Re: FWD: Preparing a translator test

[Andres Heuberger <andresh -at- fxtrans -dot- com>]

Dear Anonymous,

Translator tests are tricky business.

On one hand, a single, short test passage does not adequately help you 
distinguish amongst different translators. There are to many issues that 
come into play, including each translator's schedule at the time of taking 
the test, the kind of text that is selected as a sample, backgrounds, 
experiences, and -- importantly -- the qualifications of the test evaluator.

At the same time, tests should be part of your vendor-selection toolbox. At 
ForeignExchange Translations, for instance, we test all of our translators, 
in each language combination, in up to five subject matters. This is one of 
five steps in our translator-evaluation process.

The tests that we have developed are short (approx. 500 words each) and 
contain typical passages from the work that the translator might be 
expected to handle. The tests may contain inconsistent phrases, "tricky" 
terms, or even obvious errors -- in other words, they mirror a real-life 
translation project.

We have found that testing in and of itself does not ensure quality. It 
does, however, weed out the translators who are clearly unqualified to 
translate a particular subject or language. Amongst the remaining 
linguists, the keys to long-term success are monitoring and consistent 
feedback.

Good luck,
Andres

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ForeignExchange Translations, Inc.
Multilingual Compliance for Regulated Industries
Web globalization * Software localization * Technical translation
888.454.0787 http://www.fxtrans.com