Therefore, it is important to be familiar with translation software, so-called CAT (computer-assisted translations) software. This can include databases for specific terminologies, for example.

Career Path

Your career as a language translator typically starts with your educational background. This can be either accompanied or followed by acquiring relevant qualifications and certificates. After you have finished your education and qualifications, you will likely start at entry level at your chosen company. The more work experience you have, the more likely it is that you will rise through the ranks and end up supervising a team of language translators. You may also want to consider starting your own language translation business.

Educational Background

Ideally, you have completed a university course in a relevant field of language study, such as linguistics and literature. Having a Bachelor’s, a Master’s or even a PhD can help you further your job prospects, especially when you are thinking of applying to a government institution. Alternatively, you can complete an apprenticeship in an appropriate field.

Gaining Experience

You will start gaining experience by doing your first translations – regardless of whether you do these as part of your educational training or as part of your first job. Only by doing ever more translations will you gain ever more experience, catapulting you to the top of the language-translation sector.

Continuous Learning

Every job requires the willingness to learn – the job of a language translator maybe even more so. Learning new cultural differences, improving your technical skills or just broadening your vocabulary and your understanding of a language can be vital for you to excel as a language translator.

A Day in the Life of a Language Translator

It goes without saying that a day in the life of a language translator involves a certain number of translations. But is this all there is to an average working day? Or are there more things that make up and shape a day in the life of a language translator? Continue reading and you will find out.

Project Management

It is quite likely that you will have more than one translation project on your table. Therefore, you should start your day by managing the respective projects. Which one has priority, and which one can be pushed back due to a later deadline? By doing this, you will get a better overview of the jobs that need doing. And you will get through your day with more efficiency and less stress.

Research and Terminology

Before you start your translation, you usually need to do some research. What is it your client does for a living, what kind of business does he/she run? Research also extends to the required terminology and tone of the translation. By keeping these things in mind, you can ensure handing in an excellent translation.

Proofreading and Editing

Your translation is done? Then we recommend you put it aside for the time being. After a few hours, you should start proofreading and editing it. Why the break between translating and editing? You have had the chance to “reset” and approach your translation with a bit of necessary distance and a fresh eye.

Tips for Thriving as a Language Translator

Regardless if you are still planning on becoming a language translator or are actually already working as one: it is always necessary to thrive in your job. You may think: easier said than done? Not with our three following invaluable tips for thriving as a language translator:

• Specialise in your translation field
• Build a strong vocabulary
• Know the languages’ culture

Specialise in your Translation Field

In order to be an excellent language translator, you should define which kind of language you are most specialised in translating. As you might know, there are several “speaks” within each language, like tech speak, business speak, medical speak and legal speak. Each one of those sub-categories has its own specific terminology. In order to thrive as a language translator, you need to be proficient in the required terminology.

Build a Strong Vocabulary

Having a strong and extensive vocabulary of your chosen languages is important for succeeding as a language translator. Therefore, building a strong vocabulary is our first tip for thriving in your job. How to achieve that? For instance, by watching your favourite TV show in the language you want to improve or by reading a lot of books. This way, you will also get a good feel for both the spoken and written nature of the language you want to improve.

Know the Languages’ Culture

Every language has cultural nuances and influences, such as dialects and variations within a language. Take the English language, for example. Even within British English, there are various forms of “English”, starting with “English” English and ending with Scottish, Welsh and Irish English. Each set has cultural influences that will dictate how you write or translate a text. If you keep that in mind and familiarise yourself with these influences and nuances, you will thrive as a language translator. 

Frequently Asked Questions