Many businesses employ bilingual in-house staff to produce multi-lingual versions of their products. Often done on an informal basis, with the employees being taken away from their jobs to carry out the task. Although the primary motivation behind the practice is to lower expenses, the procedure is clearly unsound. The most evident problems are:
A bilingual person doesn’t automatically qualify an employee to be a translator – would you choose to assign an employee to review your critical marketing content just because English is their primary language? You’d much more likely use someone who is skilled on the techniques of writing marketing material in English as well as for creating copy in any other language.
Do you think it is more efficient to assign a task that is not yours to an employee with other priorities, than it is to outsource the job? It’s likely that your employee is better off working within their particular specialisation. You could save on the expense of outsourcing, but have you calculated the hidden cost?
However, there are more serious issues more complex than these. The world of languages is constantly changing and evolving quickly. It’s not a long time for people who aren’t natives to be unable to grasp the latest developments in vocabulary and style. Words are invented, they trend and become popular; new expressions emerge new colloquialisms appear and then die. Old words and phrases take on new meanings or lose their popularity. You can rapidly get lost in what’s happening in the language you speak, particularly if you spend most of your time talking and writing in a different one.
The seven advantages of employing translators in the country.
All of these issues can be avoided by getting your content professionally translated by a translation service with in-country translators. The professional translation services offered by these agencies will add quality and value to your content, will help you reduce time and cost on inefficient use of your internal resources, and will contribute positively to your financial results. Here are the seven major benefits of using in-country translators:
Good customer experience. Customer satisfaction is guaranteed by providing them with localised content that is appropriate to the region. This is not the case if they’re delivered with material that’s flawed and difficult to understand. Only an in-country translator with relevant experience in the subject can offer the former; anything else risks damaging your reputation.
A better employee experience. Improved employee satisfaction is a result of knowing that they are trusted to carry out the tasks that they were hired to perform. We’ve already discussed the limitations of having an employee who is bilingual to translate the content into their native language however, there are important motivational risks. The job will be a low priority on the list of priorities for your employee and the added workload is likely to be dissented.
Elimination of the loss of a language. First language attrition is a well-known phenomenon in people who write and speak in a non-native language. As a result, the individual slowly loses their language previously spoke. Like we said, languages change quickly and are fluid, but the individual changes too. The knowledge of one language impinges on the other; the two languages are essentially mixed. This problem can be prevented through the use of an in-country translator.
Fast and consistent delivery. Prompt and predictable delivery is guaranteed when have your translation done by professionals. It is not likely to occur if you try to complete the task on your own, but even if it is the quality is likely to be affected.
Expertise in the field. When you hire a professional translation company, not only do you receive the services of a highly qualified professional adept at translation Your translator will also be an expert in their field who understands the industry that the project is directed. It is important to stay up-to-date with the terminology, the latest trends, and product features.
Good workflow and documented quality control. Producing professional quality translations is complicated and requires adequate management and control of quality. The process includes the editing, translation, and proofreading. It is essential to adhere to strict standards for example, the translator should be fluent in the language of the target and have experience in the subject matter. Quality control documents must continue throughout the process, so ensure your agency is ISO9001 certified.
A competent team is you can count on. Effective professional translation depends on teamwork, and each participant being qualified and experienced in their own field. Each project has a project manager who ensures that each stage of the project is completed on time, within budget and to the expectations of the customer as well as ensuring that the communication between the client and the translator is crucial to the process. The presence of a team of experts in your corner will ensure the success of your project.
A consistent message
If the importance of your translation is to your company, relying on your in-house bilingual employees is an extremely risky gamble. A professional translation is a difficult task that requires considerable resources. If you are translating into several languages, the issues are made more difficult and your chances of achieving the same message are drastically reduced. The only way to solve this problem is to use an experienced and professional team that has translators in the country, which is why so many major companies do this.
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