How to Become a Qualified Bilingual or Trilingual Interpreter/Translator
According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, interpreters and translators are expected to have a higher than average employment growth of about 22% within the 2008-2018 decade. As a trilingual interpreter and translator myself, I've noticed the job growth, not only in the writing and translation departments, but in the overall economy across all industries.
The demand for interpreters and translators is high, but sadly enough there are not enough qualified interpreters/translators to fill that demand. The results are ill-recorded audio or ill-written marketing ads, newsletters, slogans, emails, etc.
If you're considering becoming a bilingual or trilingual interpreter/translator it's very important to understand that being bilingual or trilingual in itself does not equate to being a qualified interpreter or translator.
You may know the basics of English, Spanish, and American Sign Language (fill in your languages), but do you know the inner workings and nuances of the languages?
Consider these two marketing campaigns that failed some years back:
Baby Food to a developing country: Is it baby food or is it baby food?
Chevy Nova to Mexico: Is it Chevy Nova or Chevy NoVa? (Chevy, 'No Go' in Spanish)
To be bilingual or trilingual means having the capability to speak and communicate in two or three languages.