Translation industry is constantly changing due to the increase in number of translation services that are available. Usually, translators can benefit from these changes, but time is necessary for them to adapt to the new trends. Adapting to the trends is a great way to gain knowledge of nooks and crannies of the translation industry and discover new techniques and strategies for translating.
The translation industry went from $23.5 billion to $46.5 billion in just ten years. It could be said that current trends suggest that this industry will continue to develop, since the market is slowly but surely, getting flooded with translators. However, not all of them are professionally trained experts, but laymen who think translation is a fast way to make money. All in all, some predictions are that the total market demand for translations will rise in the future.
Unfortunately, it is easy to fall into the trap of hiring cheap, unprofessional translators who are not experienced and produce low-quality translations. It is important for a translator to always keep an eye out for the new trends and developments in the industry. Translators at TheWordPoint company know this the best, since they are always informed and ready to help you with your translations. Their meticulous research and high-quality translations make them the perfect choice for your professional translations.
In the next chapter, we will discuss the top 5 translation trends that will keep growing and developing in 2019. The constant advancements of technology and digitalization shouldn’t scare translators, since job opportunities for experienced and motivated translators won’t be gone anytime soon. Some of the trends mentioned here have started in 2017 or 2018, but are still going strong and are expected to be more and more employed in the future.
Audiovisual Translation
The evolution of translation began many years ago. The first trend that we are going to talk about is translating digitalized content, or to be more precise, audiovisual content. The market demands that this type of translation is utilized more than ever. Synchronization, dubbing and subtitling are just one part of the audiovisual translation that takes place today. Synchronization is orally adapting the audiovisual content for the target audience by translating from source to target language. Dubbing is a type of audio-visual translation, when the translator is narrating the character’s lines along with him. So, you can hear both the actor’s voice and the translator’s. Last but not least, subtitling as a form of audiovisual translation represents translating spoken words into written text. These types of translations require a totally different approach and mindset, which means that the translators will have to learn new techniques and always keep up with the latest technology.
Machine Translation
The next trend that isn’t going away is of course, machine translation. More and more money is being invested into machines, however, this trend causes heated debate among translators. They still can’t agree whether machines can produce a translation that is up to standard. Even though there are some advantages, there are also major drawbacks of this type of translation. The main problem of machine translation is that the translation is often meaningless and translators have to spend a lot of time on post-editing the translated text. Obviously, machines are more productive and efficient than the professional translator, but the question arises: Does that productivity and efficiency equal high-quality? The translators will probably always have to be a part of the translation process to make sure that the translations are correct. If a machine makes a lot of grammar or stylistic mistakes and no one does the post-editing, it can make the translation seem unprofessional and like it is done by untrained translators.
The Rates
This is more of a hot issue rather than a real trend, but it is worth mentioning. Every translator has a different opinion on whether they should be paid per word or hourly. There is a pressure on translators who work for agencies to lower their rates, because the agency wants to make more profit. However, today, people have started to realize that translating is not just applying word-for-word translation and getting it over with. It requires experience, background and cultural knowledge, and even research if the text consists of many terminological words that the translator encounters for the first time. Even though their job has been made easier because of their Translation Memories and translation services that are available, it doesn’t change the fact that they spend years perfecting their craft and should be paid accordingly.
Voice Recognition Trend
This is not an entirely new approach to translating, but it may become increasingly popular in a few years. Voice recognition technology facilitates the translation process by allowing the translator to translate content quicker, especially when they don’t have to do a lot of post-editing. Furthermore, even the process of post-editing will be accelerated due to this technology. This trend is of crucial importance for people who have trouble seeing or have visual impairments. Of course, typing is a major problem for them, so this can increase their productivity and boost their confidence as translators.
Website Localization
This type of translation is important for businesses that want to grow and attract more customers from foreign countries. The main goal of every company is to expand to foreign markets and adapt its content to foreign market’s needs. That’s when professional translators come in. Translators who are well-versed in marketing and know the local culture well, will make the content suitable for the target audience. This trend is certainly growing due to the fact that most companies nowadays market their products online and encourage people to become regular customers. You don’t need a million dollar campaign to generate more profit. The one thing your company needs is a professional linguist or a translator who will turn your online content into killer website content. They will do their research and know what information should be emphasized, what colors are suitable and which layout design is the most effective.
