Translating
documents, advertisements or other materials can be a real headache for many
organizations, especially with periodic news stories reporting on the explosive
growth of groups, like Asians and Latinos. For example, one recent report by
the Census Bureau cited in Texas Tribune tells us that Asians now have a higher
population growth rate in Texas (5.5%) – faster than the overall population
growth rate for the state of 1.6 percent.[1]
Latinos, however, continue to fuel a
majority of the population growth in Texas and many U.S. communities. The projected population growth in Texas is
vividly illustrated by Figure 1 below. [2]
Figure 1
Projected Texas Population by Race/Ethnicity
According to these
projections of the Texas population by the Texas Demographic Center (January
2019), the period between 2020 and 2050 will realize a dramatic multicultural
population boom of 108.9 percent for Non-Hispanic Blacks, 509.7 percent for
Non-Hispanic Asians, and 113.4 percent for Hispanics – indeed, a significant
change that is likely to significantly
increase the demand for language translation services. The same report revealed
that four of the top ten counties in Texas that are projected to absorb this
growth are located in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metro area (see Table 1 below): Collin County (1.7 million persons); Denton
County (1.7 million persons); Dallas County (1.4 million persons); and Tarrant
County (1.4 million persons). If your
organization serves or plans to serve Asian and Latino persons with your
services or products, a sound translation strategy will be especially
important.
Indeed, one medical institution recently contacted me with an urgent
question: With so many Asian groups in
Dallas County, which languages should be targeted for translation? This sense of urgency is especially acute in
industries related to healthcare, legal, and public safety where even minor
errors in translation can have serious consequences. For example, communications and medical interventions in linguistically diverse U.S. communities during the Covid-19 pandemic were compromised by the absence of information regarding the racial-ethnic identity and language characteristics of highly impacted communities. Indeed, about 22 Asian countries are
represented in North Texas by the Census Bureau while Latinos are represented
by 21 countries – numbers that clearly underscore the need for translation
support. Moreover, Asian countries include
hundreds of languages with different dialects.[3] And while Spanish is common to Spanish-speaking
countries, their dialects are known to vary across these countries.[4]
Table 1: Top 10
Texas Counties with Greatest Numeric Change between 2010 and 2050
The translation
strategy that an organization adopts, however, can produce negative outcomes
and undermine community goodwill if not done carefully and professionally. To clear up some of the confusion associated
with translations, I would like to share some lessons learned from my 45 years
of practical experience in conducting surveys and experiments with Latinos and
Asians for a broad spectrum of private, public and academic clients. While I am not a linguistics expert, I have
studied the use of language in these studies, and this experience has been
reinforced by teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in Hispanic
marketing, multicultural research methods, survey research methods, statistics,
and mass communications. Thus, the lessons learned are not just subjective
impressions about language usage but grounded in academic and real-world
experiences. Although I have addressed language translation issues in the past, recent
events pointed to the need for an update on this topic.
Lesson
1: The language that Latinos and Asians
use to communicate is not uniform and shaped by key characteristics such as age,
nativity, income and education.
For
example, a non-English or foreign language is more likely to be used by persons
who are foreign-born, older, less educated and lower income. Persons who are are
more likely to communicate in English include persons who are native born,
younger, higher income and more educated groups. Language usage is also likely
to vary in terms of the context: reading
a book, listening to a medical provider, watching television, or talking with
friends or family members. Consequently,
prior to initiating a translation process, it is very important to identify the
specific target audience within the Latino or Asian household or communities
that the translated document is designed to benefit. A good rule of thumb is to
provide both English and native-language documents to ensure adequate coverage
of all members of a household.
Lesson
2: A head nod is not sufficient to confirm
understanding of a translated document.
It is often the case that a Latino or Asian person is
presented a form to complete a transaction or register for a program or
service. Attorneys, healthcare providers, and mortgage companies often
present documents that need signatures on documents that involve important
decisions. In such circumstances, the customer is typically asked if they
understand what is being explained or what they are reading, and a head nod or
“yes” response is usually accepted as confirmation that the information was
“understood.” But is this type of confirmation a valid one?
