Thank you so much for this invaluable resource. I found your blog yesterday, and I’m consuming every word of it! I also bought your book a week ago. I read it in it’s entirety the evening it arrived. (I actually need to sit down and study it again.)

I recently made the decision to actively pursue a career in translation (Sp->Eng), and I sat down at my computer this evening to specifically research the importance of specializing and the best ways to learn that specialization.

Your post explained the importance of specializing in detail (as does your book), and you mentioned taking courses in the terminology of your chosen specialty, etc.

Are you aware of any particular courses offered online designed to teach specialized terminology, or any other ways to prepare for a specialization? Or is it common for a translator to simply identify an area they’d like to specialize in, market themselves as specialized in that area, and then learn as they translate? That sounds a little scary to me!

Thanks,

Brandon Fancher

I find your article very nice and very informative, as usual. I cannot agree more with the need for specialized translators!

Some years ago, (before I decided to create the Anyword translation company), I used to work as a translator specialized in computing. To promote my services, I explained to potential customers that it was very difficult to find people able to combine technical precision with linguistic quality. As a former journalist in the computing field, I was used to write and to research (and to manage everything in a hurry). And I had a passion for computing and programming, which enabled me to technically review most of the texts I translated.

I believe that every specific area of specialization needs to be translated by people who are in position to evaluate the technical validity of the source text and to find the best wording in their mother tongue. It is not only about research. It is also about personal interest, passion for the specific field, and so on.

Thanks again for your so valuable posts (and please forgive my poor English).

@Abigail, I’ve been meaning to write and tell you how much I enjoyed your recent article in the ATA Chronicle, it was one of my favorites in at least the last year of issues. I think you have a great example of a very targeted specialization where the workload is going nowhere but up. I’m also sorry it took me so long to discover your blog, I just added it to my feed reader. Thanks for visiting!

I have a questions, currently I’m listed with Language123, are there any other good online places where to promote my services.

Michelle Collins
Translator/Interpreter