| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: Why did you decide to become a linguist? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Why did you decide to become a linguist?".
This poll was originally submitted by Yamila Sosa. View the poll results »
| | | | | During a big volunteer translation project ... | Nov 16, 2023 |
... I fell in love with translation. And the love hasn't disappeared now I make a living out of it 
[Edited at 2023-11-16 08:20 GMT]
| | | | | Other (life decided for me) | Nov 16, 2023 |
I started studying French in the kindergarten and then in the secondary did English and some German. I was very good at languages so much so that before going to university I did hesitate between modern languages and economics, and although my degree is in economics, I have been working professionally with languages for more years than I care to admit…
| | | | Iulia Parvu 
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:16
Member (2022)
English to Romanian
+ ...
| Other (and the most important) | Nov 16, 2023 |
It chose me. Just as the wand chooses the wizard.
[Editat la 2023-11-16 08:44 GMT]
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Lieven Malaise
Belgium
Local time: 22:16
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
+ ...
I did Latin and Greek in my secondary school years, which involved a lot of translation. I was rather bad at it for the first 4 years, but one day I had some sort of 'aha-experience' and everything fell into place. From that day on I was in love with translation, so I decided to become a translator. I haven't regret it a single day since.
| | | | Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:16
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
| Purely business | Nov 16, 2023 |
As a counterbalance to those who do translation because they love it (and good for them, I say), I got into translation because it seemed like a reasonable business proposition.
On the one hand:
- Can be performed from home, anywhere in the world
- Market is global rather than local, so effectively huge
- Very low startup costs
But on the other hand:
- High level of knowledge and experience in source language required
- High level of abilit... See more As a counterbalance to those who do translation because they love it (and good for them, I say), I got into translation because it seemed like a reasonable business proposition.
On the one hand:
- Can be performed from home, anywhere in the world
- Market is global rather than local, so effectively huge
- Very low startup costs
But on the other hand:
- High level of knowledge and experience in source language required
- High level of ability in target language required
- High level of domain-specific knowledge clearly very useful
I thought that the combination of low barriers to entry with high barriers to success was interesting.
Having said that, when I started out I was not confident at all, but one learns and adapts.
Dan ▲ Collapse
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 22:16
Spanish to English
+ ...
Because I was good at it. I remember when I was at school my teacher used to say I had a flair for languages.
| | | | Baran Keki
Türkiye
Local time: 23:16
Member
English to Turkish
| Because it involved less human interaction | Nov 16, 2023 |
I was sort of expected to "get a job" after returning from the army ('mandatory military service', not that I was enlisted or volunteered, in fact I ran away from it as long as I could), and I'd somehow managed to put off doing that till I was 28 at that point.
So I applied for jobs that I found in the newspaper (the internet wasn't that big back then, or at least not in this bleeding country). There were two companies interested in securing my services, one of them was a translation agenc... See more I was sort of expected to "get a job" after returning from the army ('mandatory military service', not that I was enlisted or volunteered, in fact I ran away from it as long as I could), and I'd somehow managed to put off doing that till I was 28 at that point.
So I applied for jobs that I found in the newspaper (the internet wasn't that big back then, or at least not in this bleeding country). There were two companies interested in securing my services, one of them was a translation agency, and the other was an insurance company. I was also called to a number of job interviews from other companies, but I suppose I failed to impress them when they asked me "where do you see yourself in .... years' time?", and I hated the condescending, suit & tie wearing guys (which is ironic, if you like, as I seem to have turned into one of them, as my photo suggests, albeit with the help of photoshop). I couldn't see myself going door to door selling insurance policies. I wouldn't have lasted a week in that job. I guess the in-house translation job seemed more attractive as the location was closer to home, and it didn't involve any human interaction: just sitting in front of the computer and typing away in a room with a few other people (translators). So I ended up doing that for 10 years until I discovered this website and learned about the rates paid by foreign translation agencies, and realized that I'd been screwed over big time for nearly a decade...
I still don't like 'playing with words', and I'll never understand the people who get a kick out of that. Each to their own of course... For me it's just a job, nothing more... The only thing I enjoy about it is getting paid. And that appears to be 'in danger' if the graphs and stats posted on these forums by AI scaremongers or fanboys (I don't know which is which to be honest) are to be believed (though I couldn't make heads or tails of them, and I'm past caring).
[Edited at 2023-11-16 11:26 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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| Out of passion for languages | Nov 16, 2023 |
I am quite shocked at the answers proposed, asif this could be only a choice by default.
I have wanted to become a translator since I was 6 or 7, and many others have too!
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 22:16
French to English
I've always said that my longest love affair is with the French language. I moved to Paris on the strength of it. I always got top marks in languages without even trying, whereas I could spend hours revising science subjects and only manage to get more confused. Revising maths would just send me to sleep. So it was only natural to want to work in languages. I tried teaching English as a foreign language, like all native English speakers drifting around abroad, and that was good fun until I got b... See more I've always said that my longest love affair is with the French language. I moved to Paris on the strength of it. I always got top marks in languages without even trying, whereas I could spend hours revising science subjects and only manage to get more confused. Revising maths would just send me to sleep. So it was only natural to want to work in languages. I tried teaching English as a foreign language, like all native English speakers drifting around abroad, and that was good fun until I got burnt out after the boss realised I was patient and started giving me all the hopeless cases.
I suppose I could have said I was inspired by my French teacher, Mrs Fyfe. She only spoke to us in French, never in English. She wore long black dresses (which were only really suitable for funerals back in the 70s), and we kept a lookout but never got a glimpse of her broomstick. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Ventnai
Spain
Local time: 22:16
German to English
+ ...
| Linguist or translator? | Nov 16, 2023 |
A linguist is a person who is skilled in several languages while a translator is a person who translates.
I became a linguist as I was interested in learning about other countries from a young age.
| | | | | Like Obelix fell into the cauldron | Nov 16, 2023 |
I grew up in a multilingual environment (European School - Varese-Italy), so I suppose I was predestined to work with languages. Never regretted it.
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| Couldn’t think of anything better to do | Nov 16, 2023 |
I was always good at languages and enjoyed them, but I became a translator because I couldn’t think of anything else I could do.
I’m very good at what I do and I enjoy it for the most part, but my passion was always music. Sadly I wasn’t quite good enough to make a living from that. If I had my time again, I’d go into economics, because that’s the field I enjoy the most.
I fell in love with France then Germany then Sweden when I was young, as young people do, ... See more I was always good at languages and enjoyed them, but I became a translator because I couldn’t think of anything else I could do.
I’m very good at what I do and I enjoy it for the most part, but my passion was always music. Sadly I wasn’t quite good enough to make a living from that. If I had my time again, I’d go into economics, because that’s the field I enjoy the most.
I fell in love with France then Germany then Sweden when I was young, as young people do, but If I’m honest I haven’t much cared about other cultures for many years. I think it’s the realisation that people are actually much the same everywhere. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 22:16
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
This poll has some weird options to choose from. Does anyone choose to become a translator "because it offers better time management"? I chose it because I've always had an interest in it and a training course in it became available at a local college.
| | | | | I blame my Latin teacher ... | Nov 16, 2023 |
Similar to Lieven, I did Latin in school for 7 years and my teacher recommended I study Translation ... I found that too boring and studied Economics instead but he was right in the end.
Lieven Malaise wrote:
I did Latin and Greek in my secondary school years, which involved a lot of translation. I was rather bad at it for the first 4 years, but one day I had some sort of 'aha-experience' and everything fell into place. From that day on I was in love with translation, so I decided to become a translator. I haven't regret it a single day since.
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