Perhaps not if there is no follow-up to determine that the information
was really understood. Latinos and Asians, especially immigrants, will
often confirm that they understand an instruction or a document to save face
and not admit that they lack the ability to read or understand that language.
Consequently, it is important to ask these customers to explain or demonstrate
their comprehension of an instruction by asking them to repeat in their own
words what the instruction means or asking them to physically demonstrate their
comprehension. In a healthcare setting, for example, it would be advisable to
ask a Latino or Asian to repeat, in their own words, the instructions for
taking their medication(s) – clearly a more valid measure of comprehension than
a simple head nod.
Lesson
3: Translators are not the last word on
language translations.
Over the past years, I have used translators for a variety
of tasks using different languages and value the function that they serve. In
one national study of Latinos, African Americans and Asians, our firm conducted
surveys in five languages (English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese)
using mail, online and telephone survey methods – quite a challenge indeed.
Over the years, I have learned to appreciate the value of a certified
translator with experience in the subject matter at hand, whether legal,
healthcare, insurance, etc. – which helps to reassure clients about the
accuracy of the translation. However, it is a mistake to think that your job
is done when a translator submits their finished product. In addition
to the accuracy of the translated document, it is equally important to know who
the intended audience will be and their ability to read and understand the
document. Translators do not always know who the intended audience is and
sometimes produce documents whose reading difficulty level is too high or
include words or phrases that are unfamiliar to the intended audience. Mandy
Sha, a Chinese research colleague of mine, was part of a research team that conducted
a usability test of a Census Bureau questionnaire with Chinese respondents who
could read and write in Chinese but had limited English-language proficiency.
The investigators discovered several problems with the translated
questionnaire, such as sentence structure or verb tense, grammar, lack of
context, name order, validation rules and navigation instructions. [5] By conducting a copy test, pilot test or
usability study of a translated document, one can have the added assurance that
the appropriate communication has been established with the targeted consumer.
Hence, your target audience, not the translator, should have the last
word on the acceptability of a translated document or other material.
Lesson
4: Speaking a language is not an automatic
qualifier for reading or writing in that language.
Naïve marketers are often surprised to observe that Latinos
or Asians can be conversing in their native language quite comfortably but may
have difficulty when asked to read or write a document in that language. What
some marketers fail to understand is that a language usually includes four
basic functions -- reading, speaking, writing, and listening -- and
proficiency in one of these functions does not necessarily mean proficiency in
the other functions. In addition, many immigrants coming from Asian or
Spanish-speaking countries may lack formal education and cannot read or write
in any language, while more educated immigrants may be more literate in their
native language. By better understanding the origins and educational
background of Latinos and Asians, marketers can develop communications that
will be understood by their target audiences. Thus, one should always consider
the language function being utilized when evaluating a translated document. It
is insufficient to just ask a Latino or Asian person in which language they
prefer to communicate since it is important to know whether their language
preferences are dependent on the language function (i.e., reading, speaking,
writing, listening) and the specific task or activity that they are engaged in (i.e.,
watching television, reading a book, talking with family, listening to music,
conversing with medical staff). So,
learn to be situation specific in asking Latinos or Asians which
language they prefer for communications.
Lesson
5: While the U.S. Census Bureau collects
language usage data about Asians and Latinos, it can be misleading.
Organizations often quote language statistics collected by
the Census Bureau as evidence about the number of native-language households
that reside in the U.S. at any point in time. The quality of this
language data, however, is limited in several ways. First, one question
in the American Community Survey asks: “Does this person speak a language
other than English at home?” If the question is answered “yes,” then the next
question that follows is: “What is this language? Thus, we learn
from these two questions the number of persons that speak Spanish or another
language. But it does not ask how well Spanish or other non-English
languages are spoken – referred to as language proficiency. Thus, if
a person utters one word in Spanish, then they are classified as a Spanish
speaker or Spanish-language household. How well they speak Spanish does not
seem to matter here.
