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All U.S. states have a primary election this summer or fall before the November general election, which is why now is the time to start thinking about translation requirements! Local laws determine when county elections offices must print and distribute their voter materials. For many counties, these materials need to be ready a few weeks before Election Day, for both primary and general elections.  This includes facsimile ballots, voter information guides, candidate statements, and all other written materials that provide eligible residents with the information necessary for casting their vote. As you prepare to address these translation needs, here are four questions to ask yourself and your organization: As the population of immigrants who meet the legal voting age grows, the need for election materials in languages other than English increases. China and India are now the top sources of new immigrants, according to migrationpolicy.org. These two countries have replaced Mexico, which held the top slot for decades. California translates its election documents into nine languages, including Chinese. Alaska now has a growing Tagalog-speaking Filipino population, which demands translation services beyond native language requirements. Meanwhile, several Texas counties have significant Vietnamese populations, and New York has a large base of Haitian Creole-speaking voters. Advanced technology like Machine Translation (MT) is unsuitable for the highly regulated, visible, and specialized content used during election season. Take for example the Google Translate Spanish rendition of the well-known phrase "Let's Vote" as "El voto de Let." This translation fails to recognize any context or localized usage of the original expression, and creates a meaning that is inaccurate. This is just one of many issues that arise when using MT to translate election content. For instance, did you know it’s illegal in most states to use machine translation for official elections documentation? Fortunately, computer-aided translation (CAT) tools are an option. These tools are used to translate large volumes of official election documents with fast turnaround times. They also allow better quality translation at a lower cost.  The difference between using CAT tools and MT to translate official US election documents is human intervention. Humans are superior to computers when it comes to translation because we can recognize things like context, nuance, common usage, and culturally appropriate details. Professional translators regularly produce more accurate, readable, and compliant election material translations than machines. They are able to deliver these materials on time by using CAT tools, style guides, and other linguistic assets. Unlike machines, human translation teams follow a 3-step process that includes quality assurance, such as editing and proofreading. This election season, many campaigns are looking at Asian Americans as a key voter group. The number of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters almost doubled from 2 million in 2000 to 3.9 million in 2012. What's more, almost half (47%) of AAPIs do not associate with a political party. To reach Asian American and Pacific Islander voting groups, all campaign materials need complete translation. More than 39% of AAPIs are limited English proficient (LEP) voters. Voters identified as LEP who receive voting information only in English will understand less than half of the written text. English-only marketing materials on candidates and ballot measures leave a large population of voters entirely in the dark. Candidate statements, voter instructions, and voter information require accurate translation. One wrong word, sentence fragment, or phrase can change the entire meaning of a sentence. This can negatively impact the candidate's message, as well as hinder voter understanding and participation. Avantpage provides expert elections translation across the country. We have assisted many California counties with translation, editing, formatting, and preparation of election documents and voter materials. These documents include Voter Information Guides, Candidate Statements, Ballot Measures, Voter Information Cards, Registration Cards, Ballots, and more. At Avantpage our experienced team can help guide you through the translation process and make it fast and easy. To find out more about our services call us at 530-750-2040 x11, or request a free quote.

