Sunday, 17 July 2011
Procedure of Assuring Translation Quality
Procedure of assuring translation quality
Acquiring perfection is impossible in translation, so it becomes necessary for translation service providers to assure the translation quality to be as best as it can get. Translation is something that won't ever receive a nod of 100%, you are most likely to receive objections and complain about the words used or phrasing or grammar of the translation because of personal priorities and preferences and different backgrounds.
If you are looking for one of the simplest procedure to maintain the quality you should follow the given three steps for each and every single translation project whether it is large or small:
Step one - Carrying out translation job
? The job shall be assigned to the most suitable person who can handle the translation quality.
? He must be a native speaker of target language and must be aware of the style, tone and grammar of source and target languages.
? Translation job shall be carried out in such a manner that it shall sound as the content has directly been written and not translated from any other language. In short, target content shall sound natural rather than artificial.
? Translation shall be in accordance with the end users' needs and priorities as described by the client.
? A big translation project shall not be assigned to a newbie because fresh professionals lack concentration and the quality deteriorates as the work progresses.
Step two - Editing the work
? The translated content shall be thoroughly checked by another competitive and eligible translator.
? This translator shall not have any connection with his predecessor to ensure the impartiality and objectivity.
? He shall check the translated content regarding spellings, grammar, style, context and tone of the source document.
? HE MUST ENSURE THAT TRANSLATION IS A MIRROR IMAGE. IT MEANS THAT TARGET CONTENT CONVEYS THE SAME SENSE AS IS CONVEYED BY THE SOURCE CONTENT.
? He shall point out major mistakes and take notes about the weaknesses and shall notify the previous translator about these mistakes so as to avoid them in future.
Step 3 - Internal Monitoring and Checks
? Check the formatting of the target document that it is in accordance with the client's needs or if there are no distinctive instruction as to the formatting then formatting shall be the mirror image of source document.
? Look for any typos, spelling mistakes, missing content, consistency of translation and images and graphs that they are perfectly well handled.
By applying these steps, you will be able to provide better and accurate translation services.
Saturday, 16 July 2011
Friday, 15 July 2011
Sunday, 29 May 2011
How To Enjoy Learning Chinese
If you've finally decided to learn the Chinese language, you may notice that studying it is quite challenging. After all, Chinese is known as one of the languages that are more complex, one that can't be mastered in just a short period of time. Learning to speak or write Chinese feels just like going back to grade school where you need to memorize vocabulary lists and spend hours on grammar.
There are ways of learning the Chinese language in which you don't have to detest the fact that you're going to sit down and memorize groups of words each day. Here are some ways that you can enjoy the Chinese language and actually embrace learning it:
The best courses in learning Chinese will focus on conversations that can be used in the real world. What makes learning boring is when students are coerced to learn phrases that they won't even get to use when they face a Chinese speaking person. You will enjoy more if you get to use the sentences that you learn as soon as you get out of the classroom.
Learn the Chinese culture as well. You're either tasked to learn the language or you just want to learn something new this is why you're studying Chinese. No matter what your reason is, learning would become more fun and pleasurable if you learn about the traditions and culture of the Chinese people. They are a unique nation and immersing yourself in their culture will make you appreciate the fact that you're learning their language - no matter how complex it is.
Find out what kind of approach your trainer is going to use. Is he the bookish type of teacher? If so, prepare yourself for hours of mind-numbing and yawn-inducing study. But if you've got an enthusiastic teacher, then you're most likely to learn the language in just a few weeks.
One other method that can be fun is to tape Chinese news broadcasts and soap opera. This keeps you up to date when it comes to Chinese happenings plus you get to learn their language in the process. If you can't find a Chinese channel on TV, then you can go online and check on Chinese newscasts. Watching and interpreting these shows on a daily basis will help you get used to understanding this foreign tongue.
If you're a big fan of Chinese recipes, then you might also want to go online and print a copy of a delectable recipe. Or you may want to do it the other way around - you can create an English language version of the Chinese recipe that you want to cook. Translating the words one at a time would make you more accustomed to deciphering the language one word at a time.
There are various ways of learning the Chinese language without actually straining yourself. Keep in mind that learning becomes much easier if you're enjoying what you do. So go ahead and learn Chinese in the most enjoyable manner that you can. Pretty soon, you'll be conversing like a pro!
Gabriel Lim has been speaking,reading and writing the Chinese language for over 20 years.
With his bilingual background, he is in a unique position to understand and convey the subtleties of the Chinese language to foreign students.
Combined with his unconventional approach to learning, he is currently teaching beginners how to absorb the Chinese language effectively and have fun in the process.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gabrielz_Lim
Saturday, 28 May 2011
My Review of Rocket Spanish
There are many Spanish language courses available today on the internet. The problem is finding a good Spanish course that covers all aspects of the language. This can be a difficult task, to say the least. It helps to get a recommendation when there are so many courses to choose from. Some good, many bad.
