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When you hire a Language Service Provider (LSP) like Avantpage, you’re trusting that qualified, professional translators will be handling your language needs. At Avantpage, our linguists are put through a rigorous testing process to ensure they will be able to meet the needs of our clients. Our translator testing process involves multiple steps, from verifying credentials all the way to a complete onboarding package. When translators apply to work with Avantpage, we collect a wide variety of information to ensure their credentials meet our standards. We begin by reviewing their resume, and any supporting documentation they’ve sent in. We require that all of our translator applicants send verification of their certifications, including any language associations with which they’re certified, any schooling they’ve completed, and any additional certifications that prove their knowledge and skill in the translation field. When we verify credentials, we also look to ensure that the translator is qualified to use Computer Assisted Translation (CAT) Tools and speak to any references they have listed. Our translator testing process includes a competency test. Our Quality Management Team has developed three different competency tests for the fields of healthcare, elections, and social services, as well as a variety of Spanish-to-English translation tests, as that is our most frequently requested language pair. These tests are aligned with ISO 17100 standards to support our quality values, and they focus on the following competencies: The completed test is sent to one or more of our current editors and proofreaders, who score the test in each one of the above competencies. The most highly competent translators are selected by our Provider Management Team, and receive an invitation to partner with Avantpage as a contracted translator. Once a translator has accepted the invitation, a full onboarding system including internal training, monitoring by our Project Management Team, and constant feedback on linguistic and non-linguistic evaluation. This translator testing process allows us, and our clients, to have full confidence in our translators as they work diligently to translate documents on-time and in-budget. If you’d like to start a new translation project with trusted and verified translators, give us a call at 530-750-2040 or request a free quote today.

Translation and localization are often paired together when you’re searching the internet for information on how to start your next translation project. While the two processes have similarities, translation and localization are two different linguistic concepts. Understanding that difference can not only benefit your next translation project, but also help you to globalize your business more effectively. To accurately determine the differences between translation and localization, we need to start by defining what each process is, and what is involved in each process. Translation is defined as the communication of meaning from one language (the source) to another language (the target). Translation refers specifically to written information. Localization is defined as the process of adapting a product or content to a specific locale or market. Translation is one of the elements of the localization process, but the process consists of several other elements as well. The major similarity between translation and localization is that they both involve the translation of a document from a source language to a target language. The two processes also involve the Translation, Editing, Proofreading (TEP) process to ensure the translation is accurate and of high-quality. This three-step process involves the original translation of your document, the editing of that translation to catch any errors, and the proofreading of the edited document to ensure that the original content is reflected in the translation and that the translation is error-free. While localization involves the process of translation, localization also involves many other processes. The ultimate goal of localization is to adapt your content so that when it is viewed by your target audience (the audience that will view it after localization), it feels as though the content was originally created in the target language and for the target culture. Beyond translation, localization also involves: Localizing your content can help you to reach new business markets and ensure that your content will be well-received in the target culture. If you’d like to learn more about localization, or you’d like to start a localization project, call us at (530) 750-2040 or request a free quote today.