Your medical translation project will need to comply with many standards simultaneously. For example, to comply with the Joint Commission Standards and Healthcare Compliance Law, your organization must be able to communicate with a Limited English Proficient speaker in his or her own language. However, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) prohibits the unauthorized sharing of medical records and personally identifiable information without patient consent. As a result of these two policies, your hospital or health insurance organization needs a Language Services Provider (LSP) that values privacy and clarity equally. Here are some questions, ideas or concerns about HIPAA and medical translation and how you can help your organization navigate these issues. Because they are not employed by the organization using their services, translators are considered business associates under HIPAA legislation. Patient information should only be shared with a business associate for a specific purpose as stated in a business contract between a provider and hospital or clinic. To fully comply with HIPAA regulations, your LSP should incorporate the following: Under HIPAA, PHI is information that identifies an individual and relates to the following: This patient information is often shared during the delivery of translation services and should be handled carefully by vendors for a covered health care entity. Before hiring an LSP, your organization should: Your LSP should show that its staff members are trained in HIPAA compliance including how to manage sensitive information, recognize PHI and protect the privacy of your patients. The most important step your organization can take to ensure HIPAA compliance and clear communication is to hire a professional translation company with experience in the healthcare field. Make sure to assess potential vendors carefully and continually monitor their adherence to the laws. Complying with HIPAA laws can require knowing a lot of acronyms. Here are some key terms to know: HIPAA: Stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, a US law designed to provide privacy standards to protect patients' medical records and other health information provided to health plans, doctors, hospitals and other healthcare providers. LSP: Stands for Language Service Provider, a more current, commonly used term for a company or partner that provides a broad range of translation or linguistic services. PHI: Stands for Protected Health Information, which is individually identifiable health information held or transmitted by a covered entity or its business associate, in any form or medium, whether electronic, on paper, or oral. EPHI: Stands for Electronic Protected Health Information, which is any protected health information (PHI) that is covered under Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) security regulations and is produced, saved, transferred or received in an electronic form. PII: Stands for Personally Identifiable Information. HIPAA uses the term Protected Health Information (PHI) to refer to protected data, but the concept is very similar to the term Personally Identifiable Information (PII), which is used in other compliance regimes. BAA: Stands for a Business Associate Agreement, which is a contract between a HIPAA-covered entity and a HIPAA business associate (BA). The contract protects personal health information (PHI) in accordance with HIPAA guidelines. NDA: Stands for Non-Disclosure Agreement At Avantpage our experienced team can help guide you through the translation process and make it fast and easy. To find out more about our services call us at 530-750-2040 x11, or request a free quote

Amour. Liebe. 爱. Though every culture and language describes it differently, love in its many forms is a universal feeling. Whether romantic love, familial love, or friendly love, this emotion unites people through kindness, compassion, and affection. To celebrate love and the bond it creates, Avantpage asked our translators around the world to share translated phrases about love in their native language. The responses were heartwarming, charming and, well, lovely. Here are some of our favorites: Original Phrase: Ես քեզ աշխարհի չափ սիրում եմ English Translation: I love you like the size of the world. This phrase is used to show how big your love is for another. The size comparison to the word shows your loved one just how big and endless your love is. Original Phrase: ស្រឡាញ់ កូន មួយ តៅ ស្រឡាញ់ ចៅ មួយ ថាំង English Translation: Love your children one bucket but love your grandchildren twice of buckets. This expression demonstrates how parents often love and care for their grandchildren more than their own children. The bond between grandparent and grandchild is held in highest esteem in many cultures. Original Phrase: 愛就是心心相印 English Translation: Love has two hearts beating as one. This phrase exemplifies how love is the conjoining of two people into one. When two people are meant to be together, their hearts recognize this and beat together. Original Phrase: Oude liefde roest niet. English Translation: The old love does not rust. This phrase is meant to show that long-standing love does not die. A love that is built between two people over a long period of time will not lose its shine, it will always be present. Original Phrase: 하늘만큼 땅만큼 사랑해! English Translation: I love you like heaven and like earth. This is another phrase used to illustrate how big your love for someone is. If you love another like heaven and like earth, you love them idealistically and with your whole heart. Original Phrase: Przez żołądek do serca. English Translation: From the stomach to the heart. This phrase refers to gaining someone's love through good food. The person who prepares the meal shows their love and care through it, and the person who eats falls in love. Original Phrase: Я достану тебе звезду с неба English Translation: I will get you a star from the sky. Usually, this phrase means that love so inspires someone that it can make that person capable of achieving anything, even getting a star from the sky. Original Phrase: Las miradas dicen a gritos lo que el corazón calla. English Translation: The eyes shout what the lips fear to say. This phrase is meant to explain the feeling you have when you cannot express your love through words, but your eyes can express it through how you look at someone. Original Phrase: Mahal kita maging sino ka man English Translation: I love you whoever you are. This phrase shows your love that you will love them, no matter the changes they undergo. If they change, you will still love them, no matter who they end up being. How about you? Is there a lovely phrase about love in your native language that you’d like to share? We want to know it! Tell us about the translated phrase on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. Want to learn more about translation and language service providers? Check out our blog post on What to Look For In A Great Language Services Provider.

