Quality Assurance in Translation Services

Successful translations are dependent on a number of factors such as qualified translators and editors, defining the tone of voice, and establishing an approved glossary. While there is no magic formula to achieve high-quality translations, there are processes that when followed, improve the quality of translations, define how to address and overcome translation challenges, and foster effective communication.

In this article, we will explore the Quality Assurance (QA) process and explain why quality assurance is essential in translation.

What is Quality Assurance in Translation?

Many translation service companies boast of providing “high-quality” or “top-quality” translations. In order to achieve this, a company must employ quality assurance practices, which are tested and proven to result in the best quality translations.

So, what is quality assurance in translation? It means that the translation is clear, accurate, and meets the needs of the client and target audience.

Hiring a professional linguist will help ensure that your message is communicated effectively to the target audience. Although machine translations can do a decent job, they are not always accurate, and they can sometimes miss important contexts. For this reason, they always require post-editing by an experienced linguist.

Measuring linguistic quality can be a challenge, given its subjective nature. Nevertheless, all language service providers (LSPs) should have a standard quality review process that allows them to ensure the quality of translation.

Why is Quality Assurance Vital in Translation?

Quality assurance in translation is essential for any translation project. It ensures that the end product is accurate, consistent, and complete.

Translating content from English to Swedish or in any language pair can be deceptively challenging. Often, errors and misunderstood nuances lead to some hilariously misdirected translations. Plenty of amusing stories are circulating the web about misplaced word meanings and seriously misguided translations.

Poor translations can do more harm than good, so that’s why Quality Assurance in translation services is so important. The translation quality assurance process involves reviewing the translated material to check for errors, typos, the accuracy of content and meaning, formatting issues, and other potential problems. In addition, quality assurance makes sure that the translated material meets the client’s requirements and expectations.

Here are Some Translation Challenges

• Grammar: Grammatical mistakes are common translation challenges. Such mistakes may impede communication if not corrected, so it is essential to ensure accuracy to maintain effective communication. A common mistake in grammar usage is misaligning subject-verb agreement, incorrect verb conjugation, and improper declension of nouns, pronouns, or adjectives. Unfortunately, these errors can be difficult to catch without help.
• Syntax: Syntax is essential to translation, as it enables the translator to convey the meaning accurately. If not done correctly, it can create errors and change the meaning of sentences. Therefore, before translating, the arrangement of words needs to be correct; otherwise, parts of speech might be misplaced and confuse readers.
• Spelling: These types of mistakes are usually caused by an incorrect application of the rules and conventions of the target language. Spelling errors can lead to translation discrepancies, and it is thus essential to be mindful of them. Misspelling can lead to a misinterpretation of the intended meaning and, therefore, confusion. Software solutions offer an effective solution to detecting and correcting such issues, just like with grammar.
• Terminology: Terminological errors occur when the translator uses a wrong or unsuitable word or phrase in their translation, considering the context of the original material. This stresses the importance of working with a translator specializing in the client’s industry.
• Poor choice of words: When writing text intended for translation, conversational speech and humor should be avoided. These types of writings often do not convert effectively into the target language and frequently result in inadequate translations. By utilizing professional, native-speaking translators that specialize in the specific industry, these types of errors can be minimized.

The Translation Quality Assurance Process

Typically, a translation quality assurance process looks like this:

1. Assigning the translation team: Once a client has outlined the details of their project, a translator who is a native speaker of the target language and specializes in the same field or industry is chosen for the job. They will be able to deliver accurate translations and provide cultural insights. Depending on the project’s size and the client’s deadlines, assigning more than one translator to complete the task might be required. However, adding translators to a project adds another level of quality control to ensure that the translations are consistent.
2. Reviewing the translation: To guarantee the highest possible standard in translation, it is essential to have a professional editor and proofreader go through the translated text thoroughly for any errors, common mistakes, and linguistic flaws. The proofreader’s job goes beyond just checking for mistakes in the translated text – they also ensure that the translation is accurate to the source and the message is conveyed properly to the target audience.
3. Formatting the translated material: Changes in text length are common when translating from one language to another. Languages may be longer or shorter than the original language, hyphenation rules differ by language, and not all languages read left to right. This is why it might be necessary to format the translated material, depending on the client’s needs and final deliverable.
4. Final check: The linguist conducts a final review of the document to make sure no details have been overlooked. If anything looks wrong, errors are noted, and corrections are made. This process will continue until the final deliverable is error-free. The project manager facilitates this process ensuring each quality check is made in order to achieve a high-quality translation. Before sending the project to the client, the Project Manager conducts a thorough review. In this step, they confirm all quality checks have been made and review the final product to confirm that it meets the client’s delivery requirements before delivering the final output.
5. Client reviews the localized text: An invaluable step in the quality process is client review. The ultimate step to make sure that the quality of a translation is up to par is for the customer to look it over. Then, they can assess it, give feedback if needed on terms that are unique to their organization, and request modifications if required.

Globalization Partners International Can Help with Linguistic Quality Assurance

Struggling with translation, localization, and quality assurance? Globalization Partners International (GPI) is here to assist!

As an ISO 17100:2015 certified Translation Service Provider (TSP), GPI provides professional translation and linguistic quality assurance services for any project, big or small. We strive for excellence to provide top-notch translation services for Swedish and all languages, ensuring the utmost professionalism and quality. From translating a user manual into two languages to creating a multilingual website powered by a content management system in twenty languages, we can help you with it all.

Conclusion

Quality assurance in translation is vital to ensure that the translated material meets the needs of both the client and the readers. In this article, we have listed some useful tips on how to archive a good quality assurance process and how to overcome the most common translation challenges. The best way? Partner with a professional language provider like GPI.