Connecting Cultures: 16 Tips to Get You Started on the Interpretation/Translation Path
Simple Steps hosted a two-part webinar series on interpretation and translation during the first weeks of November. Our speakers—Alicia Back (registered court interpreter) and Meeyeon Lee (subtitle translator)—shared their long-time experiences as an interpreter/translator, with candid advice and tips on how to join the field and thrive in it. Here are the 16 most fundamental tips from our speakers to get you started on the interpretation/translation path.
Want to be a medical interpreter? You will need a certification from the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters or the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters.
Want to be a court interpreter? You will need to be registered or certified by the courts of your state of residence. Check out the official guideline by the California Judicial Branch if you live in California.
As an interpreter, it always helps you to arrive early at the court to meet your LEP (Limited English Proficiency) client and his/her attorney, and learn about the case before the trial begins.
Want to be an international conference interpreter? You will likely need a master’s degree in conference interpretation from, for example, the Middlebury Institute’s Translation and Interpretation Programs.
If you would like to know more about the life of an interpreter, listen to Alicia Back’s podcasts Daily Alicia where she talks about what interpreting is all about with fun anecdotes and new cultures she learned in the U.S. as a new immigrant.
Want to be a subtitle translator? Don’t waste your time or money on certifications or degrees; build experience first by volunteering to translate Coursera courses or Ted Talks.
Download thousands of subtitles to study from Subscene, English-subtitles.org, or Subs like Script.
To find Korean subtitles on Netflix, go to www.netflix.com/browse/subtitles.
Make the most out of Netflix and advance your language skills by installing the Google Chrome extension Language Learning with Netflix that allows you to see subtitles and translations side by side.
Study English-Korean subtitle translation with other aspiring translators at the Line Open Care.
Find freelance translation jobs at Proz.com, TranslatorCafe, or JobKorea.
Update your LinkedIn or Proz.com profile regularly and open up new opportunities. Simple Steps’ 1:1 consultation service can help you optimize your resume.
Certain streaming platforms such as Netflix have their own official style guide.
To translate English subtitles into Korean, make sure to adhere to the grammar and spelling rules of the language by consulting the Standard Korean Language Dictionary, loanword orthography, Hangulize, or the Pusan National University’s spell checker.
Be prepared to collaborate with other translators—you won’t always translate a whole season of a TV show all by yourself. You and your collaborators will need to work out a common approach to how to translate names, terms, and tones of speech to ensure the utmost consistency throughout the series.
Build your own vocabulary lists covering various fields; you might encounter medical terms at courts or legal terms in a sports movie.
Last but not least, join the Simple Steps Talent Pool and be the first to get updates on new interpretation/translation jobs. We thank you all for your interest and participation in our career webinar series. Find more events on our website, view select previous webinars on our YouTube channel, and let us be part of your career journey!
Written by Hyunjin Kim
