Is it better to work with a translator who lives in the country of the source language or the target language?

This is a very important factor to consider for project managers in translation companies, translation departments of large companies or anyone who uses translation services in general. Why is that?

First of all, it is essential to work with a professional translator who is a native speaker of the target language and has experience and/or training in the fields they translate. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

The fact that a translator lives in the country of their native language or in the country of their foreign language will influence their language skills. How does this influence manifest itself? How can we make it work to our advantage?

1. Which translator understands better?

Except for isolated cases, we can say that translators who live in the country of the language they translate from, that is, in the country of the source language, have a deeper knowledge of that language.

Imagine that you go to Spain to learn Spanish, you fall madly in love and decide to start a family in those warm and Mediterranean lands.

You would speak with your in-laws, watch the news and read the newspaper in that foreign language. There are translators who, 10 years later, have a profound knowledge of the language that is at the same level as educated natives.

It seems obvious that translators who live in the country of the source language will encounter few expressions or texts they do not understand. But of course, there is always a price to pay.

2. Which translators express themselves better?

The same reasoning I used to explain why a translator who lives in the country of their foreign language will have a greater command of the source language also applies to translators who live "at home".

If we consider that few people have mastered the English language like Shakespeare did, we can appreciate that a translator never stops deepening their knowledge of their own native language through the practice of their profession.

By living in the country of their target language, that is, their native language, translators keep it more active and therefore find it easier to choose the best words, use the latest expressions or idioms, and, overall, express themselves better.

3. What is the best solution?

Based on what has been discussed, we can see that whether a translator lives in the country of the target or source language can offer certain advantages. How can you manage this circumstance to your benefit?

Depending on the types of text, we might think it would be better to use one translator over another. In general, if we think that the text to be translated is very difficult to understand, it would be better to use a translator who lives abroad.

However, for texts that require knowledge of the latest neologisms and where writing in high and sophisticated register is important, it would be better to use a translator who lives in the country of their native language.

From my point of view, the ideal solution involves a translation process as outlined by the ISO 17100 standard on translation services.

In the translation phase, it would be optimal to work with a translator who lives in the country of the source language, thus minimising the risk of the translator misinterpreting the source text.

The second phase, the review phase, would be carried out by a translator who lives in the country of their native language, where they could improve expression and language use if necessary.