If you’re new to needing translation, the entire process may seem overwhelming. There are many different documents that need to be translated, regulations to be aware of, and a wide variety of moving parts. These best practices for healthcare translation can help you maintain control of your translation projects and get you started on the right path. Before you find a qualified and professional Language Services Provider (LSP) for your healthcare translation needs, best practices for healthcare translation include asking some critical questions: You may find that there is a particular linguistic group within your area that is not yet considered a “threshold” language. Do research to see if that population is growing and if it makes sense for your organization to provide translations in that language. Some healthcare organizations may have a cultural and linguistics department that oversees and coordinates healthcare translations, but some may not. No matter your organization's internal structure, best practices for healthcare translation state that you will need to allocate an appropriate budget, and appoint a person or team of people to handle communications with your LSP. When it comes to selecting an LSP, get well-acquainted with their translation process and quality assurance procedures, as well as the costs. Make a list of questions you need the LSP to answer, such as questions about translator qualifications and testing, data safety, and appropriate turnaround times. Any serious LSP will be excited to answer your questions, partner with you, and walk you through the process of translating your documents. This is the best way to learn about translation, create a lasting partnership, and follow best practices for healthcare translation. Using bilingual employees to perform translations puts you at risk for inaccurate translations and potentially even legal action. Beyond that, having bilingual employees complete your translations takes them away from other vital projects. Hiring a professional medical translation company is one of the best practices for healthcare translation, and can help ensure accuracy and consistency. Work with your LSP to determine your process, what steps will take place each time a document is translated, and how your specific needs will be met. Establishing a clear and detailed timeline from the beginning helps both sides move through the process smoothly. You should also be sure to note any text in a document that cannot or should not be translated for legal reasons. This will ensure that, when it comes time for translation, this text remains in the original language. Finally, in your planning, ensure that you know the written language that the document needs to be translated into. There are a variety of languages that are spoken and not written, or written and not spoken, so checking to ensure that you’re requesting translation to a written language can save you time. Best practices for healthcare translation state that the best way to coordinate your translations is by involving executive-level personnel. If you involve them from the beginning of your medical translation project, you can save time and frustration in the long run. Get this person, or these people, involved in your process from the very beginning and keep them informed throughout the project. This will ensure consistency throughout all documents and make for a smoother project. Compiled manually, style guides and glossaries will increase the overall quality and consistency of your documents. A glossary contains important terms with their preferred translations, and the style guide tells translators about linguistic and stylistic preferences, such as the audience and tone of the document. The glossary includes recurrent words/phrases that need to be translated the same way to make sense in the target language. Your LSP can help you put together these documents so you’re following best practices for healthcare translation. Vital documents contain information that is critical for accessing the provider or agency services and/or benefits, some examples include letters or notices that require a response from the customer or documents that inform customers of free language assistance. Vital documents can also include applications, consent forms and letters, or other template-based correspondence. A non-standard document might contain information specific to one person, to an event, or any other evolving subject matter. Standardizing your vital documents can save you time and money as you won’t have to repeat the translation projects. Best practices for healthcare translation also include keeping your audience in mind while designing and writing your documents. If your audience reads at an elementary school level, write your documents at the same reading level and keep information as simple and clear as possible. This will also help you when it comes time to have documents translated. Documents that require certain wording for legal purposes can still be written in words everyone can understand—it may just take a little extra effort. It is important to remember that if a translation is required to be at a certain grade level, the English text should also be provided at that same level. After you’ve completed your first healthcare translation project, it will become clear how translation is more than just compliance. It’s a tool to reach new markets, keep your patients or members safe, and improve your organization’s social standing. Quality translations can be part of an investment strategy that will eventually have a major payoff. By following this process, you can ensure a successful medical translation project. If you’d like to get started with your first healthcare translation project, call us at 530-750-2040 or request a free quote today.

Everyone is a hero to somebody. Whether a big or small act, a single act or a repetitive act, an action that you’ve taken has certainly been seen as a heroic. We are all, in some way, heroes to someone/somebody else. Our employees are no different. They go above and beyond to help our clients, team members, and communities. The actions our employees take are certainly heroic in our eyes. That’s why we asked them to submit hero stories, stories in which they witnessed a team member take a step, or many steps, beyond what is expected to assist others and truly live our brand. Claudia Burdisso is a project coordinator in our Davis, CA office. One of her responsibilities is to ensure that all individual translation requests are appropriately addressed and responded to in a timely manner. Normally we work with other businesses to translate their documents, but when an individual translation request comes in, Claudia goes to great lengths to ensure that it is addressed. Here’s what our Head of People Operations, Nicole Spyt, said about Claudia and her dedication to each individual who needs a document translated.  “Claudia comes into work every day and tackles a massive amount of tasks. However, no matter what her day looks like, no matter how busy or how stressed, as soon as someone walks in with a translation need, Claudia comes to the rescue. Her passion for helping people in need is just the potion necessary to turn her into a world-class hostess, translation expert, and empathetic ally. Whenever I get to witness this exceptional caring and dedication it reminds me why we do what we do.” The clients Claudia cares for “always feel very well taken care of. In fact, they usually wind up striking up interesting conversations with Claudia, as if she is an old friend.” Nicole continued to say “it is amazing to watch Claudia go from being so focused on a massive amount of work to completely dedicating all of her attention to the person in need.” Claudia’s hero story is a true example of our brand. Her deep dedication to the end-user, the individuals who rely on our translations for the information they need, is what we resolutely stand for. Her heroic actions on a daily basis reflect the best of our company culture, our dedication, and our work. We’re grateful to have such dedicated members as Claudia on our team, members who truly exhibit the concept of Empathy Beyond Words.

