Interview With a Proofreader, Featuring Andrea Altare

We have our proofreader sessions where we answer questions from our proofreaders. This time around, we have invited one of our proofreaders to answer some questions about becoming a translator at MotaWord.

Andrea has been a member of our community and actively working with us since 2017. She has translated tens of thousands of words and proofread many projects, including large projects from our clients such as Iron Mountain, InSight, etc. She lives in Argentina and works as a full-time translator/proofreader on our platform. Her answer can give some insight about becoming a translator at MotaWord.

What Is Your Main Area of Expertise?

Translation and proofreading.

How Did You Get Into Translating/Proofreading?

I have a college degree in translation, first in English and then in Italian. I graduated from English studies about 25 years ago.

What Is Best About Translating on MotaWord?

The translation editor is very user friendly. Even if you are not used to working on online platforms, it is very easy to use. The directions are very clear about what you need to do or what you should not do.

MotaWord's Support is always available whenever I have a problem. Whenever I contact the MotaWord team, I’ve always received help almost instantly, which is very good when working on a translation project.

Payments are very clear and made very fast. It is something the translators should not worry about, also very important because sometimes when you work with translation agencies, you have to do a lot of procedures and paperwork to get paid. You have to submit invoices and constantly check whether the invoice is in process or in place etc. These are the things you have to invest a lot of time in. Instead, in MotaWord, you don’t have to invest a single second in that area. Because every word you translate is automatically counted on the translator dashboard. So it is very easy to check, you just go there and you see which work you have done, if it is paid, not paid, or scheduled to be paid. That is very important for translators because typically we devote our time to translating. It is very uncomfortable to spend time checking payments and invoices.

What Do You Think About Working Collaboratively on MotaWord?

In the beginning, it was different since you can see other translators translating things in a different way than you are. You basically learn from others, almost like a training. Also, the other way around, sometimes you see things are not good enough but you always have a chance to write your notes in the comment section. With this process, you provide feedback to other translators and it improves the results dramatically.

How Big of Help is Our Translation Memory to You?

Translation memory is a great tool for me and all other translators, I think. You have to be very careful about the context of the document being translated. The same exact translation memory may not fit in the context all the time. So I use them if I see them fit. As soon as I do another version of the same translation, my version appears in the translation memory. As I continue with my translation, if I have to use that word or that phrase again, I just look for it in the translation memory. I click on it and it is copied to the translation immediately.

What are Some Common Mistakes You See As a Proofreader?

They are usually about terminology (I mark it as “consistency” after I edit it). When the translators are working on projects, sometimes they don’t check the glossary list for the words they don’t know. You may see a word is translated in different ways by different translators. This affects the consistency throughout the text and puts an unnecessary burden on the proofreader. Here, glossaries help me as a proofreader.

Would You Recommend Becoming a Translator at MotaWord to Others?

Yes, I encourage becoming a translator and working to get to being promoted as a proofreader at MotaWord to others. The team is very friendly and always willing to help translators in their assignments. The editor's page is very user-friendly compared to other online platforms. You can easily understand how it works and starts working immediately.

Thank you Andrea for answering our questions and being a part of our community. For more information on becoming a translator at MotaWord, click here.

To learn more about how we can help you reach out to your audience with accurately translated messages fast and without breaking the bank, check us out at www.motaword.com, email us at info@motaword.com, or contact us through our 24/7 live chat.

About MotaWord

MotaWord is the world’s fastest professional translation platform. Through the use of cloud technologies, smart algorithms that manage projects around the clock, and over 28 thousand professional translators, MotaWord provides high-quality translations in any language 60% cheaper and 20 times faster than traditional translation agencies.