Classroom translation versus professional translation

Translation as a learning aid

Translation at school can be a valuable learning tool. It tests pupils' vocabulary and their use of grammatical structures, helping teachers to assess pupils' progress in a foreign language. However, classroom translation is very different to professional translation.

Professional translators only translate in one direction

Unlike pupils in a language class, professional translators very rarely translate into their foreign language. In fact, the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) in the UK requires its members to only translate into their mother tongue. This is because only a native speaker has the natural instincts to guarantee complete fluency in the target language.

Professional translators do not translate literally

A second difference between classroom translation and professional translation is that professional translation does not just focus on literal meaning. Professional translators must transfer the meaning, tone and connotations of the text into the target language in a way that meets the needs and expectations of the target audience. Sometimes, this means that they have to stray from the literal meaning of the text in order to avoid awkward phrasing or cultural misunderstanding. Coors Beer famously failed to recognise this need, leading their literal Spanish translation of their slogan 'Turn it loose' to be interpreted by customers as 'suffer from diarrhoea'!

Professional businesses need professional translators

If you want to avoid awkward or misleading translations, be sure to hire a professional translation service. Because anybody who speaks a second language can do word-for-word classroom translation, but it takes a trained professional to produce high-quality translations that convey your message as you envision it.

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