What Type of Spanish Do Translation Companies Use?

As English is spoken quite differently throughout the nation, this also holds true for Spanish. One may find a difference in how those in Florida speak Spanish compared to Spanish speakers in Southern California. The question asked quite often to Spanish Translation Services is what type of Spanish is used for Spanish translations?

Spanish translation services use Spanish that can be understood by anyone who speaks Spanish no matter what region of the country they live. It is the same concept when books for school are written. English textbooks can be understood by students throughout the country regardless of location. Most Spanish translation services do not use any form of slang or other word usage that may be specific to one region.

When using any Spanish translation service, do not worry about the Spanish they will be using, focus more on their quality, experience, and professionalism.

Using Translation Services

It is clear that the usage of translation services has increased tremendously. What is also true is that people needing these translation services are busier than ever. So the following are some tips to keep in mind when you come to the realization that it’s better to use a professional translation service than to do attempt to complete translations on your own:

• If the source language is your native language, proof read the document yourself. Make sure that there are no grammar mistakes as it will make it easier for the translator.
  
  
• Choose your translation service wisely. Do not just base your decision on rates. Nowadays, language translators are quite competitive, especially for Spanish translation services. Ask about experience, proof reading process, turnaround time, and subject matter expertise.
  
  
• It is not always possible, but you can request to view the CV of the language translator most likely to be doing your translation. Even if it’s not that same person, at least you will get an idea of the caliber language translator the company uses.
  
  
• If your need a special translation, e.g. medical translation or Spanish translation, find a company that specialized in that subject matter. This may cost you more, but accuracy may be crucial like for a medical translation.
  

The bottom line is that it’s worth your time now to do some preliminary due diligence before choosing a translation service company.

Increase Your Vocabulary

If you provide translation services, and this includes Spanish translation service or even medical translation, increasing your vocabulary is essential. There are many ways to go about doing this, and just recently Dictionary.com has suggested a rather easy and actually quite entertaining method: Watch the right TV shows.

Dictionary.com has put out a list of shows that they believe will increase your vocabulary based on the plethora of ‘big words’ that are used in these shows.

• Glee
• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
• Fringe
• Top Chef
• Sesame Street
• Yo Gabba Gabba
• True Blood
• Mad Men
  

Those of you who provide translation services may not actually find the need to translate words from these shows, but one never knows what translation services may be needed. One would think that watching a medical show like House would only help someone who does medical translations. So, the next time someone tells you that you watch too much TV, let them know that it’s part of your job as a translator doing medical translations, Spanish translation service, or any other translation services you do.

Are Spanish Translations All the Same?

No. There are multiple dialects of the Spanish language, not to mention, the Spanish spoken in Columbia is different from the Spanish Spoken in Spain which differs from Spanish spoken in Mexico. So how do you know if a Spanish translation service is taking all these dialects and language nuances into account? You don’t. You have to ask. It’s ok that a Spanish translation service specializes in only one type of Spanish translation. What is not ok is for them not to be clear on what that is. Many free lance Spanish translator services are not inclined to turn down any translation work. Hence, they may not be inclined to say that they do not translate in the Spanish dialect you need. So ask!

Also, ask for sample work from any Spanish translation service you are considering to use. Communicate clearly who your target audience is and what subject matter you are needing to translate. Some Spanish translation services are specialize in medical Spanish translation but not online content Spanish translation or localization. There is quite a difference so explaining the scope of work early is prudent. Don’t be afraid to ask what the process is and who performs the proof reading: A different Spanish translation services than the one doing the initial translating?

Professional Translation Services by Native Speakers

Professional translators translate in their native language better than other languages. Many in the professional translation services industry would not agree with this statement. Take the case with translating the Holy Quran which is the holy book Muslims follow. It is written in Arabic with translation in hundreds of languages all around the world, many done by professional translation services. Iranians tout that they are actually in the forefront of producing exegeses and Islamic material above those whose native language is Arabic. Persian is the native language of Iranians, and yet some Iranian publishing officials claim that even the first Islamic translations of critical analysis were done by Iranians.

So how do you confirm that the professional translation services you are getting, is the best, most accurate. Most professional translation services include a step where proof reading is conducted by someone who did not perform the initial translation. You may want to request a second proof reading, although normally one proof reading will suffice.

Also verify credentials of the translator. As previously stated, do not focus on what the native language is of the translator. Verify the experience, certification, and other credentials of the translator doing the original translation. What everyone can agree on is using a professional translation services agency is the best step to take for all document translations.

Language Translation Domain Names

Wondering if your child should learn a second language? Absolutely! It only helps to know at least one other language pretty well, maybe not at the level of a language translator or enough to perform an accurate medical translation, but to understand and to speak.

According to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), only 40 percent of cyberspace is made up of English-speaking users. The other 60% actually surf viewing another language; their native language. June 2010 ICANN approved the use of domain names using only Chinese language characters- who actually make up one fifth of the global population. Arabic countries have already had domain names of Arabic characters. ICANN states that this decision will benefit about one billion people who use the Chinese language on a daily basis.

So, what does this mean for those of us in the language translation business? Start looking into web content translation services and ensuring that language translators have the skill to convert consumer content translations, technical translations, and other website content into languages such as Arabic or Mandarin. It won’t be long before this decision affects all industries including the medical service and research sector. Medical translation for print is very different compared to online medical translation. Always use a language translator or language interpreter trained in medical translation and interpretation. Not all language translators are qualified to conduct medical translations.

Free Online Medical Translation

If you are reading this medical translation blog, you either are interested in a free online medical translation or have actually used the service. Either way, stop what you are doing. I can’t resist using the commonly used phrase, “You will get what you pay for.”

Online medical translations appear to be reliable. But they are not. Online medical translation tools are good for quick references for personal use or when accuracy is not crucial. However, medical translations cannot be depended on an online tool; it could be detrimental.

If you are in need of medical translation services but have a tight budget, this does not justify using an online translator. Most professional translation services will work with you and your budget constraints.

Language is just too complicated for an online language translator. These tools cannot take into account context, dialect, culture nuances, word usage, tone, sarcasm, and so on. Machines cannot use logic to understand what someone is trying to say. Simply put: an online medical translation will never replace a human language translator or language interpreter. Test this statement. Type a medical statement into your online translation tool and then reverse it. Try this with at least three different online translation tools and observe your results. Now do you believe me?