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Effective Methodology for Translation and Localization: Part I

Whether you’re experienced in working with a translation/localization services partner or embarking on your first translation/localization project, numerous issues are raised. Having a clear understanding of your goals, your role in the process and how you’ll gauge success is a good start, but knowing more about your language service provider (LSP) and how they intend to approach your projects is just as important. In the end, it’s their appropriate use of services, methodology and technology that can mean the difference between a project that is effective and meets your goals, and one that misses the mark. Here is an overview of the first two steps of an effective four-step translation/localization process and methodology that results in successful projects that are done accurately, on time and on budget.

Phase I: Evaluation and Scope

During the Evaluation phase, the LSP team strives to gain a clear understanding of a healthcare organization and its requirements. These requirements involve technological needs, language and culture needs and the scope of work.

In this first phase, the LSP team gathers information from a client that will ensure that the team knows enough about your organization’s policies and processes, plus expectations and goals for the translation job. To truly create an extended project team including your writer, reviewer(s), subcontractors, your printer, etc., the LSP will get the appropriate parties together and aligned around the project goals and objectives. This is especially necessary for large projects.

Understanding the final intended use of a translation and what your organization’s goals are for the finished translation is also critical to delivering an effective job. At times, accurate translation is based on more subtle nuances of language, so information about the intended tone and use of the final document is essential.

In the course of a translation project the technology platforms and applications, multiple file formats of source documents and other technologies that will be used to assist the team in delivering an accurate translation job all have an effect on the management of subsequent translation projects and how they will be delivered. Using technological helpers like translation memory applications may contribute to more consistent translations over time. Your translation team will ask you whether or not a style guide or glossary has already been produced.

It’s also important in this phase to help the LSP team understand your deadlines and review cycle. The review process and roles need to be defined here. Also, if translation decisions are going to be made locally by a team of community reviewers, that should be clearly laid out and documented in this phase.

Language and Cultural Needs

Understanding the extent to which a job will require cultural adaptation is important in determining what kind of translation team expertise will be used. It is possible that translation teams will need to adjust the meaning of the translation for subtle nuances of culture.

In the case of a translated piece that is meant for an immigrant audience in the U.S., for instance, having a local reviewer ensure that the proper local terminology, usage and grade level is appropriate will help ensure that it meets its objectives. It can also mean that the same language spoken in multiple countries is accurately represented for each target immigrant audience. For instance, dialects of Chinese spoken by different groups of immigrants depending on their countries of origin will have subtleties that only a community reviewer will be able to accurately detect and correct.

Phase II: Project Planning and Set Up

Phase II of the translation process involves setting up style guides and glossaries, translation memories, project plans and putting together the right team for the project.

The Style Guide and Translation Glossary are two key documents that are created early in the process; especially in the case of the glossary. Either the client supplies a current glossary to be used and added to over the course of subsequent translations or the LSP works closely with the client to create one. Not only do glossaries help maintain a high level of consistency, but they also serve as a standard for the myriad ways in which information and language can be represented; therefore, saving time and indecision in the translation process.

The goal of the Translation Glossary is to determine the appropriate expression of words and ideas for your specific audience. Working with your team to identify glossary items and incorporating previously translated material into the glossary will make the finished Translation Glossary invaluable.

In most cases, only the client will know exactly how to represent terminology that may be unique to their industry, audience, organization, and patients they serve. The Translation Glossary ensures consistency in word choice and serves as the guide for abbreviations, class or service names and non-translated terms. Professional translators have extensive experience in this area, and rely on a well constructed Style Guide and Translation Glossary to be the final arbiters of questions about style and terminology.

Translation Memory

If translation memory is going to be used for a project, it is set up in Phase II. It’s important to have it accurately set up in this phase in order to take full advantage of the technology for current and future translations. If past translations have generated translation memory, that information is also entered into the translation memory system. In this phase, translation memory isn’t being used by the translator, but is readied for use. In Phase III, translation memory is used on the current source document.

Translation memory is a technology that improves the accuracy and speed with which translations are completed. Drawing on previous translations and tracking the specific source, target sentences and phrases that had been translated, translation memory applies that history to future translations, easily making those same translation decisions. This is especially useful for recurring documents that contain a high percentage of the same content from the previous edition. As more files from a specific organization are input to the translation memory system, the system learns more about the translation decisions made in the past. As translation memory is used on a greater number of translations for your healthcare organization, the work that the translator does is progressively less involved, the translations are more consistent and the job may even be completed more quickly and accurately.

Project Staffing and Resource Planning

This is a crucial component in this phase. It involves matching the right resources with specific tasks and roles in the translation project. When considering the proper mix of skills, background and experience for a specific job, this phase lays out a method for ensuring that the team and technology applied to an account or translation project are a good fit.

There is also a training and assimilation component in this phase. Team members need to understand more than just the language and project management methodology. Having a common understanding of the client and their products/services, as well as their markets and customers creates that common reference frame as the project moves through the process. This can be as simple as Web research or can sometimes be as involved as a specific training meeting to communicate that information.

Once you’ve moved through the previous steps, there has been sufficient information gathering and resource allocation planning to complete the translation project plan. The project plan is managed by the Project Manager and includes resource allocations, roles and responsibilities, specific deliverables and due dates, relevant milestones and backup/contingency plans.

