| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: Have you ever worked as an 'assessor' correcting test translations? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Have you ever worked as an 'assessor' correcting test translations?".
View the poll results »
| | | | | No, I have passed on the offer... | Feb 12, 2022 |
I have been asked, but I did pass on the offer. In general, I don't like editing/reviewing/proofreading. I only do it for two agencies because I know the translator and what I can expect quality-wise: she is an excellent professional.
| | | | Agneta Pallinder 
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:15
Member (2014)
Swedish to English
+ ...
| Yes, but only once | Feb 12, 2022 |
On the one occasion I was asked it was easy to come to a conclusion - the translation was way below any acceptable standard and I was pleased to be able to save the agency from that particular source of future trouble.
But it isn't a type of work I would normally want to do.
| | | | | Doesn’t an assessor “assess” translations? | Feb 12, 2022 |
Years ago I had to assess dozens of test translations. I found it quite depressing apart from the one that was very good, which made my heart sing.
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 18:15
Spanish to English
+ ...
Not that I recall. I don't work with agencies much.
| | | | Muriel Vasconcellos (X)
United States
Local time: 09:15
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Many times, but... | Feb 12, 2022 |
I never thought to consider whether I liked doing it or not, so I voted "Other."
When I taught translation at Georgetown University for 17 years, I reviewed application tests for admission to the program every semester, corrected my students' homework twice a week, and corrected their mid-term and final exams. As an in-house employee, I corrected candidate tests for vacancies many times and even wrote the tests. I was even called on to continue this service after I started my freel... See more I never thought to consider whether I liked doing it or not, so I voted "Other."
When I taught translation at Georgetown University for 17 years, I reviewed application tests for admission to the program every semester, corrected my students' homework twice a week, and corrected their mid-term and final exams. As an in-house employee, I corrected candidate tests for vacancies many times and even wrote the tests. I was even called on to continue this service after I started my freelance career. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Baran Keki
Türkiye
Local time: 20:15
Member
English to Turkish
| In my opinion | Feb 12, 2022 |
it is wrong to ask a translator, who have a financial interest in a particular agency, to assess a newcomer's test. Such assessments should be made by independent, external parties who have never worked with that agency.
| | | | | Yes, and I don't mind | Feb 12, 2022 |
I can't say that I don't like it, but I don't enjoy it either. Just a regular job that I take occasionally.
[Відредаговано 2022-02-12 12:17 GMT]
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Muriel Vasconcellos wrote:
I never thought to consider whether I liked doing it or not, so I voted "Other."
When I taught translation at Georgetown University for 17 years, I reviewed application tests for admission to the program every semester, corrected my students' homework twice a week, and corrected their mid-term and final exams. As an in-house employee, I corrected candidate tests for vacancies many times and even wrote the tests. I was even called on to continue this service after I started my freelance career.
Exactly
| | | | | Wonder why they added the 'like' thing | Feb 12, 2022 |
Muriel Vasconcellos wrote:
I never thought to consider whether I liked doing it or not, so I voted "Other."
Never occurred to me either. I've reviewed many test translations, and the only thing I can say I like about it is that reviewing tests is easier than doing translations yourself or editing those done by others. A few people thanked me for my reviews, even for negative ones (as the HR people told me), which is nice. The 'like' factor may have to do with feelings like 'Oh, I'm so clever and that guy is so stupid,' but I guess anyone who is in a position to assess other people's work will have enough self-discipline to nip such thoughts in the bud
| | | | Tina Vonhof (X)
Canada
Local time: 10:15
Dutch to English
+ ...
| Did it and liked it | Feb 12, 2022 |
I marked students' reports when I was a teaching assistant at university, and I marked many test translations of Dutch applicants to Translators without Borders. I also marked certification exams of Dutch candidates for my Canadian translators organization but that didn't happen very often. I like editing and I enjoyed doing these things.
| | | | Edward Potter
Spain
Local time: 18:15
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Turned it down | Feb 12, 2022 |
I've been asked a couple of times to review test translations and turned it down.
I wasn't comfortable with it for at least a couple of reasons. Apart from that, it wasn't going to be very profitable anyway.
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Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 14:15
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
| Yes, not very pleasant | Feb 12, 2022 |
I do it regularly for an old client with a high demand. They need more translators regularly, so I help them out. It's not unpleasant because of the job itself, though. It's unpleasant to realize that 8 out of 10 potential translators are entirely unable to deliver quality translations. It's impressive how most colleagues prefer the literal translation than to find the correct jargon. I turn down the vast majority of the translations I review.
And, by the way, all we have to do is to check... See more I do it regularly for an old client with a high demand. They need more translators regularly, so I help them out. It's not unpleasant because of the job itself, though. It's unpleasant to realize that 8 out of 10 potential translators are entirely unable to deliver quality translations. It's impressive how most colleagues prefer the literal translation than to find the correct jargon. I turn down the vast majority of the translations I review.
And, by the way, all we have to do is to check the answers most commonly selected in the KudoZ questions. Despite the presence of several suitable and correct suggestions, many times the asker selects the most literal and incorrect one, which also usually has more agrees. And it goes by, because the client also prefers the literal translation. Darn!
[Edited at 2022-02-12 23:25 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 18:15
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Yes, and I don't mind it. It gets annoying after the tenth identical test where it's obvious that none of the test candidates have any hope of becoming a real translator.
Mario Freitas wrote:
It's not unpleasant because of the job itself, though. It's unpleasant to realize that 8 out of 10 potential translators are entirely unable to deliver quality translations.
Yes.
[Edited at 2022-02-13 10:01 GMT]
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 18:15
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
| Right or wrong | Feb 13, 2022 |
Baran Keki wrote:
it is wrong to ask a translator, who have a financial interest in a particular agency, to assess a newcomer's test. Such assessments should be made by independent, external parties who have never worked with that agency.
No, it's better for an agency to ask one of their trusted translators to do it, because otherwise the agency will have great difficulty determining whether the independent party is good enough to be an assessor to begin with.
Where would one find such an external party? The external assessor would have to be another translator, but before you can use a translator to evaluate another translator's translation, you first have to determine if that other translator is a good translator. And how would you do that, if you're only allowed to use other other translators whose levels of skill are unknown to you?
On one or two occasions it was clear to me that the person whose translation I was assessing was meant to be my replacement at that agency (but that's not a problem if I would not be available for the type of work that the agency is trying to get a new translator for). Mostly, though, the translation tests are for larger projects that I would not be involved in anyway, or alternatively they are for projects where I would be just one of the translators, and the agency is wondering if I approve of the potential colleagues.
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