FAQ

1) Which languages are translated and interpreted by Global Lingua Services ?

The cultural diversity of our translators shows itself clearly through our ability to provide a continuous and diversified service. Thus we are able, for example, to respond immediately to all your translation needs from or into the most widely spoken languages such as English, French, Dutch, German, Italian, Spanish or Russian. If the need arises, we can also deal promptly and efficiently with requests for translation of ‘less common’ languages: Arabic, Mandarin, Slavic languages, or other so-called East European languages.

2) Who are Global Lingua Services translators and interpreters, where are they from and what is their training ?

Translation of your documents is naturally carried out by translators whose mother or ‘native’ tongue is also the target language. Graduates from renowned educational establishments and well-versed in high calibre research and creative linguistic work across diverse specialised fields, our translators are also specialised in one or more of these fields. Their ability to respond to the needs of the market must be seen to be fully appreciated.

3) GLOBAL LINGUA SERVICES and confidentiality.

The protection of your confidentiality is of utmost importance to us. Global Lingua Services, its subsidiaries and other members of its group seriously undertake to protect the confidentiality, the security and the accuracy of the personal information that they store, use and communicate, in full conformity with current legislation. The current ‘confidentiality protection policy’ forms a statement of the main principles and tenets concerning the protection of the personal information of our clients, suppliers of services and others (‘you’) (with the exception of our employees whose personal details are stored, used and communicated according to the confidentiality protection policy specific to them).

4) Editing at Global Lingua Services?

The correction and revision of our translations is systematically carried out not only by those of our independent translators who show an aptitude for this work, but also by the members of our team of proofreaders.

5) In what form does Global Lingua Services deliver your translations?

Translations are generally delivered in electronic format which is highly time-effective. This format is not, of course, applicable to legal or sworn translations, which will be sent to you by recorded delivery. However, Global Lingua Services will adapt itself to your needs and deliver translations in any other required format such as fax, mail, CDROM, etc.

6) Global Lingua Services cost and efficiency.

Contrary to most other offices, we charge by the character for greater transparency to the client, and to facilitate simpler calculation of the costs particular to his or her order. Prices depend on various factors: the source and target languages, the delivery deadline, the technical nature of the text, the recurrent features of a translation project, or equally, its unique character (for recurrent projects, the use of translation memory software will sometimes allow cost reduction), etc. In order to provide you with an accurate invoice, we ask you to be as precise as possible when describing your needs (deadline, source and target languages, required document format, and of course, the nature of the text to translate). “We pride ourselves on always sending you a reply within 2 hours of reception of your order”.

7) Project management.

The completion of each project is managed by one of our specialised project managers.

8) Global Lingua Services and computer assisted translation tools

Aware of the primordial importance of translation aid tools, we are equipped with the latest versions of software, essential for optimising the quality, turnover and professionalism of our work. Many of our freelance translators also take advantage of these software resources in order to maintain conformity of style and respect the terminology particular to each specialised domain. ‘Old’ translations are centralised and stored in our multilingual lexicological database, ready for new use thanks to a rapid referencing system.

9) Is there a surcharge for urgent jobs ?

Yes, urgent projects put greater strain on resources, and if this is the case we will ensure that we provide you with an accurate invoice. If we are unable to carry out the work within the desired deadline, we will let you know the closest we can offer.

10) Do I need to provide a glossary or reference texts ?

Glossaries and reference texts are a valuable aid for dealing professionally with technical texts. They guarantee the semantic homogeneity of different parts of a document which may be shared between several translators, or of different documents dealing with the same subject. They also simplify and speed up the translation process. If you have access to glossaries, please do not hesitate to forward them to us.

11) Global Lingua Services and proofreading.

To ensure our work meets the highest quality standards, Global Lingua Services guarantees proofreading of all translations before delivery. Proofreading and revision of translation is carried out by someone other than the translator. If the quality is poor, we will always go back to the original text and, as need be, retranslate certain passages to clarify them. Should the editing process take as much time as the translation itself, we will have to invoice accordingly.

12) Should the client check his or her translations ?

We always recommend that our clients check the documents translated by our translation services. Each company uses, to a certain extent, its own particular language that may be little known to outside persons. This is why maintaining good communication between the project manager and the client is of paramount importance to us.