Got a question regarding business Spanish translation, interpretation, foreign language dubbing or language classes? Find the answers below:

1. What is the difference between translation and interpretation?
2. How do I know my translation is of high quality?
3. Who are the translators/interpreters/instructors/voice talents and what kind of qualifications do they have?
4. How fast can I get a translation back?
5. How much does translation cost?
6. What is the difference between simultaneous, consecutive and sight interpretation?
7. Do you have interpreters for conferences and meetings?
8. What kind of interpreters do I need for a conference?
9. I would like to learn how to speak Spanish, but I have a busy schedule. Can Your Mother Tongue help?
10. Many business people in Latin America already speak English; do I really need to learn Spanish?
11. I have a video in English. How can I get a Spanish version?
12. Will my materials be kept confidential?
13. I have bilingual friends/relatives/staff that could help me with my translation needs. Why would I need a translation company?
14. I could buy translation software for around $300.00 and save a lot of money. Why would I need to hire a translator?
15. I require translation services on a regular basis. What do you do to keep the terminology consistent?

What is the difference between translation and interpretation?

Translation is an exercise in writing. It consists of taking a written text and reconstructing its meaning into another language. In translation, the translator reads and then writes, therefore, a translator must have excellent comprehension skills in a second language and excellent writing skills in his/her mother tongue.

Interpretation is an oral exercise. It consists of listening to words spoken by someone and interpreting them orally into another language for someone else. In interpretation, the interpreter listens and then speaks, therefore, an interpreter must have exceptional oral communication skills in two languages.

How do I know my translation is of high quality?

Quality Control is our priority: Translation projects, such as business letters, contracts, annual reports, manuals, film scripts, etc. are each handled by a team of three professional writers of both languages—translator, back-translator and proofreader—to ensure accurate and well-written documents.

For example, the procedure for an English-to-Spanish translation of a legal document destined for Mexico is as follows:

Native Spanish speaker translates

=>

Native English speaker back-translates making sure interpretation of source language is accurate

=>

Native Mexican attorney proofreads, ensuring adequacy in the target language

In the event a translator is unable to find a translation for certain terms in dictionaries, glossaries or the Internet, or is unable to understand parts of the text, the back-translator and proofreader are consulted. Should it happen that no one can come up with the answer, instead of guessing, the Project Manager will contact the client in order to find a solution. Questions don't mean that a translator is not qualified; they are a sign that he/she is trying to do the best job possible. Besides, it will help you see if you need to improve the clarity of your original.

Only the most professional translation companies offer this level of quality control.

Who are the translators/interpreters/instructors/voice talents and what kind of qualifications do they have?

Your Mother Tongue works with over 200 translators, interpreters, language instructors and voices from the Americas and Spain. With the exception of some voices, all YMT service providers posses a university degree, usually a Master’s or a Ph.D. They are all trained professionals working in specific industries such as law, accounting, business, technology, medicine, computer science, journalism, education, among others.

YMT’s general requirements for service providers are:

• At least 3 years professional experience
• Preferable translation/interpretation/teaching/recording studies, certification or proven experience
• Knowledge of the subject they work in
• Accuracy, speed and reliability in the work they produce
• Team player, easy to work with and reliable

How fast can I get a translation back?

Our average word translation rate is 1,500 words per day. Additional translators can be called upon for rush projects where there is a need to translate more than the average number of words per day. Rush fees of 50% apply for over 1,500 words per day, and 100% for over 2,000 words per day. Whatever the amount of words, we always do our best to accommodate the client’s needs.

If we cannot make the deadline you are asking for, we will tell you before accepting a project. If we accept a project, you will receive it on time.

How much does translation cost?

Our translation rates per word are as follows:

• General translation: CA$0.25/word
• Technical/Legal: CA$0.35/word

What is the difference between simultaneous, consecutive and sight interpretation?

Simultaneous interpretation (also known as conference interpretation) is when the speaker's voice is interpreted without interruption as he/she is speaking. Simultaneous interpretation usually requires sound equipment and a booth for interpreters. The audience listens to the language of their choice using headsets. Due to the challenging nature of simultaneous interpretation, interpreters take turns every 20 minutes to avoid exhaustion. Simultaneous interpretation is usually used for large meetings and conferences.

Consecutive interpretation is when the speaker pauses after every two or three sentences to allow time for the interpreter to deliver the speaker's remarks into the other language. The consecutive interpreter is always in close proximity to the participants be it between two people or small groups of people. Consecutive interpreting is most effective for casual meetings, tours, assistance through trade show exhibits, interviews, business negotiations, medical appointments, court appearances or receptions.

