Globalization and the Internet, which erase borders for businesses, make linguists invaluable assets to any enterprise that wants to go international. Therefore, a person with a specialization in language skills has lots of opportunities for making money today. Mastering one or several languages will not only allow you to make a living in the modern world but also enables you to do this as a freelancer.
1-Cultural Consultant
This profession is a mix of being a translator, interpreter, and historian. These experts are mostly employed by international businesses or organizations that are expanding to new countries and require a professional to ensure their integration into a new market goes smoothly. Depending on the situation, you might need to translate documents/manuals/contracts or act as an interpreter at business meetings.
You might also need to provide lectures on cultural specifics of the target country, aiming to prevent conflicts caused by cultural differences. Erin Meyer (Professor at INSEAD) in her book The Culture Map emphasizes that these matters are extremely important for business leaders of today and that embracing these differences can help them improve the operation as a whole. It would be your job as a culture & language expert to help your company grow from studying these differences.
2. Create language resources
There’s a real demand for language learning resources, from text books and quizzes to stories and podcasts.
André Klein doesn’t call himself a language teacher – he’s a coder, blogger and linguaphile – yet he’s cutting a rep for himself as a top-rated Amazon author thanks to a series of dual-language books.
The format is simple but effective: short stories using basic words and sentences, with an English translation alongside.
You can also translate quiz sheets, grammar notes, vocab lists, audio lessons and anything else you fancy.
3. Written translation
There’s a growing legion of DIY authors and publishers out there, and that means a growing demand for translated editions. Even better, it means someone else has already done most of the hard work…
From writing assembly instructions and ads for foreign markets, to managing a Facebook page on the other side of the world – there’s tons of scope for translation with UK business and corporate clients.
If you’ve lived abroad, you could also hook into cultural awareness projects:
Closer to home, there are many businesses who want tourist-friendly translations, or councils who need to communicate with speakers of other languages.
If you prefer your networking at arm’s length, a home-working site can bring the clients to you instead.
