Language barriers can make their way into any situation, one of the most prominent ones being healthcare.
The National Library of Medicine cites that language barriers have a major impact on the cost and quality of healthcare. These barriers result in poor health outcomes due to a decreased follow-up rate, which in turn leads to reduced patient and medical provider satisfaction.
Teneo Linguistics Company offers language services to healthcare organizations that will help break through those barriers. TLC supports these organizations and their priorities through each step of their journey — patient-facing information (written translation) and communication (interpreting), as well as culturally appropriate translation for research, training, legal affairs, and marketing.
A 2020 study done by the NLM found that 66.7% of Limited English Proficient (LEP) patients had a barrier to accessing healthcare, 20% of LEP patients did not seek healthcare for fear of not understanding and 70.7% of LEP patients reported limited availability to interpreter services.
However, LEP patients who used interpreting services received more inpatient services and office visits. The NLM study shows that communication between patients and healthcare providers is at the heart of effective healthcare.
TLC understands that its healthcare clients save lives and that requires the utmost care and attention to detail. Therefore, TLC makes it a mission to use the same care and urgency in the language services provided in support of healthcare.
TLC is the prescription for all your organization’s translation headaches. Contact us today and visit our life sciences webpage for more information.
Barriers can be difficult to overcome in a world with thousands of languages, but a mistranslation could be costly.
Language barriers are the most common communication barriers, which lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations between people. Causes of language barriers include difference in language, accents, and dialect, lack of clarity in speech, use of slang or jargon and word choice.
In 2018, 67.3 million U.S. residents spoke another language other than English in their homes, according to the Center for Immigration Studies.
There is a wide span of government agencies that must effectively communicate with the public, which includes the Limited-English Proficient population. When language barriers exist, the ability of those agencies to articulate information is hindered. This results in revenue loss and diminished engagement of the LEP population in public services.
Having a professional translator or interpreter on-hand is valuable in addressing these barriers for government agencies and improves the delivery of public services to the LEP population as well as builds trust within the communities the agencies serve.
Teneo Linguistics Company, LLC offers a full suite of translation services in more than 170 languages and translates millions of words annually. TLC takes a holistic and technical approach to language services, designing processes uniquely tailored to your needs.
TLC has worked with a number of agencies of the federal, state, and local governments. Being proficient not just in the language needed but also in the exact needs of each government client is important. TLC has built a reputation of both outstanding quality service, as well as customer service that is unparalleled in the language services industry.
TLC is your ticket to addressing language barriers by providing over the phone interpreting, website localization, document translation, and community interpretation services. Visit our website for more information at tlctranslation.com and get a free quote for your project.
Translation Quality and Translator Qualifications: The 5 Things We Do Before and After Hiring
When hiring someone to complete your translation, it is natural to assume that a bilingual person who calls themselves a translator is qualified. It is equally logical to believe that a company that calls itself a Language Services Provider only hires qualified translators, right?
But how do you know for sure?
As scary as it might be, the answer is that you don’t. Our industry is unregulated. This means that anyone can open a business that provides language services.
There is no certification, no license, no proof of education in a relevant field that we must present to demonstrate that we, and those we send to work for you on our behalf, are qualified.
There are exceptions, such as sending only court-certified interpreters to court proceedings. But even those instances are limited to only those languages that the relevant licensing body can test, which are usually only the most frequently represented foreign languages. If you are on trial for murder in the US and only speak Czech, you are out of luck as far as court-certified interpreters go.
We are an honest business founded and operated by individuals who have some of the best educational backgrounds attainable in the industry. We also understand that our professional reputation depends on our ability to hire only the best out of the best.
Which, sometimes, can resemble looking for a needle in a haystack.
Since we have been around for a while (Teneo was established in 2007), you would think translators and interpreters would be contacting us themselves, lining up for work opportunities with a company like ours. And they do. We receive hundreds of unsolicited applications every week. Most of the time, they come by email. And a shocking number of them look like this one:
The above is an actual email received. Note to self: unsolicited applications are out!
The time we would have to look for the one fantastic applicant, sorting through hundreds of fake or inadequate emails, would be immense and not worth it. The ‘Delete’ button is our only friend here.
