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The term translation and all it entails is familiar to most people, but transcreation isn’t as well understood. Both have their place in the professional world but are used to produce very different results. Let’s unpack the differences between translation and transcreation and take a look at when to use each language conversion method. At its most basic, translation is simply the process of rendering words from one language to another. Professional translators use their deep knowledge of their native tongue to retain the nuances, subtleties, linguistic quirks, and direct definitions of the translated material. For example, the Spanish spoken in Latin America and Spain are distinctly individual. Though similar, they each have their own unique vocabulary, grammar, and colloquialisms. Indeed, even Spanish spoken across different regions of Latin America vary enough to each require their own translation considerations. When translating materials into Spanish, it's critical to match the correct word to its regional meaning. It’s very important to establish positive communication in Latino and Hispanic communities by creating Spanish language messaging that’s on target culturally as well as linguistically. The same goes for most languages across the globe. Whether you’re translating materials for a Spanish, Chinese, Dutch, or Vietnamese audience, translated content should always match the expectations of the ethnic audience you’re trying to reach. The transcreation process is most often used by marketing professionals to build the targeted-language messaging for a concept or idea from the ground up. It takes into account not only the technical aspects of translation, but also embraces the intended audience’s cultural and societal norms. Transcreation is used to help marketers convey the meaning behind their message. It’s most effective when the pre-translated content contains idioms, puns, and jargon that doesn’t easily crossover from one language to another. Transcreation professionals help businesses identify when translated phrasing may be misunderstood or, worse, be considered offensive in the new language. One of the most unfortunately famous examples of a transcreation blunder occurred when KFC opened a slew of its restaurants in China and retained its marketing slogan, “Finger-lickin’ good.” The fast food company was chagrined to learn that the phrase actually encouraged Chinese diners to “Eat your fingers off.” For some language transition projects, simple translation may be all that’s needed. The process is ideal for the direct translation of educational, election, and insurance material, as well as technical or medical documentation. For projects where the success of a marketing or messaging campaign is heavily reliant on cultural understanding in the country where it will be used, transcreation is the way to go. Translation agencies employ transcreation professionals who possess the additional translation skills necessary to translate more than words. They also translate the emotion and intent behind them. Image: Simon Shek

The preservation of endangered languages is a mission critical task for linguistic and translation professionals around the world. Beyond the historical implications of protecting indigenous languages, it’s important to safeguard the native tongue of global cultures for individuals who currently speak the language. Let’s take at what’s involved in preserving languages and what it means for the translation industry as a whole. Human language is a fluid, ever-changing form of communication. It’s content and structure changes over time to reflect the culture of its native speakers and holds clues to its history. “Every language has poetry,” says Bob Holman, host of PBS program Language Matters. “Each [one] holds a little piece of information or a lot of information, can hold information about medicines and health, can hold information about the constellations in the sky. And that’s information that, if you lose the language, you lose that connection with that place, with that way of thinking, with tens of thousands of years of that language’s lineage.” As with any avenue of historical study, researching a language’s past can provide clues to its future. Endangered languages are particularly vulnerable, so it’s important to learn all we can from them before they go extinct. Naturally, one of the biggest benefits of the preservation of endangered languages is the impact it has on the understanding of how languages grow and develop. Since communication is a fundamental part of human interaction, the study of indigenous languages offers limitless insight into humanity itself. As languages grow closer to becoming extinct, the circle of people who speak them grows smaller. However, whether the language is as common as Italian or as rare as Pitkern, existing speakers still need access to translation resources. Efforts to preserve endangered languages help translators provide services to people in communities where their native language is not primarily spoken. Through crowdsourced or direct translation projects, speakers of endangered languages can access community resources like health care, education services, and other necessities that directly impact their quality of life. Organizations like The Enduring Voices Project and the Endangered Language Project are making great strides in language preservation. However, the continued globalization of the internet is positively impacting efforts as well. “While the dispersal of speech communities across the globe has led to the demise of some languages, technology popularized by globalization is playing an equally important role in their revitalization. Through the internet and mobile communications, people are reconnecting with fellow speakers using digital tools to revive languages on the endangered list,” writes Yale linguistics expert Mark Turin. UNESCO’s Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger lists 576 languages as critically endangered, but thousands more are threatened. It’s important for the translation industry to support measures that slow down or mitigate the loss of an important part of global cultures. Equally, businesses that provide resources to individuals with limited English proficiency must do what they can to help lessen the impact of languages that may be lost forever. Image: Retlaw Snellac Photography

