Translator Qualifications

At Responsive Translation, we know that any successful translation project depends on having the right people with the right skills. All of the translators and linguists we hire from a pool of over 20,000 linguists are recruited, qualified and chosen for each client project based on their expertise, qualifications and experience using a benchmark-specific methodology.

Minimum Translator Qualifications

Knowing two languages isn’t enough to be a translator. At a minimum, we require all of our translators at Responsive Translation to have a background in translation studies and a minimum of three years’ experience as a full-time translator, or a bachelor’s degree and five to six years of full-time translation experience. Translators must be native speakers of the target language, be well versed in both the source and target languages and cultures, and be current members of the American Translators Association or equivalent organization. We also look for education and experience in the subject matter to be translated, such as medicine, education or law. Depending on the specific project and client requirements, we may require additional qualifications and specializations to ensure that the translation is as accurate as possible and meets the highest standards.

Qualifications for Other Linguists

Our editors and proofreaders must meet the same qualifications as our translators, in addition to proven experience in the role they will play in the project.

For subject matter experts, Responsive Translation requires at least a bachelor’s or master’s degree in the specialized field, in addition to related experience. For K-12 education projects, we look for education studies and experience in teaching and writing test content. For example, when we work on K-12 educational assessments in Texas, we always make sure that our subject matter expert teams include at least one or two local people with insider knowledge of community and context. We typically recruit Texas school teachers who understand the whole context, the skills their kids bring to the table and the challenges they face in a local Spanish-speaking environment in the State of Texas.

All of our linguists are recruited, qualified and chosen by our experienced project management team. However, clients are always welcome to participate in team selection if that is of interest.

Expert Translation

Looking for more than a qualified translator? Responsive Translation provides expert translation services, including strategic planning, custom workflows and enterprise solutions, for a wide range of organizations. For more information or a consultation, please get in touch at [email protected] or 1-800-872-6752 (+1-212-818-1102 outside the US).