Translating your Evidence of Coverage document can be a big undertaking due to its length and word count. At Avantpage, we've translated dozens of EOC documents for many health insurance companies over the years, and we've learned a few tips, tricks and secrets along the way. Here are 4 EOC Translation Project Secrets you won't want to miss! The sooner you can bring your LSP into the project, the better. Your LSP can help set up the deadlines for your project, review documents in advance and really understand your expectations so that they can meet them. Your LSP is your partner in your EOC translation, use them to your advantage! A source file (also called a source document, native document or native file), is a file that can be edited by your translator. Think of it as a file where you can insert a cursor and start typing. When a language provider needs to recreate a file from a PDF document, fax or scan, it can add time and expense to your project. If you can track down the source file, your project will be finished faster. If you're in a rush to complete an EOC translation, it's tempting to send your LSP a draft of the document while you finalize the English version. However, this almost always backfires and makes the process more difficult. It is best to begin the translation process after you've finalized and approved the source file. In the long run, you'll save time and reduce the probability of mistakes. Your project will get done faster with a style guide and glossary, which are two documents that Avantpage can help you create. Many customers might not have style guides to submit so we can help them create these resources. Style guides provide translators with a list of standardized elements that must be handled the same way every time. These can include capitalization, grammar, measurements, acronyms, dates and numerals, what text should never to be translated, company trademarks, formatting (bold, italic, font use, etc.) currencies, and formal versus informal "voice" and tone of language. Style guides are unique for each target language, and larger organizations may maintain style guides in numerous languages. A translation glossary is a list of terms to be used throughout the EOC. A glossary might contain items such as agency names, health plan names, program names, job titles, and keywords. All of these items need to be translated the same way no matter where in the document they are. Both these documents should outline your health insurance organization's preferences and common terms. With these tools, you can eliminate a lot of back-and-forth communication and speed up the translation process. By employing these four secrets at the beginning of your EOC translation project, you’ll set yourself and your organization up for success! If you want more to know how to save more time and money on your EOC translation, check out this article from my colleague Monika for even more great ideas. At Avantpage our experienced team can help guide you through the translation process and make it fast and easy. To find out more about our services call us at 530-750-2040 x11, or request a free quote.

With more than 20 years of experience offering high-quality translations, the Avantpage team could go on and on about ways to make your translation project easier from a Language Service Provider’s perspective. We wanted to find out what our healthcare clients do to make their translation project easy when it comes to translating necessary documents. So, we reached out to a few of them to see what they thought. Here’s what they advise: Philip Barragán from the Los Angeles County Department of Health says … Pre-translation, assess the material for the education level of the audience. With the population that we serve, we like to keep material at a fifth- to sixth-grade level. Before we submit text to Avantpage, we run it through an online system that will check the education level to make sure that what is translated is going to be the appropriate level for the audience. Sometimes, in the work environment, translation is often thought of at the last minute. To avoid a rush charge, we need to be sure that we plan ahead. Planning for how soon you need the item returned is important. We deal a lot with medical vocabulary. It's important to get the right translator on the Avantpage side so that someone who has that knowledge can translate appropriately for that population. There have been times when I just need a few things translated versus a three-page document. So, I may submit a few different projects together so that it's cost-efficient. That way, I'm not incurring three separate small charges versus just one charge for the project. That's something to think about that could help keep the cost down. Our office has put together a list of common words, terms, and phrases and submitted that to Avantpage. Avantpage then takes that and creates a whole glossary of terms that we use so that the translation will be consistent for all projects. This allows us to work ahead of time so that there's no guesswork and can save time. Yi Yao from Delta Dental of California says … Read through all of the request instructions from your internal clients. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification if you need it because you can only provide a quality job if you understand what they're asking for. Your project manager will help you navigate all the deadlines and milestones associated with your project. Make sure to include these important dates in your daily planning, so you don't miss one. Milly Bengoa Valencia from Inland Empire Health Plan says … Translators who work in the medical field must ensure that they are fully up to date with terminology. Make sure you’re working with an LSP that works translators who are. In any area, the language translation requires an insightful understanding of both grammar and culture. It guarantees that the results are precise, readable, interesting, appropriate and right on target. Translation is more than cross-linguistic duty, but it meaningfully is cross-cultural communication. It is very, very important that the translator deeply understand the target language and culture. Experience, acuity, and attention to detail are essential for all language professional in any field for translation There you have it! Avantpage agrees with all this expert advice, and we appreciate these three people for taking the time to share it. At Avantpage our experienced team that can help guide you through the translation process and make your translation project easy. To find out more about our services call us at 530-750-2040 x11, or request a free quote.

