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Listening to today’s translators to benefit the translators of tomorrow: TOP, the survey
dedicated to translation professionals.
The project dedicated to professional translators is coming to an end. On 9 July, the survey
will close and the reports will start to be drafted. The survey for learning more about
translators and their world is available at www.translatoropinionpoll.com.
Milan, 13 June 2018 – Translators are among the key figures in the current global market, to the
extent that the University of San Diego considers them to be the professionals who will be most in
demand in the coming years. Despite this interest, they remain little-known figures. They work in the
shadows, enabling companies to cross linguistic and cultural boundaries. They use highly innovative
technologies. Moreover, their modus operandi is undergoing a revolution thanks to digital.
Created to shed light on a microcosm that deserves more attention, Translator Opinion Poll (TOP) is
the first international survey that aims to present an in-depth overview of the translation sector and
to give its key professionals a voice.
The project is the result of a partnership between the Civica Scuola Interpreti e Traduttori Altiero
Spinelli di Milano and Way2Global srl SB. The survey, available at www.translatoropinionpoll.com,
has global importance at a historic moment of genuine revolution for the language industry, which,
driven by the globalization and digitalization of cognitive work, has had to completely reinvent itself.
How are new technologies used? How are they perceived by professionals, by those who experience
them every day? As an opportunity or a threat? What impact have they had on translators’
professional lives? The survey aims to answer these and other questions because the work of
translators and interpreters is the backbone of the foreign trade market and without them many
companies would be unable to communicate, maintain business relationships and do business.
A fluid, undefined and ever-changing society has had a major impact on intellectual professions.
Some professions have received more attention however: a lot of literature has been devoted to
journalists and bloggers for example. Freelance translators have remained on the fringes of this
discussion, yet the study by the University of San Diego, referred to earlier, reminds us that in 2018
the market will demand an increasing number of new translators to cope with strong growth in this
sector, whose estimated value in 2020 exceeds 45 billion dollars
(www.linkedin.com/pulse/interpreters-translators-top-list-terms-career-mark-pisoni).
The questionnaire is divided into three macro-areas that explore the figure of the modern translator:
● The first part studies the nature of translators’ relationships with customers and the
difficulties that they encounter in this regard.
● The second part investigates the relationship between professionals and new translation
technologies including CAT tools and TMs.
● The third and last part aims to explore everything there is to know about the figure of the
translator in the social media era.
The collected data will make it possible to gain an insight into a still little-known ecosystem and will
be sent to all the professionals who respond to the survey and to the industry institutions that
support the project. Indeed, TOP is an open platform to which all public and private entities that
share its goals can contribute.
Being an integral part of the program through the promotion and dissemination of the survey will
create an asset that the whole translation world can benefit from. The opportunity to contribute to
data collection will facilitate understanding of the current state of the sector and will allow
universities and trade associations to improve their services and curriculum offer.
For translators, on the other hand, participating in the project by completing the questionnaire is a
great opportunity to stay updated about language sector news and to make their voices heard in a
world in which they are the “silent protagonists”.
The aim, in the medium-term, is to make it a regular project to study, monitor and understand the
language services field. This dream could become reality through the participation of the people who
experience this world every day.
PARTNERS
Civica Scuola Interpreti e Traduttori "Altiero Spinelli" www.fondazionemilano.eu/lingue/
The Civica Scuola Interpreti e Traduttori "Altiero Spinelli", founded by the city of Milan in 1980, has
been the applied languages department at Fondazione Milano® – Scuole Civiche di Milano since
2000. The department includes the Scuola Superiore per Mediatori Linguistici (SSML) and the Istituto
Superiore di Interpretazione, Traduzione e Relazioni Internazionali (ISIT-RI). The school is directed by
Pietro Schenone.
Way2Global srl SB www.way2global.com
is the new company created by the Trans-Edit Group to promote and optimize business
communication in every language and every market. A global presence, a unique business model
inspired by American B Corporations, a double ISO Quality Certification and pioneering technology at
the service of human talent: these are the defining characteristics of your ideal language partner.
Way2Global, beyond borders for a better world.
"Fondazione villaggio dei ragazzi - Don Salvatore D’Angelo” SSML Maddaloni
www.ssmlmaddaloni.it
The Scuola Superiore per Mediatori Linguistici (School for Language Mediators) was established in
1986 and provides training for experts specialized in interpreting and translation. S.S.M.L. is
distinguished by its focus on training outstanding language mediators to interact, in a multi-ethnic
and multicultural society, with the world of work.
ACTA l’associazione dei freelance www.actainrete.it <http://www.actainrete.it/>
Acta was founded by a group of professionals and is the first association set up in Italy to represent
independent professionals. The association aims to fill a gap in representation in the work world and
exclusively relies on voluntary contributions from its members and on its stakeholders. Over time,
ACTA has developed a targeted offer of services and concessions to meet the needs of every
freelancer.
QUOTES
Feedback 1: “I like this questionnaire because of its importance for learning about translators.”
Feedback 2: “Very clear, with short and clear questions. It deals with true, objective questions
relating to the translator’s job.”
Feedback 3: “It is magnificent to find a questionnaire which takes responsibility for ensuring the
needs of translators.”
Laura Gori, CEO Way2Global: “Faced with technological progress, we must not lose sight of the real
challenge: reaffirming the timeless primacy of the human. This is the raison d’être of TOP.”
Pietro Schenone, director Civica A. Spinelli: “Our students are the translators of tomorrow: for them
and for those who have already travelled the same path, we decided to launch TOP”
INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE
Complete the survey here: https://it.surveymonkey.com/r/TOP18
Have you already heard of TOP? Well, it’s high time you did! TOP – Translator Opinion Poll, the
survey dedicated to professional translators, is coming to an end: you ONLY have until 8th July to
contribute to this highly significant project.
Translators are among the key figures in the current global market, to the extent that the University
of San Diego considers them to be the professionals who will be most in demand in the coming years
(www.linkedin.com/pulse/interpreters-translators-top-list-terms-career-mark-pisoni). Despite this,
they remain little-known figures.
Created to shed light on a microcosm that deserves more attention, Translator Opinion Poll (TOP) is
the first international survey that aims to present an in-depth overview of the translation sector and
to give its key professionals a voice.
How are new technologies used? How are they perceived by those who experience them every day?
As an opportunity or a threat? How useful is networking? How is social media leveraged? Who are
translators’ customers and what is their relationship with them? The survey aims to answer these
and other questions because the work of translators and interpreters is the backbone of the global
market and without them many companies would be unable to do business.
Being an integral part of the program through the promotion and dissemination of the survey will
create an asset that the whole translation world can benefit from. The collected data will be shared
with all the professionals who respond to the survey and to the industry institutions that support the
project. Indeed, TOP is an open platform to which all public and private entities that share its goals
can contribute.
The aim, in the medium-term, is to make TOP a regular project to study, monitor and understand the
language services field. This dream could become reality through the participation of the people who
experience this world every day.