FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

We have compiled some commonly asked questions that will help determine what you should know and questions you should ask when contracting for multilingual communication services. Although your first instinct may be to ask "How much?" and go for the lowest bid, here are some critical considerations which you should take into account when selecting a translation/interpretation partner.

Getting Started

• How do you charge and what are your rates?
• Do you offer discounted rates? What other factors could affect pricing?
• How do I get a price quote?
• Do you handle translations of personal documents (marriage certificates, driver’s licenses, etc)?
• Do you guarantee that your translations are certified to be accepted by official agencies?

Company Information

• How long have you been in business?
• Who are your clients and can you supply references?
• What is your related experience in our industry?

The Translation Process

• What is your translation process?
• How do you select your language translation professionals?
• Are your language professionals in-house or outside vendors?
• What foreign languages do you support?
• What are your standard turnaround times? Can you do RUSH projects?

Miscellaneous

• How do you ensure confidentiality?
• What are your technical capabilities?
• What type of payment do you accept?

CTS LanguageLink™ charges on a per word basis. Rates are dependent on the type of account or contract, service requested, language selection and the final deliverable. Please note that each project may be subject to minimum fees which vary per language. Hourly rates apply for services we offer outside of translation.

CTS will offer discounted rates for large volume projects. Other factors affecting pricing include the technical level of the text to be translated and specific linguist certification requirements (ATA or Court certified for example).  Please contact the Sales department at + 1 800-208-2620 for answers to your pricing questions.

You can submit an online request via the company website: www.ctslanguagelink.com. You will receive a quote with price and turnaround time within 24 hours of submitting your information. You may also contact us directly to discuss your project by calling our sales department at + 1 800-208-2620.

Do you handle translations of personal documents (marriage certificates, driver’s licenses, etc)?

CTS handles translation of personal documentation on a regular basis. From personal and/or legal documentation to technical manuals, CTS is your full-service translation company.

Do you guarantee that your translations are certified to be accepted by official agencies?

Many local, state, federal and non-governmental agencies, as well as foreign governments may request "certified" translation of your personal records (for instance, documentation needed for immigration purposes, school transcripts for equivalency assessment, immunization records for traveling visas, etc.). To meet this requirement, the translation needs to be translated by a bona fide qualified professional translator. CTS LanguageLink will also include a letter of certification to verify its accuracy at no additional cost. Should you require notary service as well, we can provide this at an additional fee.

Longevity of a company is an indication of its reliability and breadth of experience.  This is especially true in the translation industry.

CTS has been in business since 1991. For over 15 years, CTS has been providing high-quality, timely, professional translation services for a wide array of clients and industries. For more company information, please visit our Company Information link.

CTS's prestigious roster of clients matches the wide array of industries it serves from blue chip corporations, to mid-size and small businesses, from government agencies to not-for profit organizations. To see what our clients think of our services, you can read some of their testimonials. If you would like specific references within your industry of business, please contact our sales department for more information at + 1 800-208-2620.

A good way to determine industry expertise is to review samples of material closely related to the project under consideration. Agencies shouldn't shy away from providing you with the resumes of the language professionals considered for your task. If you have reliable and qualified in-house resources to assess the quality of the translation, we encourage you to test all potential vendors prior to awarding the bid. For a list of references in your particular industry, contact the sales department at + 1 800-208-2620.

To ensure the highest quality, CTS follows a strict 10 STEP process for all projects. Unless otherwise specified, our projects undergo a multi-layered process of checks and reviews to insure the highest degree of quality. Outlined below is our 10 STEP process:

The Project Manager (PM) completes a review of the overall scope of the project: project timeline, inventory of files, glossaries (if applicable), and final file delivery. Working with the client, the Project Manager identifies all text that should remain in the source language and develops a list for the translator and editor's use. It is at this point in the project life cycle that the Project Manager also identifies any typos, inconsistencies, missing text, etc. in the source document (or any other area requiring client clarification) and review these concerns with the client. For large accounts, clients are assigned a dedicated Project Manager who will handle all their requests. This enables us to provide highly personalized service and be perfectly attuned to your specific needs.

For projects that are large in scope, we develop a glossary.  At the actual start of a translation project, a working glossary may be distributed to all linguists involved. In some cases it is impossible to compile such a glossary due to time constraints, but we recommend one be made even after the completion of a project, so that we have an established list of approved terms to ensure consistency in subsequent projects.

The Project Manager places the translation with an appropriately qualified and experienced target language translator, based on document content and translator's subject matter expertise. CTS LanguageLink™ only utilizes translators who are native speakers of the target language. The translator produces a draft translation and returns it to the Project Manager.