With all of the recent technological advances in machine (or computer) translation, it’s easy to wonder if your Language Service Provider (LSP) is just plugging your copy into some software before they send it back. At Avantpage, the short answer is no—we definitely don't do that. Here’s a brief overview of common language technologies and how they’re used. Machine or Computer Translation can be grouped into these main categories: The problem with pure machine translation is that when a user inputs one document and gets a translation back, the result is extremely rough. An audience will spot errors instantly. That’s where a human translation service can take over. Common language technologies used for machine translation are best used as part of a quality-focused process in which people control and monitor the output of the machine translation all the way to the final translation product. At Avantpage, we use glossaries and translation memory to save our clients time and money while maintaining consistency within a translated document and among other translated documents. Custom glossaries are built for each client to record their preferences for future use. For example, if a client prefers the word "team member" instead of "employee," that's the word that will always be used. By using glossaries, any of our translators will be able to pick up material related to the same client and have fewer questions about the way certain terms should be translated. Translation Memory software helps us build on the previous work of our translators to save time. Once a document has been completed and reviewed for quality assurance, it is converted to a TM file. When it’s time to complete a new translation for the same client, we can analyze the new document against previously translated documents. The application helps decipher which words and phrases have been repeated and indicates how they were previously translated. This allows us to maintain consistency and translate similar phrases the same way, controlling your voicing and brand consistency. For clients that direct their communications to many users one document at a time, this method helps you treat all your recipients fairly and equally. Even with all the technologies available, we believe the best translations pair those tools with an educated human translator, which is how we build every project’s translation process. At Avantpage our experienced team can help guide you through the translation process and make it fast and easy. To find out more about our services call us at 530-750-2040 x11, or request a free quote.

There are many important loving relationships in each person’s life, be it romantic, familiar or friendly. We think there’s one big relationship you should consider during this month of love: the one you have with your language services provider. Think about it, how much would you love to love working with your LSP on each and every project? It's possible if you look for these qualities when selecting a translation agency. At the heart of any successful LSP relationship is the group of people with whom you work. Here are some key roles a capable team will have. On a day-to-day basis, the project manager is who you’ll work with the most. This person is intricately involved in all the details of your project, from understanding the content to spotting confidentiality issues to selecting the best translators and designers for the job. Your account manager gets involved when your needs go beyond an existing translation project. For example, if you want a different service that’s not in your contract, your AM will be the person who asks some questions about your needs to develop pricing. Your AM can also work in tandem with your PM to help resolve specific problems. Every project is a bit different when it comes to geography, field, and language, and finding the right linguists who fit those specifications is important. Your PM should match qualified translators with your specific project's needs and languages to ensure success. The proofer is the quality control person on your project. This person focuses on the last step of the translation project and ensures the quality of the layout and the non-linguistic requirements. These people focus on details and understand how to work with style guides and specifications. It's important that every person involved in your translation project understand the message of the source file, the target audience, and the field. For areas such as medical translation or legal translation, a Language Services Provider experienced in these domains will know the specific domain-specific terminology and legal regulations involved. While LSPs in other parts of the world must receive a certification from the International Organization for Standardization, this is not required in the United States. What is important is finding an LSP that lives up to the high standards presented in the ISO guidelines as well as the ATA standards in the U.S. and the NAFTI standards in Australia. Look for companies with a multi-step process where multiple people look at each project. A qualified LSP will also employ people with many years of experience and competency in many areas of translation. Protect your heart, and your business, by only working with LSPs with specific confidentiality protocols. Translation often deals with a person’s most sensitive information such as passports, vital records, transcripts, medical records and more. To protect that private data, an LSP should actively train its employees and contractors and use several safeguards to maintain confidentiality. Just like finding the right partner is key to falling in love, finding the right LSP is key to building a strong relationship. Look for a company that fits your needs. For example, if you primarily translate healthcare documents in the state of California, look for an LSP that specializes in that work. Whatever your needs are, look for a translation agency that can fulfill them. By looking for these aspects in an LSP, you can find the kind of relationship that supports you through every translation project. At Avantpage our experienced team can help guide you through the translation process and make it fast and easy. To find out more about our services call us at 530-750-2040 x11, or request a free quote.