Instead, this is how we hire:
We hire proactively, without waiting for a job that requests the given language.
We do not hire just for language. We also hire expert subject matter expertise. Yes, we have doctors who are translators and lawyers who are translators, for example.
We verify identity, credentials, references, and most items on someone’s resume.
We put people on camera and conduct recorded video interviews with them.
We test their language skills.
Once someone is hired, it is just the beginning.
Here is what happens on an ongoing basis:
We set people up for success with phenomenal project manager support and second-to-none technology and resources.
Each completed project is quality-checked.
Each person in a workflow rates the performance of the person before them.
Project Managers provide feedback.
Professional development and continuing education are both offered and encouraged.
If you are a customer and need to buy professional language services such as translation, interpreting, transcription, etc., ask your service provider about their hiring and quality control processes. They should have them and should be willing to share them with you.
Have questions or need to brainstorm any language-related issues? We are always happy to chat: translate@tlctranslation.com or call us at 817-441-9974.
So what does ISO 27001, a data security standard, have to do with translation quality?
Translation quality has many faces. It can look like correct terminology and syntax.
Or how about the appropriate style for the given audience? And, let’s not forget all-around excellent customer service!
And it can also look like the secure handling of information assets.
For some time now, our clients have been telling us about the importance of data security for them and their stakeholders.
Continuous improvement has been the way of life for us here at Teneo ever since we achieved our first ISO certification (9001) back in 2013. This year, amidst numerous “work from home” scenarios, data security became even more important to us and our clients.
That is why, faithful to our improvement culture, reached for another ISO certification.
What is ISO 27001?
ISO/IEC 27001:2013 is the international standard for information management systems. Similar to other ISO standards, it represents an extensive framework for “establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an information security management system”.
In essence, by applying the ISO 27001, we make sure we handle information securely, that we pay attention to existing and potential risks through periodic risk assessments, and take action to mitigate them.
For us at Teneo, this achievement translates into a commitment to the security of our client’s data and systems.
What Information Security Controls are covered?
Examples of the areas covered by ISO 27001:
Access Control
Antivirus and backup
Communication security
Classification of information
Handling of media
Physical security
Human Resource security (including work from home and mobile devices)
To become certified, Teneo has improved and expanded upon the existing documentation and processes in the area of information security. In addition, the Teneo Team also had to prove that the processes and guidelines are actually used in the course of managing and processing our work. Finally, Teneo received its certification from ISO Quality Services, Ltd. on November 2nd, 2020.
Moving forward, we will undergo an internal audit as well as an external audit each year.
Benefits for Teneo’s Clients
Our clients already know we provide high-quality translation services. And now they can also have the peace of mind of knowing that we have processes, systems, and technology in place to provide for the highest possible level of data security out there. Data security is even more important now when people might be either working remotely or in a hybrid scenario.
There are only a few Language Services Providers who have achieved this certification and who operate according to the best standards available today. We are proud that our team is among those who have made the conscious decision to invest in data security. We show our clients that we are a worthy partner supporting their own data security efforts.
What is Next?
As we celebrate this major milestone, we are already working toward the next goal of our incremental improvement. For us, this is the NIST CSF (Cyber Security Framework) assessment. Because we are always taking our efforts to the next level, we are working on deepening both our processes and systems to comply with the more technical controls of the NIST assessment.
And yet, fast translation, and how to translate faster, are also always on our mind. Why? To keep up with our customers, and their fast-moving business world. We know how much planning goes into a product launch, sharing a copy of a legal document with a partner abroad, or simply communicating with an employee who does not speak English. But, sometimes, circumstances make us move faster than predicted.
How fast can a document be translated?
The short answer is, “it depends”. It depends on a number of factors. Chief among them are the volume for processing, the language combination, and the complexity of the original document. Generally speaking, a 200-word document about handwashing to be translated into Spanish will take a short time to translate. A 6,000-word clinical research document we need to translate into Norwegian will take much longer.
As you can imagine, a human translator can only type so fast. If you enter the actual process of converting text from one language to another, including research and quality checks, you will conclude that it actually is a pretty time-consuming activity.