All draft translations go through a secondary review by a different but equally qualified translator to ensure the quality of the translation. Language translation is a human endeavor and we recognize there may be errors in any translation completed by one individual, however qualified this translator may be. Knowing this gives us an advantage because we have built in STEPs that specifically target mistakes in grammar, typography, word choice, missing text, changed text that did not get incorporated, etc.

Changes to the draft translation are electronically tracked by the editor and submitted for review to the original translator.  The translator can then use his/her discretion to accept/reject changes.

All translated versions are electronically formatted to exactly match the original. This is normally done in the application that was used to layout the source document. However, some languages and fonts do not lend themselves to 'cross platform' conversions so we reserve the right to layout translated text in the applications that we feel better suited for recreating the same layout. Our graphics staff is very well versed in numerous applications and our PM will work with you to ensure that the deliverables are compatible with your technical resources.

Once the document is formatted, a mechanical proof is performed to assess the following:

• Does the layout match the source language document?
• Have correct fonts been used?
• Are footers consistent with the source language document?
• Are headers consistent with the source language document?
• Are proper names spelled correctly?
• Is the pagination the same as the source language? Text must flow per the source language. We work with text growth due to language expansion.
• Have all source language updates been incorporated?
• Check laser proofs on light table for margins, graphics positioning.

A final linguistic review is made to ensure that text has been placed accurately in the template and that words are split according to the conventions of hyphenation pertaining to the target language. The linguist also checks for omissions or incorrect formatting that may have occurred in graphics. This proofing is usually done by our in-house linguists (or by the original translator if we do not have in-house resources). Linguists review a hard copy printed on a simple laser printer, e-file on screen, or even a hardcopy with complex color separations, which you may require for mass production.

The Project Manager gathers all deliverables, ensuring that they meet the client's specifications. The PM performs a final visual check of the material, ensuring that layout, numbers, proper name spelling, etc match the source document.

Delivery schedules vary depending on the volume of material being translated and is discussed in advance. If you have an important print deadline that simply cannot be missed, we can agree to 'guarantee' a specific delivery time.

Are translations performed by MT (machine translation) or by a seasoned linguist? Are translations reviewed by an editor? Do you compile glossaries to insure terminology consistency? Are translations proofed again by a language professional once they have been formatted? How many checks and reviews are implemented before the client receives the translation?

Even with the best CAT (computer-assisted translation) technologies available, good translation is the product of human endeavor. And like all human endeavors, translation is prone to error. CTS's stringent quality assurance procedures have been designed to yield translations with the most exacting accuracy standards. 

A reliable agency will select its linguists by carefully reviewing resumes in search of the following factors:

• University or equivalent degree
• Language related education
• Industry-specific professional experience
• Number of years as translator/interpreter
• Verifiable references
• Sample translations
• Accreditations

CTS will not use linguists with less than 3-5 years professional experience. Please see our Human Capital section of the website for more information.

This will help you determine the size of the translation agency, which may be of critical importance for large-scale projects. Some simple projects like the translation of a birth certificate may be adequately handled by a mom and pop operation, but large and complex assignments require larger infrastructure and internal resources. In-house linguists and formatters are a testament to the volume of work managed by these agencies, justifying the expense of having this staff on their payroll.

In addition, having such in-house resources ensures that the agency will not cut corners by skimping on the expenses of a stringent quality assurance as the staff is readily available. Last but not least, in-house resources allow us to maintain tighter control of the production and quality assurance processes.

CTS boasts expert in-house linguists in Chinese, Korean, Laotian, Spanish and Vietnamese plus a flourishing graphic design division with a production team of experienced formatters and website designers.

CTS provides services in 100+ languages.

Turnaround time depends on the size of the project (number of languages, word count, etc) as well as the formatting time needed.

Our standard turnaround time is as follows (not including formatting time):

• Under 5,000 words: 2-5 business days
• 5,000-10,000 words: 5-10 business days
• 10,000-20,000 words: 10-15 business days

This is a general guideline. To obtain a more accurate quote for your project, contact the sales department at + 1 800-208-2620.

CTS offers an expedited service or rush turnaround from our standard turnaround times. Please contact our sales department at + 1 800-208-2620.

The CTS Client Portal requires a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) connection, so all translation requests as well as private information will be kept in the strictest of confidence.

Delivery of translated files will be performed using a secure FTP connection, or encrypted email file attachment.

In addition, all CTS employees and freelance translators are under strict non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements.

CTS is constantly designing and upgrading its resources to the best-of-breed technologies. With an extensive library of DTP and web publishing applications, immediate internet connection through T1 carrier and large size file posting through our FTP site, top-rated Translation Memory (TM) software, unique proprietary Project Management tools (TLink), and state-of-the art recording studios and interpreting equipment, we are uniquely prepared to handle any technological challenge.

CTS accepts checks, VISA and MasterCard payment. We can also invoice you once we have an approved credit application on file.