Sight interpretation is a mixed type of interpretation and translation. The interpreter reads a document written in one language while converting it orally into another language. In other words, a written text is rendered orally without advance notice and on site. Sight translation is most commonly used in legal settings such as court hearings.

Do you have interpreters for conferences and meetings?

Yes. Your Mother Tongue provides teams of simultaneous interpreters not only for conferences but also for large meetings.

What kind of interpreters do I need for a conference?

Simultaneous interpreters are used for conferences or large meetings. Simultaneous interpretation (also known as conference interpretation) is when the speaker's voice is interpreted without interruption as he/she is speaking. Simultaneous interpretation for conferences requires sound equipment and a booth for interpreters. The audience listens to the language of their choice using headsets. Due to the demanding nature of simultaneous interpretation, interpreters take turns every 30 minutes to avoid exhaustion.

I would like to learn how to speak Spanish, but I have a busy schedule. Can Your Mother Tongue help?

Your Mother Tongue tailors its Spanish classes to the needs of the client, privately and in groups of up to six students. You don’t have to come to us; we come to you! Our language instructors come to your office to provide Spanish classes in your Board Room.

Many business people in Latin America already speak English; do I really need to learn Spanish?

IF YOU...

• are doing business in Latin America
• are a serious player spending $25,000-50,000 a year on your sales efforts
• are making major investments in your product, your sales literature and your communications to penetrate this market
• are sending some of your most talented sales people to the region to sell and negotiate

...WOULDN'T YOU BE MORE EFFECTIVE IF YOU SPOKE YOUR CUSTOMER'S LANGUAGE?

Your Mother Tongue offers regular classes of 90 minutes in length and take place between 8:30am and 8:00pm --2 classes/week minimum.

Phone (416) 603-2766 and talk to us about your language goals. We'll get you speaking!

I have a video in English. How can I get a Spanish version?

Producing a video in another language should be a smooth and painless process. Your Mother Tongue can provide you with any or all of the following services to complete your project:

• Script translation
• Voice talent from the target market
• Studio monitor

We even have professional scriptwriters on staff if you're starting from scratch!

Will my materials be kept confidential?

At Your Mother Tongue confidentiality is paramount in every project we embark on. We would be happy to sign your Nondisclosure Agreement.

Confidentiality is guaranteed.

All service providers at Your Mother Tongue are bound to a general Nondisclosure Agreement.

I have bilingual friends/relatives/staff that could help me with my translation needs. Why would I need a translation company?

To produce a high quality translation, it is not enough to be bilingual. When choosing a translation vendor, keep in mind what translation is. Command of two languages does not qualify anyone to be a translator. Good translation requires more than just matching words in different languages. Translation is a profession; it requires considerable training and experience, as well as an excellent grasp of two languages. A translation deserves the same attention and effort as your original. You wouldn't dream of sending out business documentation without having revised it carefully. The same principle should apply to translated documents.

I could buy translation software for around $300.00 and save a lot of money. Why would I need to hire a translator?

Affordable translation software that runs on personal computers has been increasing over the last few years. However, their usefulness is highly questionable. Computer translation programs help translate materials from one language to another and their prices vary from a few dollars to thousands of dollars. In general, you get what you pay for in machine translation.

Autonomous computer translation software takes the source language text and translates it into a target language giving as a result unintelligible sentences. However, there are translation aids to facilitate the translation process such as glossaries, phrase/sentence matching and other interactive aids, but they do not perform the actual translation without a person’s intervention on several levels. Basically, they can speed up the translation process, but cannot replace the translator. A substantial amount of post-editing is required.

The cost-effectiveness of post-editing depends on the quality, configuration and maintenance of the components of the program. On the whole, machine translation can be a very long-term solution to high-volume translation needs.

I require translation services on a regular basis. What do you do to keep the terminology consistent?

Glossary-building is essential for large-scale or “on a regular bases” projects. When a new job is started, Your Mother Tongue obtains as much information from your documents as possible and selects company-specific vocabulary including abbreviations, jargon and acronyms. This is done in cooperation with the client. When a new job is started, the terminology collection continues and, having a firm terminology foundation, the translation results will be consistent on an ongoing basis.

Glossary-building is a team endeavor of translator, back-translator, proofreader and client. They will work in collaboration to exchange findings and to discuss terminology.