Why work with a professional and how to choose a translator
Many people
speak one or more foreign languages, and lots of AI and machine translation
tools are available. Yet, many scenarios call for professional translation
services, whose quality can make or break the effectiveness of the translated
texts. Continue reading to learn why you should work with a professional and how to choose a translator based on your needs and goals.
Table of Contents
- Can bilinguals translate important texts?
- Which qualifications or certifications does a translator need?
- How to find a good Italian translator
Can bilinguals translate important texts?
“It takes more than having two hands to be a good pianist. It takes more than knowing two languages to be a good translator.”
This quote from François Grosjean makes it clear that speaking one or more foreign languages isn’t enough to be a good translator. While it may be difficult to resist the temptation to trust your translation to polyglot employees, friends or cousins in order to save money, having important texts translated by non-professionals can have detrimental effects. And by “important texts,” I mean anything from customer-facing presentations to official documents, from user manuals of appliances to websites that serve as the window of your brand.
It doesn’t matter how well a person understands what’s being said in another language, if their translated text reads awkward, features grammatical errors or isn’t fit-for-purpose.
To translate important texts into Italian, for example, it’s essential to be aware of:
- Italian grammar rules
- Italian orthographic rules for published texts (which are different from private informal text messages sent to random friends or any other private text)
- What’s normal to find in an Italian text of the same category/type/genre as the text that needs translating
- What the Italian readers expect in a text of the relevant type
- The most effective strategies to reproduce the desired effect in the target audience (e.g. convincing them to buy your products)
- And many other key aspects related to the Italian language and culture
To craft a good translation to be used in high-stakes scenarios, understanding and speaking two languages isn’t enough to achieve the desired outcomes. There are many more skills needed to produce a text that is fit for its purpose, audience and place of reception. And a good professional translator masters them.
Which qualifications or certifications does a translator need?
How to choose a translator? When looking for the best translator, you may wonder what qualifications or certifications they should have to be considered skilled and reliable. That’s a reasonable question, but the answer isn’t straightforward. As for most questions you may ask a translator, the answer is: “It depends!”
There are multiple certifications offered by local or international professional associations. For instance, the American Translators Association offers a certification that they claim to be “the only widely recognized measure of competence for translation in the U.S.” However, a large number of excellent translators do not have certifications of this kind, as they involve a high cost that may be perceived as unnecessary, depending on the market or type of clients they work with.
What may be a good sign of expertise, however, is the completion of an MA in Translation or another similar qualification. These make it clear that the translator has completed some translation-specific training instead of improvising, but again, I know excellent professionals with years of experience who don’t hold an MA in Translation and have just completed other sorts of training. If you are wondering, I do hold an MA in Translation Studies, from the University of Birmingham.
How to find a good Italian translator
How to choose a translator, then? There are a few tips you may follow:
- Prioritize native speakers of the target language. For instance, if you want to translate your texts into Italian, look for a professional from Italy or Switzerland, based on the country you need to communicate with.
- Look for credible profiles. Does the translator have a strong online presence? This doesn’t mean appearing on every social media available, but having a few profiles with clear information. For instance, I mainly focus on my website and LinkedIn profile.
- Explore what they can offer, from years of experience to areas of specialization. Seniority doesn’t equal professionalism, but you may want someone with at least a couple of years of practical experience. And don’t forget to check if they can cover the field you need help with! An excellent medical translator may have no idea of how marketing texts work and vice versa. And if you need the translation of an official document, you should check what’s accepted in the country of reception. For instance, Italian government bodies require sworn translations.
- Search for reviews and recommendations. What’s the feedback shared by other people the translator has worked with? You may find some reviews on LinkedIn, on Google or in the testimonials section on their website.
- Read something about them. They’re sure to share some information on their profiles/website, so you can check if they sound like someone you would like to collaborate with. Remember: you’re looking for a trusted partner who’s a pleasure to work with!
- When you first contact them, try to understand if they are responsive, approachable and communicative. If they want to learn more about your needs and goals, and ask several questions, that’s a very good sign. Remember: a translator must align with your objectives and be focused on your success.
These are just a few tips, but they may be a good starting point. If you’re looking for a reliable Italian translator for your English/Spanish/French texts, explore my website or check my LinkedIn profile to see how I can help! From marketing content to e-learning materials, from travel & tourism texts to SEO for the Italian market, I’ll be happy to hear from you and discuss how we can partner up to achieve your goals.