Website localization is the process of translating and adapting the language of a website for foreign markets. It’s a hot topic right now in the translation industry, and with good reason.  Converting site content to a second (or third) language is clearly tied to more effective strategic marketing and higher sales. For instance, the UK-based mobile app development company Triggertrap saw 750% increase in sales after localizing its website into a second language. While search engine-powered online translation tools are handy for short passages of text, they are simply not designed for the heavy lifting needed to localize multi-page, content-filled websites. At best, the subtle nuances of your message may be lost. At worst, a bad translation job may drive visitors away from your site entirely. In some cases, poorly translated websites may even attract national attention. Translation agencies have the tools and resources to get the job done effectively and efficiently while protecting your companies image and branding. Localizing a site seems like a huge undertaking but it doesn’t need to be intimidating. Let’s take a step-by-step look at the process. It’s always a good idea to do some due diligence before committing to a localization project. Can your intended market support your product or service? Are there any laws and regulations that will impact the new market you’re entering? How will you communicate with non-English speakers in your new target market? Make sure you have plans in place to address the new opportunities and challenges a localized website may present. Here’s where you decide what language or languages you’ll focus on along with which parts of your website will be localized. It’s tempting to tackle several languages at once and apply them to every part of your site, but the reality is that’s really not necessary. It’s usually better to strategically localize only the main sections of your site in one or two languages and slowly build out from there. An added bonus? That approach is easier on your pocketbook, too. You’ll probably want to invest in a local domain name or web address specific to the language you’re targeting to give your site a local feel. Now is also a good time to get a local telephone number, mailing address, and imagery associated with the country or region you’re focusing on. In the meantime, your translation company will check your existing website for several things, including hard-coded text, third-party scripts, and plugins that may need to be removed. The team will also assess any needs unique to the project itself, such as special text direction flow. When you work with a professional translation company, it’s common to have several people working on your localization project at one time. In addition to the translation team, you’ll typically find a project manager, linguistic lead, localization engineer, and even a graphic designer to make sure all your images are consistent with the rest of your site. Of course, you’ll have a project contact of your own and may want to consider bringing in a language proofer at the end of the project to ensure the delivered product meets your expectations. Website localization can be a minefield of issues if not managed properly so human-powered methods are definitely the way to go. Fortunately, translation agencies are skilled at handling the complexities so you can focus on what you do best -- delighting your customers. If you would like to learn more about website localization, don't hesitate to contact Avantpage today: David Serra | Sr. Director of Client Services | david@avantpage.com
530.750.2040 x12 | cel 530.400.2890| fax 530.750.2024
Avantpage | Connect with Language® | www.avantpage.com

Avantpage is excited to report that in 2014 over 97% of our clients in the healthcare vertical were fully satisfied with our medical translation services, and 100% of them would recommend us to a colleague. At Avantpage, we are always committed to providing our customers with exceptional, high-quality translation services, including on-demand “Rapid Fire" translation requests, ADA Compliant PDFs, SBC and EOCs, digital media, web services and marketing materials. Our medical translation language services, coupled with our state-of-the-art translation technology, allow healthcare providers to provide documentation, signage, forms, letters, and medical instructions in numerous languages to meet the communication requirements of Limited English Proficient (LEP) clientele within a healthcare setting. Our services also ensure compliance with government regulations for healthcare entities, including SBCs, EOCs and ADA requirements. Download our “Medical Translations Best Practices” PDF now for more information! Our professional translators are fully fluent in English and their target languages, with expertise in medical, health plan, insurance and benefits terminology – critical for producing accurate, high-quality translations within the highly specialized healthcare market. Through our adoption of cutting-edge technologies, we are poised to handle a greater number of complex projects, deliver faster results and provide even better customer service to our healthcare clients. At Avantpage we look forward to forging productive, mutually beneficial partnerships with healthcare providers around the country, and can’t wait to get started on a new round of  translation programs in 2015 and beyond. Visit our website to read more about healthcare/medical translation, or call/email us directly to discuss our translation services, receive a free quote, or have any of your questions answered.

