Monterey Language Services has had a strong partnership with Central Coast Community Energy for 5 years. During that time, we have helped to translate materials so that their customers can have a greater understanding of promotions, bills, and other notifications. Our great service and quality is why year after year, Central Coast Community Energy chooses to work with Monterey Language Services for its language needs.

“Dear Mei-Ling, Happy Holidays to you. We are grateful for our partnership and the important work we do together.” – Peter

“Happy Holidays Mei-Ling! Have a wonderful season” – Lena

“Dear Mei-Ling, Happy Holidays to you and your team! Thanks for all you do.” -Luke

In today’s blog, we’ll be highlighting a few tips about how to track trends by collecting/analyzing data and using it to the LSP’s advantage.

Try out surveys.

Surveys are a very easy way to get qualitative data, which can help LSPs understand the quality of the service provided. Usually, surveys are sent out to clients after they’ve received their service. Clients can rate their satisfaction with the service they received on a scale such as from 1-10 or Poor to Excellent, and can leave more detailed information about what they liked and did not like about their service.

Challenges may occur if a client forgets to fill out some of the questions, misunderstands a question, or doesn’t fill out the survey at all. This is why translating the survey and providing the client’s preferred language is very important, so they can understand everything and can answer all the questions properly!

For example, Monterey Language Services has often been requested to provide translation for surveys, whether to support research projects or international companies whose employees span all over the world. Most recently, we translated a survey into 11 languages: Arabic, Armenian, Cambodian, Chinese Traditional, Chinese Simplified, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Mien, Spanish, and Tagalog. We also have done survey interviews to make sure employees understand their company’s core value.

Use transactional data.

You can collect data from your own company’s transactional data to collect quantitative data, which can help LSPs identify how many times they provided service for different languages and for which clients. Transactional data refers to your sales, receipts, POs, invoices, etc. that tell you when, where, how, and for what language you’re providing services for.

By looking at your transactional data, you can identify trends. For example, if there are more requests from a nearby hospital, you can deduce if you need to hire more medical interpreters. Similarly, you can look at trends in language requests, such as if there’s a sudden surge in Korean requests; perhaps there has been an influx of people moving to the area, or there’s some sort of event going on that you should investigate.

Keep up-to-date and do research.

Other important topics to keep an eye on in the language services industry are things like technology and common issues. Technology is essential in today’s world, especially for large translation projects or simultaneous interpretation assignments.

Technology and common issues or topics of conversation constantly change and evolve. Make sure to keep up-to-date, and research through news articles and even social media such as LinkedIn to see what people are talking about. Joining professional organizations is also helpful so be on the lookout for those as well.

First, there is Statistical Machine Translation, or SMT. The best example of statistical translation is Google Translate. SMTs such as Google Translate use statistical models that draw on a large amount of bilingual text that is provided to them. Through this, they try to find statistical matches for how many times something has been translated as something. For example, if the word “apple” has been translated as “manzana” in Spanish enough times, then that becomes the SMT’s pick for the word apple. It does this for every word in the source and target language before it finally outputs a translation. SMTs can be useful for translating basic words and phrases. However, for more complex sentences, SMTs are not a good pick because they do not factor in context. This means that you can end up with some very strange sentences that do not properly reflect what is being said in the source sentence.

Next, there is the Rule-Based Machine Translation, or RBMT. As the name implies, with RBMT, the machine is translating based on the rules of grammar that it is given. It goes over the source language to analyze its grammar and then looks through the target language to see what kind of grammar rules need to be followed when translating the sentence. After it is done, it translates the sentence according to the rules that it looked up. While this might sound as if there might be fewer problems than SMTs, RBMT translations still need a great deal of proofreading to ensure that there are no problems with the text.

Third, there is the Hybrid Machine Translation, or HMT. The HMT takes elements of RBMTs and SMTs and then uses a translation memory. The addition of a translation memory makes the overall quality of the translation higher than that of SMTs and RBMTs, but there are still problems with using a HMT. For one, it still needs extensive editing, meaning that human translators will be needed to review all the translations.

The fourth, and final type of translation is Neural Machine Translation, or NMT. This type of machine translation uses neural network models that are based on the human brain to make statistical models for translation. When they work, NMTs can provide some of the most accurate translations that would need little to no editing potentially. One of NMT examples is DeepL.

Overall machine translation can be used as a tool to expedite translation, but whether it can produce clear and accurate translation for high level discussions, complex concepts, nuances and context that is still in question and requires time to advance it. This once again proves that the value of professional human translators is not replaceable just yet!

With the right words, we can share ideas with depth and precision. People are much more likely to understand and empathize with us if we use the appropriate words. The ability to choose our words well can affect our personal relationships and professional success. It can even make the difference between increasing our client base or declining client loyalty.

