Author Archives: Stacey Sommers

Creating a terminology and glossary list is an investment in time that will pay off quickly. If you plan ahead and create a process for keeping the list active, you can enable high quality transaltions and ensure all of your communication from your organization is consistent and clear for your end-users.

The following are some of the steps we recommend for creating and maintaining your terminology and glossary lists:

Gather Terms

This can be a tricky step. We sometimes are so accustomed to the terminology in our industry, we don’t even think about it. But when communicating with our communities, we have to get into their heads to make sure they will understand our message. Not only do we need to think about the end users, we have to make sure the people doing the translations completely understand the context of a phrase. Using some guidelines to create a term list can help. For example, you can include commonly used terms, particularly complicated ideas, and industry-specific acronymns. The list may include single words, acronymns, or short phrases.

You can also ask your translation provider to perform a “terminology extraction” from previous translations. (Yes! Mindlink can do this for you).

Translate the Terms

Once you have the list, you can send it to professional translators. We recommend parallel translations where two translators work on the same text at the same time. Where there are discrepencies, the translators can discuss the best way to convey the idea.

Back Translation

After the translation has been completed, you can have “back translation” performed. “Back translation ” is a quality step where the target language is translated BACK into English. Then you can compare the back translation against the English source term. You might catch some differences (for example, a word like “plant” could be a verb or a noun. Back translation would catch if the translator picked the wrong version).

Community Input

Another helpful step is to ask members who are part of the community you are trying to reach to review the terms and highlight any confusing or unclear terms. The community might bring perspectives on how the language is used in your area and provide valuable feedback.

Publish the List

Once you are satisfied with the quality of the terms, you should publish the list somewhere that can be accessed by content creators and the translation team.

Repeat

The last step “repeat” is a very important one! At some interval (maybe every year) do a “term inventory”. Are there terms that should be added or updated? Maybe some terms should no longer be used because it is found that they are not using inclusive language (i.e. “whitelisting“).

Did you know Mindlink has a Terms Database “TermsBase” that is available to help with this process? It’s still in beta version (and we’re not set on the name — any suggestions??). Check it out!

Parent-Teacher Conferences. If you work in a school with students who are from families with limited English abilities, this can be a stressful event even in a normal year.

However, we’re not in a normal year. We’re in the middle of a pandemic which has impacted our schools in so many ways. So, we’ve been finding new solutions to stay connected as a school community.

That leaves us thinking about how we’re going to support translation and interpretation, especially for Parent-Teacher Conferences.

Here are a few tips we thought of that might help:

1. Use Local Interpreters for Parent-Teacher Conferences

Work with a local vendor to connect with interpreters in your community (if possible). Finding local interpreters has the same effect as “shopping local“. You help local businesses and you get the benefit of working with people who live in the same communities as the families you serve.

2. Use a Scheduling Tool

Use a scheduling tool to make sure everyone is on the same page. If you try to coordinate and schedule with email, phone, or text messaging, it’s a quick way to go crazy. A simple google form helps. Although, did you know our system “LinguistLink” is especially designed for Language Access in schools?

3. Confirm the Appointment

Once you schedule the interpreter, provide them with the parent’s phone number and ask them to confirm the appointment the day before with the family.

4. Use the Right Platform

If you have a choice, choose a simple video platform for the meeting. Many families do not have access to a computer or internet and will probably connect via their mobile phone, so don’t be afraid to schedule a three-way phone call.

5. Use Best Practices for Interpretation

Make sure you follow best practices for interpretation. For example, during the meeting — address the parent directly, but allow time for the interpreter to relay the message.

Applying these ideas will help you communicate information for Parent Teacher Conferences effectively with families regardless of their English abilities.

If you would like to discuss or learn more about any of these tips, I would love to hear from you! Shoot me an email directly: stacey@mindlinkresources.com or Contact Us.

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These are a few of the many things you can do to create quality human-sounding communication for your clients who may not speak English fluently. There are online tools that may be free, but if your clients can’t understand your meaning, they may not be an effective way to communicate. Not sure why quality is important? Check out this article.

Whether its a flyer or a website, you can show your clients that you care by providing quality translation.

Learn more about Language Access!