Additional Information
If you have the right combination of concentration, a love for languages
and nerves of steel, you might make a great translator or interpreter.
Your first step is to learn another language or languages. You can study
at home or visit another country to study. Experts say living or studying
abroad for a couple of years is the best way to learn a country's language
and culture.
Once you have become fluent in another language, experts recommend you
try interpreting or translating by volunteering. There are many nonprofit
and community groups that need this kind of help.
In order to work as a translator or interpreter, you'll need some secondary
education. A bachelor's degree is the most common form of training, but there
are some diploma programs available.
Before gaining acceptance into a post-secondary program in translation,
however, you'll need to have mastered the language you want to work with.
"What you learn during training is not the languages -- it's how to translate
them," says Betty Cohen. She is the treasurer for the International Federation
of Translators.
Graduate programs (these include master's and PhD programs) are also available
in translation and interpretation. A graduate degree may be required for the
best positions, experts say.
Translation and interpretation can be taken at many universities in the
U.S. and around the world.