Poll: Do you have formal training in languages or translation?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
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Dec 7, 2025

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you have formal training in languages or translation?".

This poll was originally submitted by Vladimir Dubisskiy. View the poll results »



 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 17:55
Member (2007)
Ingiriisi to Portuguese
+ ...
Other Dec 7, 2025

I received formal training in languages (English, French, Italian and Spanish), but not in translation. Translation found me rather late in life…

 
Gregor Trebec
Gregor Trebec
Slovenia
Local time: 18:55
Ingiriisi to Slovenian
+ ...
What do you mean? Dec 7, 2025

I had English in school(s) and visit places.

[Edited at 2025-12-07 11:32 GMT]


 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 18:55
Spanish to Ingiriisi
+ ...
Yes Dec 7, 2025

I studied German, French and Russian at school and later took a BA degree in Russian and French. Translation as it is understood nowadays was not part of the course, although we did translate passages to and from these languages.

Although I work translating Spanish to English, I never studied Spanish formally except as a very basic half class in my final year at university, but acquired it after living in Spain and working in TEFL for some years.

[Edited at 2025-12-07 11:05 G
... See more
I studied German, French and Russian at school and later took a BA degree in Russian and French. Translation as it is understood nowadays was not part of the course, although we did translate passages to and from these languages.

Although I work translating Spanish to English, I never studied Spanish formally except as a very basic half class in my final year at university, but acquired it after living in Spain and working in TEFL for some years.

[Edited at 2025-12-07 11:05 GMT]
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Maria Laura Curzi
Maria Laura Curzi  Identity Verified
Argentina
Local time: 13:55
Ingiriisi to Spanish
+ ...
Yes Dec 8, 2025

Yes, I have a degree in Technical-Scientific and Literary Translation, besides the language courses I took in English (First Certificate) and Portuguese (Celpe-Bras).

I chose this degree over the Sworn Translation degree because I didn't want to go to the Faculty of Law and study the same subjects as lawyers.


 
WolfgangS
WolfgangS
France
Local time: 18:55
Ingiriisi to German
+ ...
Yes Dec 8, 2025

I grew up in a multilingual scholar environment (Scuola Europea Varese, French, German, Italian, English), after the "baccalauréat" i got a degree in translation and interpreting at the Scuola Interpreti&Traduttori in Milan.

Maria Laura Curzi
 
Daryo
Daryo
Local time: 17:55
Serbiyaan to Ingiriisi
+ ...
Do I need one? Dec 9, 2025

The best job I had was for an institution which very sensibly would take anyone with ANY university degree - as long as you can pass a practical test which has a one digit percentage pass rate.

How would you count going to École élémentaire, Lycée and University (nothing related to languages) in France? Is that a 'formal training in languages or translation'?

I suspect that in fact you had in mind university education - 'training' in UK is reserved for learning prac
... See more
The best job I had was for an institution which very sensibly would take anyone with ANY university degree - as long as you can pass a practical test which has a one digit percentage pass rate.

How would you count going to École élémentaire, Lycée and University (nothing related to languages) in France? Is that a 'formal training in languages or translation'?

I suspect that in fact you had in mind university education - 'training' in UK is reserved for learning practical skills. You would 'train' for example to be a professional driver (let's leave our old friend the plumber alone, for once).

Not sure if they qualify as training or education, but I did get two certificates definitely related to languages: the Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English and the IELTS (basically a test in academic English).
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Poll: Do you have formal training in languages or translation?






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