How to pass off as a native English speaker when writing?

Editing translations by translators who claim they're at 'native-level' but really aren't.

All translators who are native English speakers and translate/edit solely into English have experienced this. You start editing a translation that the client insists has been done by a 'native English speaker', but a few sentences in you see all of the hallmarks of a non-native English speaker who hasn't even grasped some of the basics. It's very frustrating and makes you wonder why are they even translating into English in the first place?

One of the biggest giveaways is the inconsistent use of English variants, resulting in the text drunkenly stumbling from, for example, UK English to US English and back, even in the same sentence.

👉 Here's an actual example:

'We optimised and realized the standardisation process for the organization'

❌ This is not something that your average native English speaker would write, let alone a person who is being paid to render the source text into good written English. The spelling would be consistent (and 'realise' would have been translated as 'implemented' to boot).

So the correct wording for UK English is:

'We optimised and implemented the standardisation process for the organisation.'

and US English:

"We optimized and implemented the standardization process for the organization."

👉 Here's another example:

❌ 'Our neighbor is full of vigour, glamour and splendor'

but

✔️ UK English: our neighbour is full of vigour, glamour and splendour.

✔️ US English: Our neighbor is full of vigor, glamor, and splendor.

(I wonder if you noticed the other nuanced differences in punctuation and capitalisation between these two sentences?)

So if you are wanting to write at a native English level, be consistent in the variant of English used.

And the moral of the story: if you're a truly professional translator, only translate into the language that you feel most comfortable in.

Likewise, if you're looking to have your text or content properly translated into a certain language, be sure to use experts who know the target language back-to-front and, most importantly, the culture associated with that language.

💡 When it comes to Southern Slavic languages into English, then I'm that person. If you have any queries, please feel free to contact me at info@nicknasev.com