NWI often networks with businesses that other language services companies ignore.  NWI’s executives and senior staff realized the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s event provided a powerful opportunity.  Translation and interpretation services are essential to the entire coffee global supply chain.  For example, a Spanish-speaking coffee producer in Colombia will need to speak with an English-speaking roaster from Oregon, who plans to ship his beans to a specialty coffee shop owner in Quebec.  A company with more than 1,000 linguists (speaking 175 languages) like NWI would be the key component that links these businesses, ensuring smooth communication and no mistranslations.

At the Specialty Coffee Association of America event, NWI representatives networked with coffee producers, importers, brewing equipment companies, roasters, publishers, owners of local cafés, and other product suppliers.  NWI Project Manager Jin Lee states, “it was a great opportunity to meet coffee professionals from all over the world who may need language services, particular for global supply chain management.”  Mr. Lee also attended the U.S. Barista Championship (held April 19-21), a lively event that provided an unmatched opportunity to study coffee brewing methods, origins, and variety by the top coffee professionals in the United States.

Both events provided crucial insights into the coffee industry’s entire supply chain.  Attendees not only learned all about the coffee industry, but they left with valuable information that could impact their own businesses.  And Jin Lee brought back some new ideas for the office coffeemaker.

This mistranslation cost Mr. Bennett most of the Thai clientele in the area. “That’s why it pays to research,” he said. And he’s right. Professional translation guarantees the accuracy and quality of your marketing. Of course, many companies hire professional translators or language service companies – and they still give the translated copy to their bilingual employees to edit.

The bilingual worker will use his or her own subjective experience in reviewing the professionally translated content, and then make changes (as the Thai chef did). Language contains subtleties that professional translators have spent years to understand. A bilingual employee likely has not undergone the same rigorous training. As a result, the previously flawless translated content is now a mistranslation. It is filled with grammatical errors or a completely different message – which can lead to disastrous results that were completely avoidable.

This is a major reason why professional translators often walk a fine line if their clients have bilingual employees. Many clients will insist that professionally translated copy is incorrect, because their employee found “errors” in the copy. A recent discussion on “best practices” by members of the American Translators Association came up with some diplomatic solutions for this dilemma, such as explaining (in writing) why suggestions from a bilingual staff member are incorrect, or offering a second or third translation option.

Why is a professional or certified translation business valuable to you? Professional translators guarantee quality, consistency, professionalism:

Professionalism: As a business owner, you are successful at your particular skill set. A professional translator is a master of his or her profession, as well. As Mr. Bennett learned to his chagrin, a bilingual staff member does not possess the skills of a professional translator.

Quality: A quality translation is always concept for concept, not word for word. Human translators use their training, experiential knowledge, and a deep understanding of their clients’ business when translating text. It is a holistic approach that cannot be duplicated by a machine-based translation system or a free online translation website.

Consistency: Hiring a professional translation service company assures the consistency of a translation. For instance, a team of professional translators is usually assigned to a project, providing multiple fact-checking and fixing any errors that might occur during the process.

It’s understandable that business owners don’t always understand the intricacies involved in language translation. A language services company must, therefore, provide transparency and clear explanations of their services. Clients should always understand the value of professional translators and let their bilingual staff focus on their core responsibilities.

That way, they will have happy and returning customers rather than ones who have been scared away.

Image source: Musings from an overworked translator

Communication
Communication is critical during disaster situations. When Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida in 2005, it caused billions of dollars in damage, and the death toll was catastrophic. There were massive communication gaps in response to Hurricane Katrina, mainly between state and federal authorities, but also between governmental authorities and the public.

Public Outreach
Educating the public on how to deal with disasters before they strike is essential. But how do you communicate with people who speak a language other than English? One approach is to have the educational materials translated into the languages of the target audience. This is not only a good idea, but it may be required by federal law (Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964).

Emergency Management
Most major metropolitan areas have local government agencies dedicated to disaster preparation. For instance, the City of Seattle’s Office of Emergency Management has effective examples of educational materials posted on its website. Disaster preparedness information is available in 18 languages other than English, which greatly benefits Seattle’s diverse population.

Action Plan
The following steps can help your communication efforts during a disaster:

1. Prepare a communication plan that includes materials in languages other than English.
2. Distribute the communication plan to your target audience.
3. Establish relationship with vendors, including language service companies, to assist you with disaster preparation and communication.

Preparing a communication plan is crucial for disaster management. If you budget for preparation now, you can save billions of dollars, as well as countless lives, when a disaster strikes.

1. 24/7/365 Nationwide Service Availability
2. 30 Seconds Connect Time (Average)
3. Services in 175 Languages
4. Competitive Pricing / Volume Discounts
5. No Activation, Setup or Maintenance Fees
6. Confidentiality and HIPAA Compliance
7. Credentialed / Certified Interpreters
8. U.S.-Based Interpreters
9. U.S.-Based Customer Service
10. World-class IT Infrastructure

It is important to keep in mind that OPI service is not a replacement for in-person interpreters. Depending on the types of encounters with your LEP clients, it is a good practice to offer both options.

In memo released in mid-August by the U.S. Attorney General and the Department of Justice, federal agencies were reminded of their obligation to ensure that all federally conducted and assisted programs are accessible to LEP individuals in accordance with Executive Order 13166. More specifically, the agencies were reminded of their responsibility to provide interpreters to people who need them, at no cost, in all types of court proceedings. This includes arraignments, hearings, trials, interviews with legal counsel, and other proceedings.

Following is a recap of the most Frequently Asked Questions as they relate to the Attorney General’s memo.

Why must my agency designate a primary contact person for service to limited English proficient persons?
Each federal agency is required to appoint a language access coordinator who is responsible for developing and implementing a language access plan and ensuring that LEP individuals have meaningful access to agency services. This person should report to someone on a senior level.

What are my agency’s responsibilities with respect to providing Federal Financial Assistance?
Any federal agency providing federal financial assistance must ensure that their programs are also easily understood and made available to LEP persons. Such Federal assistance can include grants and loans of federal funds, donations of federal property, or training. Federal agencies must ensure that recipients of Federal assistance acknowledge and agree with all terms of compliance, all applicable laws and other conditions.

Can my agency partner with other federal agencies, field or district offices to provide language assistance services?
Yes. Establishing agreements with other agencies can be a cost-effective way to approach language assistance services. Many federal agencies contract with language translation agencies, such as Northwest Interpreters, Inc. for this very reason.

Why is it important to have a Language Access Implementation Plan in place?
A language access plan is designed to help each agency understand and overcome the language barriers for LEP individuals. By understanding such barriers, agencies are better able to meet the translation needs of their publics.

Why is it important to update my agency’s Language Access Implementation Plan?
Federal agencies have been asked to evaluate their response to LEP needs by conducting a survey of the languages most frequently encountered and identifying the most commonly used channels of communications with members of the LEP community – such as by phone, in person, or via the web. Agencies may then find it necessary to update their operations to better serve the language needs of the LEP community.

What are resources that might be helpful in creating, modifying, or updating a Federal agency’s Language Access Implementation Plan, Policy Directives or Procedures?
Federal agency Language Access Plans, Department of Justice guidance documents and other resources can be found online at http://www.lep.gov.

A complete copy of the Attorney General’s memorandum can be found online at http://www.lep.gov/resources/081511_Language_Access_CAQ_TA_Guidance.pdf