Here at Monterey Language Services, we know how important words can be. Ideas are great, but words are what make them really come to life. This is especially true when it comes to translation and interpretation. Professional translators and interpreters always make sure that they are using the proper words that will communicate clients’ ideas exactly as they are communicated in the original language.

Many people don’t realize the level of thought that a translator puts into selecting the perfect word, or the research that an interpreter does to create a personal well of words that they can draw from at a moment’s notice. We work with translators and interpreters who are passionate about finding the perfect word that will best express the ideas of the client. For example, Monterey Language Services specializes in medical translation and interpretation; we recently worked on a translation project going from English into Spanish, Simplified Chinese, and Punjabi. It was intended to help pregnant women manage their prenatal health. This translation included the term “dull pressure,” which is a tricky term to define in English, let alone another language. Our translators had to discuss with each other in order to bring out the true meaning of this term using words that expectant mothers can understand completely.

In a broader sense, translators and interpreters use words to facilitate interactions and bring different groups together. It is important for all people to be able to listen and be heard, whether it is during a doctor appointment, a loved one’s graduation, or a public meeting. This is why language services like translation and interpretation are crucial when it comes to helping non-native speakers, low-English proficiency (LEP) and hearing- or vision-impaired communities. Facilitating communication is one way that language service providers bring people, communities, and worlds together.

Eloquence in multiple languages is a key characteristic of translators and interpreters. As a language company, we also strive for eloquence. We must demonstrate to our clients that we appreciate the impact that words can have. When a client came to us with some concerns, we communicated with her in a way that was clear and professional but also understanding, and she ended up being excited and pleased to work with us. We enjoy it very much when everyone is communicating at the same eloquence level, and this attitude encourages our clients and our translators and interpreters to continue working with us. We think about the importance of words in all aspects of our work and communication; it keeps us going every day and we are doing great!

The audience at today’s event received Spanish translation through reading rather than listening. Why? Because this method can accommodate a large turnout, since everyone can read the translation on their phone or tablet.

This instant translation solution involves a combination of simultaneous interpretation and real time captioning.

Simultaneous interpretation first appeared as a mode of oral translation in response to the need for a way to receive interpretation without doubling the length of a meeting. Using technological advances that are now available, Monterey Language Services combines simultaneous interpretation and real time captioning to provide “instant translation” or “visual interpretation.” This method gives audience members the convenience of a translation they can read on their phones, tablets, or other devices. Instant translation is suitable for audiences of any size and useful for those who are hard of hearing and require CART or Remote CART services.

Monterey Language Services is a long-time provider of Simultaneous Interpretation, Remote Real Time English Captioning, Remote Real Time Spanish Captioning, and other services, which cover All Languages. We specialize in providing solutions to address both the cost and time-saving needs of our customers, regardless of the size of their audience.

Contact us if this type of service is what you need for your next event or conference!

Whatever the reason your business has for holding a conference in Silicon Valley, Monterey Languages Services is here to help.  We come from a conference interpretation background with an amazing network of alumni, graduates from the Graduate School of Translation and Interpetation of the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS), speaking many different languages, and equipped with the most advanced listening and presentation technologies.  We hold ourselves to the industry’s highest standard, and have contributed to the success of many international conferences for our Silicon Valley clients.

Before every conference interpretation event starts, we make preparations in advance. From selecting a team of conference interpreters, putting together interpretation equipment & the audio and video system, setting up interpreter rooms or interpreter booths, to studying the conference materials in advance, there is a design and a goal in mind in order to achieve the best result in an event we are entrusted to provide conference interpretation.

When the audience gets there, each member is provided a headset connected to a radio-like device that receives the channels of interpretation in different languages (English, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, etc.). Use push to talk microphones to ask questions.  With all of these high-tech equipments, we come on site to provide technical support and make sure customers are enjoying using modern technology to help them break the language barriers.

At the end of the event, every audience member has clearly understood the conference. They were enthusiastic about it, and good business deals are about to come out of this.

The Monterey Language Services team feels—hey, Silicon Valley–mission accomplished.

Monterey Language Services strives to provide the highest quality of translation and interpretation services. Please feel free to contact us for a quote.

For translation and interpretation projects, why do customers prefer to hire a translation company like Monterey Language Services instead of an individual translator or interpreter?

The short answer is a company like ours has a system and resources in place to guarantee quality and availability.  In other words, we provide professional translation and interpretation services.

We make sure all our customers are confident that their projects are being handled by experts and their requests will be met with the highest possible quality. We are our customers’ external team, helping them move forward to the growth of their core business.

Whether it is a request for a Chinese interpreter for two hour or a couple of Spanish interpreters and Portuguese interpreters for two days; a one-page press release to be translated in eighteen languages, or a thirty page manual to be translated into Spanish, French, German, and Japanese, we take care of them all.  That is our everyday life.

First, we recruit highly skilled translators and interpreters every single day – find the best translators and interpreters with the right language pair and expert background knowledge, and test them. Then, we train them according to the customer’s guidelines. We coordinate them and brief them with all the necessary information, so they become a part of the company we serve.  

