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How to Vet Translation Companies

10/23/2023

You’ve got great marketing and informational materials that need to reach a linguistically diverse audience in the United States.

You’re getting ready to launch your SaaS product globally.

You need protected information translated so you can communicate with a patient.

You need to discuss student progress with a parent who has limited English proficiency.

What do all of these scenarios have in common?

They all need translation services. Whatever your reason for needing translation, your next step is vetting translation companies.

Use the four criteria below to find a great translation company:

1. Expertise and Experience
2. Translation Quality and Process
3. Data Security and Privacy
4. Reliability

1. Expertise and Experience

To understand a company’s experience in translation, look at the company’s time in business. The longer a company has operated, the more projects it has completed. A company’s longevity can indicate experience. If you’re considering a newer translation company, look at the experience its leadership has in the industry.

Evaluating a company’s expertise is a little different. Find out if the translation company has completed projects like yours before. If you’re in a niche industry, you may want to look for more specialization in your niche.

Next, you need to learn about the company’s translator network. Depending on your needs, evaluate the network on breadth and depth. Breadth matters if you’ll request translations in a number of languages. If you just need one or two languages, the breadth of the company’s translator network may not matter.

The depth of the translator network is all about expertise. Look for a translation company that contracts with native speakers who live in a country where that language is spoken. You should also check that translators have experience in your industry, whether it’s tech, education, manufacturing, legal contracts, etc. Industry experience ensures familiarity with jargon and specific terms so that they’ll be translated correctly.

2. Translation Quality and Process

Unless you speak the target language, it’s hard to know how good a translation is. Instead, you need to evaluate the translation process and quality assurance checks a company offers.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has developed criteria for translations to ensure consistency. Your translation company should know what these are and follow them.

Beyond following ISO guidelines, your translation company should have a clear translation process that includes multiple quality checks.

First, the translation company should look at the project details and give you an estimate. Once, you’ve approved the project, it’ll go to a translator. While most translation companies use translation software to lower costs and increase speed, you want a human translator working on it to ensure a high-quality end result.

Once the translation is finished, it should be edited and reviewed. Once any errors are fixed, it moves into formatting. In formatting, the translation will be put into context. For example, the translated text for a flyer, would be put back into the original flyer design.

Next, is final proofing where an in-context linguistic analysis is completed in case any translation errors slipped through. Then, the translation is finally ready to be delivered to you.

3. Data Security and Privacy

Privacy matters to your business. As you get websites, apps, legal contracts, etc. translated, you want to keep your competitive edge by ensuring your company’s proprietary information is not disclosed to others. Your translation company should have up-to-date data security practices and be willing to sign non-disclosure agreements.

Depending on your industry, you may need a translation company that complies with HIPAA, FERPA, and GDPR rules. If your translations need to meet specific regulatory requirements, check that your translation company understands and follows them.

4. Reliability

Many factors combine to make a translation company reliable. Most importantly, you want to understand how good its customer service is. Observe how the company responds to your questions. Ask about what happens if there’s an issue with the final translation.

You should also understand what the final product will look like. Learn how the translation company formats and delivers the translation. Make sure you’ll get a ready-to-use product.

On your translation projects, you’ll have a budget and a timeline. Ask how the translation company ensures projects are on budget and on time. Another consideration for costs and timeline is finding a company that can help you balance those limitations successfully against translation quality. While it’s always best to have the highest quality translation, it’s nice to have some flexibility.

Thoroughly vetting translation companies will help ensure you pick one that meets your needs, delivers high quality translation products, and offers responsive customer service.

Your marketing and informational materials will be connect better with your target audiences.

You’ll set your global launch up for success.

Your patient will understand important health information.

Your student’s parents will be able to support their academic success.

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What to know about sending files to Zab

10/17/2023

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Translation is an important and exciting process – whether you’re expanding your business or communicating with families at your school. We love helping companies establish a strong brand in new regions and making communication easy across language barriers.

In 2022, we translated files into over 115 languages for our clients – from Spanish and Simplified Chinese to Ukranian and Somali. Whatever language you need translated, we probably already have translators ready to work on your project.

Below you’ll learn more about what file types we process and how to submit files for translation.

File Types

We work with many types of files. Below is a list of files that we typically work with.

