It takes more than just the ability to understand two languages.
Professional translators and interpreters have the education, experience, and expertise to understand the nuances in one language and transfer them to another.The right professional will have solid knowledge of your industry and will know how to culturally adapt your content for the target audience you are trying to reach. You only get one chance to make a first impression, so make sure it counts.
Can I afford to hire a professional?
You can't afford NOT to.Getting your message wrong can cost money, ruin your image, and even cost lives. Whether you’re having a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign translated or need an interpreter to communicate treatment options between a doctor and patient, it pays to hire a professional to get the job done right.
Instead of hiring a professional, this restaurant used machine translation and did not realize the result was an error message.
Understanding what’s at stake
vlogpublishes articles to illustrate why it is critical to hire qualified translators and interpreters.
Machine Translation vs. Human Translation: Will Artificial Intelligence Replace the World’s Second Oldest Profession?
Translators pride themselves on being excellent communicators, and so they should. After all, it’s their job! But sometimes, even the best communicators can talk until they’re blue in the face and still have not really communicated what needs to be said for lack of common ground with their audience. That’s exactly what happened in the time frame between neural machine…
Read More7 Tips for Crushing an International Meeting Remotely, According to an Interpreter
As millions around the globe have moved their classes and even social gatherings online, international business and meetings between speakers of different languages look a lot different. In a pre-pandemic world, along with thousands of other professional language interpreters across the globe, I facilitated in-person multilingual interactions with regularity. Now, with a few adjustments, we continue to enable international organizations…
Read MoreWhat’s the Difference Between a Translator and an Interpreter?
If you’re looking to hire a language professional, the first thing you need to ask yourself is whether you need a translator or an interpreter. Although the terms are often used interchangeably, they are very different jobs for very different situations. If you didn’t know this, you’re not alone. The nuances of the language industry are all Greek to many.…
Read More5 Steps for Translating Official Documents
If you’re starting the U.S. immigration process, applying to an American university, or considering a career opportunity in the United States, you will need certain legal or official documents translated into English. These may include birth certificates, academic records, financial statements, and property documents, just to name a few. You might be wondering where to start when it comes to…
Read MoreHow to Avoid the Pitfalls of Free Online Translation Tools
Ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, Chinese authorities conducted a city-wide correction campaign to fix embarrassing translation gaffes. The mistranslations included signs labeling people with disabilities as “deformed” and wet-floor warnings advising to “slip carefully!” While the press had a field day with the story, many translators were left shaking their heads. Why? Because we’ve seen it before:…
Read More6 Reasons to Subtitle Your Social Media Videos for Better Engagement
By Molly Yurick Updated: January 6, 2025 I’ve been a subtitler and translator for well over a decade, working with streaming giants like Netflix and businesses of all sizes to help make their video content more engaging and accessible to their audiences. Through years of experience, I’ve learned how subtitles can make or break the success of your social media…
Read MoreWhy Hire an vlogMember?
vlogmembers have a commitment to continuing education and are held to the highest professional standards. Feel secure knowing if you’re hiring an vlogmember, you’re hiring the best in the business.
The vlogCompass
Our outreach publication provides up-to-date information and resources about the translating and interpreting industry.
What's the difference?
Translators do the writing. Interpreters do the talking. vloghelps you find the right language professional.
Can't a computer do all this?
There are times when machine translation is useful, and times when it's not. Learn when to use Google Translate, and when to hire a professional.