1. Master of Translation
Translation markets
Anthony Pym

2. Master of Translation Your questions on the market:
- How are professional freelance translators normally paid? (i.e. by word counts or by hours?)
- If I would like to translate an English book for a publisher, where could I find information as to who to contact and how?
- How is the job market for Chinese translators in Melbourne? (Is it highly competitive and hard to land a job here?)
- Can you recommend some interpretation or translation companies?

3. Master of Translation Warm-up exercise:
Groups 1 and 2: What is the price range to have a 2,000-word technical document translated from Chinese into English in Australia? (Check companies, ask for quotes, look at Proz.)
Groups 3 and 4: What is the price range to have a 2,000-word technical document translated from Chinese into English in China?
Groups 5 and 6: How much is GST for translations in Australia? Are words counted on the basis of the ST or the TT?
Group 7: How much is a conference interpreter paid per hour in Australia?

4. Master of Translation
Charging clients in Australia:

5. Master of Translation Charging clients in Australia:
“You need to register for an ABN, but a GST registration does not become necessary until your business exceeds $ per year, which in the case of a freelance business is very unlikely. Registration can be done on-line by going to the ATO (Australian Tax Office) pages.” GST is charged for clients within Australia.

6. Master of Translation
Brave New World?

7. Master of Translation Some rough numbers (2012)
Part-time: about 60 percent (shared with teaching, interpreting, editing, writing)
Freelance: about 74 percent, with much variation
Women: 70 percent or above

8. Master of Translation Some rough numbers (2012)
Estimated demand for translators and interpreters: 3,929 (full-time), 6,286 (at 60% part-time)
Members of associations: 1,082
NAATI accredited: “over 33,000”.

9. Master of Translation Look at it top-down:
- What is happening in cross-cultural communication in the world?
- How many companies have to “go global”?
- Who provides the language skills they need? .

10. Master of Translation Look at it top-down:
- US Labor Department: The employment market for translators and interpreters should increase by 42 percent between 2010 and 2020.
- Bundesagentur für Arbeit: A 9.3 percent increase in the German market from 2005 to 2011
- Service Canada (2012) “[o]ver the past few years the number of translators, terminologists and interpreters has increased significantly. Growing demand for information explains this increase.” .

11. Master of Translation
Common Sense Advisory: .

12. Master of Translation
Common Sense Advisory: .

13. Master of Translation
Common Sense Advisory: .

14. © Intercultural Studies Group

15. Master of Translation
FIT (Europe) 2010: .

16. Master of Translation
How not to win in the market: Asymmetric information
The translator knows more than the client.
The client knows more than the translator.
So they lie to each other…

17. Master of Translation How not to win in the market: Adverse selection
If quality cannot be signaled effectively
The risk of bad quality is higher
No one pays high prices
Good quality leaves the market…

18. Master of Translation
How to win in the market: Signals of status (trustworthiness)
Education qualifications
Professional qualifications
Membership of professional associations
Experience (list of clients)
Portfolio of previous work
Word-of-mouth recommendations
Professional presentation

19. Master of Translation
How to win in the market: Signals of status (trustworthiness)

20. Master of Translation
How to win in the market: Signals of status (trustworthiness)

21. Master of Translation
Signals are worth something

22. Master of Translation Degrees and training
Translation is an “unprotected title” except in Slovakia.
Employers recognize the ATA exams, IOL Diploma and Diplom-Überstetzer.
Most employers (including intergovernmental organizations) do their own testing.
The United States is exceptional in that there is little academic training to recognize.

23. Master of Translation
Associations

24. Master of Translation Fragmentation of the market
1950s-1960s: Large prestigious associations 1970s: Literary translators separate 1970s: Interpreters separate 1970s-1980s: Separate associations for sworn orlegal translators 1980s: Separate associations for regional languages 1990s: Audiovisual translators separate 2000s: Small interactive web-based groups, incorporating job markets (decreasing signaling power?)

25. Master of Translation Pierre Bourdieu and the game of capitals
Economic capital (money)
Cultural capital (knowledge and skills, or what you know)
Symbolic capital (professional/ educational qualifications or prestige)
Social capital (friends and referees, or who you know)
Happiness?
Cooperation?

26. Master of Translation Your new capital:
Technology brings complexity (cultural and symbolic capital)
With complexity, service providers sell their status (trustworthiness) rather than their effort.
That is your main relative advantage!

27. Master of Translation
The way forward?

28. Master of Translation
The way forward?

29. Master of Translation
Theoretically required for full professionalization:
An established body of systemic theory;
The acquisition of academic and professional credentials;
The process of transitioning new practitioners into the profession through mentorship, supervision and direct guidance;
A code of ethics reflecting the profession’s commitment to uphold the professional ideals and standards;
The existence of a range of salary and benefit options;
Availability and degree of participation in continuing professional development
The existence of an association of practitioners able to promote and perpetuate a shared mission.

30. Master of Translation Your mission, should you decide to accept:
Which of these measures is operational in X? Which is needed? What is the rate of pay for translations? What is needed in order to improve the translation market in the country or region?
Group 1: PR China
Group 2: Taiwan
Group 3: UK
Group 4: Malaysia or Singapore
Group 5: Australia
Group 6: Canada
Group 7: US