Writing and Data Files	Design Files	Resource Files
• Microsoft Word	• Adobe InDesign	• JSON
• Microsoft Excel	• Adobe Illustrator	• PHP
• Microsoft PowerPoint	• Canva	• PO/POT
• Scanned documents	• Canva	• Properties
• HTML	• Articulate 360/RISE	• RC
• CSV		• RESX
		• XLIFF
		• XML

If you are using a file type not listed above, please let us know what kind of file you’re working with because we will likely be able to work with it.

Keep in mind that additional work is required for scanned documents, and we may not be able to match the style and fonts exactly.

Below you’ll learn more about what file types we process and how to submit files for translation.

File Submission Instructions

Please follow the instructions below to ensure we deliver a high-quality final product.

When you submit your files for translation, please send us two things:

• the original source file and
• a PDF of the final English version (if available).

Send these documents to your solutions consultant via email. If your files are too big or require another submission method, talk to your solutions consultant about other options.

We use the primary source file for translation and can accommodate multiple languages.

We use the PDF file to make sure we’re matching style and formatting for the translated final product.

If you only have a PDF file, we can still work with it. However, accessing the primary source files allows us to more easily match the formatting and style.

Keep in mind that some fonts don’t support all languages, so we may make minor changes to best accommodate matching your style guide and delivering a quality written translation.

Special Instructions for Adobe InDesign File Submission

For best results, we need a file package for Adobe InDesign that includes

• source links,
• .INDD file,
• .IDML file, and
• fonts.

To export a package, click File>> Package>>Package.

When the window displays, double check that the following boxes are checked:

• Copy fonts
• Copy linked graphics
• Update graphic links in package
• Include .IDML
• Include .PDF

Below is what the package folder should look like when you submit it.

Once the file package is completed, send it to us via email. If you have larger files, talk to our team about other ways to submit your documents.

Need help with translation? Request a quote to connect with one of our solutions consultants.

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How To: Make Sure Your District Budgets for Translation

10/6/2023

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You’re on the frontlines of education. You work directly with students and parents daily.

You know what resources you need. It’s just a matter of working with your school and district to ensure those needs are met.

If you work with a lot of English-language learners, chances are you’ve run into the need for interpretation or translation. Had your school planned for these costs?

If you need more funding for translation, you need to ensure that it’s part of the school district’s budgeting process. Starting these conversations early can help you get a sense of the resources available to your district and ensure you have the resources you need next year.

Who to talk to about budgeting for translation

You need to know who’s involved in the budgeting process. We’ll review basics about who manages the budgeting process, but remember that some of these things can vary by state and school district.

• Superintendent: oversees school district budget and budgeting process
• Assistant superintendent / chief business official / budget administrator: creates and presents budget preparation guidelines for the next school year
• School Board: reviews and approves budget process, guidelines, and calendar
• School administrators: assists in budget development as assigned by the superintendent
• Principal: oversees budget at the school-level
• School employees: offer feedback and make budget requests

When to start conversations about budgeting for translation

Planning and budgeting for the next school year is a year-long process that starts in the fall. We’ll review how this process works and ways you can get translation into the conversation earlier, rather than later.

Fall – Set Goals and Priorities

The superintendent and other school administrators start working on budget guidelines, due dates, and the development process for the district in the fall.

Fall seems early to start thinking about the next school year. However, if you ran into translation funding shortfalls last year, now’s a good time to flag it as a priority for your school.

Working with your principal, make sure that translation funding is on the school district’s priority list.

Winter – Create School District Budget

School districts start creating the budget during the winter. It gets busy during this season, especially since it’s holiday season. However, keep tabs on conversations around the budget. Talk to your principal to see if they have any updates, and offer another reminder of translation’s role in the success of your students.

Spring – Schools Create Their Budgets

Once the district sets its budget, it allocates funds to each school. Your principal will start making decisions for your school based on this information. Here’s where you can learn more about how your school specifically will cover translation costs.

Remember that budgets have to be submitted and approved before going into effect, so there is still an opportunity to make changes if needed.

Summer – Reporting and Making Adjustments

During the summer, schools finish reporting for the school year and end the fiscal year. They also submit their finalized budgets and funding requests. Based on what comes back after approval, there may be additional changes. If you’re lucky, you may be approved for more that you thought or exactly what you requested. If not, you’ll need to consider areas for making cuts.

