How to use translation tools with caution and skill
When it comes to online translation tools the most important thing that staff need to learn is when to leave their phone in their pocket and call in a professional instead. If you decide that it is sometimes acceptable for your team to use machine translation, the next step is for them to learn how to do that well. This course ticks both those boxes.
The consultation process
Everyone with a smartphone has a translation tool in their pocket. If your staff are regularly faced with a language barrier they are probably using Google Translate already, whether head office has sanctioned it or not (especially if you have not trained them in the alternatives.) Often this is not appropriate. Every organisation which has clients from overseas needs a plan of action for overcoming language barriers, and translation tools may form one strand of this. Where organisations fail to provide clear guidance and training on how to overcome language barriers, staff often overuse machine translation.
Find out what is really happening
Our anonymous diagnostic questionnaire will find out if, when and how your workforce use translation tools. Are you happy for your team to use machine translation in certain circumstances? Which circumstances? We help our clients write a company policy on this matter, and then use this training course to inform employees what the policy consists of. This advisory service is included in the cost of the training and is part of what makes your course bespoke.
Decision making tool
There are occasions when a failure to call in an interpreter or translator would amount to negligence. It is hard for staff to make a judgement call like this without guidance. Included in this course is a tool which staff can use to help them reach a decision on a case by case basis. We liaise with each client to tweak the tool for their needs. If you would like to view it, get in touch.
Getting the best out of Google Translate
Google Translate is the most widely used online translation tool. It has a number of features - is your team using them all? This course teaches attendees how to-
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Use the 'conversation' feature to translate a live conversation.
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Build a phrasebook.
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Embed Google Translate into WhatsApp.
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Use the camera function, which you can see below.
As you can see, the camera function looks futuristic. But look at the top line in the photo - what does that translation mean? Translations done by machines can sometimes leave you scratching your head. That's why this course also includes tips on how to improve accuracy when using machine translation.
How to avoid mistranslation.
Few things are worse than being made a fool of by your phone. If your staff members are being misrepresented by theirs, how would they know? This course helps attendees reduce the likelihood of mistranslations by showing them the weak points of machine translation and ways to get around them. By phrasing things cleverly, accuracy can be greatly improved. This helps the professional image of your company by reducing embarrassing or costly mistakes.
For individuals as well as organisations
To find out more about how our bespoke training can help your workforce, get in touch. Book a free 15 minute fact finder here. Alternatively click here to buy individual tickets for our next multi-agency webinar.