Our 2014 survey has been completed, and once again respondents have provided us with valuable feedback we use to measure, analyze and improve our performance. At Avantpage, goal #1 is to provide exceptional service at every level, to every customer, through every step of the translation process. Our customers are our greatest asset, and keeping them satisfied is our first priority. After all, without them we wouldn’t even be here! Clear, honest communication, unwavering commitment to “getting it right,” prompt attention to details, issues and concerns  –– it’s all part of our dedication to delivering quality, service and value. Once a year, we like to check in with our customers via our survey, and let them tell us where we stand. When asked about their overall level of satisfaction with Avantpage, 97% of respondents indicated they were “satisfied” with Avantpage services. When asked about quality of translation, 95% indicated they were satisfied with this attribute. Turnaround time earned a 97% satisfaction rate, and when it came to customer services, 98% of respondents indicated they were satisfied with Avantpage’s performance in this area. One of the greatest compliments we receive is when we learn that a satisfied customer has recommended us to a friend or colleague.  If a customer values us enough to recommend us to others, we must be doing something right!  This year, 100% of our respondents indicated that they would recommend Avantpage to a colleague, an increase over last year’s percentage. In the “Comments” section, we were immensely gratified at the positive feedback we received, including: In conclusion, we’d like to offer a huge thank you to all who participated!  We appreciate the time, energy and effort it took to respond. We look forward to making 2015 another stellar year for both our customers and our organization. David Serra | Sr. Director of Client Services | david@avantpage.com
530.750.2040 x12 | cel 530.400.2890| fax 530.750.2024
Avantpage | Connect with Language® | www.avantpage.com

“AvantFlow 2.0 takes our customers to the next level… allows us to work faster and more efficiently while collaborating with our clients more effectively. We are able to swiftly track, report and process larger, more complex projects, and our PMs have more quality time to spend with our clients… I am very excited to have AvantFlow 2.0 as part of our language technology ‘toolkit’ and look forward to fully utilizing this revolutionary system.” – Luis Miguel, Founder and CEO, Avantpage, Inc. The new AvantFlow 2.0, powered by state-of-the-art XTRF™ technology, is an integrated translation management system (TMS) designed to track project workflow, invoicing, customer relationship management (CRM) and quality control – all in one place. It is fully customizable, enabling Avantpage to create a unique portal based on its own business requirements and client needs. This means that Avantpage clients now enjoy “one-stop shopping” through a Web-based portal designed specifically for them. Once an Avantpage client logs on, they may create a quote request, and then proceed automatically step-by-step through the translation process, finishing with a completed project and invoice. Users may also easily upload and download files, as well as track project progress and monitor invoices – always with the assurance that their language assets are fully secure in an encrypted Cloud environment. This system frees project managers from manually creating quotes, emails or POs, ensures 100% accuracy, and allows PMs increased personal one-on-one time with clients. As a result, there is greater understanding of client needs, less repetition of tasks, and quicker completion of projects, coupled with greater translation accuracy and overall efficiency. Avantpage is committed to not only delivering language services (translation, localization, desktop publishing, linguistic asset management and more), but working hand-in-hand with clients to provide language solutions as well. Through the use of more in-depth communication, detailed needs analysis and cutting-edge translation technology, Avantpage seeks to develop long-term language solutions that allow clients to achieve, succeed and grow their businesses in any direction they choose. With the advent of AvantFlow 2.0, Avantpage is poised to deliver even greater benefits to its clients in the form of faster service, better workflow management, and fully automated processes and procedures For a free demo of the new, improved AvantFlow 2.0, call, text or email us today! Check out AvantFlow 2.0 – Avantpage’s signature translation management system – and see what it’s all about! We’ll walk you through the process, show you how to log on, access and utilize the AvantFlow portal, and reveal why we are so excited about this new technology! David Serra | Sr. Director of Client Services | david@avantpage.com
530.750.2040 x12 | cel 530.400.2890| fax 530.750.2024
Avantpage | Connect with Language® | www.avantpage.com