How to make the case for translation

As you prepare to talk to the school board and your principal about budgeting for translation, keep a few things in mind:

1) Budgets are detailed and have many parts. They allocate funding for buses, staff salary and benefits, building upkeep, any debt the school district has, etc. There are often competing priorities, and it can be easy for certain programs to be forgotten.
2) Data is your friend. Your school district and principal need a tangible way to justify how they allocate funds. Information on student demographics and parent English proficiency will help your district prioritize translation funding appropriately.
3) Stories are memorable. While data makes a strong case, combine it with a story or two to make it tangible. Maybe a family had a really positive experience, or a student made really good progress academically because there was good communication facilitated by translation.

Here’s an example of what you can say:

“I was looking at the student body, and X percent of our students are English language learners or have parents with limited English proficiency. Building strong parent-teacher relationships is tricky with a language barrier. I want to make sure that we’re setting aside enough resources for interpretation and translation next year so we’re offering the same opportunities to parents for involvement at school and that our students get support from home.”

Depending on the response, it may be worth adding a gentle reminder that translation is a requirement of schools. However, keep in mind that the Office of Civil Rights considers budgetary limitations and overall need for translation when enforcing its requirements.

In other words, maybe your school district can only cover translations for specific notices, like IEP or 504 plans, because it is a small district with a limited budget and a small population of English-language learners. Expectations on budgeting for translation in districts with more funds or higher populations of English-language learners would be higher.

Remember that while most of the funding for translation services comes from state and local allocations, there are a few federal programs that supplement these costs in certain areas. The specifics can vary by school and depend on the program, so asking more questions about how your school can access these funds will also help move the conversation along.

Expressing your school’s need for translation and working with your principal and school district to ensure planning for these costs will make it easier to establish positive relationships with parents and support your students next year.

Do you need help with translation at your school? Get a quick quote or email [email protected] to ask for service and pricing details.

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How To: Translation Budgeting for School Districts

10/2/2023

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Every fall you start planning the school district’s budget for the following year. It’s a multi-faceted task. It’s hard to forget to fund salaries or buses, but other items can be overlooked or deprioritized.

Translation sometimes falls into that category. However, it should be a higher priority for school districts across the United States to address the needs of students and parents with limited English proficiency, particularly as those populations grow.

Between 2010 and 2020, the number of English-language learners grew by half a million. English-language learners are about 10 percent of total enrollment in US public schools. The most common language of these students is Spanish (75 percent). Other common languages include Arabic, Chinese, and Vietnamese.

While some schools have a much higher proportion of English-language learners in their student bodies, translation is something all school districts should be looking at to meet regulatory requirements and ensure students have the support they need at home.

Why budget for translation

According to a May 1970 memo, schools must offer all parents the same meaningful access to information, including details about school events, student performance, and parental participation.

Since the emphasis is on meaningful access, translation or interpretive services may be necessary to provide information to parents who have limited English proficiency.

The Office of Civil Rights is part of the Department of Education that protects equal access in education, including ensuring that translation services are being provided by schools to parents when necessary.

Schools cannot charge parents for translation or interpretive services, so you need to plan to cover those expenses. Planning for these costs will help prevent lawsuits and regulatory issues from arising.

Most of the funding for translation in your school district will come from state and local sources. There are some federal programs that provide supplemental funding for translation for specific requirements, so it’s important to assess how these apply to schools in your district.

How to budget for translation

As you start to budget for translation, you’ll need to look at the needs in your district and understand the costs of translation and interpretive services.

Assess needs

Your school district’s translation needs will vary based on several factors: the demographics of your school districts, parent-district engagement, types of communication sent, and your overall budget and program size. These are also the criteria the Office of Civil Rights uses to evaluate whether a school is meeting its translation obligations.

You’ll need to make these considerations at the district level and for individual schools as you allocate funding to meet needs.

Demographics

First, consider the demographics of your current enrollment. What proportion of the student body are English-language learners? What proportion of parents have limited English proficiency?

Information from school welcome centers and ELL programs will help you make this assessment.

As you consider the current demographics, you should also look at the projected demographics of the incoming kindergarten class. This information will help you understand any demographic changes that your budget will need to address to meet changing needs.

The more ELL students you have, the more you’ll need to prioritize translation in your budget.