Almost one in 10 working-age adults in the United States are considered Limited English Proficient, so it's safe to say that many companies have some LEP employees on their team. But, this LEP designation is not a uniform, across-the-board description of each employee’s English proficiency. LEP can encompass a wide variety of proficiency levels based on how individuals respond to the U.S. Census Bureau’s annual American Community Survey. The survey asks recipients if they speak a language other than English at home. If the answer is “Yes,” the next question is what language, and then “How well does this person speak English?” Any answer other than “Very well” defines the respondent as Limited English Proficient. With this variety of English-speaking abilities and the number of LEP employees in the U.S., it's even more important that companies translate vital documents into the languages their team members understand best. Of course, there are laws in each state that require translation into threshold languages for specific types of documents. But beyond complying with legal requirements, organizations can see significant financial and people benefits by translating common company documents. If employees don’t understand the policies and procedures intended to keep them safe, then they can’t follow those rules. Studies indicate that for every $1 invested in workplace safety, employers realize $3 to $6 in cost savings via direct and indirect costs. Another study shows that close to 43 percent of workers' compensation claims can be reduced or eliminated if language is not an issue. Given these numbers, the cost of translating safety documents can be easily recouped by the potential savings. Translating documents into an LEP employee’s native language is a way of saying, “We speak your language. You belong here.” Next to physical safety, ‘belonging’ is a basic human necessity, according to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. In the workplace, when an employee feels as if they belong, they are more likely to be engaged and connected to the organization’s mission. What’s the bottom line? Your bottom line. Engaged employees are 21% more productive, and companies with engaged employees outperform those without by 202%. While individual state laws require different documents be translated, it’s up to your organization to decide which important company documents to translate to see the benefits. Here are some examples of documents other Avantpage clients have translated: When employees feel valued by their employer, then their loyalty to the company increases. They want to stay, and they want to do better, and they want to perform their job as best they can. By translating important company documents, you can better communicate with your LEP workforce and help them connect to your mission and goals. Special thanks to Joan Weber at English In The Workplace for sharing her insights for this post. At Avantpage our experienced team can help guide you through the translation process and make it fast and easy. To find out more about our services call us at 530-750-2040 x11, or request a free quote.

For the past few months, I’ve been updating Avantpage’s employee handbooks for our team members in our offices in the United States, Poland, and Mexico. Because of Avantpage's commitment to clear communication, it's essential that our company materials reflect our mission and values—no matter what language in which they are written. The process has been time-consuming, but worth it. I know that employee handbooks, when written correctly and conveyed correctly, can create the type of boundaries people need to feel freer in the workplace. If you’re in the same boat as me and are now looking to translate your employee handbook, your next step and choices are just as crucial as putting together the document in the first place. It's crucial that the meaning of your company’s policies is translated clearly into the handbooks you provide to employees who speak another language. When you do this, you can increase employee engagement and commitment to your company. One of the problems with employee handbooks is that they're policy heavy and can be very dry—but you need employees to read every line. This can become even more difficult if you're presenting employees with a document that's not written in their primary language. Using an online translation tool, such as Google Translate, to translate an employee handbook can introduce errors and confusion. For example, in some languages the word "terminate" can mean "kill." So if you're writing a policy about terminating an employee, the sentence can become very deadly very quickly if mistranslated. A professional Language Services Provider, such as Avantpage, can help you avoid embarrassing errors and create a document that is cohesive and understandable. Your employee handbook is your company's bible and reflects directly on your organization. If a translated version sounds disjointed or sloppy or has amateur mistakes, then you are communicating with your employees that you don't care about them. It's important to ensure that your intended message gets across to your employees, and the best way to do that is with an LSP that can provide quality and accuracy. While updating Avantpage's employee handbooks, I've had to keep track of many different laws and regulations for each of our locations. For example, Poland has 26 vacation days that are mandated by the government. So, I can't write one lump employee handbook for all our employees, because our U.S. accrual-based PTO policy would violate Polish laws. Another example is that the process of requesting a vacation in Mexico is incredibly extensive and requires reporting to the government, which is different than the procedure for our