The need for education translation resources has never been higher, thanks to a huge jump in the percentage of public school students who are English Language Learners, and laws that make it possible for undocumented students to attend state colleges. Schools, school districts, and universities that provide education translation resources to students and parents lay the foundation for future successes. According to a study by UCLA researchers, undocumented college students report a higher than average level of anxiety when compared to other undergraduates. Nearly 37% of undocumented female students and 29% of undocumented male students say their anxiety level is at least four times higher than the general student population. The majority of stress is related to concerns about the deportation of themselves or their family members. About 56 percent of the respondents say they know someone who has been deported. The study concluded that universities should undertake a variety of initiatives to lessen the anxiety levels of students, including supplying translation services and other resources. Education translation resources decrease the anxiety of these students by allowing them to better engage with their education and feel more like they have a place in the educational environment. Unfortunately, the news isn’t much better at the elementary education level. A report revealed that many California parents lie on school surveys designed to identify young English learners in order for fear a Limited English Proficiency (LEP) label will limit their child’s learning opportunities. “Some parents don't want their children classified as English learners because they fear they won't be able to move into more advanced coursework in middle and high school due to additional language requirements. Another reason is that state data shows English learners don't perform as well on the California High School Exit Exam — though students who were initially English learners and reclassified outperformed their English-only counterparts on the test,” says The Associated Press’s Amy Taxi. Providing education translation resources to k-12 students helps to break the stigma of being an LEP student or parent. If these services are made more widely available, the anxiety surrounding the need for language services decreases. Not only does this benefit the students and their parents, but it also benefits your organization as you'll have a more accurate recording of the LEP students and parents in your area. Whether at the grade school or university level, education translation resources have the potential to improve the educational landscape for millions of students nationwide. Title III of the No Child Left Behind Act offers a great starting point for schools to explore how they can help provide translated materials to LEP and immigrant students, including how to access grants and other federal funding to help absorb associated costs. Working with a translation service is a great way for educational institutions to expand their range of educational programs and give students the best shot at a successful future. Call us at (530) 750-2040 or request a free quote to get started with your education translation project today.