I have tried a few online Spanish courses with no real success. The problem with too many of these courses, aside from the quality, is that they aren't comprehensive enough. This is okay when you're just curious about the language and don't want to become fluent. I, on the other hand, was serious about learning Spanish. These courses were either missing important categories or didn't provide enough quantity overall. A good Spanish course should include all of the important aspects that make up the language. It should include interactive content as well as a testing feature to test your progress. It should also include a good, quality audio component. After all, you can't learn a language if you can't hear it.
A friend of mine recommended Rocket Spanish. I decided I would try it, considering that I had already tried enough other courses without much success, and I still wanted to learn Spanish. I purchased the hard copy version that comes on CDs, which took about a week and a half to receive in the mail. I was impressed by the amount of content in the course. It included everything I knew I needed to really learn the language. Nothing important is left out. It comes with over thirty audio course lessons and many other lessons that teach the Spanish language and culture, which is a lot more then you'll find in most courses. It also includes learning software to practice the language, which has been very helpful. I don't have to guess which parts of the course I need to focus on or if I have practiced enough because the software comes with a progress tracker, making it easier to move ahead.
The course is pretty straightforward and well organized. The lessons are easy to follow and provide lots of exercises for practice. Learning Spanish has become an enjoyable experience for me. It still takes work to learn Spanish but the course does really make it easier. If you've been shopping around for a good Spanish course then I recommend that you try Rocket Spanish. The hard copy version costs more but they do offer a cheaper downloadable version with instant access.
Using The Spanish Imperative Tense For Giving Advice
Today we are going to take a look at the Imperative Tense and how it is used to give advice. The Imperative Tense is often used to give advice, making it very common to see in advertisements. Open up any Spanish newspaper or magazine and you will be amazed to find it filled with the Imperative Tense.
"Busque nuestro cup?n en el interior del diario". (Look for our coupon inside this newspaper)
"No pienses m?s, compra tu Netbook en Compuword". (Don't think anymore, buy your Netbook at Compuword)
"Este a?o, vive M?xico" (This year, experience Mexico)
"Ahorre comprando en....." (Save Money buying at.....)
The Advertisements use the forms "Usted" or "T?" according to their target: young people or older people.
The Imperative tense is also very common in daily life to give advice to customers or friends. Let's see how we conjugate the Imperative in second person. But, be careful, when used informatively, the Imperative has different conjugations in the affirmative and negative forms.
Afirmative T?:
Verbs that end in AR: T? ComprA
Verbs that end in ER/IR: T? ComE, VivE
Verbs in the Present tense that have "go"in the first person for example "Tener" "yo tengo", are Irregular Verbs in T?.
Hacer: Haz. Tener: Ten. Decir: Di. Poner: Pon. Traer: Trae. Venir: Ven.
Negative T?:
If the verb ends in AR, it is like the "Yo" form in Present tense, but the "O" changes to "ES".
For example: Yo compro. Negative Imperative: No compres.
If the verb ends in ER or IR, it is like the "Yo" form in Present tense, but the "O" changes to "AS".
For example: Yo tengo. Negative Imperative: No tengas. Yo digo. Negative Imperative: No digas.
Afirmative and Negative Usted:
It is like T? in the Negative form but without "S".
For example: Usted tenga/ Usted no tenga.
There are some verbs that are totally Irregular:
IR: T? ve, T? No vayas. Usted vaya, Usted no vaya.
Ser: T? s?, T? no seas. Usted sea, Usted no sea.
Saber: T? sabe, T? no sepas. Usted sepa, Usted no sepa.
Estar: T? est?, T? no est?s. Usted est?, Usted no est?.
Hopefully this quick lesson will help you learn more about the Imperative Tense. The best way to learn the Imperative it to memorize these little formulas. Once you know the formula, you can use it for almost any verb! Make sure to also memorize the irregulars, as there is no easy formula for these.
If you use Learning Like Crazy's verb conjugation software called the Verbarrator, the imperative tense is one of the 20 or 21 tenses covered by the Verbarrator. Most of my students find the Verbarartor software more interactive than using the verb conjugation charts found online to learn the imperative tense and other Spanish verb tenses.
Friday, 27 May 2011
Mandarin Chinese Language Learning Strategies For Bodily-Kinesthetic Learners
Learning the Chinese language can be difficult, so it is important that you develop a proper learning strategy before diving into your studies. Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences is a great theory to reference when developing your learning strategy. The theory states that there are seven distinct types of learners, visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, and logical-mathematical. This article will focus on learning strategies for bodily-kinesthetic learners.
What Are Bodily-Kinesthetic Learners
Bodily-kinesthetic learners are people who are very in touch with their bodies. They are good with their hands, and they enjoy using movement, making things, and touching objects. They can be found in a range of professions, from dancers to surgeons. These are the type of people who tend to communicate as much with their body language as they do through spoken words. If you are one of these learners you will learn well through physical activity, role-playing, acting, and many other types of hands-on learning. You should incorporate physical objects and tools into your learning strategy.