U.S. offices. Even for U.S. companies, different local jurisdictions will have different requirements that need to be included in your handbook. Custom content for your handbook at each location can help, but to take this geographic focus to the next level, consider localization. With localization, an LSP can adapt your content so that it looks, feels and functions as if it were produced within the target country. The process may involve creating new, culturally relevant content, revising graphic design, color schemes, symbols and other visual elements, and modifying currency, time, weights and measures, and other numerical elements to reflect local usage and standards. This additional step can further communicate your commitment to your employees, no matter what language they speak. At Avantpage, we have some policies that are fun and meant to foster engagement with our team. These types of practices non-verbally communicate our company's mission and values. But, more fun policies could get lost in a dry document that’s crammed with rules and regulations. If your organization has a similar situation, consider creating a company culture guide that can cover these types of policies. This will help your employees understand that it's a part of your cultural makeup of the company. Culture guides are also a good way to address different offices in different countries. You can have one employee handbook for the rules you’re legally required to have, and another that outlines the culture you’re trying to have. Each can be edited to fit different locations and translated and localized into the appropriate languages. Most HR departments are moving away from the old, stark presence of being the policy police and embracing employee engagement. HR professionals are looking for ways to empower and increase employee engagement, and language has a lot to do with that goal. At Avantpage, we work with many LEP individuals and what robs them of their power is not feeling like they can communicate. By translating your employee-facing documents and policies, you empower all your team members to understand and increase employee engagement within your company. At Avantpage our experienced team can help guide you through the translation process and make it fast and easy. To find out more about our services call us at 530-750-2040 x11, or request a free quote.

The more you know about the translation process and how it works, the easier it is to create efficiencies and take advantage of savings opportunities for your healthcare translation project. We’ve put together this guide to help you get the best from your translation agency and to make the process as straightforward as possible. Once you’ve chosen a healthcare translation agency and met with your key contact, you'll provide the documents that need to be translated. Before the translation begins, you may be asked to provide a glossary of standard terms or common names. If you have an English glossary, your LSP can help to translate this into your target languages to ensure accuracy and consistency across documents. If you have never used a glossary, consider creating one before getting started. If you’re working with Avantpage, next we upload your original text into the translation memory tool, which breaks it up into segments. Our native-speaking linguistic team then translates and edits each text segment, and their work is saved in what we call a Translation Memory (TM). The next time you have new text for translation, your text is likewise uploaded into the tool. If the new text is the same or similar to what was previously translated, the TM recognizes this and classifies the matches by degree of repetition (e.g. 100% repetitions vs. similar segments that require some edits). The TM provides the 100% and fuzzy matching text, and the linguistic team makes the appropriate adjustments to quickly render the most precise and consistent translation for all your documents. The next steps vary depending on your needs, but can include one or more of the following elements: Written translation is most commonly charged by the word. Medical translation rates vary based on word count, complexity, and scope. The source language word count is generally used as a basis for the translation because the target languages can differ by varying degrees from the source. The target language may be longer or more compact than your source language. While there is no universal rule, it is interesting to note that text in Spanish, for example, can take up 20% more space than English. Other elements that can increase or decrease the price of your medical translation project include language combination, formatting needs, urgency, and subject matter. Like rates, the time a medical translation project takes depends on the project itself. A larger, more complex project will take longer than a simple one. Additional time is required for text that requires heavy formatting (DTP - Desktop Publishing) after translation. In one case, an LSP such as Avantpage can translate a 600-page, 205,000-word document in a month. But, the time a project takes is always dependent on the complexity of it. For projects of all sizes, you can ensure quick and efficient completion by compiling all the documents and data your LSP will need in advance. The more organized you can be, the more quickly the process will go. Each project is different and its timeline, process, and cost will vary. While there are many more intricacies to a medical translation project, this should give you a high-level understanding of what it’s like to work with an LSP. At Avantpage our experienced team can help guide you through the translation process and make it fast and easy. To find out more about our services call us at 530-750-2040 x11, or request a free quote.

