Careers in Languages

Advantages of learning a foreign language 

Knowledge of multiple languages is an asset, whichever domain one is working in. Thanks to globalization, increase in international trade, the internet and its all pervading reach, knowing a foreign language promises to be an edge during recruitment. 

By default, Indians are multilingual - they normally know their mother tongue (Regional language), Hindi (considered as national language, though all Indian languages enjoy equal status according to our constitution) and English (which is taught in school).  Most schools introduce foreign languages like French, German, Spanish, and now even Mandarin, around the age of 13-14 years.  

Therefore, for an Indian, learning a new language is not as difficult as for a monolingual person! 

Learning languages opens up new horizons, and a wide range of Careers in Languages, most of which are listed below in brief:

Major domains in which knowledge of languages is essential:

• Translation - is communication of the meaning from one language into another. 

1. Technical translation - Translation of technical documents like:
1. manuals
2. specifications
3. guides
4. standards
5. drawings
6. tender documents
7. patents, etc.
2. Commercial translation - while dealing with foreign companies, commercial translation is required for:
1. Business Correspondence
2. Agreements and Contracts
3. Tender Documentation
4. Insurance
5. Reports
6. Company Documentation
7. Brochures
8. Advertising Material, etc
3. Legal translation - all paperwork required by law needs to be translated for transactions between companies or governments from different countries, and in even in courts of law. Common legal documents translated are:
1. Contracts
2. Affidavits
3. Police reports, FIR
4. Lawsuit documents
5. Land deals
6. Official documents like:
1. Birth Certificate
2. Marriage Certificate
3. School/College Leaving Certificate
4. Death Certificate
5. Registration Certificate
6. Ration card
7. Degree and Diploma Certificates
4. Scientific translation - to maximize the reach of new inventions, research papers and patents, they need to be translated from their source language, into the major world languages.
5. Website translation - for businesses to grow in new markets, website localization is the first step. It is a proven fact that customers prefer their own language to any foreign/regional language while transacting online. 

• Interpretation -can be simply explained as spoken language translation. These services are required for: 

1. Conferences
2. Seminars
3. Meetings for negotiations
4. Corporate visits
5. Technical visits
6. Tourists
7. Market research meetings
8. Audit meetings.                                                                                          There are 2 major types of interpretation:

1. Consecutive interpretation - the interpreter waits for the end of the original sentence or statement to deliver the interpretation. 
2. Simultaneous interpretation - interpreting the speech or message from the source language to target language simultaneously while the speech is going on. It is used for large gatherings (i.e. the speaker and the interpreter speak at the same time - the interpreter hears the speech through earphones and speaks through microphones, and the interpretation is heard on ear phones by the listeners). 

• Language Training (individual/corporate) - Schools, colleges, universities, management and international trade institutes, multi-national companies, etc. require experienced and knowledgeable trainers for various languages, and this requirement is ever-increasing 
• Content writing (for advertising material, websites, etc.) is typically creating content in a given language for the web, for ads, etc., such that the product/website/event etc. sells - the language is impressive and the reader is impressed on reading it, and unknowingly  develops a preference to it.   
• Localization and internationalization (of products, websites, games, audio-visuals, etc.) Localisation, more than just translating the content, involves transforming a product, product information, commercial e-literature, etc. to suit a particular culture. This connects an organisation with the local end user. Eg. usage of some symbols or colors is considered a taboo in some markets. Similarly, Internationalizing products, services, websites and other text, that is, offering it in multilingual form widens its reach onto the international market.  
• Technical writing - Technical writing is writing or drafting technical communication used in a variety of technical and occupational fields, such as computer hardware and software, engineering, chemistry, aeronautics, robotics, finance, medical, consumer electronics, and biotechnology. Along with the command on language, in-depth knowledge or at least study in the field is crucial for technical writing.
• Blog writing -  Blogging in the simplest terms is expressing yourself online and spreading the word in any prospect you want to. Most business owners don't have the time to write blogs, and hence outsource the job of writing. Blogs are written in various fields like culinary blogs, travel blogs, technical blogs about products like bikes, mobiles, etc. This helps companies in their SEO activities, in developing communities and reaching new prospects.  
• Multi-media (Dubbing, Sub-titling and Voice over) - Multimedia content is increasing leaps and bounds due to advances in technology. It is a much more popular medium than text and need for its localization is growing:

1. Film dubbing
2. Film scripts
3. Recorded speeches from conferences
4. Narration work for films
5. Video tapes, slides, audio tapes in different foreign languages
6. Company profile presentations
7. Voice-over

• Transcription - is the technique of listening to an audio or video and recording it in a text format.

