Translation Blog

Professional translation firms provide effective written communication between speakers of multiple languages. Hiring a qualified language translator has become routine for many international organisations. In fact, translation in London only has seen a particular surge in demand as UK businesses employ translation firms to communicate successfully with their diverse customer bases.

Before appointing one of the London translation firms, there are several things you need to know in advance. This knowledge makes the translation process easier, ensuring a smooth partnership with your language translator. Read on to learn how to prepare appropriately for a translation project.

1. Get Organised  

You should get organised and gather your project requirements before contacting translation firms. Without a complete scope of work, evaluating the qualifications of each language translator needed to deliver quality results is nearly impossible. A lack of information also makes it challenging for agencies to provide an accurate quote for a translation in London or else in the UK.

If possible, answer the following questions before contacting any translation firms for a quote:

• What language is the original document written in?
• What language(s) would you like your documents translated into?
• What specific audience are you hoping to reach with this content?
• What is the length of the content you need to translate?
• What file format(s) will the translation be delivered to you in?
• What tone are you hoping to convey?
• What vocabulary/jargon or technical requirements will your language translator need to understand the source document completely?

When answering these questions, try and be as specific as possible. For example, share the demographics and geographic locations when defining your audience. The same language can have many variations and dialects in different countries, so simply stating that you want it translated from English to Spanish is not enough information.

Defining your audience is also crucial when deciding on an appropriate tone. For example, the content will be dramatically different if the target audience is young, urban and hip software developers. A professional translator provides more than word-for-word translation. The ability to convey nuanced meaning comes from the writing style and tone.

2. Prepare a Brief for Your Translation Firm

Once you have gathered the above information, you can contact agencies offering translation in London. When speaking to translation firms, you should present them with a project brief. This will ensure that your language translator can provide an accurate quote and timeframe.

When appointing a translation agency, prepare to thoroughly brief your translator again on unique company or industry jargon, metaphors, and idiomatic or humorous expressions that your translator may not be familiar with in your source document. Explaining your intended meaning will also help the translator accurately translate for your specific target audience.

3. Avoid Quick Turnarounds

Many companies offering translation in London can work to urgent deadlines. However, the more time you can provide your language translator, the better! Project preparation, terminology research, proofreading, and collaboration among the various service providers can take time. Rush jobs may require shortcuts that could impact the quality of the final product delivered by translation firms.

4. Communicate Often & Quickly

Always keep your language translator informed if there are any changes to your project requirements. Translation firms need to know about changes immediately. Several linguists might collaborate on your translation in London, and everyone needs to know what is happening. Not communicating can cause delays and change the price of the project.

5. Make Introductions

A translation project often requires collaboration between many parties. For example, translation firms may need to interact with vendors and contractors outside your organisation, such as your website developer, marketing agency, or social media manager. They may also need to communicate with departments in your organisation, like accounting, marketing, or legal.

It is a good idea to introduce your language translator to everyone on your team as soon as possible. Companies offering translation in London can work more efficiently when they have the relevant contact information for all important people involved in the project.

6. Trust Your Translation Firm

Translation in London is available from many qualified translation firms. The linguists working at these firms are skilled in languages. They’ll hold translation degrees, are often native speakers, and understand your subject matter. Trusting the experience of your language translator to adapt your content appropriately to the target audience is essential. Your translator will likely know more about the cultural ramifications than you do!

7. Respect Your Translator

Leading translation firms only recruit top talent into their agencies. Translation in London is in high demand and extremely competitive, so agencies want to ensure that all their clients receive accurate, high-quality, and authentic translations.

Therefore, your language translator will have invested significant amounts of time and money in training, education, certifications, professional memberships, and years of experience. Treating them like you treat your most valued professional service providers (attorney, accountant, consultant) will ensure a smooth and efficient partnership.

8. Show Appreciation

Sourcing accurate translation in London is central to the successful launch of many UK companies internationally. Without translations, businesses cannot communicate with global clients, drive international sales, or make their brand heard overseas. Unfortunately, the role translation firms play in business expansion can be overlooked.