DTP, GILT, LSP, NMT … IDK! That last acronym stands for “I don’t know” and the rest represent some common translation terms. If you feel like you’re swimming in a bowl of alphabet soup after reading that list and you’re in charge of finding translation services for your organization, keep reading. Understanding some key terms and ideas can help you find the right Language Services Provider or LSP. Here is a glossary of some commonly used translation terms for your reference: 100% Match is when a previously translated sentence is automatically pulled up with Translation Memory. This is called a 100% match because the new sentence matches 100% with another sentence that has been previously translated. Back Translation is a translation of a translated text back into the language of the original text, made without reference to the original. This is frequently done to ensure the quality of the original translation, as well as for legal liability protection. Desktop Publishing (DTP) is the design and production of publications and is a major component of linguistic services. The right firm will be able to format and recreate foreign language layouts with extensive knowledge of the intricacies of each language and an awareness of cultural issues that may need to be considered in design. Familiar with a wide variety of software applications, a DTP team supervises the process from start to printing. Avantpage can do all this in over 150 languages. Fuzzy Match is when a sentence matches only a portion of a sentence that has been previously translated and stored within a Translation Memory. Fuzzy Matches are useful because during the translation process the translator can see how the similar sentence from a previous document was translated and base the new translation on that. This assures an added level of consistency across documents and preserves the client’s style and tone. GILT stands for Globalization, Internationalization, Localization, and Translation. This term is used to refer to all of the linguistic and cultural related processes involved in global business. Globalization refers to the processes that a company goes through to enter the global marketplace. It encompasses the internationalization process of intelligent, culturally aware planning and design, as well as the multifaceted localization process that occurs when the product is adapted for the new market. Sometimes, the abbreviation “G11N” is used for Globalization. This abbreviation is derived from the first and last letters of the word, while the 11 refers to the number of letters between the G and the N. Healthcare Interpreting refers to oral interpretation that takes place in a medical or healthcare setting. Hybrid Machine Translation is a type of Machine Translation that ideally uses the best features of both statistical and rule-based translation. SYSTRAN, which powers Babel Fish, claims that it introduced the first hybrid translation engine in 2009. Internationalization is the process of ensuring that a product can be easily localized. This is an especially important concern when a new website, software application, or service line is created. Are there any untranslatable phrases? Are the cultural idioms going to be too difficult to understand? Can the date and money formats be easily understood? The abbreviation I18N stands for Internationalization, derived in the same manner as G11N. Interpreting refers to the facilitation of communication between people who are not speaking or signing the same language. It refers to oral or signed communication, whereas translation relates to written communication. Localization is the process of modifying a product to accommodate differences in distinct markets. This can include structure, graphic design, copywriting, transcreation, and anything else that needs to be changed for the market. A second definition, also widely used, is that localization is the adaptation of software, websites, and applications to meet the languages, technical requirements, and regional differences of the target market. The abbreviation for Localization is L10N, derived in the same way as G11N. Neural Machine Translation (NMT) is an approach to machine translation that uses a large neural network, which is a computing system inspired by the biological neural networks of animal brains. Neural networks learn to do tasks by considering examples, generally without task-specific programming. Google and Microsoft translation services now use NMT. Machine Translation is the process of using computer software to translate between languages. Repetitions are phrases and sentences that are repeated and occur more than once throughout the document. A Translation Memory system will remember the way the first instance of the phrase or sentence is translated and automatically suggest this translation on all further occurrences. The translators will review all instances of these phrases and sentences to make sure that they are appropriate given the context. Rule-Based Translation is Machine Translation produced using existing grammar rules and dictionary entries. Statistical Machine Translation is a type of Machine Translation that uses data from a large amount of existing bilingual material, known as a corpus, to translate commonly used words and phrases. Examples of multilingual data include the records of the European Parliament, which is produced in 23 languages. Google Translate has been using this type of software since 2007. Style Guides provide translators with a list of standardized elements that must be handled the same way every time. These can include capitalization, grammar, measurements, acronyms, dates and numerals, text never to be translated, company trademarks, formatting (bold, italic, font use, etc.) currencies, and formal versus informal “voice” and tone of language. Style guides are unique for each target language, and larger organizations may maintain style guides in numerous languages. Transcreation is the creative adaptation of copy in the target language. It adapts your health care message in a way that makes sense to your audience, not just technically, but emotionally and culturally as well. Transcreation is a necessary part of any good translation because some words and phrases do not have a direct translation in another language. One example of this is idiomatic usage, such as, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” This