Is It Too Late to Get Started as a Translator?
Unless you’re planning to retire in the next two years, it is not too late for you to become fluent and to work as a translator! We go more in-depth into this topic in ourfree course, but below we’ll share some of the main reasons why you should go ahead and start working on your next foreign language.
FREE MINICOURSE: Which Language Should I Learn To Work as a Freelance Translator
1. Adults can learn new languages just as well as babies can…as long as they can find the time!
Have you heard of the Critical Period Hypothesis? This is the hypothesis that it is much harder to learn languages as an adult due to actual physiological changes in your brain.
This theory, once dominant in the field of linguistics, has now been thoroughly updated.
While babies can indeed learn languages much faster than adults can, adults can see similar results if they’re able to allocate time and resources to the process. Linguists no longer believe that your brain is “working against you”. The challenge is simply finding the time and the motivation.
Adults learn new languages to fluency all the time, and many translators on our team started learning languages well into adulthood!
2. Text translators don’t need to be able to speak the language out loud
Are you worried that it will take decades to perfect your accent?
If you work as a text translator, you don’t need to be able to SPEAK the language perfectly. You only need to be able to read it fluently.
Speaking the language will certainly help (because it will give you more thorough access to the culture) but there is nothing wrong with prioritizing reading in the beginning.
Fluency in reading can be acquired in roughly 2–8 years, depending on the language. There are also many other factors that affect how quickly you can learn a language – you can learn more about this in our free course.
3. Before you start working as a translator, you can work as a proofreader to hone your skills!
At many translation companies, translations go through a TEP process (Translation, Editing, and Proofreading).
The editing stage is carried out by qualified translators who carefully check for terminology and overall accuracy.
The proofreading stage, on the other hand, is carried out by linguists who might not necessarily be seasoned translators.
Proofreaders must be fluent in the target language, so that they can focus on finding fluency errors or missing text. However, they don’t yet need to be fluent in the source language.
Working as a proofreader is a great way to gain exposure to professional translations and learn as much as you can while you make some money!
We hope this has convinced you to learn a language and become a translator (or add another language to your repertoire!)
If you want more information on how to choose the right language, you can check out our free course.
Are you learning a new language in order to work as a translator? Let us know in the comments!
I agree that time can surely help adults learn new language at the same time Practice by speaking or writing should be necessary as well.
Proofreading before translating seems a good strategy as a learning method for new linguists in order for them to understand how translation works and be able to understand the style used by the translator. Although, we should consider that as a proofreader, you are asked to point out “errors” or “mistakes” and provide feedback to the translators. Someone needs to be very familiar in the subject to be able to proofread another translator’s work..
Some people think learning a new language as an adult is almost impossible but it definitely is possible. I can attest to this myself! I learned to speak basic conversational Spanish in about a year so if I can do it, anybody can. If I become more comfortable with Spanish in the future, I can even start proofreading before getting my foot into translating like the article suggests.
Understanding cultural or technical context of the source material when proofreading seems important. Even if you speak the language, it may be difficult to proofread if you do not have have an understanding of the culture. If you are learning a new language, maybe it would be viable to start with a language and culture that is closer to your own. For example, if you are a Spanish speaker, learning Portuguese and becoming a proofreader might be easier than starting with Mandarin.