Letting your language translator know you appreciate their efforts to remain on time and on budget will help them feel a part of the overall goal. Remember, repeat business is the best compliment any service provider could receive!

Let us be your Trusted Translation Firm

These eight tips will fast-track your projects and produce higher-quality final deliverables. Translation firms can understand and manage your expectations, and your language translator will be motivated by your trust, respect, and appreciation. Renaissance Translations is member of the Association of Translation Companies in England as well as SDL LSP Partner Programme.

If you’re looking for a translation in London, our company can help. We have helped many companies with professional translation services for all industries and language pairs. If you would like to discuss your translation project with us, please contact our professional project managers today. You can also call 0161 3940408 or email [email protected].

The UK language service market is the world’s second-largest market and the largest single-country market for language services in Europe. This is according to research conducted by the Association of Translation Companies (ATC). Globally, the entire language service industry was estimated at a value of £35 billion in 2018. The translation industry is rapidly evolving and has become increasingly competitive, with UK translation companies continuing to be industry leaders.

In the UK alone, the ATC reported there were 1,600 language service providers in 2019. In addition, in 2019, the ATC’s Language Industry report valued the UK language services market at £1.35 billion. This had increased to between £1.5 and £1.7 billion in 2021. The ATC’s biannual surveys are comprehensive in that they surveyed several large language service providers. Multiple medium-sized UK translation companies and many small and specialist language service providers were in the survey too.

Global Trends Impacting Language Service Providers

The continuing expansion and success of the UK language service market can be attributed to several factors. These include:

1. Increased availability and use of technology: Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine translation have made translation services more efficient. However, human skills are still needed to ensure accuracy, tone, and cultural appropriateness. Surveys suggest that many UK translation companies have developed proprietary in-house software to streamline the translation process.
2. Greater need for localisation: To communicate effectively across growing international audiences, content needs localization to specific audiences. Dialects, cultural differences, idiomatic expressions, and local policies vary significantly between countries and regions that speak the same language. For example, an English to Spanish language service project may need two final versions, one for a European Spanish-speaking market, and another for a South American Spanish-speaking market.
3. More global mergers & acquisitions: The new buy-to-build or purchase-to-grow business models have required communications in other languages. As a result, the need for professional language services has increased.
4. Upsurge in the digitalization of content: The days of a single paper company brochure in one language no longer exist. For example, websites, social media profiles, email campaigns, e-learning, video, and live streaming, and even video gaming, require content creation and updating continuously in multiple languages and media formats.
5. Growing demand for interpreting: Increased international collaborations, information sharing, and government contracts have meant more conferences and meetings among individuals speaking multiple languages. Without the use of a professional language service, including interpreters and translators, these communications would be stalled or significantly impaired.

Language Industry Outlook & Challenges

The ATC’s 2019 survey stated that the UK language service market would continue growing, but at a slower rate. The survey added, “This conservative view stems from political and market instability, increased nationalism, and ongoing global competition in trade.”

This did not account for the Covid-19 pandemic, which affected many businesses, including UK translation companies, and has changed the way working practices are viewed at large.

Below are some of the challenges we believe that freelancers and UK translation companies will face in the next few years:

1. Increased competitive pressure: As the UK language service market demand grows, the number of suppliers entering the market is also increasing. Consumers will have more providers to choose from at every price point and competitive differentiators will also be harder to establish.
2. Need for automation: Advanced technologies are increasingly the norm for most UK translation companies. The ability to meet tight deadlines and overall speed of production are now key market requirements, not competitive advantages.
3. Brexit may continue to present challenges for UK translation companies. In the 2021 survey, 20% of language service providers in the UK stated that they were feeling the negative effects of Brexit, and 47% reported worries over its future effects. The impact could be significant, as continental Europe is the strongest revenue generator for language service providers in the UK.
4. Adapting to a post-pandemic world: Language service provision has changed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Specifically, the demand for remote interpreters has increased, and the wider world of work has seen the potential that remote work offers both companies and individuals. Recognizing and responding to these challenges will be key for UK translation companies to remain relevant and succeed over the next few years.

