LoE advice

[vrazzles]

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Hello!

My boss at the school that I teach at for Peace Corps wrote me a letter of recommendation. It is a very strong letter of recommendation that speaks to my teaching ability, compassion, and adaptability. There is only one problem. His English, while quite good by the standards of the country where I am is by no means that of a native English speaker. He has written me a letter of recommendation in Swahili and has asked that I translate it into English.

Here are my questions:
1. Are there any ethical problems to me doing this? I plan on including a note at the end of the letter that it has been translated by me and reviewed and approved by the letter writer.
2. Should I include the original letter written in Swahili along with the English-translated version?
3. Does this leave an unsavory taste in your mouth? He is in an excellent position to evaluate me, and there is nobody who is a native English speaker and sees my day-to-day work that can evaluate me to the level that he can.

Thank you for your advice.
@LizzyM @Goro @gonnif @Catalystik

 

[vrazzles]

And just what do you intend to do with this letter? are you going to upload it? Or can your boss do so? That is one thing you cant do do directly, though I suppose you could open an interfolio account. I presume your boss can read english well? If so there is nothing wrong about you writing the letter, him reading it and signing it. I would just do it that way.

He can read English very well. He just wants to ensure that the letter is written to the expected standards and therefore is anxious about the quality of his prose. He will be uploading the letter to my Interfolio account.

The letter that he wrote in Swahili is excellent. Should I include a note that it was translated by me for transparency's sake? Should I include the original? Based on your response, I assume no. Thank you again for your advice.

 

[LizzyM]

If he can read English, you can't pull a fast one on him and translate it in a way that is misleading. I'd agree that there is no point in stating that you served as translator. If there is anyone else who could translate the letter for him, that might be another work-around.