Translation In Country Reviews

I developed this white paper to help clients understand the Review process and better enable their reviewer (often someone who works for the client) to efficiently review a translated project. 

Guidelines for an In-Country Review

In-Country review is an important step in your translation process. Ideally, the review should be sent to an individual in the target country who has knowledge of your products and company. The person selected is generally a sales manager, regional manager or distributor.

The associate chosen should have a linguistic background, good knowledge of the company and product information in the target language. The expectations and goals should be established in the beginning, giving the reviewer a clear vision of what is needed.

þ  Use an editable file such as MS Word. The reviewer can make suggestions and comments using the change tracking feature. If they are working in another file format such as Excel or PowerPoint they can differentiate their comments using another font and color.

þ  Select in-country reviewers as far in advance of a project as possible.

þ  Give the Reviewer glossaries and style guides before review starts.

þ  Establish delivery date of translated materials with the reviewer.

þ  Establish solid deadlines for reviewer’s comments.

þ  Establish the method of capturing the reviewer’s comments.

þ  Provide specific guidelines for your reviewers to follow

þ  Supply Language Service Provider with reviewer comments before final DTP if appropriate.

þ  Stylistic Preferences – the translators are professional linguists and have chosen the most appropriate phrase and terminology for translation. Your reviewer needs to understand his/her role is to review the translation not instill their stylistic preferences in the material.

þ  Do not be alarmed if an in-country reviewer makes emotional unsubstantiated blanket comments like “this translation is not usable”. Often upon translator review you will learn the reviewer has changed or edited copy that is unnecessary and often changes the original language meaning. Our translations are translated and proofed by separate in-country professional linguists and are written to mirror the intent and information of the original text.

þ  When we receive the reviewer’s comments, our translators will return their suggestions and comments in a very timely manner. If we disagree with a change, we will notify you immediately to discuss proper terminology and grammar.

Implementing Reviewer Comments

Your localization vendor will implement the changes where valid. For some changes, particularly in the case of stylistic preferences of the reviewer, it is helpful for your vendor to have your reviewers available to answer any questions that may arise during comment implementation. It is critical that your reviewer understands any responses to the translation vendor must be done in a timely manner. Giving your reviewer a deadline for reply is helpful.

Summary

Your educated choice to use All Clear Translations for your language project was well thought out and a good one. Our process already has a review step in it that is done by a professional native-speaking

in-country language professional. By setting up guidelines and parameters for your in-country reviewer your process should be easy, less costly and time consuming for you and your reviewer.

Checklist to be given to your Reviewer:

      Confirm the start date

      Confirm the delivery date

      Review the Glossary and Style Guide (if available)

      Determine how you will deliver the comments

o   Must be in an electronic format

o   MS Word track changes, different font and color…

      Your role as a reviewer

o   You are looking for errors and miscommunications

o   Comments should not include individual style preferences.

o   Your review need to be timely and factual to avoid costly time delays

o   You should read the original  copy first, then the translated version

o   Your role is not to improve the content or writing but to ensure the copy is understandable