There are many different options for internally reviewing the translated documents provided by your Language Service Provider (LSP). While we put our translations through a rigorous series of translation, editing, proofreading, and quality checking, many different organizations wish to put together an internal translation review team to ensure quality, accuracy, and cultural awareness. If you choose to internally review your translated documents, a qualified internal translation review team is essential and highly recommended. The difference between a qualified team and an unqualified team can mean hours saved on your translation project. Like any other job, there are particular qualifications that are important for your internal translation review team to have. In the best-case scenario, all internal reviewers would be qualified translators. The benefits of having qualified translators on your internal review team are numerous. Not only will they be able to effectively notice grammar and spelling mistakes, but they’re also trained to keep the translations as close to the original text as possible. If your organization doesn’t have the ability to create an internal review team with qualified translators, bilingual employees can be trained to provide the review that you need. If you choose to use bilingual employees for your internal review team, it’s essential to train the team on what they should be looking for in your translated documents. Your internal translation review team should be looking for consistency among commonly translated terms, and adherence to your style guide and glossary. If you want your team to review for spelling and grammar errors, ensure that they understand the intended tone of the document, the voice of your company, and the content of the original document. Bilingual employees are more likely to add preferential edits than qualified translators. This means they edit based on their word or phrase preferences, as opposed to mistakes or inaccurate translations. While preferential editing is bound to happen, it’s best to guide your team away from it. This can cause back-and-forth between your team and your LSP, preventing the completion of your translations. In addition, LSPs may apply charges for making edits that are considered to be purely preferential. Make sure to provide your internal translation review team with the same style guide and glossary you provided to your LSP, and train them on the importance of using it. They will also need both the original document and the translated text. Providing them with this documentation will help them to look for consistency within your documents, and help them to ensure that your documents contain no incorrectly translated terms. We can help guide you as to the best ways to put together your internal translation review team and work with them to make sure your documents are of the highest quality and accuracy possible. Call us at 530-750-2040 or request a free quote for more information.

Healthcare translations are an incredibly important part of ensuring the safety and satisfaction of all of your patients or members. Just to clarify, when we’re talking about translation, it refers to the conversion of written text from one language into another. The translated text reflects the content of the original text but also aligns with the culture, customs, and language of the new target audience. The linguists who translate your documents examine the context of your document and the core message you’re communicating in order to make the translated document valuable to your users. Another key component of serving your Limited English Proficient (LEP) audiences is interpretation, in which the spoken word is converted into another language in real-time. Communicating with your members or patients in the language they speak on a day-to-day basis is mandated for the healthcare sector. The laws and regulations that apply to healthcare each set out guidelines surrounding who can translate your documents, as well as what documents you need to have translated. However, there are many other reasons that translation is a service you should employ as a healthcare organization. In the United States, there are roughly 25 million Limited English Proficient (LEP) residents. They speak languages other than English and may have limited or no knowledge of the English language. Due to this, LEP residents are frequently left behind and have limited access to the services and accommodations needed to improve quality of life and health. Multiple studies have been done that show a lower level of care quality for LEP people as they seek healthcare services. The Journal for Healthcare Quality has recently published a study stating that LEP patients face more medication errors and lack of informed consent because interpreters weren’t used by staff in all cases. The American Academy of Pediatrics discovered that LEP patients are more likely to suffer from adverse events and longer hospital stays once they are admitted. There’s an easy way to reduce these negative outcomes that come from misunderstanding. By improving your language access plan, and ensuring your translation are high-quality and accurate, you can increase the safety and satisfaction of your LEP patients, clients, and members. Beyond that, the International Customer Management Institute (ICMI) reported that adding language services to a healthcare organization not only improved satisfaction with customer support but also that it increased loyalty to the organization overall. Improving, or instituting, your language access plan is only beneficial if it takes into consideration the needs of your patients, clients, and members. If documents are translated poorly, LEP patients are likely to lose confidence in your ability to treat them. Similarly, if your interpreters are not available when they need to be, LEP patients will, again, lose confidence and may even allow their healthcare concerns to take a back seat out of frustration. The key to instituting or improving your language access plan so it can be successful is to ensure the healthcare translations you provide are of the highest levels of both quality and accuracy. When provided, high-quality translations increase the social value of your organization, while also ensuring that you’re compliant with all healthcare regulations. In order to get high-quality, accurate healthcare translations, you’ll need to hire an experienced and specialized medical Language Service Provider. The translations that you receive from a professional Language Service Provider are culturally aware, industry aware, and inclusive of your audience. We can help you increase the safety and satisfaction of your LEP patients, clients, and members, as well as increase the reputation your healthcare organization holds in the community. Get started with your translation project today, give us a call at 530-750-2040 or request a free quote.

