One of the biggest challenges that businesses often encounter when expanding into a foreign market is the language barrier. To effectively communicate with the locals, their contents must be well translated. These range from products, website, marketing campaigns to case studies, reports, and more. This is when a language service provider (LSPs) comes in to help bridge the language gap.
In this article, we’ll get to know everything about language service providers and what they can bring to maximize your business success.
What is a language service provider?
A language service provider is a company or agency that offers multiple language services. With the help of advanced technology and computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools, they enable brands to engage with potential clients regardless of cultural differences.
What services does an LSP offer?
Below are some of the most typical services offered by a professional language service provider:
Translation
Translation is probably the most basic service in the language industry. This service involves translating written materials, such as documents, website, blogs, from one language into another. A good translation smoothly delivers the original message, ensuring the consistency of the brand’s image on the global market. A language service provider usually has a wide network of professional linguists who are experts in multiple industries to take care of their clients’ translations.
Localization
There is a common misconception that localization and translation are the same thing. The two terms, however, mean entirely different things. Localization is much broader than translation as it considers cultural differences and makes changes so that your layout is what your target market expects. Not only does it enable businesses to connect with the marketplace, but it also ensures that their brands are well received among the locals.
Technical writing
Technical writing is the process of writing and editing content for technical subjects. As technical content is harder to create, writers must have years of experience writing technical documents to perfectly serve the customers’ language needs. Make sure to work with a language service provider that can turn complicated terminologies into easy-to-understand instructions while maintaining translation consistency.
Transcription & Subtitling
Transcription service makes transcribing audio content into text format easier than ever before. More and more companies are beginning to outsource transcription requirements to save time and make better use of their employees’ talents. A reliable language company often employs highly qualified business transcribers who can handle audio and video files in various formats and convert them to your desired text format.
As for subtitling, it is a great way to localize video content into a new language. A good subtitling service gives viewers an experience that looks and feels as if they’re watching in their native language. In other words, subtitling service allows you to enjoy the originality of the video while still understanding its meaning.
Linguistic Quality Assurance (LQA)
Linguistic Quality Assurance involves evaluating the translations for linguistic quality using a defined approach. This includes reporting all types of errors, classifying them according to their nature and severity, and providing the final inspection. LQA is essential for the success of almost every translation project, as you can rest assured that your translations are of the best quality.
Linguistic Sign-Off (LSO)
This is usually the final quality check stage when a linguist analyzes the translated content in the final design format to examine it in the context where it will be used. All layout elements will be carefully checked and simulate the user experience before publishing. LSO service is mainly offered by language service providers for multimedia materials such as brochures, catalogs, websites, videos, and more.
Desktop Publishing (DTP)
Desktop publishing involves producing printed content using special DTP software. This service is mainly for desktop or commercial printing or electronic distribution, such as PDFs, newsletters, ebooks, or even websites. With desktop publishing, businesses can improve the appearance of their documents, minimize the production cost, and overall, increase productivity.
Machine Translation Post-Editing (MTPE)
Machine Translation Post-Editing (MTPE) is the hybrid translation service in which human translators will review and edit machine-translated texts to ensure it fits the clients’ demands. With the advancement of innovative technology, businesses may reap significant benefits from MTPE. This service not only saves us time but also lowers translation costs and allows us to work on larger volumes in just a short amount of time.
Depending on your needs, you can choose between two types of MTPE services: Light post-editing and Full post-editing. With Light post-editing, machine translation is optimized to deliver speedy translated content. Full post-editing, on the other hand, provides the finest quality translation as if no machine translation was used.
To wrap up
If you plan to expand your business globally, it is essential to partner up with a professional language service provider to handle all of your language needs. Founded in 1949, MOBICO is among the leading language companies on the market. We provide language services for up to 180+ languages and 63+ language pairs, specializing in Asian languages such as Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, and more. MOBICO is devoted to helping businesses of all sectors compete in a broader spectrum through personalized linguistic solutions.
Contact us now for more details!