But wait, before you give up on professional services and paste your text into Google Translate (read why that is a really bad idea HERE), read along a bit more. Here are 3 tips for you to get an outstanding and fast service without compromising quality:
Tip #1: Leverage Previous Work for Faster Translation
Do you have previously translated content that is on a similar topic or contains terminology that is closely related to your current document? If so, provide this to your Language Services Provider.
Ideally, they will be able to leverage your previously completed project to pull out relevant terminology, or even “load” the older original and corresponding target language version into their CAT (Computer Assisted Translation) system.
This process, called “alignment”, results in an increased chance of re-using previously completed work. In other words, not all phrases in your current document may need translation. The end result is a faster processing time.
Tip #2: More Minds = Greater Capacity = Faster Results
Unless your document resembles Shakespeare or a document of great stylistic value, consider asking your vendor to use multiple translators. It is easy to split a document into even, logical parts, and instead of one translator and one reviewer, utilize the minds of several translators. Together, they will complete the work much faster.
And how can you make sure that the final product reads as cohesive as possible? For best results, all translators need to work in one online CAT tool so that they can benefit from the results of each other’s work in real-time. Second, one Linguistic Reviewer is better than two or more. That way, he or she can unify the style of several translators during the review process.
Tip #3: Technology for the Fastest Result
Machine translation with (human) post-editing is, hands-down, the fastest way to process translation. However, let’s discuss what is we mean by Machine Translation here. Machine Translation, for our purposes, means translation processing using a paid, and, preferably trained, machine translation engine. This excludes the use of any free, online translation resources such as Google Translate.
Machine translation is inexpensive and happens practically instantaneously. And, it might be the only step in your workflow, but only if you simply need to know “what the document says”. In other words, for an internal-only, information-only translation, machine translation may be good enough.
But if your document will see the light of day outside your own computer, it will need humans to finish and polish it. This process is called Machine Translation Post-Editing. If the machine translation output is fairly good, a translator will need only a fraction of the time for post-editing that would be needed for translation from scratch.
Having a Fast Translation Plan is Ideal
The ideal way to go about high-quality, professional translation, is to plan for it. We translate enormous volumes of data for clients every day. But the key is that we have been able to plan for the daily workload, and have a trained team in place, along with the latest technology, to hit the tight deadlines day after day.
If you happen to face an unplanned scenario and you are the one asking “how fast can a document be translated”, one of the tips above might help. Remember, it is always best to have a translation service partner who has processes and relevant technology to increase processing speeds, quickly and efficiently.
Would you like to know more about the pros and cons of the different approaches to translation? Contact us here
Fast translation is sought after for many reasons and we are used to it. Even so, questions like“How fast can I get my translation back?” or “How long will you take to translate my document?” are difficult to answer. There are multiple factors that will influence the speed of translation:
The size of the document
The type of the document and its intended purpose
The target language(s)
Your desired deadline
Additional complexities such as formatting or need for specific software
The quality level needed
1. Get Your Document Ready
Your translation services provider will ask you to see the document before committing to price and turnaround time. Be ready to provide it. If your document is a PDF, see if you can locate a copy in the native format (text editable). Read more here about the specific challenges of PDF document translation.
2. Specify Target Audience and Purpose
Who will be the recipient of your document? Where are they? Is there any other demographic information you can share? How will your document be used? Is it for information only or will it be published? Is it to address a customer service issue or to make a presentation to an important business partner? Any information you can share will help your provider select the correct path for translating your document. Avoiding unnecessary steps will speed up the process, as well as correctly understanding your goals.
3. Settle on the Desired Turnaround Time
Come up with the best and the worst case scenario. Allow your translation provider to express their opinion. Keep in mind that while they want to help you meet your deadline they also want to deliver the best possible product. Translation companies have ways of speeding up by changing the process, scaling up available capacity by using multiple translators and/or by using automation. There will almost always be some trade off in terms of quality, though. For example, a document translated by 5 different translators rather than 1 – and without the time for proper editing – will read like a document written by 5 different people.
Last but not least, be available for consultation during the translation process. If you are there to answer questions you might just be able to help speed things up.
Consider working with your translation partner closely during the phase of authoring documents for translation to avoid last minute rush scenarios. Anything that can be done to switch the translation process from reactive to proactive will help.
