Translators can possess different skill levels, but how can these levels be assessed?

A few weeks back, we posted a piece on foreign language levels, focusing on the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale that is often used in government and academic settings.

The ILR has also set definitions for language translation skills. Although they are not associated with any particular test, they do clarify how to distinguish between a translator with limited skills, a functional translator, and a highly-skilled professional.

The scale specifies 10 different levels, from 0+ to 5.

A “0+” rating always amuses me – isn’t that an oxymoron? At any rate, 0+ is considered to represent “minimal performance” – whatever that might be in a language translation situation.

Interestingly, the ILR language translation skills scale differentiates 5 different translation levels that can still be considered “professional”: levels 3, 3+, 4, 4+ and 5.

According to the scale’s definitions, a level 3 translator “can translate texts that contain not only facts but also abstract language, showing an emerging ability to capture their intended implications and many nuances” and utilizes “word choice and expression [which] generally adhere to target language norms and rarely obscure meaning. However, at this level of translation, the translator’s work would result in a draft and would need to be “subject to quality control.”

On the other hand, for a level 5 translator “expression is flawless. At this level, the translator consistently excels in a number of specialties, and is generally regarded as one of the arbiters of translating very high level language by persons competent in dealing with such material.”

According to the ILR’s explanations, even a level 5 translator may need “quality control” – proving the importance of quality assurance in language translation services.

Betty Carlson

See Also

• Language Translation, Inc.
  A leading language translation and interpretation service provider for more than 20 years.