Renaissance Translations’ Professional Language Services 

Renaissance Translations is one of the leading UK translation companies. We hold ourselves and our translators to high standards in order to provide our clients with the best service possible. We are member of the Association of Translation Companies, and many of our translators are accredited members of professional translation associations, such as ITI, CIOL, or ATA. As a UK-based language service provider, we have developed long-term working relationships with many clients. Please contact us to discuss your individual project’s needs.

French is an official language in 29 countries with an estimated 380-420 million French speakers worldwide. It’s an official language in France, Canada and several European countries including Belgium and Luxembourg. In addition, west African countries like Madagascar speak the French language. With that said, it’s no surprise that the demand for French translation services is increasing. Whether you are a private company or a NGO, you can gain tremendous benefits from engaging French translation services, in order to reach a French-speaking audience.

French Translation Services increase your Sales Potential

There are many benefits to engaging French translation services. Some of these advantages may apply very specifically to one industry or could be felt by any company that invests in French translation services. The biggest advantage, especially for vendors and distributors, is an increased potential audience. It is estimated that worldwide, there are 76 million native French speakers; about 235 million daily, fluent speakers; and another 77–110 million secondary speakers of French. By offering your website and other marketing materials in French, you make yourself discoverable to a hugely increased number of potential customers. You may also want to consider translating your actual product into French with the assistance of professional and qualified French translators.

By translating your website content into French using professional French translators, French speakers are more likely to find your website online using French language search terms. This is because engaging French translation services can significantly improve your SEO rankings. If your website’s content is not available in French and contains no French key phrases, it is incredibly unlikely to appear in French language search results, even if you offer the perfect product for that customer. Using French translation services to translate your website’s content informs French-speaking readers about your products. It can also improve your French Search Engine rankings, allowing more customers to find your online store.

Other Benefits

The many benefits of hiring French translation services are not just limited to increased market potential and increased sales. There are many other benefits of working with French translators. For example, French readers are more likely to have a high opinion of your branding if your materials are available in high quality French.

Localisation services in French can also benefit your organisation. Skilled native French translators understand the mindsets and cultures, thereby making closing the sale more likely. Using French translation services to translate your marketing materials can open up new markets, setting you apart from the competition. Professional native-speaking French translators have the skills to convey your intended and accurate message. Ensuring that the prospective customer can relate to, and understand everything clearly, the anticipated meaning is critical. Nothing can tarnish company relations quicker than cultural misunderstandings, miscommunications and unfounded assumptions. The best way to avoid miscommunication when engaging with a French-speaking audience is to hire a professional French translation provider.

We also recommend considering whether or not you should work with industry specialist French translators. French language reports or contracts may contain industry-specific language, which could be misinterpreted by machine translation or a general translator. Ensuring that you are working with the right translation provider will help ensure that your materials contain the right information.

Renaissance Translations’ Professional French Translation Services

Having a large network of translators has helped us build an excellent reputation. Our expert French translators can offer high-quality translation in many language pairs, covering over 120 languages. We only employ highly qualified translators, who are held to high standards and must pass a skills test to work with us.

We are happy to discuss your French translation services’ needs, including subtitling, localisation and transcreation. Your partnership with Renaissance Translations comes with professional memberships such as ATC and SDL LSP Partner Programme. Get in touch to find out more.

Where would we be without the benefits of translation services? Translation has a fascinating history and a huge impact on our lives today. On 30 September, we celebrate International Translation Day, as established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2017. The UN chose this day because it is the feast day of Saint Jerome, the patron saint of translators. International Translation Day pays tribute to the work of translators, to recognise their impact on international cooperation and understanding, as well as their contribution to the development and strengthening of world peace and security. Each year International Translation Day is themed; 2022’s theme was ‘A World without Barriers: The Role of Language Professionals in Building Culture, Understanding and Lasting Peace’.

History of Translation

The translation of books has happened throughout history, all over the world. In many cases, the decision to translate a text has had significant outcomes and developments for society. The Toledo School of Translators was a group of scholars and translators in the city of Toledo in the 12th and 13th centuries. They translated hundreds of texts from classical Arabic into Latin, in subjects including philosophy, science, theology, and religious texts. Some scholars credit this translation movement as the foundation of scientific thinking and developments made during the Renaissance.