We will continue this topic next month, by covering other professions where knowledge of a language is required or considered as an added advantage. 

Devaki Kunte,
Language Services Bureau

Translation Myths

Translation myths

We at Language Services Bureau keep hearing a lot of myths surrounding translation from clients as well as would be translators! 

In this month’s blog, we would like to share and elaborate upon some of these very common myths.

·         Translation can be done within a short span of time

·         Anyone who knows 2 languages can translate “both ways”

·         What is the need of proofreading and editing

MYTH # 1 Translation can be done within a short span of time

This is the most common myth about translation. However, it is as far from the truth as possible.  Translation is not just substitution of words! It is about conveying the correct meaning of a source document to the target audience completely and this requires time! The duration required to translate a document   depends upon factors such as:

o   Type of document:

 Documents like birth certificates, death certificates, mark sheets, etc., i.e. general texts take much less time to translate than for Technical documents, Legal documents, medical documents, etc. In short, any domain which requires subject matter expertise needs more time for translation.

o     Comprehension and research:

A translator has to first read through the document and when required, do some research on the content to get a complete overview of the document. Therefore it really does not make sense to expect a 500 page document to be translated in 5 days .. well it takes much more time to read through all those pages .. not to mention the time to understand, research upon the topic if required and then translate it! 

o   Formatting –  

Formatting is usually considered as least important and often not considered as part of translation until the output is shared with the client .. it is only then that it is evident that without a document formatted as per the original, it is quite difficult to make sense of it.. e.g. a bank statement without the tables and alignment will not be of much use!!.  For translation of documents which are scanned images the document needs to be actually recreated. And correspondingly the time estimate increases

o   Proofreading

A second translator normally goes through the translated document to check for completeness, inconsistencies, correctness, numbering, formatting, etc. and if sufficient time is not provided for the same, optimum quality cannot be guaranteed.

 MYTH # 2 Anyone who knows 2 languages can translate “both ways”

Knowing a language and having expertise in it are two different things, the latter requires time, dedication and experience. A person who knows two languages cannot necessarily translate in or from the known language The person needs to be fluent in both languages and should have years of experience in a specific domain too. The flair for languages, understanding a text, correctly re-expressing the message in a different language, patience and ability to do research, etc. are some of the basics to become a good translator.

When it comes to translating into a foreign language, it always makes sense to get the translation done from a native translator, which is the international practice, since it’s hard to know a language as well as a native does.

MYTH # 3 Good quality translation is possible without proofreading and editing

In the language industry, you will come across these terms frequently.  The reason behind their importance is enhancement of translation quality but majority of clients as well as translators are not convinced!  They don’t see the need of proofreading and editing. Proofreaders and editors are language and domain experts who compare, check and correct the document translated by other translator(s) - grammatical, logical, terminological, syntactic, formatting related errors and omissions are thus verified and corrected by them.

A translated document needs to be checked at least twice, once by the translator himself/herself and then by the proofreader. If time and budget permits, proofread document needs to be reviewed again by the editor since to ensure translation quality, this is the internationally followed practice!  

Let’s have a look at the an example to prove the importance of review, since even a seasoned and experienced translator can commit such errors.

–E.g.

Translated sentence:

Supporting the meteorology assembly

Proofread sentence:

Supporting the metrology assembly

The term “metrology” was misspelled as “meteorology”!!!

Ø  In this case, it is clear that an automatic spell-check was not sufficient. Thanks to our proofreader who identified this error! A proofreader is always essential, since they not only look for typos but also check the terminology and semantics.

