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Unlike some other regulated freelance professions in Germany, translators and interpreters are not bound by any particular official fee schedule. A fixed scale of charges would be counter-productive as translation projects can vary greatly in terms of topic, scope and language combination. The only exception is the Law on the Remuneration of Interpreters and Translators […]

As the world’s foremost language English has some special characteristics. It is spoken as a first, second and foreign language in entirely different countries and contains therefore an enormous vocabulary. English spoken in Wales is distinct to the English spoken in California or Kenya. The differences are not only found in pronunciation but also in […]

In Germany it is customary to calculate prices for translation work with the help of standardised lines of text, so-called ‘Normzeilen’ consisting of 55 characters each including blanks. The number of characters in a source text (original text) or in a target text (translation) can be used as the basis for price calculation. In case […]

Professional qualifications acquired abroad are assessed by means of particular procedure, before they can be deemed equivalent to professions protected by German law. Such procedures take place on the Bundesland level and are therefore conducted by various authorities depending on the region. For instance, in the State of Hesse it is staatliche Schulämter (State Education […]

Translation companies with highest standards of professionalism, the industry’s ‘big players’, often on their websites refer to ISO certifications or their own quality management procedures which in most cases include the ‘two-man rule’. The phrase «we only work with native speakers» is rarely found on these renowned agencies’ websites, while it almost dominates those of […]

Certified translations are usually issued as a hardcopy and physically signed and sealed by a sworn translator. However, the qualified electronic signature has been a legally valid alternative to the “classic” certification on paper for some time now. The digital certification is becoming more and more popular. According to EU Regulation 910/2014 (eIDAS), the qualified […]

“Not words but contents are translated” – so I was told a few years ago. This remark is correct at its core, however incomplete. During the translation or interpreting process, the content of what is said is not just explained in another language. Instead, certain cultural practices which we take for granted (and themselves pose […]

As a sworn-in translator and interpreter I am often privy to sensitive information. Since I am obliged by law to treat all information confidentially, I do not disclose any written or spoken contents I gain knowledge of. Punishments extending from the German Confidentiality Act, by which I am bound, are far reaching. These include criminal […]

Health & safety training, business negotiations or a large Opel conference: as an interpreter you have to deal with all types of clients and industries. Throughout the years, I have specialised in the legal field. In case of assignments from new fields (recently I received a query from an esoteric association), it is always possible […]

Der Dolmetscher überträgt als Sprachmittler das gesprochene Wort verbal in eine andere gesprochene Sprache oder die Gebärdensprache. Dies geschieht auf unterschiedliche Art und Weise. Das Simultandolmetschen als relativ junge Disziplin ist zugleich die Aufwendigste. Hierbei sitzt der Dolmetscher in einer schallisolierten Kabine und verdolmetscht die Aussagen in der Ursprungssprache, die er über Kopfhörer empfängt, beinahe […]