Global businesses, and even local ones serving a diverse client base, need to stay updated on emerging trends in the translation industry. Keeping up with the latest translation and localization trends will give your business a competitive edge. We often see businesses making the mistake of waiting until they have an urgent need for translation to start planning their strategy for serving multilingual content to a diverse and global audience. We’re here to help! Below are 5 key trends in translation that you should be familiar with.
This article is part of our "Experts Insights" series, featuring Tyson Shelley from Language Network. A seasoned professional, Tyson shares his experience and real-world examples to guide you through the top translation trends.
The future of translation: Trends and Innovations
Do you know the history of translation? One of the earliest known translations is that of the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh into Akkadian, around 2,100 BCE. The basic reason for translation hasn’t changed since then: Communicating across language barriers and cultural exchange. As people, culture and languages evolve, so have translation methods and we’re sitting in the middle of an evolutionary step in the translation world. We’re seeing AI pave the way for new translation methods that we haven’t even considered yet.
But here are a few that we have considered and that are happening now. As we look ahead, it's clear that the future of translation will be defined by a synergy between human expertise and advanced technologies. These advancements promise not only to enhance the accuracy and speed of translations but also to enable more nuanced and culturally sensitive communication.
The Evolution of language learning : A Real-life example
I lived in Peru in the early 2000s and as I studied Spanish every day, I carried a 2nd edition of Salvatore Ramondino’s “The new World Spanish/English - English/Spanish Dictionary” with me almost everywhere I went. But it was a bit heavy, so eventually, I started leaving it at home and instead carried a small notepad.
Real example: My method for communicating in spanish
When I heard words or phrases I didn’t know and couldn’t contextually decipher the meaning of, this is what I would do:
- Write down words or phrases I didn’t know
- Look them up in my trusty dictionary the following morning
- Daily language study sessions
This method worked fairly well, and with time and consistency, I saw results. However, as good as Ramondino’s dictionary is, this method was slow. There is a strong possibility that I missed a lot of nuances and colloquialisms of the local language usage. Dictionary input tends to be more objective and accurate on a word-for-word level, and doesn’t necessarily apply in the region you’re in.
Fast forward to today: I just got back from Lima, this time with ChatGPT’s app on my phone. I gave it a simple prompt
“Translate the following phrases into Peruvian Spanish, making it as colloquial as possible. And if the phrase is in Spanish, translate that to English.”
Throughout the day, when needed, I’d open the app, type a phrase, and within a second, I had a translation that, as soon as I read it, I knew it would work well in the conversational context I was in. It was able to help inform conversations I was having in real time and greatly enhanced the quality of my discussions.
Translation Trends: Key topics you need to know
Trend 0: Why professional human translators remain essential
Before delving into the latest AI trends in the translation industry, it's crucial to highlight something that never goes out of style and remains indispensable - human translation.
Now let’s scale this up: Global businesses are competing fiercely for every dollar. Efficiencies are top of mind for many global leaders, putting developments in AI directly in the spotlight.
Organizations with a linguistically diverse audience should be aware of their options for multilingual content management production in a world of Human vs AI. But first it’s good to keep in mind the tremendous value added by professional human translators:
- They’re trained in the art and science of translating.
- They understand things like “equivalence judgment” and know how to navigate linguistic nuances. AI might fail in this category from time to time.
- They’re adept at using software that facilitates the translation process.
- You can have a relationship with them and they can grow with your organization.
- They’re used to collaborating with Project Managers, and other linguists that might be a part of the overall project.
That said, let's see the main AI translation trends and how they can play major role in business:
1. Automated Translation
Machine Translation has been around for a while and has improved over the years. Neural Machine Translation engines such as Google MT have produced an impressive level of quality but may fall short unexpectedly.
AI Translation leverages a different underlying technology. Instead of using a neural network (large data sets of parallel texts + rules based systems) model designed specifically for translation, AI is able to translate as just one of its functions and is much better able to process contextual information.
2. Real-time Translation
Translation of live conversations has endless applications such as personal conversations/chats, global business meetings, customer service operations and hospital operations. Take Relay for example... Their wearable product enables communication across a wide variety of industries, and language isn’t a barrier thanks to real-time AI translation.
3. Translation Quality Improvements
Translation Management System providers have started adding AI-powered features into their platforms to enhance translation quality and efficiency of human translators. For example, AI can automatically detect and suggest corrections for errors, inconsistencies (even across large projects) and deviations from style guides or glossaries.
Checking for grammatical errors is a given capability as well. The AI overlay can even suggest more idiomatic ways of saying things, meaning it can improve your writing style even where no error was technically present.
Check out this interactions with ChatGPT as the translator:
In this experiment, we didn’t just tell it to translate. Instead, we had it check its own work and provide insights on the improvements. We went as far as to guide it to leverage industry standard quality framework (TAUS DQF) and provide commentary on how it did as compared to the standard.
4. Workflow Automation
Another Translation Management System application for AI is the automation of project management tasks, to help expedite such tasks as assigning jobs to translators based on their expertise, availability, and past performance.
The sky's the limit with AI applications within the world of translation. Some may wonder, why ever use a professional human translator again? Well, that question has been asked for decades as new Machine Translation developments were announced. The need for human translators did not go away and AI translation capabilities still do not render them obsolete.
At Language Network, our customers understand the need for human translators but as a company we also recognize the benefits of leveraging technology to aid our translators and managers in the important mission of removing language barriers with clarity and accuracy.
Language Network: Innovative translation to suit your business
AI translation is changing the game for businesses going global. Language Network combines advanced tech with human expertise to offer top-notch translation and localization services. Learn more about our services here!
Why Us?
- Speed & Precision: Our AI delivers fast, accurate translations.
- Cultural Relevance: Expert linguists ensure your message hits the mark.
- Comprehensive Services: From documents to websites, software, and multimedia, we’ve got you covered.
Choose Language Network for a perfect blend of technology and human touch, ensuring your business communicates effectively worldwide. Contact us and get a quote in 24 hours! 🌐🔍