We also decide on how many linguists to deploy to assure quality in every aspect and provide backup translators and interpreters if one becomes unavailable. We provide all languages assistance in order to meet our customers’ needs for comprehensive and full line services.  Once a customer finds Monterey Language Services, they don’t need to go anywhere else.  We tailor solutions to our customers’ specific needs.

Last but not least, often times, a translation project, a conference interpretation event, or a voiceover/subtitling project requires a team effort.  Projects are usually supported by a group of professionals rather than a single-handed individual effort.   It could involve so many aspects that only an experienced and professional company like Monterey Language Services can excel in it.

Monterey Language Services strives to provide the highest quality of translation and interpretation services. Please feel free to contact us for a quote.

Objective: Your Silicon Valley business wants to expand business operations overseas by marketing to international clients. You need to train your multilingual employees to increase their technical know-how and sales skills. You have corporate messages to send to your employees worldwide.  Perhaps you are a high-tech Web media company, a Silicon Valley bank dealing with international clients and transactions, or an international law firm dealing in patents, trademarks and copyrights, private equity, venture capital, and commercial litigation. For clients working in biotechnology & biotechnologies research, medical devices, surgical systems, semiconductors & semiconductors memory and equipment, fiber optic components, entertainment, design, consumer publishing, social gaming entertainment software, business information, and consumer information technology, they all market to prospective international buyers and investors in the most interesting forums and conferences.

Monterey Language Services feels fortunate to have contributed to the success of many of these types of conferences for our Silicon Valley clients. We particularly enjoy interpreting in a forward-thinking and bustling region like Silicon Valley.  To be continued…

Monterey Language Services strives to provide the highest quality of translation and interpretation services. Please feel free to contact us for a quote.

You have found us – we provide quick & easy solutions for all your translation needs. Tell us about the subject of the text to be translated, its size and the languages you want, and we will provide a quote. Send us the files, and within short order, we will deliver a clear, accurate, complete translation.

That’s it! That’s all you have to do. Simply send us the text you want translated, then leave all the rest to us.

Of course, quite a bit more goes on behind the scenes, starting with doing the translation right the first time. We use a multi-step process to ensure the quality of our translations, starting with the translation itself, then editing, followed by proofreading and QA. Every translation is confirmed by at least one other linguist to assure that the meaning of the original is conveyed clearly and accurately. 

We also check for completeness and formatting and can perform DTP image editing as necessary. We work with any format, from Word documents, to PowerPoint presentations, to Excel spreadsheets, to software applications, to website localization. Whether you’re looking to translate a code of conduct, an employee handbook, company policies, a slideshow, a survey or a script, we can make it happen.

We can also handle any subject matter. Whether legal documents, technical manuals, or medical reports, our highly-trained translators will rise to the challenge. Our specialization is in highly-technical subjects.

Furthermore, we provide over 175 languages (including Arabic, Japanese, Hebrew, Malay, German, French, Indonesian, Danish, Finnish, Hungarian, Korean, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Italian, Swedish, Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish, Hindi, Norwegian, Polish, Russian and more).

We treat every project with special care, and our goal is to always try our best to make sure the readers understand the original text in their own language, as clearly and as easily as possible. 

Monterey Language Services strives to provide the highest quality of translation and interpretation services. Please feel free to contact us for a quote.

A Passion for Languages

Born and raised in California, David showed a great interest in language learning since young age.  While studying Spanish literature and culture in San Jose State, he has spent time abroad in Madrid, Spain. In his junior year in college, he picked up Mandarin as a minor and went to Beijing University to sharpen his Chinese. These life experiences have given him different perspectives on international issues, which eventually led him to study policy with the focus in trade between the United States and China. David mentioned that “being able to speak another language not only introduces me to a new culture, but also teaches me how people think and behave in that specific culture.” He also joked about how being able to speak both Spanish and Mandarin allowed to “survive” in Spain, Mexico, and China during many unexpected situations.

David feels very fortunate to possess multiple language skills in both academic and professional fields. His academic specialty in trade inevitably requires him to gather both countries’ situations and argument in order to draft a strong analysis. As a result, his ability to read research journals and articles in Chinese has benefited him greatly. David mentioned that a paper can never be “well-rounded” unless both sides of the arguments have been touched upon. In the professional area, David’s academic experience and language skills have helped him land an internship with the U.S. Department of Commerce in Shanghai, and he will continue the internship in San Jose this coming semester.

Benefits of Leaning a Foreign Language

There are many benefits to learning a foreign language. Potential career paths not only include translation and interpretation, but countless others in business and in policy, like David’s. In addition, learning a foreign language can lead to a magnificent journey in a foreign country, the ability to watch foreign movies without the aid of subtitles, and the opportunity to make friends all over the world.