My husband and I are big time travelers and will often travel domestically and/or overseas. When it comes to traveling, we are often faced with hurdles of not knowing the native language and many times we hire translation agencies to help us with all of our traveling needs.
Today, I wanted to share a few tips with all of you who need to hire a translation agency before, during and/or after your overseas trip.
1. If you think you will need any type of translation work done…look for a company before you even leave for your trip. You can do this by logging online and doing a web search for worldwide translation services or by searching for services in the particular country you will be visiting.
2. If any of your travel documents arrive with foreign language on them…get those documents translated before you even leave home! Don’t assume you know what those words mean are what they are in reference to. It is SAFER to know exactly every little thing on those travel documents before you leave and to fully understand them.
3. Shop around for the perfect agency for your needs. Make sure that the interpreter that you hire can clearly speak and understand YOUR native language (in most cases, that would be English). If your interpreter is not fluid in your native language, find and hire someone else!
4. Ask them about their experience, how long they have been in business and for any references that they may have. It is important to get references and check out those references if they are available.
5. Get a written price quote up front and make sure you fully understand any additional costs that may be involved.
Translation services can be used for all kinds of things while traveling abroad. They can help translate hotel reservations, airline reservations, medical records, business documents, legal documents and all kinds of other things that you may or may not need.
In my personal opinion, it’s always best to secure these types of services before you even leave home…this way you are prepared for any circumstances that may arise while you are traveling abroad. ~ Safe Travels!
What a useful article! THE most important tip you gave (IMHO) is to make sure that the interpreter is FLUENT in English. What would it serve if he were perfect in Mandarin Chinese, say, but unable to communicate effectively with you? Thanks for the info! Forewarned is forearmed – if I get to go overseas for business this perfect!
These are good tips. It is like hiring a contractor. You need to check out everything in advance: experience, references, price quote, compatibility,etc. Although English is spoken in many places you shouldn’t depend on that.