Some of the most famous early translations were of the Bible. St. Jerome was the original translator of the Bible from Hebrew and Greek to Latin in the 4th century. Then, in the 1500s, Martin Luther translated the Bible from Greek and Latin into German. Furthermore, Martin Luther’s decision to translate the Bible was incredibly significant because it was a language that common people actually spoke. Previously, only those who understood Latin could read and understand the Bible; this was limited to members of the clergy and the highly educated. Luther’s translation work was the foundation of the Protestant movement.

Later, in 1799, the Rosetta Stone was discovered, which marked another huge milestone in the history of translation. It was a tablet made of rock, inscribed with three versions of a decree issued in Egypt around 200 BC. The three languages were ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, a demotic script, and ancient Greek; Egyptian hieroglyphics had previously been thought to be a lost language, but having the three versions of the same text together enabled the translation of the hieroglyphics. After many years of study, translator Jean-François Champollion was able to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics in 1822.

Famous Translators 

Translation is an important part of spreading literature internationally. There are some famous translators who have received as much renown as some authors, for their ability to translate and bring beautiful literature to a new language and audience.

• Constance Garnett

Any reader who picks up an English translation of the works of Tolstoy, Chekov or Dostoyevsky is likely reading a translation completed by translator Constance Garnett. She was the first person to translate many works of Russian literature directly to English. A tireless worker, Garnett would finish the translation of a page and toss it on the floor, moving immediately to the next page. Many of the 71 volumes she translated between the 1890s and 1934 remain in print today. Her translation style captured the imagination of readers en masse, although she was far from flawless; some critiqued the amount of editorialising she undertook of the author’s unique voice.

• Gregory Rabassa

Could you imagine translating a book without having read it first? That is what translator Gregory Rabassa was sometimes known to do! He translated literature from Portuguese and Spanish to English. His work was in such high demand that author Gabriel García Márquez waited three years for Rabassa to begin to translate One Hundred Years of Solitude. Once completed, Gabriel García Márquez reportedly stated that the English translation was better than the original – high praise indeed!

• Mark Twain

Translation is often a word for word process, whereas localisation can make more changes to account for the context of the target language. Mark Twain once translated his own work to illustrate this. “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” had been translated into French by a journalist critiquing the work. Twain took that translation and translated it back into English, laboriously and very literally. It ended up being difficult to read and nonsensical, illustrating why back-translation is hurtful to the intent of a text. He also published this back and forth in “The Jumping Frog: in English, then in French. Then, Clawed Back into a Civilized Language Once More by Patient, Unremunerated Toil.”

Translation Impact 

No article honouring International Translation Day would be complete without looking at the impact of translation. In fact, translators have influenced how we understand history. As illustrated above with the multilingual editions of important works, translating documents can inform our understanding of societies and cultures. It can also be pivotal for changing interpretations and opinions. Translation has always been important for communities to understand each other and communicate effectively.

In the words of author Edith Grossman: “Translation always helps us to know, to see from a different angle, to attribute new value to what once may have been unfamiliar. As nations and as individuals, we have a critical need for that kind of understanding and insight. The alternative is unthinkable.”

As the world becomes a smaller place thanks to increased globalisation and improved technology, the need to be able to translate and share documents and materials across multiple languages continues to grow. Translation affects our ability to do business, grow charities, discover new things, and maintain international accord. Translation drives the creation of international agreements and policies and contributes to the dissemination of new and exciting ideas across the globe. The work of translators allows society to grow, not just financially or politically, but as people as well.

We celebrate too!

Every year, we also celebrate the International Translation Day. If you are a freelance translator, please visit our recruitment page and apply to work with us. If you are a business looking for a professional company to translate your website, reports or contracts, you’ve come to the right place. Your partnership with Renaissance Translations comes with professional memberships such as ATC and SDL LSP Partner Programme. Please contact our project managers to discuss your translation needs today.