I am a translator by background. I did actively practice translation for over 20 years. Now, as someone who runs a translation business, I am still deeply involved with every aspect of the translation process, even if i do not actually translate anymore.
There is a great deal I miss about actually translating. The solitude of uninterrupted, focused work, for example. How it feels to be the only one responsible for stringing words together just the right way. Doing research and letting myself go down interesting rabbit trails that would take me away from the issue on hand but still deliver the delicious result of learning something new.
There are things I do not miss as much. Like learning the hard way that words can in fact be loaded weapons, as Jean-Paul Sartre once observed.
I was once contacted by a young lady who was looking for someone to translate a bunch of emails for her. She called and nearly cried on the phone when I told her I was in the middle of a large project and would not be able to take a look for a couple of days. Thinking that maybe I could come up with a shortcut, I asked her if she needed them all typed up or if she just needed to know what’s in them. She said “I only need a simple translation. Just knowing what’s in them will do”.
So I quickly read through them and knew right away. There were two parties to the email conversation. One was the woman’s husband, a native of a European country, the other was his lover in that country. His wife here in the U.S. suspected there was more to his business dealings there than just selling electronics products. So she got a hold of some emails from his account and looked for someone to translate them.
When I finished the last email, I took a few minutes to think. Mostly to see if I could avoid the unavoidable and only to find out that I could not. So I called her back. Yes, there is a woman. Yes, they are planning a future together. He will be moving there this summer. Wait, it gets worse. She is pregnant.
The woman on the other end of the line got quiet and then took a deep breath. “What do I owe you?”
“Nothing”, I said. How do you charge someone after you just ruined their life? “Thank you”, she said. “I will go pack my bags now”.
I will never forget this story and how being an unwilling but crucial participant in it has made me feel. It has stayed with me as an example of how translation can touch and completely transform lives. Sitting by the computer, accompanied only by the glow of the screen in front of us and pondering the best tweak to the sentence we just typed up, it is sometimes easy to forget the context of it all. May we always be reminded of the potential of each and every word.
Running a translation business and working with translators is an interesting process. Many people do not realize that we are organized like an agency. As opposed to having translators of every imaginable language packed into our office, we use freelance resources located around the world.
We can tell that sometimes a potential customer calling the office fully expects that we will quickly produce a Burmese translator and put them on the phone to discuss translation of a document that was needed yesterday. Not so fast!
If our goal is to match translators with clients not only based on their working language combination but also based on their area of expertise, educational background, and experience/skills, we would not get far with the in-house translators model.
Instead, we have a vast network of translators located in all corners of the world, working in a variety of fields and specialties.
In reality, we actually prefer that someone who translates into Thai actually lives in Thailand. They get to use and learn their language every day. Language is a living, breathing entity. To stay abreast of one’s mother tongue, living immersed in it – reading the newspaper and watching news on TV in it – definitely keeps linguists sharp and accurate. Once a translator moves away from their native country (like yours truly), their mother tongue skills start to deteriorate.
Once it is clear who and where our translators are, the second question that usually comes right after that is: “How do you find them?”
At this point of our existence, the majority of translators actually find us. We have been around for a while now, and just like in any community, the good word spreads. For years, our translators have been recommending us to their friends and translators with whom they hang out – mostly virtually but also in person.
We also get found because of reviews translators leave for us on job sites and public forums. We treat our translators well and with gratitude. They are the pillars on which our business stands. Without them and their talents we would not be here. Because of that, we have enjoyed five star ratings from our freelancers over the years.
We also have a proactive hiring policy. Even though it does not always work out this way, we generally do not wait until we need translators in a particular language combination before getting them on the team. We actively search for new talent even at times when demand for their language combination is low. It does take time to get to know someone and trust them with our clients’ content – especially since we almost never have the option of meeting them in person. There is a flurry of activities like credentials verification, testing, training, and monitoring that happens at the beginning of a relationship with someone. This training and monitoring is imperative before we fully trust linguists with our clients’ work – and continues throughout the translator’s engagement with TLC.
So there. They may not all be at our office and available at a moment’s notice, but we are still extremely fortunate to work with some of the best and most talented people around. We are in awe of their skills and professional attitude every day. And the effort we put into these long distance relationships? It is more than worth it.
