In the language services industry, both in agencies as well as for freelancers, one of the more obvious challenges is standing out from the crowd. Currently, there is a huge choice of translators and interpreters: professionals with translation education and experience, experts in other disciplines with knowledge and experience in translation, profiles that acquire translation experience with each assignment, etc. In addition, we must also take into account people who offer professional language services but who lack training and experience (here we recommend reading one of our articles about scammers). So, how can we stand out from the crowd? While it is true that offering a wide range of services opens many doors for the translator or agency to access potential clients, it is ultimately the guarantee of quality that is truly valued and “creates” loyalty, in addition to building a good reputation. Having tools that guarantee that the translation received by the client has undergone a rigorous control system designed to detect and correct possible errors associated with the different tasks (management, translation, review, etc.) brings added value. This is why it has become a requirement and a primary goal for all those working in the sector.
In order to guarantee a certain level of quality, it is common for agencies and freelance professionals to develop a series of strategies that encompass the entire translation process, from the time the project is received until its delivery and, normally, even after (you can find more information in our previous blog entries). Additionally, a very useful resource is to obtain a specific certification. Receiving acknowledgement from an official organisation regarding the quality of our work is strong evidence of the validity of our services. In fact, there are several certifications for the translation sector that we discuss in this article.
However, these standards are applied generally and, usually, to agencies since they require the involvement of several professionals in the processes. Nevertheless, last year the International Organization for Standardization published a specific standard for legal translation: ISO 20771.
The field of legal document translation is highly sensitive. This is due to the fact that the most common documents include contracts, agreements, powers of attorney, court rulings, registration documents, birth certificates, marriage certificates, etc. Similarly, many of these documents acquire official validity within many institutions (government bodies, courts, etc.), meaning that any error can not only compromise the validity and action for which they were intended, but filing translations that do not meet the quality requirements (accuracy, grammatical correctness, consistency, etc.) can entail a number of economic losses. As a result, it is very important to know whether a legal translator (who is familiar with the terminology and the content of legal texts and specialises in their translation) or a sworn [legal] [jurídico] translator (who additionally holds certification and authorisation from the State and who signs their translations) is required.
As such, the aim of ISO 20771 is to define the skills that a sworn [legal] translator[jurado] should have in order to accredit the quality of the services they provide.
On the one hand, it must be taken into account that this standard is subject to a number of restrictions. It is not applicable if automatic translation has been used (with or without post-editing), although an automatic translation tool can be used for consultation. In addition, this standard excludes interpreting services, the context of which is completely different and for which different and additional requirements are needed. Lastly, it is important to understand that this standard is applied to individuals, that is, to the professional and their qualifications. This means that agencies cannot be awarded this certification since their processes are regulated by standards that require the participation of more than one professional (manager, translator, reviewer, editor, etc.), although they can work with and recommend individual translators who do have this accreditation.
The text of this standard refers to many concepts inherent to this service, but it essentially states that translators must have the following proficiencies: translation proficiency, textual and language proficiency in the working language pairs, specialised proficiency in the legal field, proficiency in document research and processing, cultural proficiency in the legal field and technical competency.
Likewise, the translator must also meet at least one of the following requirements:
- A recognised degree in translation studies, linguistics or equivalent that includes studies related to translation from a higher education institution and a postgraduate in law or another related field from a higher education institution, as well as three years of full-time professional experience dedicated to the translation of legal texts.
- A recognised degree in law or another related field from a higher education institution, as well as three years of full-time professional experience dedicated to the translation of legal texts.
- A recognised degree in translation studies from a higher education institution, as well as five years of full-time professional experience dedicated to the translation of legal texts.
- Any degree from a higher education institution and professional certification as a sworn translator in the legal field issued by a recognised professional body, as well as three years of full-time professional experience dedicated to the translation of legal texts.
- A professional certification as a sworn translator in the legal field in accordance with the standard and the requirements of the corresponding country.
Additionally, ISO 20771 states that translators must dedicate at least 5% of their time to continuing their training and invest in professional development, as well as sharing their knowledge of this sector. It also provides a series of indications in order to do this.
Ultimately, translation services in the legal field are especially sensitive and, therefore, we must work with highly qualified professionals. . To that end, many organisations prepare certification standards and, specifically, ISO 20771 can be of great interest for both translators and potential clients in order to ensure that the work falls into the best hands.
Ref. de la imagen: https://netwire.global/traduccion-de-documentos-cuales-son-los-documentos-mas-traducidos-por-las-empresas/?lang=es