Myths busted hopefully!! Do let us know if you too have come across some myths about translation or the language industry!

Written By Daya Shetty and edited by Devaki Kunte
May 20, 2017
Language Services Bureau, Pune, India

Is your content translation-friendly? Part 3

In this final section of our 3 part blog on Writing Translation Friendly content, we elaborate on other aspects of making a text easier to understand and translate, like correct usage of Formatting and CAT tools 

Formatting 

Most of the times, formatting is one aspect that easily slips out of consideration. But if the files are really large and formatting is messy, the translator may have to spend almost 50% of his/her time on getting it right. And the unpredictable extra time spent on formatting during or after translation will either push your delivery time ahead or hamper the ultimate quality of the end product that is handed over to you.

Take care that re-formatting will not be necessary for your documents. To ensure this, certain precautions can be taken. Do not put too much make-up on your document. But do acquaint yourself with the formatting options available in your editing software, to make the best use of it.

Pointers to remember:

• A lot of time is saved if the files for translation are editable i.e. in Word, Excel etc. rather than PDFs or scanned image files. This way, the effort of re-creating all the formatting is saved. Also, editable files can be translated using Computer Assisted Translation (CAT) software which is much faster and accurate when it comes to formatting since it easily copies the exact formatting in to the target document.

• Avoid complicated formatting styles, uncommon fonts, uncommon colour shades, etc. Simple formatting will make document editing easy.

• Keep styles uniform and consistent. The various levels of headings, the body text, image headings, table headings, tabular text and all other such categories should follow uniform formatting styles. e.g.        
• Headings, e.g.:Main topic heading: font size-14
• Sub-headings: font size-12
• Sub-point headings: font size-11
• Body text: font size-10                                                          
• Image headings - all in italics                                                   '
• Table headings - all in italics

• Take special care of the automatically defined fields such as – numbering, text levels, the numbering of images and tables, page numbers etc. Familiarize yourself with the fields that you can insert and make sure that they are properly defined. It is possible that a certain link somewhere in the document will lose its link while translating or editing. Find and fix such broken links, otherwise, they may disturb the entire numbering system in the document.

• Hyperlinks and cross references are other delicate issues which need attention and must be properly defined.

• Formula applied in Excel sheets as well as other cross references should be carefully defined

• Embedded objects in PPTs can also be challenging. You may either insert them after you receive the final translated file or inform the translator about the links that he/she should retain.

Delivering a translated file that is exactly like the original one is an essential quality constraint. The above precautions can help in conforming to this requirement.

CAT tools:

In the world of Computer Assisted Translation (CAT) Tools, writing rules are slightly different than what we learned in composition classes. These tools play an incomparable role in making the translation process fast and ensuring maximum accuracy. But they work mathematically. So, technical documents can be designed in CAT tool-friendly manner, to get maximum benefits from it.

•      Keep repetitions: Use the same terms and sentence to convey the same things. These will show as exact or 'fuzzy' matches in the CAT tool which will reduce on the cost and time of translation. Wherever minute changes are necessary, you may create new sentences for the new information while keeping the sentence with repetition as it is. This will preserve repetitions as well as keep the sentences short and easy.
•     No synonyms: Using the same word for the same meaning will also ensure consistency in translation since the translator can look up in the memory for the previous translations used for the repeating terms.
•           Consistent and simple formatting: CAT tools also consider formatting when finding matches. So make sure that the formatting of the repeated sentences is identical. Complicated formatting styles, automatically defined fields and values may get disturbed in occasional instances when the file is processed under CAT tools. This may need special care and attention.
•      Always spellcheck: Spelling errors may hamper detection of matches and concordances. Not just for CAT tools but even for ensuring correct meanings of words, spellcheck is a must.
•      Limit the file size: it is difficult and time consuming to process heavy files in CAT tools. This may, at times cause the processes to fail. If possible split your documents topic-wise. Do not include a very large number of images, screenshots, embedded objects etc. to limit the file size. 

