Another aspect potential translation clients must be aware of is the need to have their translation performed by a native speaker of the language into which the translation is to be made. It is important not to overlook the fact that there are many bilingual persons out there but finding someone truly bilingual with the same level of linguistic proficiency in each language is a chore. This is why potential clients must be cautious when someone claims to translate perfectly from one language into another and vice versa. Typically, no-one really speaks more than one language for equal durations daily on a continuous basis; one always prevails over the other for some reason or another.

Some of the biggest signs of a translation having been completed by a non-native speaker of the target language are as follows. Let's take French by way of example. French punctuation typically appears in the format final word - space - punctuation mark, whereas English always follows the format final word - punctuation mark never with any space. This alone can be the bane of an editor's life as a 50 page document could contain such punctuation errors numerous times on each and every page!

Very often when the target language is drafted by non-native speakers it contains a structure that is so close to that of the source language structure that it makes no sense and only comparison with the source document can clarify the intended meaning. A typical example is the structure "the annual general meeting of the shareholders of the company" which is everso faithful to many a source language, including the French mentioned above. A structure that is easier on the ear and eye would be "the company shareholders' annual general meeting". Too many "of the's" in a text clog it up, look clumsy and lack both a professional and natural touch.

It is not to say that only non-native speakers commit such errors, the inexperienced or, dare it be said, less attentive to detail are equally guilty. Such examples highlight the need for care in the translation process and why many established translation companies include editing and proofreading in their fees. No matter how qualified, experienced and careful a translator is, translators are human beings who can overlook the odd out of place comma and hence the importance of paying a little a bit extra to receive a different language version of your document that reflects the professionalism and meaning of your original document in every sense without every "of" and "the" being literally transposed into the new version.

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One of the biggest challenges of translating as a profession is overcoming stereotypes. Stereotypes are no new concept and have existed for a long time and in relation to many groups and classes etc. A frequently overlooked fact arising stereotypes of the linguist's profession is that obtaining a reliable translation requires more than just knowledge or even professional working knowledge of a language on the part of the person charged with performing the task.

For general topics that come into the everyday vocabulary of many people or some less technical topics, mere ability to read, write, speak and understand the spoken language can suffice. However, even so, the translator must be capable of correctly expressing the pertinent concepts in the target language. Furthermore, they must be capable of producing the finished work with highly accurate grammar, syntax and spelling.

When the word technical is used in the sense of technical translation, great care must be taken for "technical" applies to  a multitude of sectors. For instance, competence to translate washing machine manuals is not automatic endorsement of competence to translate automotive materials or even safety data sheets. This is why it is essential at the quote seeking stage for potential clients to trust the person they will potentially be dealing with contractually by providing a copy of their all important documents so that the content can be accurately assessed.

This is so regardless of whether the quote is being sought from a translation company or an individual. Surely there can be nothing worse than reaching the contract signed stage of the process only to discover that the content isn't quite what was expected. This brings us on to the fact that alarm bells should ring when a professional from any sector contacts a business to obtain a quote for language work and is not asked to provide a copy of the documents in order to confirm a fee and delivery time. Open communication from the outset avoids costly errors, misspent money and precious time.