What Is Translation Quality Assurance?

By: Erik Angelone

 

translation quality assurance

Today, there are over 6,000 languages spoken across the globe, with some utilized more widely than others. With so many languages, it is imperative that accurate translations be available to facilitate communication.

To achieve accuracy, language industry professionals frequently use what is known as translation quality assurance (TQA) or translation quality control (TQC). In this post, we are going to take a look at this methodology and how it can optimize translation.

What Is the Process of Quality Assurance in Translation?

At Kent State University, we offer an M.A. in Translation that will provide you with a wide range of skills and knowledge to prepare you for a successful career in the language industry, and this includes mastering the art of translation quality assurance.

Translator

When it comes to efficient translation, it is important to involve someone who is competent in the given language pair as well as in the domain being translated. Depending on the size and scale of the project, there may be multiple translators involved, further highlighting the need for quality assessment to ensure consistency and adherence to project specifications.

Editing

Once translated content is in place, the next step is editing. Editing in the context of translation consists of a person or multiple people combing through the translated material to check for errors, common mistakes, and flaws in relation to the corresponding source content. First and foremost, it is the editor’s job to make sure that the meaning of the source content is not lost or skewed in the converted content. Often, the editor is a highly experienced translator with knowledge of the subject matter.

Desktop Publishing and Multimedia Team

Once the content has been translated and edited, the copy is often sent to a desktop publishing team or multimedia team, depending on where the copy is ultimately headed. This step is important to ensure the content will fit into the correct format, including text expansions and retractions.

Final Proofread

The final step before sending any content off to the receiving party is a final proofread. This step is important to ensure that nothing has been lost in translation during the previous three steps. If you are using this process in a professional setting, this is the last step before submitting copy to a client, meaning it should be treated with great care.

Building a Career in Translation

Quality assurance in translation has become an inevitable and invaluable part of project workflows, particularly as machine translation is increasingly used. Earning your master’s in translation at Kent State unlocks endless paths to rewarding careers in multilingual quality assurance and many other language industry domains.

If this is the field you intend on pursuing, check out some of the potential areas you can choose from:

  • Specialized translation
  • Interpreting
  • Post-editing and revision
  • Localization
  • Terminology management
  • Project management

The list does not stop here – Kent State University’s Master of Arts in Translation program provides you with the skills and knowledge you need to take your career in almost any field to the next level.

Choose Kent State for Your M.A. in Translation

If you are looking to become an expert in translation quality management, Kent State is the right choice for you. Our M.A. in Translation offers concentrations in Arabic, French, German, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish and includes 36 semester hours of coursework to be completed over a two-year time period for full-time students, or a six-year time period for students on a part-time basis. Our experienced faculty is equipped to prepare students for future endeavors in various career positions.

Plus, our state-of-the-art program is offered in both in-person and online options, allowing our courses to be completed from virtually anywhere at your pace and convenience. Both of these degree options include the same curriculum and coursework requirements. If you’re interested in furthering your career in language studies, choose Kent State University.

Ready to Be an Expert in Translation Quality Management? Apply Today!

If you’re interested in pursuing a career with an M.A. in Translation, get started with Kent State University and apply today! With graduation rates over 90%, our renowned program will provide you with extensive language skills and open doors to endless career options.

Want to learn more about our program and the courses we offer? Contact us! If you’re ready to begin the application process, fill out this form on our admissions page.