April 4, 2013

The Rise (and fall) of Freelance Translators

When you hear the word “freelancer,” different ideas may come to mind. The average person might see freelancers as lazy individuals whose lives are undemanding and carefree. This is simply untrue. A successful freelancer is rather busy, and is constantly promoting themselves. We have already given you steps on becoming a successful freelancer. Now, let’s discuss why many freelancers fail:

Expecting too much, but giving very little. So you’re starting your career as a freelance translator. You’ve applied to 20 or so different companies, but you haven’t heard back and you feel discouraged. Increase your effort! Utilize social media and learn to network. You must promote yourself and gain contacts in order to be successful. You must acknowledge that there is a startup phase, and it can take about a year to find work, complete it, and begin making money.
You fear failure. You must be fearless to be a freelance translator (or at least not let the fear take over). You will make mistakes. You will get rejected. Your early days will not be easy, but don’t fret. Failure teaches us lessons that we need to learn. We will all make mistakes in our early careers. When you learn from your mistakes, you will be more successful.
Believing the myth that freelancers have it easy. It is not supposed to be easy. If your life as a freelancer is easy, then you’re not working hard enough. While it is nice not to have to answer to anyone, working for yourself could prove to be even harder than working for someone else. You will have to work when you don’t want to. If you feel as though you want to become a freelance translator so you can only work just a few hours a day, you can, but you will not be making much money. Being a successful freelancer means that you take the time to create seamless translations, and you are constantly promoting your brand and looking to find more work. By doing so, you will be able to find better assignments, and you can stay busy!
Failing to be a business person. A freelance translator must not only be capable of creating smooth translations, but they must also know the industry. While having impeccable translation skills is vital to being a successful translator, there are many other important skills needed to reach success. You will need IT skills for keeping up with the latest software available and working through any technical problems that come your way. You must be able to market yourself as a brand and promoting your services to providers. You will also need negotiation skills in order to ensure that you are being paid a fair rate and of course you will need remarkable time-management skills (because you will be really busy!).
Dedication is everything. We have mentioned before that you must love what you do. If you enjoy language, then you will appreciate learning about the industry. When you love what you do, you will do it well.

Well, now you know better, so don’t fall victim to these widespread mistakes. You have the knowledge, and you know what it takes to accomplish what you want.

Posted in Freelance, Uncategorized
Tagged bilingual, Business, freelancers, global, Industry, interpreters, language, language services, linguists, localisation, localization, Market, thebigword, Translation, Translation Services, translations, worldwide
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March 28, 2013

Translation: It’s More Than Just Language

thebigword Translation more than Language

For translators, it is very important to know your audience. If you are translating into English, you must consider who your reader is. If your reader speaks UK English, pay attention to specific spelling that differs between UK English and US English. A slight difference in spelling can leave a reader feeling disconnected from the text.

Spelling

In regards to UK English and US English, there are a few small differences in spelling. In the UK they often use the letter “s” where in the US they would use the letter “z”. This can be seen in the words specialization/specialization and organisation/organization. The two languages also differ in the endings of certain words. The UK tends to use a “–re” ending where the US will use an “–er.” This is illustrated in words such as centre and center. Also the endings “–our” (UK) and “–or” (US) as in colour and color. A professional translator recognizes the reader and creates a translated document that maintains the original meaning, while taking the target audience into account and making the proper changes accordingly.

A professional translator knows the differences in vocabulary that varies between regions. For instance, in the UK they eat ‘sweets,’ but the people in US would refer to it as ‘candy.’ It is important to identify these subtle differences. Most likely, your reader will understand the message that you are sending to them, but it is important to allow them to feel more connected by using the spelling specific to their region and by using the words or phrases that they are accustomed to.