Learning Strategy 1
If you are a bodily-kinesthetic learner, you need to get your hands on real objects, so, when learning basic vocabulary words, do just that. For example, if you want to learn the names of basic kitchen items, start collecting those items and using them as study tools. Instead of using flash cards to memorize, for example, the names of eating utensils, get real knives and forks and chopsticks and put them into a box. Memorize their names by reaching into the box, pulling out an item and reciting its name in Chinese.
Learning Strategy 2
Role playing is a powerful tool for anyone learning a foreign language. It is especially powerful, though, for bodily-kinesthetic learners. If you are one of these learners, you need to find a partner ASAP. There is an unending supply of role-playing activities when learning Chinese. For example, you can act like you're in a restaurant, a travel agency, or a hotel. You can ask each other for directions or have mock business meetings. You can even spend an entire day together acting like tourists or tour guides, or anything else you like. The important thing is to communicate as much as possible using Chinese.
Learning Strategy 3
If you are a bodily-kinesthetic learner, you are good at acting out, which means you most likely deliver passionate speeches. You may or may not be a great speech writer, but that's not important here. What's important is the delivery. So, what you can do is go online and search for famous speeches that have been translated into Chinese (there are lots of them). Memorize the speeches and then deliver them to your friends and family members.
Learning Strategy 4
Building things is a powerful way for bodily-kinesthetic learners to remember things. How can this help you learn a language? Well, say you want to learn how to discuss family in your target language. You can actually build a family tree. It doesn't have to be too sophisticated or time consuming. You can use paper and other objects, or just draw a picture. It's the act of creating something with your hands that will help you learn.
Summary
If you are a bodily-kinesthetic learner, you need to be active. Don't just sit at a desk and memorize vocabulary words. If you do, you will become bored and lose interest in your studies. Instead, collect physical objects and use them as study tools. Be sure you stay active, building, creating and performing as you learn.
Teach English In Korea To Help Yourself And Others
Koreans have their own very adequate language which serves all their domestic and social needs. They still need to learn the language that is the acknowledged as the global language of commerce and trade. Korea has made phenomenal progress as a leading industrial economy with a world presence. Therefore Korean people need access to the language that plays a vital role in world trade and commerce. People who are competent and teach English in Korea can help them.
When a teacher has worked for a number of years in a local school he enters a comfort zone. People will have accepted him in a certain role. New student will accept without question that he belongs where he is, and his personal traits may even have become part of the school folklore. This comfortable zone may also be seen as a backwater in a person's professional career. Without the rush of fresh challenges and new ideas a teacher may stagnate.
A spell in Korea will be especially beneficial for mature and experienced teachers who feel the need to refresh their professional ideas. Meeting new people, seeing how different systems work and facing new challenges will benefit and strength his professional prospects. He will see himself and his students in a new perspective and be forced to re-examine his assumptions. Many teachers choose to renew their contracts after on year, and this is an indication of their enjoyment.
The high demand of Koreans to learn English creates many positions for new teachers. This may be good for people seeking a job, but create problems for recruiters. Many positions are filled by young graduates from Britain or the old colonies such as Australia, South Africa and Canada. Many of them are natural teachers, but many are not professional teachers. Rather they are seeking adventure and the opportunity to make some money. They may lack professional experience.
One experienced teacher in a South African school was amazed to hear that some of his past students were teaching in Korea. From teaching them he knew that they had extremely limited competency themselves, and little feel for the English language. In one case a teacher was not even a native speaker himself, but an Afrikaans speaker who could communicate in English.
Professional training is not the be all and end all of teaching. Most people know of well qualified people who have been 'bad' teachers. But personality may be important in teaching without having much to do with professional expertise. In fact someone who may seem to be a good teacher because he has a pleasant personality may actually transfer improper attitudes and knowledge about his subject.
Young people intending to teach in Asia often complete short courses in teaching English as a foreign language. These may be under the auspices of a body such as the British Council and completed in three weeks with some practical teaching survival tips taught. Such courses are a qualification but do not equate with professional training. People who are not trained in the discipline of English, or perhaps not even mother tongue speakers may complete them without themselves being competent.
In most educational course run for short term qualifications 'failure' is not an option because significant costs are involved. Some people may drop out voluntarily but usually everyone ends with a certificate despite some testing times during the course. Such short courses may be fun and informative but they do not equate with professional training involving three or fours years of discourse and close reading. Classroom experience is probably even more instructive than training, so there are quite big differences between professionally trained teachers and graduates with a short term certificate.
Professional English teaching should involve a lot more than following a course book. A teacher should bring to the book professional appreciation of the language, competence in it and a good speech model. There are many varieties of English, some more acceptable than others, but a teacher should have a fine appreciation of idiom and of what is appropriate and what is not. Mature, experienced and professionally trained people who teach English in Korea will give the best service to their students.