Art & stories
What does a
translator do?
Turns writing or speech from one language into another.
A career guide for curious students · Grades 3–12
A day in the life
Reads carefully, finds the right meaning, rewrites in another language, and checks for accuracy.
Skills to practise
Strong languages, accuracy, culture knowledge.
How to explore this path
A language or translation degree, or proven fluency.
Training, qualifications and professional rules vary by country. Check current local requirements with a teacher or careers counsellor.
School subjects & interests
Translator connects with Languages. You may enjoy this work if you like with computers.
TRY A LITTLE OF THIS CAREER
A hands-on activity
Translate a short sentence into another language and ask someone to check.
Ask an adult to help. Follow the safety notes in the activity. Print this activity or save it as a PDF in your chosen language. Downloadable PDF files are in English.
For younger explorers: a simpler explanation
What do they do?
Translators help people understand each other in different languages.
What helps?
Knowing languages well.
Learning about the path
You study languages and practise.
Questions to explore next
- Which part of this work sounds most interesting to me?
- What did I enjoy when I tried the activity?
- What could I ask someone who works in this field?