Looking at the growing need for translations, it is now a necessity that the processes, challenges, standards used in the translation industry, the available technological advancements as well as their limitations become known to a maximum number of people who may play a direct or indirect role in this process no matter how big or small. Crossing language barriers is inevitable for growth and development. And translation plays the key role in it. Let's take a step towards making it better and easier!

Written By Shweta Bhide and edited by Devaki Kunte
February 20, 2017
Language Services Bureau, Pune, India

Is your content translation-friendly? Part 2

In continuation with our post last month, we enumerate a few more steps to follow to make your content translation friendly! 

Language

The main purpose of any technical document is to communicate information. Therefore, every effort should be taken to help the reader to stay focused on the information. Technical documents can do without wordy and complicated language. Short and clear sentences are promising when understanding information is the main objective of a text.

Irregular language styles are better kept out of a document that will be translated. Figurative structures, unusual registers, ornamental language and slang should be definitely avoided in technical documents.

At Language Services Bureau, we have created a small list of things to do such that your text in the source language is easy to understand and thus easy to translate:

•      Be simple: Simple language is more likely to get the point across because the reader does not need to make any extra mental effort to understand the sentence. Simple words reduce the translator's efforts to find equivalents in the target language to maintain the original style. Grammatically simple structures help in quick understanding and smooth re-expression in the target language.

•      Be short: Use short and direct sentences. Lengthy sentences can be confusing. Complicated sentences loaded with information can become an error-trap for a translator who is already running on a tight deadline or struggling with two culturally different languages.

Cut the extra word baggage wherever possible.

No: If it is possible for the importer, driver or the person in charge to prove to the satisfaction of the Officer, the correct value of the goods imported and to produce the original documents, within one month from the date of payment, and if the amount of deposit paid is found to be in excess of the amount due, refund of such excess amount may be claimed in the Central Office.

Yes: The importer, driver or the person in charge may claim refund of the excess amount in the Central Office if he can:

> prove the correct value of the imported goods to the satisfaction of the Officer

> produce the original documents,

> the amount of deposit paid is more than the amount due

Such claim must be made within one month from the date of payment.

• Use Active voice instead of passive voice:  at least in English it’s definitely possible!

No: Sentences that are too long can confuse the translator.

Yes: Lengthy sentences can confuse the translator.

•     Be specific: The technical translation will be nothing but accurate if the source document leaves no room for ambiguity. Sentences having unclear meaning are more likely to be translated word-to-word in order to avoid any risk of deviation from the source.

No: bring about an improvement in quality

Yes: improve quality

•      Be correct: Make sure that your sentences are grammatically correct. Incorrect sentences will lead to confusion and will ultimately fail in being understood. They will only add to the "queries" that you receive from the translator.

            No: "Every company is defined with the number of steps it takes forward. Similarly,               XYZ has more to its decade a long success journey." 

            No: One electrician is sufficient to perform all electrical items.

            (Electricians do not perform "items")

            Yes: One electrician is sufficient for all the electrical work.

            No: Erection of expansion joints to be checked properly to have perfectly horizontal               level by checking up with spirit level.

            Yes: Check whether the expansion joints are perfectly horizontal using a spirit level.

•        Be error-free: After drafting a document, review it to ensure that it is free of errors like sentence fragments, missing words, incorrect spellings, incorrect dates etc. Silly mistakes in the document may misguide the translator resulting in an incorrect, ambiguous or unclear translation. Use spelling and grammar check before a document is finalized to avoid typos and errors you might have overlooked.

           No: Necessary base plate for the support to be fixed with paved foundation duly                    drilled holes and fixing of expansion bolts and nuts

           No: Crush hazards

           Do work under hanging load.

Yes:

Crush hazards

           Do not work under hanging load.

          No: Ear thing Boss has been provided on the leg.

          Yes: Earthing Boss has been provided on the leg.

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This topic will be continued in our next blog in the next month!

Written By Shweta Bhide and edited by Devaki Kunte
January 18, 2017
Language Services Bureau, Pune, India