| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: As a translator, which skill would you prefer to improve the most? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "As a translator, which skill would you prefer to improve the most?".
This poll was originally submitted by Jenn Mercer. View the poll results »
| | | | David Wright 
Austria
Local time: 05:38
German to English
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| I had to think long about this | Nov 28, 2012 |
I don't have any problems understanding source language (I've lived here for 30 years!). I'm quite happy with my knowledge of the technical field I work in, and I certainly don't want to learn a new language for professional purposes with only a couple of years to go before retiring, I would like to learn (and am learning) a new language for private reasons. So I put OTHER.
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 05:38
Member (2009)
English to German
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| Business skills because... | Nov 28, 2012 |
they also include negotiation skills as well as "improved" terminology in regards to both the source and the target languages. Covers it all.
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I would like to improve my business skills, I would learn (actually re-learn) another language (I could speak German and French but no practice = forget everything!)
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DianeGM
Local time: 06:38
Member (2006)
Dutch to English
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Software skills and business skills.
I have only been in business as a freelancer for 6 years - there is much I still need to learn about business, marketing, etc.
Also I know only a small percentage of the possiblitities with some of the software I use, knowing more would be useful.
| | | | Julian Holmes
Japan
Local time: 12:38
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
| Didn't have to think long about this - Other | Nov 28, 2012 |
David Wright wrote:
I don't have any problems understanding source language (I've lived here for 30 years!).
Same here, David! 30+ years 
As a technical translator, though, I'd really appreciate more product orientations, factory visits, special training courses, etc. or get A levels in sciences (been dying to do these for years) or gain some other technical qualification.
There comes a point in language acquisition where your knowledge of the source language cannot improve in huge, noticable leaps and bounds, whereas my career as a professional translator now would be catapaulted forward if I knew more about my fields of expertise and my knowledge were augmented by newly emerging fields of technology.
After all, we are in the business of selling what we know and how well we write about it, not simply our linguistic skills.
| | | | Tim Drayton
Cyprus
Local time: 06:38
Turkish to English
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Typing skills. This may sound very basic, but I keep trying to wean myself away from the extremely fast two-finger typing style that I have developed over the years and convert to even faster ten-finger touch typing. I have worked through an excellent on-line touch typing course and can now do it, but the trouble is breaking the force of habit and also that I am still slower using ten fingers than two, thanks to decades of practice of using the latter.
| | | | | Source language comprehension | Nov 28, 2012 |
I don't think an L2 learner can ever fully master the nuances of the source language. I certainly have had ample opportunity to master one of them--Portuguese, which I spoke at home exclusively for 9 years--but even so, it still surprises me.
After all, failure to understand the source text is the source of mistranslations, and that's the worst crime a translator can commit.
I'm convinced that if a translator's work is really good, the market will come to him/her. So t... See more I don't think an L2 learner can ever fully master the nuances of the source language. I certainly have had ample opportunity to master one of them--Portuguese, which I spoke at home exclusively for 9 years--but even so, it still surprises me.
After all, failure to understand the source text is the source of mistranslations, and that's the worst crime a translator can commit.
I'm convinced that if a translator's work is really good, the market will come to him/her. So the emphasis should be on perfecting their understanding of what is being said in the original language. Everything else will flow from that. ▲ Collapse
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| a third language and | Nov 28, 2012 |
I would (I try to) go for improving my French, which I am planning to get deeper into as soon as I have time to spend, and also my business skills. For the latter this site is turning out to be a great means of learning about the industry, so thank you, everyone
| | | | Helen Hagon
Local time: 04:38
Member (2011)
Russian to English
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| Source language comprehension | Nov 28, 2012 |
As I live in my target language country, I am always on the lookout for opportunities to go to my source language countries, although this has become more difficult since I have had children. I do what I can from here, such as reading, watching foreign language TV, meeting people from other countries etc, but obviously the best way is to be in the country itself.
| | | | Paul Dixon
Brazil
Local time: 00:38
Portuguese to English
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| Pricing and Marketing | Nov 28, 2012 |
I would like to improve my pricing skills, how to get reasonable rates for my work. In Brazil anyone who has been to Miami for a weekend thinks they can translate, and there is always someone willing to do the work for less. Another problem is that clients often want discounts.
Together with this, marketing skills, how to get more direct clients.
I would also like to learn a new language which I can offer for translation, possibly Italian (which I have studied for two y... See more I would like to improve my pricing skills, how to get reasonable rates for my work. In Brazil anyone who has been to Miami for a weekend thinks they can translate, and there is always someone willing to do the work for less. Another problem is that clients often want discounts.
Together with this, marketing skills, how to get more direct clients.
I would also like to learn a new language which I can offer for translation, possibly Italian (which I have studied for two years) or Slovenian.
No problem with source language here either, lived here 40+ years. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Like David and Julian... | Nov 28, 2012 |
...I don't think my language skills are going to improve that much, although I will never stop trying to improve.
But I agree wholeheartedly that what I would appreciate is to increase my first-hand knowledge of new fields, and indeed of those I work in. Factory visits, shadowing, you name it, I'd be up for it!
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| Learn new language(s) | Nov 28, 2012 |
I have enough source languages to keep me busy at work. Published translations, I guess, have proven that my target language skills are up to professional standards at the very least. I'm a compulsive language accumulator so I voted language acquisition (but not for professional purposes of course). That was an easy choice for me. Since I'm currently based in SE Asia I've been learning Malay/Indonesian and Thai. I used what I learned when I was in Indonesia recently for 3 weeks last month. My pe... See more I have enough source languages to keep me busy at work. Published translations, I guess, have proven that my target language skills are up to professional standards at the very least. I'm a compulsive language accumulator so I voted language acquisition (but not for professional purposes of course). That was an easy choice for me. Since I'm currently based in SE Asia I've been learning Malay/Indonesian and Thai. I used what I learned when I was in Indonesia recently for 3 weeks last month. My performance: passable to mildly laughable.
I'll soon tackle Hindi and Tibetan as I'll be in northern India for 3 months next year. I'm sure that will be immensely challenging... ▲ Collapse
| | | | Michael Harris
Germany
Local time: 05:38
Member (2006)
German to English
@Marcus, I am still envious of what you are doing!!
I would preferably also want to retire (still far too young) and learn some new languages and cultures, but on the doorstep, not in internet
| | | | mari pet
Spain
Local time: 05:38
Spanish to Slovak
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I put Other - I would like to improve my software and technical skills as well as the knowledge in the field I translate in, like legal or technical.
If not this, I would also vote for learning new language (I like the expression "compulsive language accumulator", although I cannot compare with Marcus).
[Editado a las 2012-11-28 14:18 GMT]
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