Poll: What percentage of your customers are not fluent in the target language?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Feb 1, 2006

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "What percentage of your customers are not fluent in the target language?".

View the poll here

A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629


 
Henry Hinds
Henry Hinds  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 08:34
English to Spanish
+ ...
In memoriam
Hard to tell Feb 2, 2006

We may deal with one person in an organization and may or may not even know if the person is fluent in the target language. More importantly, we may or may not know if there are other persons in the organization who are. We can also do some translations into the same language in which we deal with them and so we know, and others in the opposite direction where we do not know.

Therefore, it is a rather difficult question to answer with any degree of precision.

In English
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We may deal with one person in an organization and may or may not even know if the person is fluent in the target language. More importantly, we may or may not know if there are other persons in the organization who are. We can also do some translations into the same language in which we deal with them and so we know, and others in the opposite direction where we do not know.

Therefore, it is a rather difficult question to answer with any degree of precision.

In English and Spanish I take it as a given that all my clients would have someone around who is at least reasonably fluent in both.
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Nicole Schnell
Nicole Schnell  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 07:34
English to German
+ ...
In memoriam
Only one. Feb 2, 2006

I am specializing in Eng>Ger. For whatever reason, none of my clients are located in any German speaking country. Great Britain is the closest. One exception: the German owner of a translation firm in Canada. Nice change. Bizarre.

 
Nico_M_ITEN
Nico_M_ITEN  Identity Verified
Australia
Local time: 01:34
English to Italian
+ ...
The results seem clear... Feb 2, 2006

So... it seems like most translations are requested by people who are not fluent in the target language.

I can't say I am surprised. Considering the amount of money that any business seems to be willing to invest in quality translations (I don't know what your experiences have been, but I am very often offered jobs at ridiculously low rates... so low that they don't encourage any sort of professional commitment!), it's no wonder that they would call for help only when they really c
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So... it seems like most translations are requested by people who are not fluent in the target language.

I can't say I am surprised. Considering the amount of money that any business seems to be willing to invest in quality translations (I don't know what your experiences have been, but I am very often offered jobs at ridiculously low rates... so low that they don't encourage any sort of professional commitment!), it's no wonder that they would call for help only when they really can't do otherwise.

For agencies things could be a bit different and I agree with what was said above... it depends... and you probably will never know.

I don't know what the underlying aim of this poll was... I can say that, though they are not surprising, the results are a bit worrisome: a lack of knowledge of the target language on the other side may "encourage" some translators (for various reasons, they may be unexperienced, unprofessionally lazy or not as competent ...) to deliver low-quality translations.
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Subhamay Ray (X)
Subhamay Ray (X)  Identity Verified
Local time: 20:04
English to Bengali
+ ...
Oh! Not even one! Feb 2, 2006

And that's true!

[Edited at 2006-02-02 08:02]


 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 15:34
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
It depends on the target language... Feb 2, 2006

The answer depends on so many factors - population that speaks the language, level of education...

"Everybody speaks English" - so I wondered whether to vote for 0%. A few end-clients are not what I call fluent in English, so I voted for 0-10%.

Translating the other way would give very different results, depending on business area and lots of other factors.

Product descriptions and marketing for companies wishing to trade in small countries will often be t
... See more
The answer depends on so many factors - population that speaks the language, level of education...

"Everybody speaks English" - so I wondered whether to vote for 0%. A few end-clients are not what I call fluent in English, so I voted for 0-10%.

Translating the other way would give very different results, depending on business area and lots of other factors.

Product descriptions and marketing for companies wishing to trade in small countries will often be translated for clients who do not understand the target language, while other work will be done for native speakers of that language who are more or less fluent in the source language.

Levels of education make an enormous difference too. The number of people who are really fluent in a widely-spoken language (mine is English, but the same goes for many others) will be higher in the richer countries. There is always a percentage who have picked up a little from TV and other media, but education levels, general literacy, and whether the source and target languages use the same alphabet will all affect the result.

I hope this poll is followed up by 'What percentage of your clients are not fluent in the **source** language?'

-- and also 'What percentage of your clients understand both the target and the source language reasonably well'?

I'll be watching this space!

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Dusica Cook
Dusica Cook
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 15:34
English to Bosnian
+ ...
Most of them Feb 2, 2006

most of my clients speak the target language(s), but it is usually the policy of the company they represent that asks for documents to be translated and they are the ones doing different things and thus give those for translation. i am quite happy with it because i can always contact the client and ask if there is something i do not understand and the clients see if the translation is OK or not without a third person (proofreader).

Josephine Cassar
 
Özden Arıkan
Özden Arıkan  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 15:34
Member
English to Turkish
+ ...
All and none Feb 2, 2006

I have two types of clients: 1) publishers and editors in Turkey, who not only speak the target language, but are professionals in that language, as well. 2) agencies elsewhere, none of which have the sligtest idea about Turkish, my target language. Dealing with the first group is more rewarding, because I have my fights with them in my native language

 
Nicolette Ri (X)
Nicolette Ri (X)
Local time: 15:34
French to Dutch
+ ...
100% Feb 4, 2006

Why should they?

 
Mrudula Tambe
Mrudula Tambe  Identity Verified
India
Local time: 20:04
English to Marathi
+ ...
In memoriam
I think Feb 4, 2006

this poll was based on my recent article on this forum. Glad to have so much response. I'm suffering with this problem and feel disturbed when client unnecessorily comment on the translation despite taking so much pain to be perfect and refering `n' no. of dictionaries and seeking help from various people for accuration and preciseness.

 
Nicole Schnell
Nicole Schnell  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 07:34
English to German
+ ...
In memoriam
Sometimes we have to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Feb 4, 2006

And there is no chance of direct feed back whatsoever.

I specialize in advertising/copywriting and getting a nice nod or whatever appreciation out of a client would be nice. Since they don't speak the target language - not a chance. Oh, well..


 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 15:34
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
Reviving a poll discussion - warning: it started in 2006 Feb 16, 2021

I just felt like seeing a different poll discussion, and reckoned we could take this one again.

My answer still applies - 'Everyone can English' or thinks they can...

And may I pay my respects to contributors who are no longer with us, with thanks for their support and good advice.


Matthias Brombach
Angie Garbarino
P.L.F. Persio
Josephine Cassar
texjax DDS PhD
 
Matthias Brombach
Matthias Brombach  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 15:34
Member (2007)
Dutch to German
+ ...
And that could be ... Feb 16, 2021

Christine Andersen wrote:

And may I pay my respects to contributors who are no longer with us, with thanks for their support and good advice.

... a reason to revive these posts, of course on the first instance because of the topics they provided, that still can be topical even today, and to see, who else made good and valuable contributions here on this website, and keep them in respectful remembrance.


Angie Garbarino
 
Angie Garbarino
Angie Garbarino  Identity Verified
Local time: 15:34
Member (2003)
French to Italian
+ ...
This is a very nice and timeless thread Feb 16, 2021

Christine Andersen wrote:

I just felt like seeing a different poll discussion, and reckoned we could take this one again.

My answer still applies - 'Everyone can English' or thinks they can...

And may I pay my respects to contributors who are no longer with us, with thanks for their support and good advice.

This one deserves resuscitation.
I also would like to pay my respects to contributors who are no longer with us.


 


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Poll: What percentage of your customers are not fluent in the target language?






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