When Americans are traveling they say they are taking a vacation as opposed to the UK where they go on holiday. In America when you need gas, you go to the gas station; in the UK they go to the petrol station for fuel. Americans throw their garbage in the trash can, whereas in the UK, they will throw their rubbish in the dustbin. Americans often get hungry, but in the UK they get peckish. Also, in the US, the word ‘cheers’ is used solely for drinking, but in the UK ‘cheers’ can mean anything from thank you to goodbye.

Dialects

With this said, not only can a language vary between countries, but they can also vary within them. Dialects are important to consider when creating translations. It is important that your end product is localized. Localized translations take into consideration cultural, as well as, language differences. For example, if you were translating something into English, you must consider the differences between the south and the north. In the south they might say “y’all,” while in the north they would say “you guys.” A localized translation optimizes the end result, creating a seamless translation that considers all necessary cultural and language issues in regards to whichever region/language is being targeted.

Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged bilingual, freelancers, global, Industry, interpreters, language, language services, linguists, localisation, localization, specialisation, Specialization, thebigword, Translation, Translation Services, translations, worldwide
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March 21, 2013

Everyone Deserves to Be Heard

Deaf History Month is from March 13 to April 15.

Even though someone might be deaf or hard of hearing, there is no reason why there should be any miscommunication between them and someone else. Some people just might need extra training or tips when it comes to communicating with someone who is deaf.

First, let’s differentiate between hearing loss, hard of hearing, and deafness:

Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is when there is diminished sensitivity to sound. There are different levels of hearing loss and it can affect either one ear or sometimes both ears.

Hard of Hearing

Being hard of hearing refers to people who still communicate through spoken language and might benefit from hearing aids, captioning or listening devices.

Deafness

Deafness applies to people who have profound hearing loss. This can imply that they have little to no hearing. Deaf people often use sign language to communicate.

There are a number of things that can be done when communicating with a person who is hard of hearing:

Get their attention before you start speaking to them. This way they know to look at you and they may read your lips.
Keep your distance. You should stand a few feet away so you can see each others facial expressions, hand gestures, and body language. Non-Verbal communication can sometimes reveal just as much as spoken communication.
Speak clearly, but not too fast or too slow. Speak at a reasonable pace that feels natural so that they can focus and try to understand or read your lips.
Rephrase the message. If they are not receiving the message properly, try expressing it in different words so that it is easier to understand.
Consider your environment. People with hearing loss may need good lighting in order to see. Also, it is optimal to eliminate external noise and distractions.
Turn your face towards them so that they can read your lips. (In fact you should be facing anyone that you are speaking to.)
Don’t shout, regardless of whether they are hard of hearing or have total hearing loss, shouting looks aggressive and can make anyone feel uncomfortable.

Next time you find yourself in the situation where you must communicate with someone who is deaf, remember, it is not difficult, just follow our tips and you should be able to have a seamless conversation. You never know, it just might be the most interesting conversation you have ever had.

Translators: How do you Define your Success?

thebigword Freelance Translators measure success

The most important thing is to thoroughly enjoy what you do. People who enjoy what they do are often passionate, and passion translates into being good at your job. If you love language, especially the specific languages that you speak, you will enjoy the learning process, and you will enjoy training yourself to become even more proficient in both your source and your target languages.

It is very important to know your audience. Different dialects may have different spellings for the same words. If your reader is specific to an industry it might be safe to use jargon. There are also words that can mean the same thing but be specific to a region. In the United States, what they call “candy” is referred to as “sweets” in the United Kingdom. It is important to consider these subtle differences.

Also, translators must keep up with their computer skills. There are various programs and software that translators use on a daily basis, and quite often there are problems that occur that need to be fixed. Being able to solve these problems on your own can be a major advantage to your success. If you are lacking basic computer skills such as having a slow typing speed, or if you need to constantly check the keyboard while you type, you might need to take a basic computer course.

