Future-proofing the profession:
Equipping the next generation of translators
Follow-up survey: results
What is the survey for?
• A ‘snapshot’ of the industry as a whole
• How well equipped are translators for the
future?
• What should we/they be focusing on?
Chartered Institute of Linguists
How did we carry out the survey?
Methodology:
• Open to all those working in and around
the translation profession
• Closed questions asking for ratings:
quantitative data
Chartered Institute of Linguists
About the 380 respondents
Other
3%
Experience in role
85
86
67
0-3
years
4-8
years
9-14
years
73
Translation company
professional
Student
4%
4%
Academic
10%
InIn -house
5%
65
15-21
years
22+
years
Freelance
translator
74%
Job types
In general, how well equipped for the
future do you feel translators are?
250
200
150
100
50
0
Not at all
equipped
Not very
equipped
Fairly well
equipped
Well equipped
Very well
equipped
Most ill-equipped areas overall?
Business skills
149
Interpersonal skills
78
Subject (domain) knowledge
12
73
Technological skills
8
66
Research skills
1
44
Intercultural skills
38
Translation skills
24
0
24
4
5
2
20
40
60
80
Not very equipped
100
120
140
160
180
Not at all equipped
200
In which other areas are translators generally illequipped? (selected comments from respondents)
• Self-discipline
• Health and wellbeing
• Realistic concept of earnings
potential
• Web-savvy and social media
• Intergenerational transmission of skills
Chartered Institute of Linguists
How important are the following for
(newly-qualified) translators?
250
200
Mentoring schemes
Internships
150
Subject specialisation
100
50
0
Not at all Not very
Fairly
Very
Important
important important important
important
To what extent should
Continuing Professional Development
(CPD)
for translator members of a
professional body
be required/encouraged?
…
CPD should be?
• compulsory
all member CPD records should be regularly audited
• compulsory
some member CPD records should be
regularly audited by random selection
• promoted
members should be encouraged to
see CPD as a professional obligation
• voluntary
members should decide for themselves
whether they engage in CPD or not
How important to you are the following types of organisation
in providing CPD opportunities for translators?
Academic institutions
Professional bodies for translators
Other professional bodies
Employers
Clients
Commercial training organisations
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Important
Very important