Who Needs Professional Translation Services?

The translation industry is booming as organizations across sectors seek to bridge the language gap. Globalization has opened access to world markets, allowing companies to expand their reach into new locales. Online traffic is increasing around the globe, driving a growing demand for digital content. And in the U.S., where linguistic diversity is at a record high, organizations are seeking to communicate with linguistically and culturally diverse individuals. For those willing to communicate across languages and cultures, the opportunities are enormous.

Industries That Benefit From Translation Services

Multilingual communication is a priority for a wide variety of industries. Here are a few types of organizations that use translation services to enhance their offerings and support their mission:

• educational institutions
• healthcare providers
• financial services companies
• law firms
• marketing and advertising firms
• nonprofit organizations
• museums and cultural institutions
• government agencies

Translation for Education

Nearly one in four public school students in the U.S. speaks a language other than English at home. To make learning accessible to English language learners, many PreK-12 schools translate a variety of materials. This includes everything from academic records to classroom-based instructional materials and exams, as well as online learning platforms and interactive courses. Schools also translate materials for parents and guardians who do not speak, read, or write English proficiently. This guardian-focused material can include information on registration and enrollment, student discipline policies, language assistance programs, special education and related services, gifted and talented programs, and parent handbooks.

In the world of higher education, many colleges and universities rely on translation to market to prospective international students and provide the resources they will need to be successful. Schools translate marketing and admissions materials, student handbooks, and campus information. Translation also helps colleges and universities support effective community engagement. Many schools create multilingual materials for community events and programs, as well as initiatives to make facilities and educational resources available to local residents.

Translation for the Healthcare Industry

As communities grow more linguistically diverse, healthcare organizations rely on translation to help doctors, nurses, and other personnel communicate with patients and their families. Hospitals, clinics, and medical offices translate many of the integral patient-facing materials used daily, such as medical questionnaires, informed consent forms, clinical information, and e-visit guidelines. Many facilities also translate administrative and legal documents, along with materials needed to support a multilingual staff, such as employee training and e-learning modules, and policies and procedures.

Translation is not only valuable in keeping patients and their families informed, it also helps healthcare organizations comply with federal and state regulations. Many locales recognize the need for linguistically appropriate healthcare and promote measures that encourage or require providers to offer language accommodations.

Translation for the Financial Services Industry

For years, globalization has altered the way financial services companies around the world do business. Companies tailor the client experience to align with the needs of a multilingual, multicultural customer base. Commercial banks require translation of the communication materials their customers interact with daily, such as loan applications, ATM text, signage, in-branch marketing material, promotions, and websites. Insurance companies need to translate a wide variety of policies, forms, and claims. Asset managers and investment bankers translate investor and shareholder communications along with fund documentation, fact sheets, and reports.

In addition to engaging clients around the world, many financial services companies translate the materials needed to support diverse international workforces, such as employee communications, intranet content, codes of conduct, and ethics hotlines. To bolster corporate diversity and inclusion initiatives and support better learning and development outcomes, many financial services companies are making training and e-learning equally accessible to native English speakers as well as those with limited English proficiency.

Translation for Law Firms

Law firms require translation when representing clients or defending against litigants who are not native English speakers. They translate a variety of the documents that come up in the course of business, such as contracts, briefs, prenuptial agreements, summonses, litigation documents, disclaimers, patents, licenses, correspondence, and evidentiary transcripts.

Corporate in-house legal teams translate a range of materials related to employment, policy, tax, and regulatory matters. This can include corporate governance documents, privacy policies and statements, compliance statements, agreements, terms and conditions, dispute resolution correspondence, employee and consultant agreements, and ethics and compliance training.

Translation for Marketing and Advertising

Creative firms and in-house marketing departments use a variety of language services to make brand messaging and campaigns relevant and engaging to multilingual, multicultural audiences. Marketing translation spans the print and digital landscape, and can include websites, landing pages, display and banner ads, integrated campaigns, contests and promotions, whitepapers and articles, PR, and social media.

Making brand messaging work on a global scale requires a flexible, creative approach. Ad campaigns, web copy, taglines, and slogans require a degree of cultural adaptation in order to sound authentic in different locales. This is best handled by multilingual copywriters seasoned in creative marketing and able to generate compelling copy and fresh ideas. Transcreation, or creative translation, combines translated text and content that is recreated in the target language while maintaining the intended tone, style, and brand voice.

Marketers rely on language service providers for a range of brand-related evaluation services to help identify how messaging will be received internationally. Image evaluation and localization help develop a visual approach that utilizes appropriate images, graphics, and infographics for the cultures being targeted. Marketing firms also turn to LSPs for international SEO development, including keyword research and on-page keyword optimization.

Translation for Nonprofits

Nonprofits, associations, advocacy groups, and other mission-driven organizations translate to reach wider audiences and communicate with their members, donors, and advocates. This includes content such as public outreach materials, campaign and fundraising collateral, fact sheets and white papers, surveys, and member communications.

By translating, organizations support multiculturalism and demonstrate their commitment to inclusion and accessibility. Translation allows organizations to strengthen their relationships with diverse local communities, and raise awareness about their work both locally and globally.

Translation for Museums and Cultural Institutions

As more museums and cultural institutions seek to make diversity, equity, and inclusion a priority, translation helps them connect with multicultural audiences and welcome international visitors.

Museums, botanical gardens, zoos, aquariums, and cultural venues translate a wide array of materials, such as maps and visitor guides, signage and wayfinding materials, and exhibition didactics. Many offer audio tours and other types of multimedia in different languages, by adding subtitling or audio descriptions to content on display in galleries and online. Some institutions create marketing, advertising, and PR materials in different languages, and translate publications and exhibition catalogues when appropriate to specific exhibits, artists, or local demographics. Many institutions also translate programming materials into the languages spoken in neighboring communities to make offerings accessible to local attendees.

Translation for the Public Sector

The growth of immigrant communities is transforming the demographics of many cities around the U.S. In 1975, section 203 of the Voting Rights Act mandated that ballots be accessible to “language minorities.” As linguistic diversity continues to rise, many cities have also implemented legislature that requires public agencies to make offerings accessible to residents who are not proficient in English. City and state agencies around the country translate materials to make people aware of their rights and help them understand public health and safety guidelines. Translations continue to help people cast an informed vote, participate in the census, schedule vaccine appointments, obtain benefits, and access housing, education, employment, and healthcare resources.

Professional Translation Services Across Industry

No matter the industry, people prefer content in their native language. To engage multicultural and multilingual audiences, a wide variety of organizations are finding a need to bridge the language gap with translation.

Eriksen delivers reliable, accurate, and on-brand language services across multiple sectors-business, culture, nonprofit, government. We do this by carefully selecting the right linguists for each client and content type. Contact us to initiate a conversation with a member of our client services team.