Cunning linguists
Becoming a translator Spanish to English
cafesandbookshops · 25/09/2021 19:34
Hola,
I am currently working as a Spanish teacher and I would like to do some translation in the school holidays to earn a bit of extra money but also because I really enjoyed doing it and miss it a bit however I’m not sure how realistic a goal it is.
I’m a native English speaker but I did a Spanish degree and a PGCE and I lived in Spanish speaking countries for 3 years before moving back to the UK. Would this be enough or is it necessary to have a masters in translation? I know some certain areas are in demand and I find medical texts interesting but not sure where to start.
Thank you in advance to anyone who can help 
Geamhradh · 30/09/2021 13:00
You're probably better off advertising yourself on the gig economy sites like Fiverr etc.
You'd need a translation qualification to get taken on by an actual company (at least a valid one)
OrangeBlossomsinthesun · 30/09/2021 13:03
I'd recommend a masters or the CIoL Diploma in Translation if you want to make a career out of it.
pantheistsboots · 30/09/2021 13:07
You don't necessarily need a specific translation qualification to be taken on by agencies. I'm a German-English translator and only have a language degree, but I receive regular work from about 15 different agencies. However, they will expect you to cite previous experience of translation. You may have some from your previous career?
Proz.com is a great place to go for advice as a newbie, and there will be translators working in your language combination who may well be able to offer more specific pointers.
Geamhradh · 30/09/2021 13:56
Bear in mind as well that Spanish-English isn't going to be much of an earner even at technical levels. Because there are lots of them about. (I was musing on this when reading a book by the "world's authority on Norwegian to Korean translation" and thinking blimey, I wonder how you get into something like that!
You could also try something like Appen (check us out on the Earn a tenner a day threads) some of the tasks I've done are for Italian speakers- pay varies from ok to shit, but it's another idea.
pantheistsboots · 30/09/2021 14:51
I agree with the above poster that Spanish > English is one of those combos that appears to be more saturated than others, but there are still plenty of translators in that language direction making a decent living due to the quality or specialisation that they offer.
I really would recommend approaching some agencies, particularly those that might be a good fit with your past experience. Getting a few 'ins' with agencies and establishing a flow of work may be slow to start with, but once you prove your worth to project managers it is possible to make a successful (and indeed lucrative) full-time career of it. And in the long-term there's a far greater likelihood of being able to do that through agencies or direct clients, rather than sites like Fiverr.
OrangeBlossomsinthesun · 30/09/2021 14:57
@pantheistsboots
I really would recommend approaching some agencies, particularly those that might be a good fit with your past experience. Getting a few 'ins' with agencies and establishing a flow of work may be slow to start with, but once you prove your worth to project managers it is possible to make a successful (and indeed lucrative) full-time career of it. And in the long-term there's a far greater likelihood of being able to do that through agencies or direct clients, rather than sites like Fiverr.
I agree, I started out that way 10 years or so ago in Spanish to English but ultimately to get better rates and customers, in a crowded market, you need to get a qualification.
cafesandbookshops · 02/10/2021 19:34
Thank you to everyone who has replied. I am going to look into the qualifications that have been suggested. I understand there not being much demand for languages like Spanish in the UK. I’d love to learn polish or Russian to a really good level but it’s finding the time with a full time teaching job!
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.