The role of the translator goes far beyond mastering the systems and structures of several languages to translate it. This professional must also understand the context of the culture of origin to create a bridge of understanding between both languages. If you want to learn more about the beauty of translation and how to become a professional Japanese translator, stay tuned because here you will find the door open to your curiosity! Let's learn everything you need to become the best Japanese translator in Canada!
But first, let's learn a little more about the origins of this beautiful and complex language. Are you ready to go back in time?
Japanese Language: History and Facts!
- Did you know that almost 130 million people speak the Japanese language? This makes it the 9th most widely spoken language on the planet! Furthermore, nearly two million non-native speakers speak Japanese as a secondary language! Be part of the team, here, you will find all the necessary tools. Keep reading!
- Japanese is considered an isolated language with almost 2000 years of history. Regarding its origins, linguists have sought to establish a genetic relationship between Japanese and other languages and linguistic families. The most widely accepted theory is that Japanese could be part of the Altaic languages family, comprising several languages spoken mainly in Central Asia, like the Turkic and the Mongolian. There is also evidence that the Japanese language has similar vocabulary, morphological and syntactic structure to Malay-Polynesians.
- Linguists divide the Japanese language evolution into five distinct periods: Proto-Japanese (8th century), the ancient ( 9th to the 11th centuries), the early medium (XII to XVI), the late medium (XVII to XVIII), and the modern Japanese (from XIX to present).
- The Japanese language did not have a written system until the import of the Chinese characters (also known as kanji) during the Kofun period (from the III to the IV century), which began to merge with the existing language, dragging vocabulary and phonology. During the Heian period (late 8th century), the Japanese developed phonetic writing systems called hiragana and katakana. And in the middle of the Samurai period (12th century), the Japanese language evolved into what is known today as modern Japanese. Modern Japanese uses three writing systems. First we have the 東 字 (Kanji), the ポ ら が な (Hiragana) and the カ タ ナ (Katakana).
- Japanese expansionism motivated society to unify it as much as possible. It was in 1900 when the imperial government standardized the 50 basic hiraganas to facilitate writing -these hiragana characters represent the primary sounds used in Japanese.
If you want to learn how to become a translator of this exotic language, you will discover everything you need to know in this article. Let's get down to business!
What qualifications do you need to be a Japanese translator?
To work as a Japanese translator in Canada, you must first focus on receiving a recognized translation diploma and at least demonstrate two years of work experience. Another recommendation is that after completing your studies and acquiring professional experience, you seek to certify yourself with the provincial or territorial regulatory bodies. Each province is represented through CTTIC, or the Canadian Translators, Terminologists, and Interpreters Council. This council is responsible for representing all provincial certification bodies in Canada, except for OTTIAQ, the Quebec Certifying Body.
The CTTIC is the one responsible for the application of uniform standards to certified professionals in Canada. Whether you want to become a Certified Translator, Terminologist, or Interpreter, the provincial regulatory bodies only grant these titles.
To be certified with provincial or territorial regulatory bodies, you must pass a national certification exam applied twice a year. With this, they can evaluate your skills in various thematic areas and general and technical terms. Candidates that become certified can practice their profession demonstrating their abilities to produce faithful and idiomatic translations that require little or no revision.
In a nutshell, to become a Japanese translator, you need:
- Get a recognized translation diploma in Canada
- Demonstrate a minimum of two years of work experience, internships, or volunteering
- Get certified through the CTTIC to get better job oportunities.
How much does a Japanese translator earn in Canada?
The average salary for translators in Canada will depend on many factors, such as the professional's years of experience, the job sector, and the workplace location. Regarding the years of experience, a translator with less than one year of professional experience can expect to earn an average salary of $41,300. A translator with 1-4 years of experience can make up to $45,200. A translator with 5-9 years of experience can earn an average of $51,000. A Senior translator with 10-19 years of experience can make up to $57,700. In their late career, employees earn an average salary of $62,900.
Regarding the best job sectors for Japanese translators in Canada, we find high-salary positions for patent translators, medical translators, and legal translators. However, the highest salaries are for translators employed in law firms or pharmaceutical companies.
And last but not least, the best Canadian locations to work as a Japanese translator in Canada are reported to be:
- Quebec: with an average salary of $74,200
- Ontario: with an average salary of $68,200
- British Columbia: with an average salary of $55,000
- Alberta: with an average salary of $44,300
If you want to become a Japanese translator and are interested in increasing your salary, it is recommended to search for better job opportunities in different companies, consider a career move, gain an advanced degree to increase your income potential, and qualify for promotions. Also, diversifying your sources of income and becoming a freelance translator or a Japanese tutor could be great alternatives.
Are Japanese translators in demand in Canada?
The labor market conditions in recent years are considered to determine if there will be a high demand for translators in Canada over 2022-2031.
New job openings for translators, terminologists, and interpreters will arise from expansion demand and replacement demand, expected to be 8100 new job openings. And 7700 new job seekers arising from school leavers, immigration, and mobility are expected to be available to fill them.
Would you like to teach Japanese lessons?
If you are looking to earn some extra money, hasn't it occurred to you to teach Japanese classes in Canada? Teach Japanese lessons with Superprof!
Superprof is one of the most recognized learning platforms to work as a private tutor and where you can find many students interested in learning and practicing Japanese through online Japanese classes or face-to-face Japanese lessons. Available in 36 countries, from Australia to Chile, in Superprof, you can find millions of students with whom you can share your passion for Japanese.
Now that you know that you have countless private students a click away from you, are you ready to start your path through Japanese tutoring? It is a piece of cake! Enter our official Superprof Canada site and click "Tutoring jobs." You can create your tutoring profile for free on the platform and set your hourly rate. You can give Japanese lessons at your home or the student's home or become an online Japanese tutor. Finding students across Canada and the world has never been more accessible.
Also, did you know that at Superprof, you can give private classes in over 1000 subjects apart from Japanese? Are you an expert in classical music? With Superprof, you can get started in Japanese translation!
Advantages of Becoming a Japanese Tutor
Language tutors are a crucial part of the learning process for students to be successful in Japanese or any language. But what benefits can you get if you are the one who decides to become a private tutor? Becoming a private Japanese tutor has many advantages, for example:
- Flexible source of work: It doesn't matter if you are currently studying or working; as a private tutor, you can set your working hours. Japanese tutoring will be a fantastic way to earn more income without overlapping with daily work or school activities.
- Increased source of income: Private Japanese tutoring is an easy way to increase your income if you have good knowledge of the Japanese language without necessarily having to obtain additional certifications.
- Gain professional experience: Whether you are interested in teaching Japanese classes for adults or children, working as a Japanese Tutor will allow you to develop essential communication, leadership, organizational and planning skills, which we are sure will help you achieve your professional objectives and to add one more experience to your CV.
- Reinforce knowledge of the Japanese language: Did you know that the best way to learn something is to teach it? Even if you are already familiar, giving Japanese tutoring to others will allow you to be in constant study and practice, strengthening your understanding and improving the language.
Welcome to the Superprof family!
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