Getting started as a Japanese to English translator
What you'll learn
- How to get good clients and keep them happy
- The top web sites and translator directories to submit your profile to
- The 7 essential online dictionaries (paid and free) you need access to
- The 20 Japanese words that beginners frequently mistranslate
- Where to get Japanese glossaries and terminology databases for your Computer-Aided Translation (CAT) tool
- How to set and raise the rates you charge clients
- How to get started in the lucrative specialization of Japanese patent translation
Requirements
- Excellent writing skills in English along with an excellent command of written Japanese
Description
Japanese to English is the most lucrative language pair for translators, and demand for skilled Japanese to English translators continues to grow. In this course I teach you how to get started as a Japanese to English translator. I focus on freelance translation, but the information is also relevant to in-house translation jobs. The course covers the basics of the freelance translation industry, including getting clients, keeping project managers happy, lucrative specializations, and the future of translation as a career. In the "Resources" section, I cover the essential dictionary subscriptions, books, Computer-Aided Translation (CAT) tools, and other resources that every Japanese translator needs. I also go over specific Japanese terms and abbreviations you need to watch out for because they are frequently mistranslated by beginners.
Who this course is for:
- People with excellent writing skills in English along with an excellent command of written Japanese who want to establish a successful career as a translator from Japanese into English
Course content
- Preview08:02
- 28:38About freelance translation
- 19:41Marketing yourself to clients
- 07:06Marketing yourself to Japanese clients
- 17:17Setting your rates
- 17:54Japanese words that beginners often mistranslate
- 07:06Getting better at translating Japanese
- 08:34Keeping your project manager happy
Instructor
![John Fry](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 64 64"%3E%3C/svg%3E){kind=avatar}
- 4.5 Instructor Rating
- 44 Reviews
- 2,344 Students
- 3 Courses
I've been working full-time as a professional Japanese-English translator since 2009, specializing in technical translations. I am a member of the American Translators Association (ATA) and the Japan Association of Translators (JAT). I earned a BA in Linguistics and Computer Science from UCLA, followed by a Ph.D. in Linguistics, with a minor in Computer Science, from Stanford University.