Professional translators and interpreters

How do language professionals work today?


An old profession with a cutting-edge profile:

Translation and interpreting have been practiced since ancient times. Despite their deep roots in history, with growing globalization and the international communication it requires, the demands on professional linguists have become more and more complex, especially since the second half of the 20th century.

This has led to the development of a distinct profession of language professionals. A smoothly running information exchange in research and technology, business, policymaking and sociocultural areas would no longer be possible today without professional translators and interpreters.

Key points:

  • Translators transfer text in written form from one language to another.
  • Interpreters transfer text in spoken or written form orally from one language to another.
  • Sign language interpreters transfer spoken texts from speech into sign language and vice versa.

General professional requirements:

  • A solid general education
  • Advanced native and foreign language skills
  • Knowledge of the cultural contexts of other countries
  • Sound practical expertise
  • The ability to transfer specialized texts in a manner that is fit for purpose and for the recipient
  • Knowledge and mastery of all major professional tools
  • The ability to adapt to new expert fields in terms of jargon and terminology
  • Methodological skills for handling issues that typically arise during translation and interpreting

Education and specialization

Training

Are you interested in training to become an interpreter and/or a translator? This section of the website, currently available only in German, offers information (click here).

Translators

When it comes to translation, there is more than meets the eye: it is not just a matter of retyping a text in another language. A translator must first and foremost be an expert researcher and must quickly learn the particular terminology of a given specialization.

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Interpreters

Just knowing a foreign language is not enough. Interpreters use special techniques to transfer the spoken word into another language fluidly and correctly.
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Sign language interpreters

Did you know that sign language is closely tied to the spoken language and that the signs differ from country to country? There are even dialects.
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Translators for courts and official authorities

Special requirements apply when interpreting and translating for the courts. Therefore, specific legal requirements for commissioning language professionals apply.
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Interpreters Translators

More than 7,500 professional linguists for more than 80 languages and numerous areas of specialization

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Continuous professional development and entrepreneurial skills – throughout Germany

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