Engagement

Next, consider how much engagement your school district has with parents and the community. The more engagement you have, the more you’ll need to weigh translation costs as you make budgetary decisions.

Types of Communication

Schools do a lot of communicating with parents – from weekly newsletters to student report cards, it can be a lot to translate. If your school district has a tight budget, it may not be able to translate every communication. However, the most important notices must be translated for parents.

If you’re working with a small budget, make communication priorities part of your guidelines.

Overall Budget and Program Size

If you’re running a large program with a generous budget, it can be easier to ensure adequate funding for translation. Smaller budgets for smaller programs can be trickier. However, it comes back to prioritizing what communication is critical to translate.

Estimate costs

After you’ve assessed what your school district’s translation needs are, you need to understand how the translation industry works and what market rates are.

Translation services are different from interpretive services since they focus on written language. Because translation focuses on written language, it’s much easier to scale and the cost per word will decrease over time.

When you work with a translation company, you may start with a glossary for terms for how you want specific things translated. This terminology list will be followed and added to as you keep sending documents for translation. In other words, if a phrase appears multiple times in a document, you may have to pay full price for its translation once depending on the context.

Some documents are specific to certain students and require privacy considerations. However, when you’re translating a document for mass communication like a newsletter, it only needs to be translated once. After the document is in the target language, you can send it to as many people as you’d like.

To compare translation services and rates, start by sending out a Request for Pricing or a Request for Proposals (RFP). Looking at the responses will give you a sense of the market rates and budget accordingly.

How to vet translation companies

Once you’ve budgeted for translation, you’ll need to choose a translation company. Since you’re likely going to use their services over a long period of time, vet companies carefully to ensure you choose an experienced, reliable company.

Create an RFP

When you make an RFP, include information about your translation needs – languages and types of documents. Be thorough with this information so the translation company can be equally thorough in its response.

Once you receive responses to your RFP, look at the pricing breakdown. What’s the formatting cost, the translation cost, etc.?

Check for experience

You also need to check the company’s experience and expertise. Does the company hire native speakers? Are the translators familiar with K-12 education and translating documents in that field? How does the company ensure a quality translation?

Ensure FERPA compliance and data security

Since some of the documents your schools will need translations for will be protected student information, you need to know how the company addresses data security and complies with FERPA.

Budgeting adequately for translation services will ensure that your school district complies with regulations and that all parents in your school district can support their child’s academic growth.

Need translation services in your school district? Get a quick quote or email [email protected] to ask for service and pricing details.

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How to Vet Translation Companies

10/23/2023

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1. Expertise and Experience
2. Translation Quality and Process
3. Data Security and Privacy
4. Reliability

1. Expertise and Experience

2. Translation Quality and Process

3. Data Security and Privacy

4. Reliability

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What to know about sending files to Zab

10/17/2023

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File Types

We work with many types of files. Below is a list of files that we typically work with.

Writing and Data Files	Design Files	Resource Files
• Microsoft Word	• Adobe InDesign	• JSON
• Microsoft Excel	• Adobe Illustrator	• PHP
• Microsoft PowerPoint	• Canva	• PO/POT
• Scanned documents	• Canva	• Properties
• HTML	• Articulate 360/RISE	• RC
• CSV		• RESX
		• XLIFF
		• XML

File Submission Instructions

Please follow the instructions below to ensure we deliver a high-quality final product.

When you submit your files for translation, please send us two things:

• the original source file and
• a PDF of the final English version (if available).

Special Instructions for Adobe InDesign File Submission

For best results, we need a file package for Adobe InDesign that includes

• source links,
• .INDD file,
• .IDML file, and
• fonts.

To export a package, click File>> Package>>Package.

When the window displays, double check that the following boxes are checked:

• Copy fonts
• Copy linked graphics
• Update graphic links in package
• Include .IDML
• Include .PDF

Below is what the package folder should look like when you submit it.

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How To: Make Sure Your District Budgets for Translation

10/6/2023

0 Comments

Who to talk to about budgeting for translation

• Superintendent: oversees school district budget and budgeting process
• Assistant superintendent / chief business official / budget administrator: creates and presents budget preparation guidelines for the next school year
• School Board: reviews and approves budget process, guidelines, and calendar
• School administrators: assists in budget development as assigned by the superintendent
• Principal: oversees budget at the school-level
• School employees: offer feedback and make budget requests