International Translation Day takes place every year on the 30th September. It’s a day to celebrate the work of translators around the world. This year’s theme is “Linguistic Diversity and Language Rights”.
This year, we sat down with an experienced Deaf Translator, Interpreter and Consultant, Radha Starr. Radha shares her experience, some top tips for those wanting to get into translation, and the importance of translation.
Please tell us a little about yourself
My name is Radha Starr and I am a Registered Sign Language Translator (RSLT) and Registered Relay Intralingual Interpreter (RSLI – RI). I am a Deaf BSL user and have been working professionally within the Deaf community since 2006 so I suppose I can call myself a bit of a veteran by now! 😄
I work across BSL translation, Deaf Relay Interpreting and BSL consultancy, including film and television projects, as well as presenting and acting. I’ve never been someone who enjoys doing the same thing every day, which is probably why I’ve ended up juggling so many different roles! It keeps every day different and interesting for me, which is exactly how I like it.
When did you first decide you wanted to become a translator?
Funnily enough, I never thought I would become a translator because I was actually very camera-shy! If you could see old videos of me, you would always see me avoiding the camera and hiding away, while my sister absolutely loved being in front of it and would always sign to the camera. Now it’s completely the other way around!
It all started when a friend of mine got a job with BBC See Hear. He wanted to impress his boss by encouraging as many people as possible to audition as new presenters. He begged me to apply and I blatantly refused! Eventually, he persuaded me by saying, “Just do it for me and I’ll buy you a drink.” So I thought, fine – I’ll do it for the drink! 😂
I’ll never forget that audition. I was absolutely shaking but the presenters were so lovely and gave me some fantastic tips that I still use today.
I was completely shocked when I actually got the job! From there, one opportunity led to another and my confidence grew. Somehow, the girl who used to hide from the camera ended up building a career working in front of one!
What is the process for becoming a BSL translator? What qualities do you need?
Becoming a professional BSL translator involves proper training and qualifications. Translation and interpreting are related, but they are different professions and require different skills.
For me, one of the most important qualities is having a very strong understanding of BSL including BSL linguistics, grammar, structure and Deaf culture. You also need good English skills so that you can fully understand the source material including its meaning, context and tone, before deciding how to express it naturally in BSL.
Translation isn’t about translating every English word into a sign. A direct translation often doesn’t work. You need to think about the meaning, context and, importantly, your audience then work out the clearest and most natural way to communicate that in BSL.
Attention to detail is also really important. You need patience, good research skills, cultural awareness and the confidence to question something when the original meaning isn’t clear.
Can you tell us what a typical day looks like?
There honestly isn’t a typical day for me and that’s exactly how I like it!
One day I could be in my home studio translating information into BSL in front of the camera. The next day I might be working as a Deaf Relay Interpreter, supporting a Deaf pregnant woman while she is giving birth. Another day I could be sitting at home surrounded by scripts, watching programmes, researching terminology and preparing for an upcoming project. Then the following day, I might be on a film or television set working as a BSL Consultant.
That’s what I love about having so many different roles. I never really know what my working week is going to look like, and I definitely wouldn’t enjoy doing the same thing every day. The variety keeps me on my toes and makes my work interesting!
What are some of your favourite projects so far?
Oh, this is a difficult one because I’ve been lucky enough to work on so many different projects over the years that I have quite a few favourites!
I particularly enjoy creative, television and media projects because they give me the opportunity to be creative with BSL and they can be very different from straightforward information translation.
One project that will always stick in my mind was translating for Arsenal FC. I remember afterwards that quite a few parents from my children’s school, who are huge Arsenal fans, came up to me saying they couldn’t believe they had suddenly seen me signing on the massive screen at Arsenal! That was quite a surreal moment – I think they were more excited about it than I was! 😂
I also once did some translation work for Cadbury World, which was another memorable one – especially because they gave me lots of free chocolate afterwards! There are definitely some unexpected perks to being a translator! 😂🍫
I’ve also been fortunate to work across different film and television projects as a BSL translator and consultant. I really enjoy being part of a production team and having discussions about BSL, translation choices, cultural accuracy and how the final signed content will work for a Deaf audience.
I also love projects that challenge me and make me think. Sometimes one concept that sounds simple in English can lead to a surprising amount of discussion and preparation before we find the most natural way to express it in BSL.
For me, the best projects are the ones where BSL is genuinely valued as a language and Deaf professionals are involved throughout the process, rather than simply being brought in at the very end.
What do you love most about the work?
I love the creativity of translation.
People sometimes think translation means taking an English sentence and replacing each word with a sign, but it is much more complex than that. English and BSL are completely different languages.
I enjoy taking something that may be very English-heavy, complicated or inaccessible and thinking, “How would a Deaf BSL user naturally understand this?”
There can be several possible translations, so you have to think about the audience, context, tone and purpose. I love that problem-solving process.
Most importantly, I love knowing that the finished translation gives Deaf BSL users direct access to information in their own language.
With the rise in AI, how do you see the future for BSL translators and translation?
It can be quite scary seeing just how incredibly quickly AI is developing, especially when you work in translation. I think AI will continue to grow and have a role in translation and technology. However, I don’t believe it can replace skilled human BSL translators.
BSL isn’t simply a collection of hand movements or signs. It has grammar, facial expressions, body language, cultural meaning, context and many subtle features that affect how something is understood.
A human translator also makes decisions based on the audience, purpose, tone and cultural context. We constantly make judgements about what feels natural in BSL rather than simply reproducing the source language.
I have seen AI-generated signing improve, but I can still often see a lack of fluency and naturalness. For me, there is currently no real substitute for a skilled human BSL translator, particularly a Deaf translator with lived linguistic and cultural knowledge.
I think AI may become another useful tool to support our work, but Deaf people and qualified BSL professionals need to be involved in its development. Accessibility shouldn’t simply mean that there is something signing on the screen – the BSL needs to be accurate, natural and understandable.
Why is BSL translation important?
For many Deaf people, BSL is their first or preferred language and English may be a second language. Providing information only in written English does not automatically make that information accessible.
Good BSL translation gives Deaf BSL users the opportunity to receive information directly in their own language rather than constantly having to work through English.
It is also about equality. Whether the information relates to health, education, public services, entertainment or something else, Deaf people should have the same opportunity to understand and engage with it as everyone else.
But simply providing BSL isn’t enough. Quality matters. The translation needs to be accurate, natural, culturally appropriate and produced by people who genuinely understand BSL and the Deaf community.
Any tips for people wanting to become BSL translators?
Don’t assume that being fluent in BSL automatically makes someone a translator. Translation is a professional skill that needs to be learned, developed and practised.
Get the proper training and qualifications, learn from experienced translators and be open to feedback. Watch other translators and think about why they have made particular translation choices rather than simply copying signs.
Also, be honest with yourself about whether you are the right person for a particular project. You don’t have to say yes to everything. If the subject is outside your knowledge or experience, or you don’t feel confident that you can translate it accurately, it is important to recognise that and either do more research, seek support or turn the project down.
Research is also a huge part of the job. If you don’t fully understand something yourself, you can’t translate it accurately for somebody else.
Most importantly, always think about your audience. Don’t become too attached to the English source. Ask yourself: “What does this actually mean, and how would we naturally express this in BSL?”
I’ve been doing this for many years and I’m still learning. I don’t think you ever reach a point where you know everything and that’s actually one of the things I love about this profession. Every project can teach you something new.
Happy International Translation Day!
If you would like to learn more about translation and how to make your content more accessible, visit our translation page and get in touch.