statement would sound like utter nonsense, and new copy would have to be written in the target language. The second meaning of transcreation is to explain when a word or concept in the source language does not exist in the target language. For example, there is no “filibuster” in Spanish or Tagalog. Translation is the act of producing a text that communicates the same message in another language. This seems like the most basic of services, but in unprofessional hands, translation can do your company a world of damage. Just like you work with professional health care providers, you need professional translators. Trust a translation firm like Avantpage to avoid disaster! Translation Glossary is a client-specific list of terms created to be used across all projects generated by a particular client. For instance, a glossary for a healthcare client might contain items such as agency names, health plan names, program names, job titles, and keywords. All of these items need to be translated the same way no matter where in the document they are. Transliteration is writing a text in a different language so it “sounds” like the word in the source language. An example of transliteration would be writing the Russian word for thanks, “cпасибо” as “spasibo” in English script. Translation Memory (TM) is a database of all previous translations that were created specifically for a client. Think of a TM as a long list of A = B, where A is a sentence from the source document and B is the same sentence translated into the target language. When you submit a new document, the document is uploaded into the Avantpage online translation system and is analyzed against the TM. There is no part of our process in which Avantpage submits text into a computer program and then receives a fully translated document – every document is translated by qualified human linguists. Untranslated Segments are sentences that have never been translated before and will be translated “from scratch.” As you move through the process of your translation project, keep this glossary handy to help define key terms. At Avantpage our experienced team can help guide you through the translation process and make it fast and easy. To find out more about our services call us at 1-530-750-2040 x11, or request a free quote.

When you choose to accommodate your multilingual audience (either because the law requires it or you realize what a good idea it is for your business), there are some medical industry best practices you should know. Here’s a step-by-step guide to medical translation. Before you find a qualified and professional Language Services Provider (LSP) for your healthcare translation needs, ask some critical questions, including: While some medical plan providers may have a cultural and linguistics department or coordinator, others may not have staff devoted to this process. No matter the organization's internal structure, it's essential to allocate an appropriate budget to hire a professional LSP. When it comes to selecting a Language Services Provider, get well-acquainted with their translation process and quality assurance procedures, as well as the costs. Make a list of questions you should ask a potential translation company. Any serious LSP will be excited to partner with you and to walk you through the initial and ongoing steps, which is the best way to learn about translation and to create a lasting partnership. Using bilingual employees to perform translations puts you at risk. At best, you might end up with inaccurate translations; at worst, you'd be breaking the law. Also, adding that extra responsibility to a bilingual employee takes them away from other vital projects. A professional medical translation company is the smart choice and can help ensure accuracy and consistency. A quality healthcare translation agency may not be the cheapest, but it will be able to find ways to save you money. For example, a professional medical translation agency will use translation memory software and offer year-over-year savings and volume discounts. Work with your Language Services Provider 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. By involving the head of the Cultural and Linguistics department at the beginning of your medical translation project, you can save time and frustration in the long run. Get this person 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. Style guides and glossaries will increase the overall quality and consistency of your documents. These reference files are usually compiled manually. 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. At Avantpage we provide all healthcare clients with customizable style guides and glossaries at the start of our relationship. 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. If you need to have documents such as these translated, first standardize the English versions of these forms. Then, you can submit these documents for translations early. Assuming your audience may only read at the elementary school level, keep information written for the consumer 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. Avantpage can lower the reading level as an additional service. To ensure that you get the greatest value out of your translation services, be an active part of the process. If you have a primary LSP, consider having a backup available in case of emergencies. Work closely with them at all times. Join professional organizations that will help you stay on top of changes to the law. When you anticipate regulatory changes, it will be easier to comply. Use common standards to evaluate quality. The Standard Guide for Quality Assurance in Translation by the American Society for Testing and Materials is mainly used in the United States and will give you a good starting point to discuss the quality assurance process with your LSP. If your company works in Europe, you may need to use EN 15038 as a standard instead. After you’ve completed your healthcare translation project, it will become clear how translation is more than just compliance. It’s a tool to reach new markets. 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. At Avantpage our experienced team can help guide you through the translation process and make it fast and easy. To find out more about our services or to get a free quote, Email us at [email protected] or call us at 1-530-750-2040, extension 6.