How to provide context for translators

by | Mar 31, 2019 | Uncategorized

Accurate, timely delivery of translations rely on the context you provide. Content without any or too little context can be extremely difficult to translate, even for the most experienced language specialists. That is why providing sufficient input is so crucial to get the desired results.

Webzlab.com is known for its high quality; this is best achieved by getting things right from the very beginning. We always ensure that our translators get sufficient context, and therefore we require costumers to provide as much info as possible.

But what is needed actually?

 

Glossaries

A typical translation glossary is made up of a list of approved, standardized terms in the source language that are industry- or company-specific. Glossaries make the whole translation process simpler, since they enable translators to use the right terminology, which results in higher consistency across the website.

 

Style guides

Since translation quality can be rather subjective, a style guide that contains features of the brand of your company provides translators with guidance. This ensures that your tone of voice and overall image remains intact.

Components of a style guide are:

  • Target audience, style and tone of voice
  • Word usage and grammar
  • Capitalization and punctuation
  • Images/screenshots and examples

 

Contextual info

When sending content for translation, it is also helpful to share a few key insights to ensure that everyone is on the same page. For instance, what exactly is being translated; more info on target audience; links to the website (if applicable).

 

Creating all these documents and assembling all materials can take some time, but that is nothing compared to the time and resources wasted that arise from misunderstandings.

 

Let us know if you have questions about any of the discussed content topics.