Language service providers (LSPs), like any other business, must establish a standard, optimal working method to maximize time and effort in order to produce the best translation products.
Each LSP has its own translation method, which can be tailored to the needs of the customer. However, in general, LSPs must assure adherence to a defined procedure. In this post, AM Vietnam will outline seven fundamental stages that all professional translation efforts must follow.
- Receive translation request
When a customer makes a request, the project manager (PM) and related departments carefully review and clarify the request before analyzing the source text (field, genre, form, volume, time and human resources required to process, duplication in documents and duplication with previous projects, etc.).
- Translate
After thoroughly understanding the customer’s requirements and the features of the document to be translated, the project manager assigns it to a translator, ideally an expert in that specific industry (medical, legal, marketing, etc.). The translator processes the original, follows the instructions and glossary, then double-checks the translation before submitting it.
In this step, the translator can use professional translation tools and platforms like Trados, memoQ, Phrase TMS, and Xbench.
- Editing
This is just as vital as the translation process. In this process, the editor checks for and corrects any errors made by the translator. The proofreader’s role is to identify spelling, grammatical, and punctuation mistakes. Editors must also evaluate the material to ensure that the writing flows as smoothly as feasible.
Although this is a necessary phase, depending on the nature of the project, proofreading and/or editing should be handled in a flexible manner. For example: In the case of marketing translations, the proofreader should be asked to ensure that the target text transmits the correct message using appealing phrases. Because employing literary or academic style in marketing communications is utterly incorrect and provides no business benefit.
- Desktop publishing (DTP)
In this step, the DTP specialist or multimedia team reviews the translation format and the appropriate layout options for presenting the text or website, and the content manager implements the website translation in the content management system. This phase has nothing to do with language, yet if not completed correctly, it will have an impact on the translation’s quality.
- Final check
After the DTP professional or multimedia team has completed the assignment, another translator might go over it again to ensure that there are no errors during document processing. This individual searches for typographical errors, missing punctuation, and missing words.
- Submit
This is the LSP’s final phase in the project: the PM double-checks the document or website for quality before sending it to the customer. The PM should also include translation notes (such as terminology, text length that affects layout, or difficulties with the original).
- Feedback by customer
When consumers receive a project translation, they can ask specialists to read it and check its quality. Marketing managers verify product introduction leaflets, consultants analyze contracts, and product team members ensure that instructions are translated correctly.
Customers should offer feedback and terminology revisions to LSP as a resource for future translation initiatives. Following this stage, the LSP may need to resend the latch translation if necessary.
The translation process outlined above consists of seven key processes that must be followed at LSP. For this procedure to truly promote its role in translation, each unit must assure the quality of staff at each stage while maintaining continuous contact. This is an essential prerequisite for maintaining and improving translation quality as well as the unit’s reputation in today’s increasingly competitive translation industry.