At every level of education, there is a need for translation. Regardless of the age of your students, or the role your office plays in the education process, regulations demand that education materials are translated to give meaningful access to Limited English Proficient (LEP) students and parents. Education translation projects allow for higher levels of engagement in public education, while also presenting your organization as an inclusive space where all people are welcome. Regulations surrounding education translation projects, like Title VI and Executive Order 13166, refrain from defining what documents your organization needs to translate. Rather, the relevant regulations mandate that your organization must offer meaningful access to education for all populations in your area. If you aren’t sure where to start with translating your education documents, here are some of the most common education translation projects we complete. While there is no defined list of documents that each individual school must translate, there are documents that should be accessible to any student or parent that may come in contact with your school. Those documents include: If you aren’t sure where to start with your education translation projects, ask yourself what documents are most frequently viewed by students, parents, and community members in your area. If those documents aren’t already translated and accessible to LEP populations, you should look into hiring a professional Language Service Provider to remedy the situation. Your school district is the face of public education for your immediate area. Offering translated documents can improve support of your school district while also offering access to events, initiatives, and communications that a portion of students and parents in your area may not otherwise have been aware of. These are a few of the documents that you may find beneficial to translate: Again, the most important aspect of starting education translation projects is to ask what documents the native-English-speaking parents and students in your area have access to and translate those documents first. It may also be beneficial to determine what non-English languages are spoken by your population to determine what languages you’ll need to translate these documents into. While universities and other higher education organizations may see less need for translation services, there are many benefits that can come from education translation projects. Your higher education organization can project inclusivity, recruit more international students, improve your public image, and solicit funds from international donors through the employment of translation services. Here are some documents you may consider translating: Your Department of Education is the face of education in your state, setting the tone for all districts and schools in the area. By stepping in and translating your documentation, you encourage the universities, districts, and K-12 schools in your area to do the same. Not only does this promote an image of inclusivity, it provides meaningful access to education that LEP students may not otherwise have. There are many different documents your Department of Education should consider translating: While federal regulations don’t directly state which documents your education organization needs to translate, translating the documents in these lists can positively benefit your education organization, students, parents, and community members. If you’re still unsure where to start with your education translation projects, give us a call at 530-750-2040, or request a free quote today.

