Theodore T.

English to Samoan and Tongan Translator

One of the only professionally trained English ↔ Samoan and English ↔ Tongan translators on Upwork. I deliver publication-quality translation, editing, and writing for government agencies, NGOs, academic institutions, and organizations serving Pacific Island communities. The problem I solve: Samoan and Tongan are low-resource languages. Machine translation tools produce unreliable output riddled with errors. Most translation agencies lack qualified linguists for these pairs and outsource to unvetted subcontractors. When your document is a government policy, a health campaign, a legal filing, or a research paper, that level of risk is unacceptable. What I deliver: 🔹 Translation (English ↔ Samoan, English ↔ Tongan) — government reports, NGO materials, legal documents, academic papers, educational curricula, health communications 🔹 Scientific & academic writing and editing — research papers, grant proposals, technical reports, and academic manuscripts with subject-matter precision 🔹 Proofreading & quality assurance — for existing translations or English-language documents 🔹 Transcription & subtitling — media content, interviews, documentary footage, and public communications Why my work is different: I hold a degree in Life Sciences (Biology) and currently teach Chemistry and Biology at the secondary level. This means I don't just translate words — I understand the science behind them. When translating a WHO health advisory or a climate research report into Samoan, I grasp the underlying concepts, which eliminates the mistranslation of technical terminology that non-specialist translators routinely produce. I am a native speaker with deep cultural fluency in fa'a Samoa and Tongan communication protocols. Pacific Island languages carry cultural layers that direct word-for-word translation misses entirely — from the indirect registers required in Samoan health communication to the specialized honorific vocabulary in formal Tongan. I navigate these with precision. Track record: Top Rated on Upwork with consistent 5-star reviews since 2021. Clients return because the work is accurate, culturally appropriate, and delivered on deadline. Next step: Send me your document or project brief. I'll respond within a few hours with a clear scope, timeline, and quote — no obligation.