English is the only language where proficiency is asked:
“How well does this person speak English?” – to which one is provided four
options: “Very well,” “Well,” “Not well,” and “Not at all.” While
this type of language proficiency question is useful in providing some guidance
on how well a person speaks the English language, other research that I have
summarized elsewhere shows that Latinos tend to over-estimate their language
skills on self-reported measures like the one used by the Census Bureau – a
consequence of social desirability. That is, native-born
Latinos who are more English-language proficient often want others to think
that they speak Spanish better than they actually do. Immigrants, who are
more Spanish-language proficient, often want others to think that they speak
English better than they actually do. Even when they claim proficiency in
both languages, most native-born Latinos will choose an English-language
interview when given a choice, while most Latino immigrants will choose a
Spanish-language interview. Hence, the language that a Latino chooses
when provided a choice is a more valid indicator of their language dominance
than their self-reported language proficiency. Our experience suggests
that Latinos should always be provided the choice of English or Spanish when
asked to complete a task – such as an interview or a written document. This
simple procedure will usually assure that you will get a more valid response.
Thus, the Census Bureau language questions, while useful, are crude
measures of language behavior that should be used cautiously when evaluating
the language behavior of U.S. Latinos or Asians.
Lesson
6: Using Latino or Asian employees to
translate documents is risky.
As a
shortcut, some companies will utilize Latino or Asian employees to translate
documents or interpret on the spot when the situation demands it. Unless
you know the training and education of that employee, you are taking
unnecessary risks in assigning them this responsibility. Latinos or Asians who
are born in the U.S. rarely study their native language formally in school and
rely on the native language that they have heard or used growing up in their
communities – often a mixture of English and a native language. Important
documents that relate to personnel procedures, healthcare, safety, insurance or
legal matters should only be translated by a certified translator and evaluated
by a usability test to ensure that persons in the target audience understand the translated
documents or other visual aids. Experience also suggests that graphic
symbols, such as those used in hazard warning signs, also have cultural
components that may not communicate the same message to culturally diverse
groups. Copy or usability testing is especially important with exhibits that
include hazard or warning signs that often rely on graphic symbols since they
are used to warn or prevent injuries or accidents. Employees who live in
the local area and have some familiarity with a native language can be helpful
in identifying informal words or phrases spoken by local Latinos or Asians
instead of more formal words or phrases.
For example, automóvil is the formal word uses for automobiles although
the word “carro” is often used by some Mexican residents.
Lesson
7: Knowing a language does not
necessarily mean that you know the culture.
In the
employment world, many occupations require proficiency in one or several
languages. While proficiency in a language other than English is a
definite asset in many jobs, it should not be confused with knowledge of a
particular culture. It is not uncommon, for example, for a foreign-born
Latino or Asian with an excellent command of their native language to receive
more consideration for a job than a similarly educated Asian or Latino whose native
language proficiency is not as well polished -- the assumption being that
a higher language proficiency also means more knowledge or experience with the
culture. This assumption may not necessarily be a valid one since a
native-born Latino or Asian may indeed have more knowledge of the U.S. Latino or
Asian culture than a foreign-born Latino or Asian who happens to communicate
well in a native language. If the job involves responsibilities with U.S.
Latino or Asian consumers, then knowledge of the U.S. Latino or Asian culture
should be just as important in employment decisions as proficiency in a
language.
Lesson
8: Language ability depends on sight and
sound as well.
My
experience in conducting focus groups with Latinos and Asians has shown that
their ability to understand a written document or verbal instruction is
sometimes influenced by limitations related to visual acuity and hearing
impairments. Indeed, past research on vital statistics reveals that Latinos
(11.2%), Blacks (10.0%), and Asians (9.7%) have trouble hearing, while vision
limitations were reported for Blacks (9.3%), Latinos (9.4%), and Asians (5.7%).
[6]
Persons with vision or hearing limitations will not readily admit when they are
unable to see very clearly, but an astute observer will notice non-verbal cues
that suggest a vision problem. Similarly, hearing impairments can be
subtle and not usually something that will be readily apparent. As a
moderator, I have addressed such issues by reading a document out loud so that
everyone can hear and understand the instructions and ensure that any written
documents are provided in large fonts to enhance their readability. Rather than
embarrass a person because they cannot see or hear very well, it makes more
sense to offer options that will allow all persons to participate in the task
or activity.