Wearing creative costumes, going door-to-door for candy, exploring haunted houses—these are some of the Halloween traditions in the United States. However, the way the US celebrates Halloween is the conglomeration of how other countries celebrate Halloween in accordance with their traditions and celebrations. Modern Halloween has its roots in Irish and Scottish Halloween traditions. The origins of Halloween can be traced to the ancient Celtic festival Samhain. The Celts celebrated the new year on the first of November, signifying the end of summer and the beginning of winter. The last day of October was the day when the boundary between the living world and the dead world blurred, and ghosts could return to Earth. To this day, the Irish and Scottish people maintain this Halloween tradition by building sacred bonfires, wearing complex costumes, fortune-telling, and consuming traditional desserts. Mexico doesn’t celebrate Halloween, and instead celebrates El Día de Los Muertos or “Day of the Dead.” At midnight on Oct. 31, the souls of deceased children return from heaven and reunite with their families on Nov. 1. The souls of deceased adults return on Nov. 2 to reunite with their families as well.  Altars decorated with flowers, candles, and traditional foods are built in family homes to honor the deceased loved ones. The celebrations go from home to the graveyard, where people gather to have picnics and celebrate/connect with the loved ones that have been lost. England has only recently started celebrating Halloween with the same fervor as other countries. Their celebrations are based in pagan festivals, similarly to the Halloween traditions of Scotland and Ireland. When Halloween first started being celebrated by England, people wore costumes when venturing outside to avoid being harmed by spirits that had returned to Earth. Now, many of the Halloween traditions in England are the same as those in the United States and people engage in trick-or-treating, watching horror films, and wearing fun costumes. China’s Halloween celebrations aren’t held on Oct. 31. The most popular celebration in China is The Hungry Ghost Festival, which falls on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month—generally in the middle or end of August. This is the month when spirits, particularly restless ones, roam the Earth. The Chinese people make offerings to appease these ghosts while also paying tribute to their ancestors. Many of their celebrations involve bonfires, where they burn fake money and other offerings to the spirits so they may use them in the afterlife. Food is also left as an offering to ensure the ghosts do not go hungry in the afterlife. Halloween isn’t recognized on the calendar in Poland, but they still have Halloween traditions. While modern celebrations of Halloween are gaining traction, Poland really celebrates its traditions on the first and second days of November. These two days are national holidays: All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. The Polish people travel to where their relatives were buried and gather to pray for the loved ones they’ve lost, as well as talk about all the good things their loved ones did. Halloween traditions are as variant as the people who celebrate them, but all of these traditions borrow from one another. When cultures converge, incredible things can happen. What are your Halloween traditions? We’d love to hear about how you and your culture celebrate Halloween!

There are many times when your business will need to hire a translator. The most obvious situation is when some specific laws or regulations require translation. In this situation, a professional translator is vital to ensuring the accuracy of your translation. However, hiring a professional translator can also help you reach new audiences, grow your business and make your life easier. Here are three ways the decision to hire a translator is the right one. When you hire a professional translator from a Language Services Provider (LSP) such as Avantpage, you get more than just one person—you get an entire team of people dedicated to making your life easier. From the project manager to the account manager to the linguist to the proofer, each person on your translation team is focused on ensuring the quality of your translation at each step of the process.  Sometimes organizations try to save money by asking bilingual employees to help translate various documents. However, this decision can cost you time and money in various ways. When you hire a translator through an LSP, you can be confident that you are working with a professional who values accuracy. At Avantpage, we consider more than 40 pieces of information to ensure you get a high-quality translation that serves you and your consumers. Expanding language access to new audiences and customers can help you grow your business. For example, did you know that translation can help Limited English Proficiency (LEP) homebuyers overcome barriers to homeownership? In addition, translation of internal documents can help engage your LEP employees and boost productivity and results. If you hire a translator, you can translate the necessary documents to see business growth in multiple ways. When you hire a translator, you protect your organization’s credibility and its future. For more information about working with our high-quality translators, give us a call at 530-750-2040 or request a free quote today.

