Global Journal of Human Social Science, G: Linguistics and Education, Volume 23 Issue 8

In mentioning another challenge facing freelance translators, one of them said that sometimes, he did not get any work for more than six months and tended to forget that he had a profession. This situation of inactivity was exacerbated particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic characterised by lockdowns and company closures. In addition, freelancing is not a viable activity in several African cities where businesses and diplomatic activities are scarce. The next issue to be discussed is the prerequisites and conditions for becoming a freelance translator. c) Prerequisites and conditions As far as the prerequisites are concerned, Gouadec (2007) notes that from an administrative and legal point of view, in most counties, everybody can work as a professional translator. People come to translation from two opposing sectors, i.e. the language sector and the world of industry and technique. Those coming from the language sector are linguists, while those from the world of industry have a commercial, legal, accounting, engineering, or any other technical background. This is the background of translators in France. In West Africa, some translators have a linguistic, legal or economic background. Technical translators are very few. This is probably due to the labour market which provides few translation opportunities in the technical areas. Unlike France, which is a developed and industrialised country, west African countries do not have enough industries to provide technical translations. At Université Lumière Lyon 2 where I trained in France, for example, students specialise in medical translation because there are many chemical laboratories and medical research institutes in that country. At this stage, an issue of particular importance is the need to regulate access to the profession. Regarding this issue, the following questions were put to François, a freelance translator in Cotonou: What are some of the challenges facing freelance translators in Benin and in the West African sub-region? Answer: Lack of qualified translators and interpreters. Many people with linguistic backgrounds enter the profession with a BA and compete with us. Somebody needs to regulate access to the profession. Some translators offer very low tariffs because they want to get all the contracts everywhere. It is important for registered translators' associations (if any) to fix the tariffs. Is there a bright future for this profession in West Africa? Answer: It is not easy to predict what the future has in store for us. Translation technologies may take our jobs away. In addition, many companies and institutions employ Bilingual Executive Secretaries who perform many functions including translation. What advice do you have to give people practicing this profession in Africa as a whole? Answer: Freelance translators need professionalism and a sense of ethics. As far as professionalism is concerned, it is important to stress that in every profession there must be rules. One of the rules is the need to avoid applying very low tariffs. Another one is the need to be humble and meet the clients' expectations in terms of quality and deadline. François has raised important questions related to the need to regulate the profession by checking the credentials of translators. Can somebody who has a BA in English or French call himself a translator? This is a question an assembly like AITCO can address. The opinion of my own association, i.e. ATRAD – Association des Traducteurs Diplômés du Bénin – is that to qualify as a translator, you need to have at least a MA in Translation Studies. This is both a policy and a legal issue. On this same issue, the following is the position of the Ghana Association of Translators and Interpreters. Articles of Association Chapter One Status, Membership, and Objectives Article 2: Membership Membership of the Association shall be open to qualified Ghanaian and non-Ghanaian Translators and Interpreters. Categories of Membership Membership of the Association shall be open to the following categories of Ghanaian and non-Ghanaian Translators and Interpreters: 1. Honorary members: Shall have contributed, or have the capacity to make a meaningful contribution to the advancement of the profession; 2. Full members: Shall have at least one of the minimum qualifications listed below, plus at least three years of working experience, and be approved by the vetting committee: (a) Bachelor's degree or Diploma in Translation and/or Conference Interpreting from a recognised training institution. (b) Bachelor's degree in any Modern Language with three years' proven experience, and vetted by the Vetting Committee. 3. Associate members: Shall have a minimum qualification of a first degree in any academic discipline with any two international languages and Opportunities and Challenges Facing the Profession of Translator in Africa Volume XXIII Issue VIII Version I 104 ( ) Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2023 G © 2023 Global Journals