| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Certification/Accreditation/education Thread poster: Kyle Moore
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| Consider self-education | Aug 10, 2008 |
Milena Bosco wrote:
You do not need an University degree to be a good translator. Univesity degrees (I have one so I speak from experience) mean nothing if you are not pursuing information and learning with eagerness and curiosity. I've met plenty of people with degrees that were very mediocre people professionally, and I have met quite a few who were witty and succesful and only had a high school degree.
Totally agree with Milena here. You certainly do need an education, but going to university is just one way to obtain it. Being an autodidact is a time honored way of becoming educated.
There are many good self-study materials for translators on the market in Spanish-English pair. You can find them on Amazon. You can also learn a lot about the art of translation by reading good articles on translation (you can find them right on this website).
Best of luck to you!
| | | | Oleg Rudavin 
Ukraine
Local time: 18:26
Member (2003)
English to Ukrainian
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| What is the purpose of the post? | Aug 11, 2008 |
I'm a bit at a loss with your post, Kyle.
Orgullomoore wrote: I'm a blooming translator... am I simply out of luck in the meantime?
Does "blooming" mean "flourishing"? Where's the bad luck then?
If you are NOT satisfied with the way your transaltor's career develops, I'll try putting on my client's hat (imaginary of course as I don't work in EN>ESP or ESP>EN) and show you why I would not be impressed with your profile and CV.
Usually, one's ability to work in specific fields should be supported - for example, by experience.
Your "Services" tab mentions Voiceover (dubbing), Subtitling and, surprisingly, Sales. Are you sure you can do voiceover? And can you specify what "sales" means, translation-wise?
I rarely care about any formal education when selecting a vendor; in my book, experience is more important. The profile mentions a single 15,600-word job and multiple volunteer translations - for me, that doesn't count as substantial experience.
Finally, United states and Spanish-speaking clients and insurance companies, medical doctor's, physical therapists are an indication of what is called lack of attention to details.
And finally (re. flaunting certificates and degrees), a translator saying that s/he has a formal education is not necessarily boasting. No diploma will make one a translator (the same is true about growing in a language environment). They are just a kind of 'corroborative evidence': whereas none is a guarantee of anything, each piece of evidence is a brick in the construction of a solid professional background.
| | | | Kyle Moore
United States
Local time: 10:26
Spanish to English
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TOPIC STARTER
I am very grateful for all the input that was given in this thread. You all have been very direct to the point, and haven't held back, which, apparently, is just what I needed. This has been a very humbling experience.
I have had aspirations of being a translator for a long time, and I feel like I've taken important steps in that direction, but there is certainly a LOT of room for improvement.
Re: "I'm a blooming translator...", "superior education": These are just goo... See more I am very grateful for all the input that was given in this thread. You all have been very direct to the point, and haven't held back, which, apparently, is just what I needed. This has been a very humbling experience.
I have had aspirations of being a translator for a long time, and I feel like I've taken important steps in that direction, but there is certainly a LOT of room for improvement.
Re: "I'm a blooming translator...", "superior education": These are just good examples of my bad, untrained English and, as stated in this thread, my lack of attention to details. "Blooming" should have probably been something along the lines of "aspiring", and "superior education" is a bad mental translation from "educación superior", in English, "HIGHER education".
I have learned a great bit from this thread:
- This is a VERY honest group.
- There are many things that I can do to make myself a more attractive candidate for translation jobs, including: higher education, closer attention to details, and more/better specialization.
- My language skills in my own native English are lacking. That needs to improve before I can ever hope to be a decent translator. ("Professional translators are first and foremost writers, capable of producing texts that read well in the target language. ")
So again, thank you all. I will enroll in college as soon as possible, and will pay closer attention to details. I will continue to develop my writing skills and have another crack at it when the time is right. ▲ Collapse
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| Something else you should have picked up ... | Aug 11, 2008 |
Orgullomoore wrote:
I am very grateful for all the input that was given in this thread. You all have been very direct to the point, and haven't held back, which, apparently, is just what I needed. This has been a very humbling experience.
I have had aspirations of being a translator for a long time, and I feel like I've taken important steps in that direction, but there is certainly a LOT of room for improvement.
Re: "I'm a blooming translator...", "superior education": These are just good examples of my bad, untrained English and, as stated in this thread, my lack of attention to details. "Blooming" should have probably been something along the lines of "aspiring", and "superior education" is a bad mental translation from "educación superior", in English, "HIGHER education".
I have learned a great bit from this thread:
- This is a VERY honest group.
- There are many things that I can do to make myself a more attractive candidate for translation jobs, including: higher education, closer attention to details, and more/better specialization.
- My language skills in my own native English are lacking. That needs to improve before I can ever hope to be a decent translator. ("Professional translators are first and foremost writers, capable of producing texts that read well in the target language. ")
So again, thank you all. I will enroll in college as soon as possible, and will pay closer attention to details. I will continue to develop my writing skills and have another crack at it when the time is right.
Assuming it's your real native language, translate into Spanish only. If your English is not currently at native level - and by your own admission it's 'bad' and 'untrained' - it shouldn't be advertised as such in your profile. Don't try and pull the wool over outsourcers' eyes, you'll only end up regretting it in the long run.
Concentrating on your strong points is what gets you ahead in this game.