Limited English Proficiency (LEP) patient safety and satisfaction are directly correlated with the quality of your document translations. As your translation quality increases, LEP patient safety and satisfaction does as well. So, while translation services are mandated and heavily regulated for the healthcare sector,  there are benefits to healthcare translation that go far beyond compliance. About 25 million LEP individuals live in the United States. These residents speak languages other than English and may have limited or no knowledge of English. Due to this, this population experiences limited access to services that English-speaking populations can access. LEP populations continuously report lower satisfaction with the healthcare system and lower quality of care when seeking health services. Quality of care issues stem from ineffective or indirect communication and result in higher medication errors and uninformed consent, which decrease LEP patient safety and satisfaction. These issues affect LEP patients of all ages and statuses. The American Academy of Pediatrics discovered that pediatric LEP patients are more likely to suffer from adverse events and longer hospital stays once they are admitted. The key to improving LEP patient safety and satisfaction lies in translation. Improving the accessibility of your healthcare organization through meaningful translation decreases risk and increases patient satisfaction. Many of the avoidable risks of treating LEP patients are caused by miscommunication. If your patient doesn’t understand what they’re being treated for, discharge instructions, or other vital health information, treating them creates significant risk and can result in readmission in hospital settings or revisits in clinic settings. Similarly, if your patient cannot effectively communicate current health concerns, underlying health issues, medication allergies, or other vital information, the risk of adverse outcomes increases. Translation of vital healthcare documents allows your patients to understand exactly what you need to know to treat them effectively, which improves health outcomes. In improving health outcomes, patient satisfaction also improves. With fewer medical mistakes and more direct communication, LEP patients report higher levels of satisfaction with their medical care. This benefits these patients, gives your healthcare organization a better public image, and can increase the number of referrals you receive. You’ll need to hire an experienced and specialized healthcare Language Service Provider (LSP) to ensure your translations are high-quality and accurate in any language. If you want to increase LEP patient safety and satisfaction give us a call at 530-750-2040 or request a free quote today.

Parents and families of all language backgrounds can positively impact their children’s education, and this is equally true for limited English proficient (LEP) parent engagement. However, relative to English-speaking parents, LEP parents have lower rates of attendance at general school meetings, parent-teacher conferences, or school or class events and lower rates of volunteering or serving on a committee, according to the National Household Education Surveys. To promote LEP parent engagement at your school, help these families see themselves as active participants in their student's learning. When a student’s parents or guardians become involved in his or her education, the student can see important benefits. Parent engagement can improve a student's academic achievement, behavior, attendance, social skills, and mental health. For LEP parents, engagement in their children's education can provide an excellent introduction to American society and increase their awareness of other community services available to them. There are many ways parents or guardians can become engaged with their student's education, including: For LEP parents and families, parent engagement in the school process can be a new cultural concept. Attempts to foster LEP parent engagement can often be interpreted as a call for interference. Many LEP parents believe that the school has the qualifications and responsibility to educate their children, and that parent engagement can be counter-productive. As a result, it's essential to explain the benefit of parent involvement to LEP parents. One of the most critical steps to cultivating LEP parent engagement is to eliminate barriers to involvement and provide an inclusive, collaborative environment. To remove barriers to LEP parent engagement, offer bilingual community liaisons to bridge language and cultural differences. The bilingual community liaison should be a highly respected member of the parents' language community who is knowledgeable about the American school system. Another way to facilitate LEP parent engagement is to use a good translation process. When LEP parents and guardians are provided with documentation they understand and connect with, they're more likely to get involved with their student's education. By increasing LEP parent engagement, you can help students improve their academic achievement and become more motivated students. If you don't have a translation process that creates meaningful access for LEP parents and guardians, call us today at (530) 750-2040 or request a free quote. We can help you increase LEP parent engagement in your school or district.

With more than  25.1 million Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals ready to vote in elections, a key part of your election planning must be considering voting accessibility. While voting accessibility includes a wide variety of topics, the most impactful for LEP individuals is language access. Your LEP constituents need voting materials they can connect with and understand without issue. The federal government supports the needs of LEP individuals by setting regulations for translation and interpretation to support voting accessibility. These regulations apply all the way from voter registration to election day to ensure LEP individuals can engage with the democratic process. Your county needs to translate documents for specific groups based on their percentage of the population in your area, or literacy rate. Your county needs to translate documents for minority language groups that: An additional requirement is that your polling place must staff bilingual workers for the affected minority language groups. ADA populations have their own voting accessibility requirements. All counties must meet the ADA voting accessibility requirements to ensure ADA individuals have access to participate in the democratic process. To maintain compliance with ADA voting rights, your county needs to provide braille-formatted materials at the polls, including ballots and voter instructions. Audio devices that provide meaningful access to the information being read must also be available at your polling place. Finally, for ADA-covered individuals, you must be willing to provide in-person support to those that are voting, including reading ballots and voter instructions aloud. If you’re worried about the status of your county’s translations, or just want to make sure you’ve translated all of the necessary documents to remain compliant, give us a call at (530) 750-2040 or request a free quote. We can help you get and stay compliant with all federal voting accessibility requirements.