How to Practice Your Translation Skills
Translation is the process of transforming one language to another. Translators usually do this from the other language into their own and it is, in most cases, in a written form. Translators work in schools, h
ealthcare, judicial systems, and many other areas in which translating are needed. Many translators work freelance or sporadically. The United States continues to grow and becomes more and more culturally diverse so learning the language of these other cultures can lead to a rewarding career that will continue to grow at a fast rate. Oftentimes people in the other cultures need people to translate their language into the language most frequently spoken in the United States: English.In order to be a translator a person must speak two languages fluently. For instance, in the U.S. the main language spoken is English but the second language most often used in the United States is Spanish. This would be a great language to learn to translate because it would be easy to find people that speak the language and learn from them. This is something a person should do just to learn to communicate effectively because this country is so culturally diverse. We need to be able to understand each other in everyday life, from communication between the cashier and the customer, the employer and employee, and the lawyer and the client. One way to practice translation is to learn the language.
Education will also help a person practice translation skills. When taking classes in high school or college a person learns to read, write, and speak not only their own language but can learn another. These classes help people from different cultures communicate with each other. Spending time in the environment with a person from another culture will also help to practice the needed skills. A person can look for books written in a different language and translate it to their own language for practice as well. There are also certification and training programs to help improve translation skills.
If you want to know how to practice your translation skills the answer is in the question: practice. Read books and work to translate the language into your own. Spend time with the culture to learn slang, concepts and ideas. Choose to continue your education through high school and college. Participate in exchange programs and take certification and training courses. Try some internships or anything that will help you gain the knowledge and experience it requires to be successful in this career.
-By Adriana Tassini
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