Interpreters work with spoken languages, translators with written material. For example, if you are a native English speaker, you can interpret and translate between Spanish and English.
Interpreters and translators speak, read and write in two languages. To pursue their work, both professions must not only have a good command of both languages, but also a profound understanding of foreign culture.
Interpreters work with spoken and signed languages, while translators work with written languages. Translators specialize in converting written documents into text, while interpreters in verbal languages work in real-time.
They act as communication mediators and translate spoken language into the text to facilitate people who speak different languages to understand the same message. Translators and interpreters have excellent communication, analysis, and language skills. They are responsible for decoding languages in films, books, magazines, legal documents, schools and health facilities, work, conferences, and more.
The common goal of authors and translators is to convey meaning, intention, and similarity in the end. An interpreter aims to get people to listen to the translation in their original language. An interpreter converts information from one spoken language into another or in the case of sign language, speaks the language in sign language.
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Medical Field
To work in the translation field, you must be fluent in at least two languages, though some translation professionals are fluent in more than two. Similar to most healthcare professionals, translators and interpreters maintain confidentiality and observe certain ethical standards in their work. Health and medical interpreters and translators translate research materials, regulatory information, pharmaceutical information brochures, patient consent documents, website information, and medical records from one to another with authority and translations. They also have knowledge of medical terminology and common medical terminology in both languages.
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Legal Field
Legal translation professionals usually perform justice oriented work and serve as advocates for people who possess controlled English language proficiency. Legal translators and interpreters work in legal fields such as courts, offices, and more. They attend court proceedings, witness statements, hearings, indictments, and trials. They convert documents and conversations from one language to another. Translators have office jobs but can also work from home.
Certification for interpreters & translators is a strong signal to the outside world that you have the proper qualifications for professional translation and interpreting and they are required for the job. In addition, remuneration surveys show that certified practitioners earn more than their non-certified colleagues.
How to Qualify As A Professional Translator
To earn a living from translation, you must be fluent in at least two languages.
Your university or high school is a great place to inquire about access to both the language classes and study abroad programs. This is important for preparing for a career as a translator or interpreter.
If you are a school student eager to become a translator or an interpreter, consider taking on courses in secondary education that focus on foreign languages. Also, focus on English reading, writing, and comprehension. If you are not a high school student and are still interested in becoming an interpreter or translator, you still have a variety of options for education such as a degree from an accredited university.
Translators in South Africa are certified by the South African Translators Institute (SATI) and are paired with interpreters certified by courts and other bodies in specific practice areas such as law and medicine. Your college or university is a great place to inquire about access to the language courses and study programs that are essential to preparing for a career as a translator or interpreter.
Mastering languages other than Asian will bring you a lot of work as a translator or interpreter. If you have the right skills for the job, you can try to build a solid career in translation without having to speak four languages. Subtitles, dubbing, voice-overs, and other areas are the areas where you can build a career in translation. Depending on which language you speak and how specialized your skills are, it can bring you a steady income.
Knowledge of foreign languages opens up a wide range of specialized career paths, including translators and interpreters, thanks to growing employment opportunities in South Africa.
A 2011 report rated translators and interpreters as one of the top 50 career fields, suggesting that careers in the translation industry will continue to grow in the next decade. Demand for language experts is accelerating at an unprecedented pace in South Africa. Different nationalities are settling in Cape Town, which is a major tourist attraction center in South Africa. Therefore translation services in Cape Town have increased.
Due to the internationality of many companies, there is a high demand for candidates who want to work abroad and use their hard-won language skills. Knowledge of foreign languages is still a big selling point when it comes to finding a job on the world market. After completing a bachelor’s degree in one language, many people opt for a master’s degree in translation or interpreting.
The best way to become familiar with interpretation and translation is to spend time abroad, interact with foreign cultures and native speakers and study a variety of subjects in English and at least one other language. Translating is a great way to create your CV and gain experience in various fields that will be beneficial in the future. Volunteering and internships offer you additional experience that is suitable for those who choose to work as a translator.
The best thing about working in a translation service in Cape Town is the flexibility of your career. For most translation jobs, you have the flexibility to work from home or on your schedule. Working from home, such as bilingual call center translation, interpreting, localization, online lessons, and much more require skills in addition to your language skills.
One way of obtaining formal training is to obtain certification from a translation association. For example, if you live and work as a translator in South Africa, you should consider obtaining a SATI certification. It is recognized proof that will strengthen your authority and improve your chances of working for translation services in Cape Town. In reality, many successful professional translators have no qualifications in the field of translation whatsoever. Some have degrees in languages and linguistics, while others have degrees that have nothing to do with each other and use them to their advantage to specialize in their field of expertise.
It is important to note that translation skills differ from those of beginners. A person who speaks a certain language fluently can easily become a useless or incompetent translator.
Sign Language Interpreters
Since some people with hearing disabilities can lip-read English, sign language interpreters might translate from one language to English and carefully mouth speech silently. Sign language interpreters provide vital communication facilitation between people with hearing disabilities and those who are not fluent in African Sign Language (ASL).
Community Interpreters
They work in community-based environments, providing vital language interpretation one-on-one or in group settings. Community interpreters often are needed at parent-teacher community events, business and public meetings, social and government agencies, new-home purchases, and many other work and community settings.
Community interpretations serve within communities to support language conversion in a variety of settings.
Technology In Translation Industry
While many people may think that computers are going to replace human translators and interpreters, the truth is just the opposite:
- Machine translation is one of the drivers of growth in the industry.
- Computational Linguists: At the invention and connection of computer programming languages, professional language experts use their skills to develop intelligence tools for pro translators, and A.I. research is constantly improving machine translation (MT) output. Developing AI technology and improving machine translation software means that many companies can manage their translation without paying for the services of a human translator.
Career Opportunities At AfroLingo
At AfroLingo we are always looking for the best candidates to join our team of professional translators. We are a highly respected translation and interpretation company whose services help a lot of companies around the world. We also offer professional translation services in Cape Town, South Africa. Therefore, if you have what it takes to provide world-class service to our valued customers, contact us.
In light of the above analysis, it is clear that there is a high demand for foreign language jobs in South Africa, in particular for translators and interpreters. Maintaining linguistic and cultural skills means returning to the country and learning the language spoken there.
For the layperson, the terms “interpreter” and “translator” refer to someone who translates from one language to another. There are certain similarities between these terms, but an interpreter does not provide translation services, while a translator does not necessarily provide interpretation services.
Iterators and translators convert information from one language (source) to another (language destination). An interpreter works with spoken communication, while a translator works with written information. The translation is when the written words are changed into the written text.
