Translation&Interpreter courses in Germany

Hello Joanna,

thank you very much for the website, it is very helpful! I have a some questions though, because, as you said, i'm stuck for ideas and don’t know where to turn...

I've been living in Germany and learning German for the past two years, i'm not completely fluent yet, but it'll come some day. I am fluent in 4 other languages though (russian, hebrew, english and chinese) and i'm very much interested in moving to the "next level" - actually beginning to use all that knowledge - and becoming a translator (maybe even an interpreter). Unfortunately for me all the universities which provide this kind of studies are too far away from my current location (which is Kiel). I've found some schools that provide private or group classes in both translation and interpreting, I've also seen there are some intensive summer courses for that matter. The options are not many, and therefore comes my question, would you recommend choosing a course over uni degree (as an introduction to the field) and if yes, which? The schools I've found are Staatliche Fremdsprachschule in Hamburg (www.sfs-hamburg.de) (this one is from your website), City Sprachstudio in Hamburg (http://www.city-sprachstudio.de/dolmetscher-uebersetzer-mit-geprueftem-ihk-abschluss.html) and the summer intense course in Johannes Gutenberg Univerity of Mainz (http://www.isg-uni-mainz.de/). Are the certificates that are provided by Hamburg schools valid in any way for the "real" world?
I also planned to ask the very same question in some forums, but I'm stumbling across unexpected difficulties in finding such. If you do know any forums that might help me I'd be very grateful if you'd let me know...
Last but not least, is there any chance you know anything about translation from and to chinese? (I'm just trying my luck here, maybe you've heard something :) )

Thank you very much! Any advice you may have would be very much appreciated.

Best regards,
Liza

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Want advice
by: Esther

Hallo Joanna,

I am Esther from India. Searching suitable person for advice. My situation and question what I am asking different from others.

I did my masters in medicinal chemistry 10 years back. Because of some personal commitments and reasons I got a long career break which nowadays considered as big mistake. But as for me what happened is already happened.

So now I started studying again and did my b2 German Goethe exam and now preparing myself C1 level without any course. Want to use my German language with my masters degree. So can you suggest any online course related to German translator in medical field.

Now I am in India and can't move from my place. So in future I can do only online jobs. So please can you suggest me some thing . I got stuck with many thoughts and want really someone to guide me.

Thank you

by: Joanna

Dear Esther,

It’s commendable that you’re taking steps to re-enter the professional world and leveraging your German language skills alongside your academic background. Here are some suggestions to help you move forward:

If possible, aim for the Goethe C2 certification, as it is highly regarded and can open more opportunities. As you have a background in medicinal chemistry and specialisation is so important if you are to be successful as a translator, you should focus on becoming a specialized medical translator. Clinical trial documents, drug manuals, and regulatory content are all high-demand areas for translation.
I would advise you to get some qualifications in this field – look at what the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL) in the UK or the American Translators Association in the US can offer. You can also check out ProZ.com which offers specialized training for medical translators, including terminology management and certification preparation. As you are in India, perhaps look at getting online qualifications through platforms like Coursera or Udemy which may offer medical translation courses.

To market your services, I recommend starting with the translation platform ProZ, and join groups like "Medical Translators" or "German-English Translators" to network and find opportunities on LinkedIn.

Career breaks are not uncommon, and your efforts to upskill and re-enter the workforce are admirable. Focus on your strengths—your academic background and language skills—and take small, consistent steps toward your goals.

Best of luck!
Joanna

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German to English Translation

Joanna Scudamore-Trezek

I'm a German to English translator living and working in Vienna, Austria. I turn German texts into clear and accessible English, allowing clients to present their stories, ideas and information to a completely new audience. My business and marketing clients rely on me to get their message across clearly and effectively.  How can I help you today?

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