10. Use teachers and academics at your own risk

Neither teachers nor academics are translators.

Teaching a foreign language is a demanding activity that requires a special set of skills and academic degrees. But the ability to teach a foreign language does not qualify one as a translator.

Translating between languages to produce a faithful, smooth, stylish result requires its own, separate set of skills and credentials. In addition to language proficiency, a good translator has these specific skills:

• solid knowledge of the subject matter, preferably a degree in that field;
• near-perfect understanding of the subtleties and nuances of meaning in one language, culture and context in order to convey the same meaning in a different language, culture and context;
• access to and proficiency with technological and material translation tools;
• experience, allowing the translator to selectively draw from accumulated information and resources that help produce the most accurate results in the shortest amount of time;
• meticulous attention to detail.

If you need a translation that projects a professional image for you or your business, seek out a translator, not a language teacher.