Improve Translation Skills Archives

My Five Do’s and Don’ts of Game Translation

I attend a small coffee group of local translators and this month’s topic of conversation was “your five do’s and don’ts of localization.” Of course I had too many, so I decided to focus on specifically game translation. Do… Read,

Japanese to English Translation Competitions 2026

2025 was…yeah… But at least 2026 looks it’s going to be better. Right? …right? Sadly the rampant generated slop is encroaching more and more on translation. It’s not only stealing people’s work (for training and in terms of jobs), it’s

How to Take Feedback in the Translation Industry

Feedback is incredibly important in the translation industry. It helps people improve their skills and increase the overall quality of their work. Giving feedback should be more common than it currently is but how you receive the feedback is just

Balancing Japanese-English Translation

I recently mused about the career path of an aspiring entertainment translator and the tendency to move from direct word-for-word translation to a creative translation before settling somewhere in the middle. Gauging this “somewhere in the middle” can be tricky

The Common Career Path of Media Translators

sakura blossoms Career Path of Media Translators

I was chatting about how to get good at game translation with an aspiring translator the other day when I noticed there is a common pattern in how successful translators approach their work throughout their careers. Beginner translators stick incredibly

How to Write Effective Translation Comments

Translation comments are incredibly useful. Not just for you, the person writing them, but also for everyone else who’s working with you. Why We Write Translation Comments Comments are your best tool to explain why you chose to translate

Top Tips for Language Students Interested in Translation

If you’re studying a language (whether that’s in school or on your own) you might be thinking about a career in translation. Whatever the language and whatever field you’re interested in, there are a few things you can do to

Best Practices for Localization Project Managers

A project manager can make or break a project, but a project is more than just the sum of its parts, it’s reliant on everyone working on the project. Great managers make a team (and therefore a project) thrive, while

Finding Your Translation Specialization

Often times, when getting into translation, you’re told to “specialize.” But what does that mean? How do you “specialize”? Does that mean you need another degree? How do you develop the skills for a specialization? Will it help you get

Everything You Need to Know About Mentoring for Translators

There is a distinct lack of education and support for aspiring entertainment translators. Most translation related degrees and university courses cater towards more lucrative fields or offer very generalized courses to appeal to as wide a variety of prospective students

Writing Tools for Translators – Book Review

Writing Tools: 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark If there’s one book all translators working with English should read, it’s Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark. Most translators are not taught how to write and

Translation is a Spectrum

Translation is a spectrum. That’s it. That’s the article. Okay, let me explain in more detail why translation is a spectrum, why translators use all parts of the spectrum within a single translation project, and why it’s important. The

The Translation Process

The translation process is fundamental to translation but it’s often overlooked when people talk about translation. Everyone assumes everyone else knows it, so doesn’t feel the need to talk about it. As a result, the vast majority of translators have

Dazzling Dialogue for Translators — Book Review

How to Write Dazzling Dialogue: The Fastest Way to Improve Any Manuscript by James Scott Bell How to Write Dazzling Dialogue is a book written for English writers looking to improve their novel/screen play/comic, etc. by improving the dialogue. But

Effective Self-Editing for Terrific Translations

Your translation is done! It’s finished! Time to send it off! BUT WAIT!!! Did you edit it? Edit? I’m a translator, not an editor, why would I need to edit my translation? Why indeed! In this article we’ll be going

Japanese – English Translation Competitions 2023

A list of translation competitions for Japanese to English translators in 2023. I’ve also posted a list of articles at the bottom which should help! Japanese – English Translation Competitions 2023 Materials Provided I’ve been keeping an eye on

Becoming a Translator—There Is No Magic Button

From talking to aspiring translators lately it feels like many want to know what the magic button is to become a translator. But, there is no magic button. There’s no one way to gain experience. There’s no one company that

What is the Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy (JVTA)?

There is a lack of comprehensive educational programs for Japanese to English translators. The vast majority of programs available are post-graduate degrees or evening classes for professionals. Which is all well and good if you already live in the city

What Skills Do I Need to be A Game Translator? (Part 2: Soft Skills)

Video game translators don’t just need to be good at translating, they need to be good at communication, empathy, curiosity, and so much more to be able to have long-term successful careers. While part 1 of What Skills Do I

What Skills Do I Need to be A Game Translator? (Part 1: Translation Skills)

From my experience, the skills every translator needs can be broken down into two categories: translation skills and soft skills. Which precise skills are ideal will vary depending on the field of translation, but this article is specifically focusing on

Translating Character Voice

Character voice is not accents or dialects. Although accents might play a part, character voice is instead imagining how a character would say something in a natural way given the greater context of the setting. What words would the character

Persistent Pitfalls in Media Translation and How to Avoid Them

A guide to navigating the jungles of media translation. How to avoid direct translation traps, handle tricky false friends, squeeze text into tight spots and more in manga, anime, and games. This is the summary of a talk I did

How to Make Entertainment Translation Entertaining!

What makes a good translation depends entirely on the type of text and medium. Technical translations should be fairly direct with wording, formatting, and style appropriate to the type of technical document. Marketing translations often involve complete transcreation, the wording

FAQ for Aspiring Japanese to English Media Translators

Happy International Translation Day! Just like any career, a career in translation can be rewarding and exhausting. You have your highs and your lows. Your days when you feel like you’ve created the best piece ever, and the days when

Maintaining Your Japanese as a Translator

I’ve been studying Japanese for a very long time. Roughly 14 years (I honestly lost count.) My decision to follow a career in linguistics and work in localization means it’s a never-ending journey of learning. But I also have a

How Do Judges Judge a Good Translation?

Every year I post a list of upcoming Japanese to English translation competitions. A lot of these competitions are really great for aspiring and experienced translators to practice their skills. But it’s often hard to know what the judges are

Can You Learn Translation from “The Routledge Course in Japanese Translation”?

The Routledge Course in Japanese Translation is based on a decade of Yoko Hasegawa’s experience teaching translation theory and practice at a University level in the US. It’s designed to be a complete guide for aspiring Japanese-English translators, but is

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