Speaker 1: Hi, welcome to the unit Personal Skills Certification. It is common knowledge that becoming a successful translator requires more than speaking two or more languages. But what does it take to be a translator or a professional in the language industry? In the introduction to this unit we shall see the basic concepts and definitions of terms, including what the translator's competencies and skills are, how an aspiring professional can acquire training, and what certification is and why it is needed. In the language industry, rapid advances in technology have an increasing impact on language services. Despite these advances, knowledge, skills and specific competencies are still the key factors in delivering quality language services. Let's see these key concepts. According to the European Qualifications Framework, skill means the ability to apply knowledge and use know-how to complete tasks and solve problems. Competence means the proven ability to use knowledge, skills and personal, social or methodological abilities in work or study situations in professional and personal development. And finally, knowledge, which means the outcome of the assimilation of information through learning. Knowledge is the body of facts, principles, theories and practices that is related to a field of work or study. On the other hand, according to the European Project TransCert, certification refers to third-party attestation or validation that a product, process or individual meets standard requirements. The underlying motivation for certification is to increase the quality and or trust in products, organizations and persons. Certification relies on predetermined and standardized criteria. In certain situations, translators and language professionals need to prove their acquisition of competencies. There are different categorizations, for example the one proposed by the European Masters of Translation. As per this framework, competencies are related to first, language and culture. This category involves transcultural and sociolinguistic awareness and communicative skills. Secondly, competencies relating to translation, which include strategic, methodological and thematic competence. The third category has to do with technology, in other words the ability to use tools and applications. An important category involves personal and interpersonal competencies, also known as generic or soft skills. Last but not least, we have service provision, which involves implementation of language services in a professional context. Another important categorization is defined by the ISO 70100 standard and it includes translation competence, linguistic and textual competence in the source and target language, competence in research, information acquisition, processing, cultural competence, technical competence and domain competence. But are these competencies always need to be approved? According to a survey, about 40% of those entering the profession have done so after having a previous career in another field, while 44% became translators immediately after graduating in translation and interpreting studies. Except for specific job positions and certain types of translation, like sworn translation, anybody can work as a freelance translator. However, even though it is possible, it does not mean that translation-specific training or certification is not needed. Many successful professional translators do not have qualification in translation. Some have degrees in languages or linguistics, but others have completely unrelated degrees, like law or engineering, making them their field of specialization in the language industries. But how do they compete with the fully qualified? They use their experience. Not having a translation qualification does not mean one can become a translator, but it will most likely help. One of the areas where evidence of the acquisition of the competencies we mentioned before is working for language service providers, who operate under the International Standard ICO 17100. The language service provider shall determine the translator's qualification to provide a service conforming to the International Standard, by obtaining documented evidence that the translator fulfills at least one of the following criteria. Has obtained a degree in translation, linguistic or language studies, or an equivalent degree that includes significant translation training from a recognized institution of higher education. Has obtained a degree in another field from a recognized institution of higher education and has the equivalent of two years of full-time professional experience in translating. And finally, has the equivalent of five years of full-time professional experience in translating. There are different ways of getting formal training, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, courses by private or public institutions. Another way is to become certified with a translation association. For example, for professional collaborating with companies in the US, it may be useful to become ATA certified, a highly regarded credential which can boost their authority and improve their chances of finding high-quality translation work in the US and other countries. Certification and association vary from country to country, so in order to see what certification exists, some research is needed so that you can find the best match. If you haven't done already, you can read more about association in the unit. Finally, in this unit, we will discuss different types of certification and in which cases it is required, such as certified translation, sworn translation, notaries, etc. I hope you enjoy this unit, you can complete this introduction with the materials available in the platform. See you in the next video.