Best of luck
Debs
| | | | Kyle Moore
United States
Local time: 10:26
Spanish to English
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TOPIC STARTER | My native language is English. | Aug 11, 2008 |
Lawyer-Linguist wrote:
Assuming it's your real native language, translate into Spanish only. If your English is not currently at native level - and by your own admission it's 'bad' and 'untrained' - it shouldn't be advertised as such in your profile. Don't try and pull the wool over outsourcers' eyes, you'll only end up regretting it in the long run.
Concentrating on your strong points is what gets you ahead in this game.
Best of luck
Debs
My native language is English.
| | | | | Native language and the path ahead | Aug 11, 2008 |
Orgullomoore wrote:
My native language is English.
When I looked at the English on your web site that wasn't clear at all. Details are important in good writing. That includes translation.
You're enthusiastic and you're young - time is on your side. Use that time and energy to get more education and develop subject specialties that will keep you out of the two cent per word mud pit for your language pair.
| | | | Kyle Moore
United States
Local time: 10:26
Spanish to English
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TOPIC STARTER
I enrolled in college today! Yippee!
I start August 18th.
I will soon have a two-year degree in Technical Interpretation/Translation - Legal emphasis. That ought to help some. And from there I plan to move on to a four-year degree and most like a M.A.
So thank you all for the push.
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Kevin Lossner wrote: Orgullomoore wrote:
My native language is English. When I looked at the English on your web site that wasn't clear at all. Details are important in good writing. That includes translation. You're enthusiastic and you're young - time is on your side. Use that time and energy to get more education and develop subject specialties that will keep you out of the two cent per word mud pit for your language pair.
1. If so, then you really shouldn't be declaring Spanish as your native language on your profile page. Speaking it fluently doesn't make it your native language. Besides, it contradicts what you say on your website. Astute outsourcers who do their homework will immediately pick up on this contradiction and you'll lose their confidence.
2. After looking at your website, I have to agree with Kevin - it isn't at all evident that English is your native language. Take this sentence as just one of many examples: "Since October 2007, I work In the Farmers´ claims department full time as a bilingual claims processor and in-house telephone interpreter".
Because you declare both languages as native on your profile page, it begs the question as to whether you really are a native English speaker or just a somewhat sloppy writer - either way, you need to raise your game.
Although you need to work on your writing skills, your love of languages is clear. Perhaps your real strength is your verbal skills. Have you considered interpreting as a possible career alternative? I don't interpret, for instance, partly because of slightly impaired hearing - in other words, I know my limitations.
3. As Kevin rightly says, time is certainly on your side. Completing higher education (during which you'll also learn to refine your writing skills) and developing specialities should be top of the agenda for now.
What I say here isn't meant to put you off, at all, it's just an attempt to make you aware of certain things. With perserverence and knowledge of your own limitations you can make it.
Best of luck,
Deborah
[Edited at 2008-08-11 19:51]
| | | | | Read profusely | Aug 11, 2008 |
Orgullomoore wrote:
I enrolled in college today! Yippee!
I start August 18th.
I will soon have a two-year degree in Technical Interpretation/Translation - Legal emphasis. That ought to help some. And from there I plan to move on to a four-year degree and most like a M.A.
So thank you all for the push.
Bravo, great move, Orgullo. You should be proud. And one more thing: in my opinion, one of the best ways to improve your writing is to read. Get in the habit of reading the best that has been written and read profusely.
Possible reading list
Hemingway (the early work: the short stories, A Farewell to Arms)
F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby
Graham Greene
Anthony Burgess
Evelyn Waugh
Vladimir Nabokov
Jane Austin
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Orgullomoore wrote:
I enrolled in college today! Yippee!
I start August 18th.
I will soon have a two-year degree in Technical Interpretation/Translation - Legal emphasis. That ought to help some. And from there I plan to move on to a four-year degree and most like a M.A.
So thank you all for the push.
Glad the 'nudge' helped
Let us know how it's going from time to time.
As Kim says, read, read and read some more ...
And finally, enjoy, these are some of the best years of your life ahead of you.
Best of luck
Deborah
| | | | Kyle Moore
United States
Local time: 10:26
Spanish to English
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TOPIC STARTER | More updates and thanks | Aug 11, 2008 |
I will definitely make it a habit to start reading. Thank you very much for that reading list.
I took the CLEP test today at school, and got a 79/80, giving me a head start of 15 credit hours for Spanish.
It has never been brought to my attention before that my English skills were lacking. In fact, all that I have heard from my peers and instructors (in high school) up until now has been praise. Nonetheless, I am extremely grateful for the issues that have pointed out... See more I will definitely make it a habit to start reading. Thank you very much for that reading list.
I took the CLEP test today at school, and got a 79/80, giving me a head start of 15 credit hours for Spanish.
It has never been brought to my attention before that my English skills were lacking. In fact, all that I have heard from my peers and instructors (in high school) up until now has been praise. Nonetheless, I am extremely grateful for the issues that have pointed out in this thread. ▲ Collapse
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| So what came of you? | Feb 17, 2011 |
Orgullomoore wrote:
I will definitely make it a habit to start reading. Thank you very much for that reading list.
I took the CLEP test today at school, and got a 79/80, giving me a head start of 15 credit hours for Spanish.
It has never been brought to my attention before that my English skills were lacking. In fact, all that I have heard from my peers and instructors (in high school) up until now has been praise. Nonetheless, I am extremely grateful for the issues that have pointed out in this thread.
I stumbled across this thread years later and it was an interesting film. I now find myself asking what came of Orgullo in the next episode? Only on Pay TV?
Cheers,
Cilian
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