We’re a little over one month into a new year, and we thought that now would be a good time to take stock of where we are now, as well as where we and the translation industry are going in 2015 and beyond. To begin with, 2014 was a year of unprecedented growth and achievement for Avantpage. With the economy on the upswing, our organization followed suit, literally doubling our client base and translating a total of 7,741,320 words in 2014. According to recent data mined from our annual customer survey, 97% of our clients indicated that they are either satisfied or very satisfied with our deliverables –– as quality and customer service remain at the forefront. The past year also saw Avantpage interacting more directly with clients under the guidance of our new Senior Director of Client Services, David Serra. “I’ve always felt that face-to-face, direct and honest communication plays a huge role in client/vendor relations,” Serra commented. “For me, taking the time to call or meet in-person is invaluable for understanding and mitigating client concerns, especially as we embrace and utilize new technologies.” Some of Serra’s initiatives for Avantpage included increasing Avantpage’s presence at conferences held throughout the year; promoting client collaboration through enhanced communication; increasing face-to-face client interaction; and providing greater understanding of our services, processes and technologies through demos, information sheets and other materials, as well as one-on-one communication with existing customers. Highlights include CEO Luis Miguel’s visit to LocWorld in Vancouver, B.C., the world’s premier event for localization professionals, where he met with vendors of new technology tools to see what new products and features are available to better serve our clients. To further connect with clients, Avantpage boosted participation in social media during 2014, establishing a presence on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, as well as our company blog. In our blog postings, we continued to keep readers informed about industry trends, organization happenings and information. 2015 marks the grand opening of Avantpage’s new Seattle offices, providing a brick-and-mortar Pacific Northwest presence and enabling us to be closer to our clients in that area. Our Seattle location places us squarely in the center of the PNW technology growth sector, enabling us to keep a finger on the pulse of innovations, trends and industry changes. Also in 2015, industry veteran Lori Ann Reinhall joins Avantpage as Quality Manager, where she will enhance recruitment efforts and oversee the quality control process. With over twenty years of experience, she will work together with Serra and Director of Client Services Vera Hooijdonk and support the project management team at large. This year, Avantpage is committed to delivering even greater value to our clients through the release of AvantFlow 2.0, allocation of more time to one-on-one personal service, and our expansion into the emerging “Cloud.” Powered by cutting-edge XTRF™ technology, the company’s signature translation management system AvantFlow 2.0 now offers clients a fully secure virtual workspace for 24/7 service with live-time project-tracking and invoicing capacity – all at no extra cost. Through these initiatives, Avantpage is moving ahead as both a translation services provider and translations solutions provider, as we take on more of a “trusted advisor” role with our clients and refine our needs-based approach to language services. According to Avantpage CEO Luis Miguel, “From manpower to technology, we now have the pieces in place to move forward in the direction I’ve always envisioned for my organization … These are exciting times, and I can’t wait to see what the future brings – both for Avantpage and for the translation industry as a whole.”

When considering the best way to tackle a translation project, it’s easy to get confused about the differences between machine translation (MT) and translation memory (TM). Both are valuable tools to get the job done, but each one comes with its own pros and cons. Let’s take a look at both methods and how they may impact your company’s translation and localization projects. Online tools like Google Translate and Bing Translator are great for quickly translating small snippets of text or to gain a general understanding of content that’s presented in an unfamiliar language. Machine translation uses a complex structure of computer algorithms to substitute closely-related words for one another. However, like a child’s game of Telephone, the longer and complex phrases become, the less effective the machine translation becomes. While rudimentary lingual conversion may have its place in a non-essential communications, it’s simply not the correct choice for translation jobs like healthcare documentation or election ballot information that requires precision, top-notch quality. Indeed, in some instances, reliance on machine translation software may jeopardize client confidentiality. Auto-translated content may even be bad for business. Machine translation is adequate for: One of the most helpful tools in a professional translator’s arsenal is translation memory. Human translators use the technology to store segments of previously translated content for future retrieval and reuse. It’s particularly useful when localizing content that includes a high level of repetition or requires several translators to work on large-scale projects together. Translation memory helps teams maintain consistency throughout documents and projects, while saving time and money by not forcing them to translate the same segments over and over. Using translation memory tools, previously translated material can also be easily saved and applied to future translation jobs as needed. Translation memory is great for: Machine translation is a good option for casual or social use, but it’s simply not up to the task of effectively managing the translation needs of today’s localization and translation projects. Its results are not sufficiently reliable for use in most business settings, from website globalization projects to the translation of important corporate or customer-facing documents. Translation memory software has a proven history of helping companies save time and money, while helping organizations build repositories of data for subsequent projects. Many businesses also enjoy quicker turnaround times without sacrificing the personal touch necessary for capturing the nuances of human language. Using a combination of translation memory and other industry tools, Avantpage was able to efficiently translate over one million words in just nine days without compromising quality or consistency. Have a look at our extensive list of client case studies to learn more about how we can assist you with your next translation project, or contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation and quote.

