Of course, concern about the quality of your translation is understandable. Moreover, it is a proven fact that no translator can live up to a bad translation. Internet presents an ocean of information on how to become a certified translator, but most of them are not helpful.
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Becoming a certified translator is a process that requires patience, dedication and hard work. First and foremost, you must achieve mastery of the language in which you wish to be certified.
In order to become a certified translator in any language, you will have to take an exam administered by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI). This exam focuses on your ability to translate written documents from one language into another.
The NAATI exam consists of three parts:
- An essay section that tests your ability to write in both languages (this section is optional)
- A sight translation part where you will be given a document in one language and asked to translate it into another language without reading it aloud or having access to any dictionaries or translation software (this section is also optional)
- A simultaneous interpretation part where you will be asked to interpret spoken texts from one language into another (this part is required)
How to become a certified translator
take basic translation classes
If you want to become a translator, the first step is taking basic translation classes. You should get a degree in translation, and then go on to earn experience at a translation agency or other organization that hires translators. In order to become certified as one of the best translators in the industry, though, you’ll need to pass an exam that proves your skill level in both languages and cultures.
get a degree in translation
In order to become a certified translator, you’ll need to get a degree in translation. The best way to do this is by getting a bachelor’s degree in translation or interpreting. Although some people might think that they can get by with just one language and pick up the rest of the languages they need on their own, this isn’t always possible or practical. You should try to earn your degrees in languages that you are already fluent in; it will save you time and money later on when trying to pass certification exams!
If you’ve decided that getting an actual degree is too much work for now, don’t worry — there are still other ways for aspiring translators to gain experience without having gone through years of schooling beforehand.
get certified
To become certified, you must pass a test administered by one of the following organizations:
- AAPTIS (American Association for Professional Translation and Interpretation Services)
- ATA (American Translators Association)
- CATTI (China National Accreditation Board for Translators and Interpreters)
- DÜV (Deutscher Übersetzer-Verband e.V.)
- ITI (Institute of Translation & Interpreting).
earn experience
What you need to do is gain more experience in your favorite language.
It’s not enough to be fluent in a foreign language; translating is an art, and in order to be able to do it well, you need practice.
There are different ways that you can get this experience. You could look for opportunities for freelance translation work at websites like ProZ (which lists both professional translators and the jobs they’re doing). That way, you’ll have some idea of where your skill level lies and what kinds of projects are within reach for someone with what seems from the outside like basic knowledge of a given language pair (for example, French-English).
If you want to be a certified translator, you will have to work hard for it!
The process of becoming a certified translator is not an easy one. You will need to take a number of classes and get certified by the American Translators Association (ATA). But once you have that certification, you are well on your way to becoming what many people consider one of the best jobs in the world.
There are several steps that need to be taken before you can even begin working as a certified translator:
- First step: Take classes! Many universities offer courses that will teach you everything from basic vocabulary words up through complex sentence structures.
- Second step: Get certified! Once all your classes are complete, it’s time to prove yourself during an oral exam conducted by ATA officials (and occasionally other professionals). If they deem that you passed with flying colors after this test, they will give their stamp of approval and officially label you as “certified”!