In the next issue, we’ll discuss the next two phases of completing a successful translation and localization project.


	viaLanguage Translation Articles Effective Methodology for Translation and Localization: Part I Whether you’re experienced in working with a translation/localization services partner or embarking on your first translation/localization project, numerous issues are raised. Having a clear understanding of your goals, your role in the process and how you’ll gauge success is a good start, but knowing more about your language service provider (LSP) and how they intend to approach your projects is just as important. In the end, it’s their appropriate use of services, methodology and technology that can mean the difference between a project that is effective and meets your goals, and one that misses the mark. Here is an overview of the first two steps of an effective four-step translation/localization process and methodology that results in successful projects that are done accurately, on time and on budget. Phase I: Evaluation and Scope During the Evaluation phase, the LSP team strives to gain a clear understanding of a healthcare organization and its requirements. These requirements involve technological needs, language and culture needs and the scope of work. In this first phase, the LSP team gathers information from a client that will ensure that the team knows enough about your organization’s policies and processes, plus expectations and goals for the translation job. To truly create an extended project team including your writer, reviewer(s), subcontractors, your printer, etc., the LSP will get the appropriate parties together and aligned around the project goals and objectives. This is especially necessary for large projects. Understanding the final intended use of a translation and what your organization’s goals are for the finished translation is also critical to delivering an effective job. At times, accurate translation is based on more subtle nuances of language, so information about the intended tone and use of the final document is essential. In the course of a translation project the technology platforms and applications, multiple file formats of source documents and other technologies that will be used to assist the team in delivering an accurate translation job all have an effect on the management of subsequent translation projects and how they will be delivered. Using technological helpers like translation memory applications may contribute to more consistent translations over time. Your translation team will ask you whether or not a style guide or glossary has already been produced. It’s also important in this phase to help the LSP team understand your deadlines and review cycle. The review process and roles need to be defined here. Also, if translation decisions are going to be made locally by a team of community reviewers, that should be clearly laid out and documented in this phase. Language and Cultural Needs Understanding the extent to which a job will require cultural adaptation is important in determining what kind of translation team expertise will be used. It is possible that translation teams will need to adjust the meaning of the translation for subtle nuances of culture. In the case of a translated piece that is meant for an immigrant audience in the U.S., for instance, having a local reviewer ensure that the proper local terminology, usage and grade level is appropriate will help ensure that it meets its objectives. It can also mean that the same language spoken in multiple countries is accurately represented for each target immigrant audience. For instance, dialects of Chinese spoken by different groups of immigrants depending on their countries of origin will have subtleties that only a community reviewer will be able to accurately detect and correct. Phase II: Project Planning and Set Up Phase II of the translation process involves setting up style guides and glossaries, translation memories, project plans and putting together the right team for the project. The Style Guide and Translation Glossary are two key documents that are created early in the process; especially in the case of the glossary. Either the client supplies a current glossary to be used and added to over the course of subsequent translations or the LSP works closely with the client to create one. Not only do glossaries help maintain a high level of consistency, but they also serve as a standard for the myriad ways in which information and language can be represented; therefore, saving time and indecision in the translation process. The goal of the Translation Glossary is to determine the appropriate expression of words and ideas for your specific audience. Working with your team to identify glossary items and incorporating previously translated material into the glossary will make the finished Translation Glossary invaluable. In most cases, only the client will know exactly how to represent terminology that may be unique to their industry, audience, organization, and patients they serve. The Translation Glossary ensures consistency in word choice and serves as the guide for abbreviations, class or service names and non-translated terms. Professional translators have extensive experience in this area, and rely on a well constructed Style Guide and Translation Glossary to be the final arbiters of questions about style and terminology. Translation Memory If translation memory is going to be used for a project, it is set up in Phase II. It’s important to have it accurately set up in this phase in order to take full advantage of the technology for current and future translations. If past translations have generated translation memory, that information is also entered into the translation memory system. In this phase, translation memory isn’t being used by the translator, but is readied for use. In Phase III, translation memory is used on the current source document. Translation memory is a technology that improves the accuracy and speed with which translations are completed. Drawing on previous translations and tracking the specific source, target sentences and phrases that had been translated, translation memory applies that history to future translations, easily making those same translation decisions. This is especially useful for recurring documents that contain a high percentage of the same content from the previous edition. As more files from a specific organization are input to the translation memory system, the system learns more about the translation decisions made in the past. As translation memory is used on a greater number of translations for your healthcare organization, the work that the translator does is progressively less involved, the translations are more consistent and the job may even be completed more quickly and accurately. Project Staffing and Resource Planning This is a crucial component in this phase. It involves matching the right resources with specific tasks and roles in the translation project. When considering the proper mix of skills, background and experience for a specific job, this phase lays out a method for ensuring that the team and technology applied to an account or translation project are a good fit. There is also a training and assimilation component in this phase. Team members need to understand more than just the language and project management methodology. Having a common understanding of the client and their products/services, as well as their markets and customers creates that common reference frame as the project moves through the process. This can be as simple as Web research or can sometimes be as involved as a specific training meeting to communicate that information. Once you’ve moved through the previous steps, there has been sufficient information gathering and resource allocation planning to complete the translation project plan. The project plan is managed by the Project Manager and includes resource allocations, roles and responsibilities, specific deliverables and due dates, relevant milestones and backup/contingency plans. In the next issue, we’ll discuss the next two phases of completing a successful translation and localization project.