Lesson
9: Is your target audience really diverse?
How many languages need to be translated?
Occasionally, I have received calls asking how many
languages need to be included in translating important documents, especially as
it concerns Asian communities. Because
the Census Bureau data clearly shows “wide diversity” in some communities that
represent multiple Asian countries, it becomes perplexing for some decision
makers to determine which languages should be targeted for translation. The solution, however, is rather simple. The Census Bureau provides tables that show
the country of origin represented in any community by geographic areas in the
U.S. and its territories – currently there are 22 Asian countries and 22
Spanish-speaking countries counted by these Census tables. After consulting
these tables, for example, one can just focus on translating a document for the
countries that account for a majority of the population of Asian persons. Although Spanish would be the only relevant
language for the 22 Spanish-speaking countries, one can expect variations in
dialects, idioms, and vocabulary depending on the concentration of these groups
in any community. Knowing that a community is mostly Mexican, for example,
might be a consideration for the translator to utilize idioms or vocabulary
that are more commonly used by Mexican-origin persons.
Lesson 10:
Using accents in Spanish translations or diacritical marks in Asian
languages is essential.
Accents in Spanish-language text and diacritical marks
in Asian languages are important linguistic features that help to guide the
reader in the proper pronunciation and interpretation of a word or phrase.[7] Without these linguistic features,
foreign-language speakers are likely to mis-pronounce or misinterpret words or
phrases. Special keyboards are typically
used to produce accents or diacritical marks. A translated document that lacks
these linguistic features suggests that the translator was not adequately
trained or lacked the proper tools to complete this task. You should avoid sharing
translated documents with Latino or Asian persons without the required accents
or diacritical marks.
Lesson 11: Language gets more complicated for messaging
in advertisements.
If your translation efforts are focused on advertising
messages, you will be faced with additional challenges that will likely exceed
the skill set of a translator since this is not their area of expertise. Indeed, you will need the help of a qualified
advertising or public relations professional that has been trained in this
area. You will now have two areas of
concern -- language translation and
persuasive messaging – which is likely to vary considerably depending on the
demographic subgroups that you are targeting.
For example, younger Latinos or Asians will likely be more responsive to
an English-language advertisement although it has become popular for youths to
mix English and a native-language in their communications. Older Latinos or
Asians will likely be more responsive to advertisements that do not mix the
languages which could be perceived as an indifference to proper grammar in that
language. To ensure the acceptance and
approval of an advertisement, you should plan to conduct focus group copy
testing of these ads before they are launched with the appropriate target
audience to remove any uncertainties.
Lesson 12:
Providing language options also helps to build rapport.
I have learned
from past experiences that some organizations consider it burdensome to provide
support in a language other than English to their customers – citing such
issues as additional costs related to translators, bilingual staff, printing,
advertisements and customer support. However,
one important benefit of providing support for non-English languages is the rapport
that is established with Latino and Asian persons. In our survey practice, for example,
cooperation rates among Latino or Asian respondents are often improved when
they are given the choice of a native language or English language interview –
especially if the interview includes a foreign-born person. Improved rapport not only leads to higher
cooperation rates, but often results in the successful completion of the entire
interview and better quality data that results from better comprehension of the
survey questions. With higher survey response rates, the additional costs for
support a language other than English are often justified.
Note: I welcome your feedback on the post. Please send all comments or requests for a pdf version to edward@rinconassoc.com.
Reference Notes
[2] Potter, L., Valencia, L.,
Robinson, S. (January 2019). Texas Population Projections 2010 to 2050, Texas
Demhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Asiaographic Center. Accessed at:
https://www.demographics.texas.gov/
[5] Wang, L., Sha, M.
and Yuan, M. (2017). Cultural fitness in
the usability of U.S. Census Internet survey.
Survey Practice, Vol. 10, No. 3, 2017.
Accessed at www.surveypractice.org
[6] Rincon, E.T. (2020).
The Culture of Research.
Publisher: Writers Marq LLC.
