How to become a translator?

Do a translation course

This is the classic way to become a translator. Various translation courses are available, with some more specialised and longer than others. A range of acclaimed translation Master’s courses can be studied in different European countries. This could be the perfect solution if you already have an undergraduate degree or equivalent under your belt.

A range of translation training programmes are available. You will also need to decide if you want to be trained as specialist translator (legal, financial, literary, etc.) or undergo technical training focusing on new translation technologies.

In the European context, a good way to find out which translation Master’s courses are high-quality programmes is to browse the list of Master’s that meet the European Master in Translation (EMT) standards. This label exists as a result of the partnership between higher education institutions and the European Commission Directorate-General for Translation (DGT). Courses awarded this status must meet specific criteria set out by the DGT.

Acolad has close relationships with several translation education institutions. 

A second career as a translator

If you have already had a career using two or more languages and want to become a translator in the same field, you have the perfect profile for a specialist translator!
Your expert knowledge in your field will be a huge boon as it will help you truly understand texts in your translation specialism. That said, we would suggest you still do some training in how to use translation software such as CAT tools.

If you are bilingual (or almost there) and want to become a translator but don’t have any special training, this is possible. However, you will need sound experience to build good foundations in translation. To become a translator, you need to have more skills than just being bilingual! If you’d like to follow this path, it could be well worth signing up for some ongoing training.

The translation market is changing quickly and the role of translator is no longer quite as people may imagine. It’s important to learn about and keep abreast of translation market news. Here, Acolad Community can help with its blog, training courses and events.