There are many other important aspects to consider when you are trying to improve your success. There are a number of questions you should be asking yourself:

Services – Is translation the only service that you offer? Do you offer proofreading and editing as well?
Marketing/Branding – Are you active on social media? Do your pages create a consistent image? Are your specializations clearly listed?
Advantages – What differentiates you from the rest? You need to have a clear advantage over your competitors. Do you have a specialization or a lot experience in a specific field or industry? These are things that can give you a competitive edge over other translators.
Education – Having a degree in either your language or in your specialization is a serious advantage. Any degree can help to develop serious research and writing skills, which are vital skills for a translator to possess.
Networking – Do you have a strong network? Do you attend events or have a virtual network of people who come to you to pass on a job? If not, this is something you should develop right away!

All of these recommendations will lead to your success and happiness. When you love what you do, you will be good at it. When you’re good at what you do, you will want to be even better at it, which essentially leads to you being even happier with your job and with your life. It is a cycle that never ends and is ever-improving.

Everyone’s a Little Bit Irish on March 17

Saint Patrick’s Day is a holiday celebrated throughout the world. It is a cultural and religious celebration involving parades and festivals of various kinds.

People all over the world normally dress in layers of green. Many Christians attend church services and any Lenten Restrictions on eating or drinking alcohol are typically lifted on this day.

Origin

Saint Patrick is the most commonly recognized of the patron saints of Ireland. To this day, much of his life remains a mystery. Irish folklore says that Saint Patrick often used the Shamrock to explain the doctrine of the Trinity in order to spread and teach Christian values throughout Ireland. He died on March 17, 461. On this day, we celebrate his life all throughout the world.

Ireland

Saint Patrick’s Day officially became a public holiday in 1903. It wasn’t until the mid 1990’s when the government of Ireland began to use Saint Patrick’s Day as a way to promote Irish culture. They wanted to offer a festival that was among the greatest celebrations in the world. They also wanted to motivate people of Irish decent (and those who aren’t) to join in on these expressive celebrations. The annual Saint Patrick’s Festival was first held in in Dublin in 1996. By 2006, it became a 5-day long festival with close to 1 million visitors! The festival includes concerts, performances, and fireworks. There are other cities that hold festivals as well. Downpatrick, the city where Saint Patrick is rumored to be buried holds a week long festival with 2,000 participants, floats, bands, and performers.

United States

Although, it is not a national holiday here in the United States, you will certainly run into many people wearing green or if you’re lucky you might even catch a leprechaun! It is common to feast and drink alcohol. Numerous parades are held all over the country, the largest for this country is in New York City. In Chicago they go all out and they actually dye the Chicago river green! Can you imagine how much dye is used for that? People roam the streets from early on in the day until late at night celebrating this fun holiday.

Canada

Montreal, a city whose flag includes a shamrock, holds a parade each year for Saint Patrick’s Day. There is also a three day festival held in Manitoba. Saint Patrick’s Day is also really big in Toronto. The hockey team, The Toronto Maple Leafs was formally known as the Toronto St. Patrick’s and they used to wear green jerseys!

Great Britain

In Britain, the largest parade is held in Birmingham with a route that’s longer than two miles (3 km). It is known as the third largest Saint Patrick’s Day in the world, after Dublin and New York. Queen Elizabeth used to give bowls of shamrocks flown in from Ireland to members of the Irish Guards which is a regiment of the British Army consisting primarily of soldiers from Ireland. These soldiers still wear the shamrock on this day.

How to celebrate

If parades are just “not your thing”, there are other ways to celebrate this fun holiday. The first thing you should do is wear green! You can wear a t-shirt with an expression such as “Kiss me, I’m Irish” or for those professionals maybe you can wear a green collared shirt. Food is always essential for all celebrations, so why not go all out and eat a traditional Irish meal. Potatoes are always a staple of Irish culture and cabbage with lamb stew is a tasty Irish dish. Music also plays a very big part of Irish culture. So, go ahead and play some classic Irish tunes.

No matter where you are in the world, chances are you are celebrating this holiday one way or another. Just remember to be safe and enjoy the holiday!