E-learning is a simple, economical way for people to receive online training tailored to fit their needs, right down to the languages they speak. E-learning allows companies to provide their employees with content-rich training, delivered over the Internet to their employees’ desktops, laptops or other devices. E-learning gives consumers easy access to all types of business and professional coursework, from computer and technology training to certification programs, classroom-type instruction, and online education courses in a nearly infinite variety of subjects. If you dream it, chances are you can learn it online through an e-learning course. As e-learning has risen in popularity, so has the need to produce e-learning coursework in a variety of languages. This is especially relevant to companies with a global workforce in place. Creating e-learning content in numerous languages makes sense when your workforce is multi-lingual and international.  Translating e-learning modules into a variety of languages is also smart when you are catering to clientele in various cultures. Translating e-learning materials is more than just linguistics. Audio and video must sync correctly, text must match graphic elements, supplemental coursework and materials must be accurately translated, and software for testing and assessments must perform correctly. At Avantpage, we offer e-learning translation and localization designed to present content in the languages you choose. Voice-Over Audio, Subtitles, Text Translation, Graphics – we provide a wide range of e-learning translation and localization services. Contact us today to discover more about e-learning translation and localization, and to get started with a free quote. If you like more detailed information or consultation,
please feel free to contact
David Serra,
Senior Director of Client Services tel: 530 750 2040 x12
cel: 530 400 2890

Every year, Avantpage conducts a survey designed to gather information from our clients on how we are doing and where we can improve. This year is no different. We are putting the finishing touches on our 2014 Survey, and hope to have it in our clients’ hands by the second week of December. We believe in staying connected with the folks who use and depend on our translation and linguistic services, and we also believe that customer care is a two-way street. By surveying our clientele, we gain information that helps us determine which services are utilized most, where we need to focus more time and energy, and where we can consolidate or combine our efforts to be more effective. Every survey response counts, and by taking the time to listen to our respondents, we gain the information we need to implement positive change based on client needs and wants. From adding additional services to refining our software and project management systems, the survey gives our clients a voice for change that we take very seriously. We strongly encourage all our clients to take our survey, and we will be sending out an email with the survey attached in the next week or so. The survey takes only minutes to complete online, but the information gleaned from it will allow Avantpage to concentrate on improving the client experience by delivering service of exceptional quality and value. Avantpage will post our 2014 Survey results in a subsequent blog and client email.

Parents Offer False Information on Language Surveys to Help Kids Avoid “English Learner” Classification An article written by Amy Taxin of The Associated Press and appearing in the Sacramento Bee (Parents Lie on Language Survey, 11/17/14) discussed how some parents do not always tell the truth on their children’s school language surveys. The California public school system provides a simple home language survey for parents of kindergarteners, which is intended to identify “English Learners” and give them extra assistance in learning English. The survey asks what languages are spoken at home, and many parents choose “English” even when that is not their primary home language. According to census data, almost 44 percent of California residents age 5 and older speak a language other than English. The most common language is Spanish. Parents who speak a language other than English at home do not want their children labeled as “English Learners,” because they fear that this designation will hold them back in school. They feel that their children should not be separated out from native English-speaking children, and worry that their children could miss out on learning opportunities if this occurs. Educators, on the other hand, say that failing to identify English Learners properly can violate federal laws guaranteeing access to education, and prevents the children from receiving the language assistance they need. There are no easy answers for this situation, and parents who believe strongly that their children not be labeled will continue to indicate that their children and family members speak English at home, even when they do not. Even though children of Limited English Proficiency (LEP) families can assimilate into school as English speakers, their parents and grandparents often still struggle with English and require translation into their primary language in order to read and understand education, health care and legal materials. They may also prefer to read other written documents and information in their primary language, even though they read and write some English. For more information on translation and other linguistic services, please visit www.avantpage.com. We provide translation, localization, DTP, and a host of other linguistic services to help organizations facilitate communication in all languages both locally and globally. If you like more detailed information or consultation,
please feel free to contact
David Serra,
Senior Director of Client Services tel: 530 750 2040 x12
cel: 530 400 2890