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Checklist to Translating in a New Language

Adding a new language to your translation process is an exciting move. It means your business is expanding globally, and you’re taking on new territories. When it comes to adding that new language to your Smartling project, there are a few steps that need to be completed to ensure that everything is in place before you start translating:

Skip ahead for steps to deleting a language

Step 1: Notify your Language Services Provider

The first step in adding a new language to your Smartling Project is to give adequate notice to your Language Services Provider (LSP) or Agency, to let them know that you want to translate in a new language. This is particularly important if this language is new to your entire account. Your LSP need enough notice so they can source the right linguists for each translation workflow task (step) required for this new language. This could even take a few business days.

Smartling recommends asking your LSP for the following information:

  1. their fees/rates for each translation task in the new language
  2. their preferred fuzzy profiles
  3. their workflow requirements regarding manual assignment and claiming

If a new workflow is required for the new language, ensure to create this before moving on to the next steps.

Step 2: Add a Language to a Project

  1. From within a project, click the gear icon on the right side and select Project Settings.
  2. In Languages, click Add Language to display the Add Languages dialog.  
  3. Select a language from the list.
  4. Select a Default Translation Workflow. 
  5. (Optional) Select a Translation Authorization as follows: 
  6. Click Add. 

Translation Authorization

All active content that has been uploaded to your project for other languages in the past is available in the Strings View and in Awaiting Authorization for the new language you just added. To make sure you authorize the correct content for your new language, you can choose between the following 3 options from the Translation Authorization dropdown:

Authorize all active strings

Choosing this option means that all active content that is available in your project will be sent for translation into the new language. This is only recommended if you are translating all of your content into all target languages and your content in Smartling is still up-to-date. We would not recommend this option if you frequently update your website or application and some content might be out of date.

When you select this option in the “Add Language” dialogue, strings are automatically authorized for translation, however, they are not in a Job. You can find the content in the Strings View, filtered by status In Progress. You will not be provided with a cost estimate before authorizing this translation.

Synchronize with a language

Choose this option to authorize the same content that has already been authorized for a selected language. This is recommended if the language that you want to synchronize with has been added to your Smartling project recently, meaning that only up-to-date content will be authorized. 

This option also applies to any content in Awaiting Authorization in the selected language to the new language.

When you select this option in the “Add Language” dialogue, strings are automatically authorized for translation, however, they are not in a Job. You can find the content in the Strings View, filtered by status In Progress. You will not be provided with a cost estimate before authorizing this translation.

I'll decide later

Choosing this option is recommended as it takes no immediate action on your content. It does, however, leave you with some alternative options for consideration.

Ensure your new language is listed under the Smartling Supported Languages.

Step 3: Configure Other Translation Workflows

Choosing the correct default translation workflow for a language will save you time and effort in your translation process.

When you select the default workflow for the new target language in the “Add Language” dialogue, the new language will automatically be added to the selected default workflow.

If it is possible that the new language will be used in other workflows in your project, you must add the new language to the other workflows.

  1. From within a project, click the gear icon on the right side and select Project Settings.
  2. Click Workflows, navigate to the required workflows and click Edit Workflow Settings from the ellipses menu beside the workflow name.
  3. Choose the new language from the dropdown list of Target Languages to the existing language pairs.
  4. Configure the workflow with any requirements gathered from notifying your LSP.

If you have any existing language-specific rules, such as the Idle String Rule, or with Dynamic Workflows, consider applying the same to the new language.

Step 4: Assign Resources

Language Services Provider

Now, you need to assign your Language Services Provider to all workflows & workflow tasks they are required to do for the new language.

  1. Go to Account Settings > Team > Agencies
  2. Click Add Assignment
  3. Choose the new language pair from the language dropdown
  4. Choose the workflows this language pair will be translated in from the workflow dropdown
  5. Select the translation tasks/workflow steps the resources need to be assigned to
  6. Repeat steps 3-5 until all translation tasks are listed for all workflows for the new language

The Agency Owner will then need to assign their translators to the relevant workflow steps.

Internal Resources

Next, you might need to add internal resources or freelancers to any translation tasks are listed for all workflows for the new language. For example, if the language is new to your account, and you are using an internal review step, create a Smartling account for the new reviewers and assign them to the relevant workflow steps.

If the internal resources already exist in your account, skip to step 5 ("Click the internal resource's user tile").

  1. Go to Account Settings > Team > People
  2. Click Add User
  3. Choose Translation Resource
  4. Insert the new user's email address and click Confirm
    • An invitation email will be automatically sent to the new user to activate their account in Smartling. This is from a noreply email address, so ensure they check spam and make noreply@smartling.com a safe sender in their email settings.
  5. Click the internal resource's user tile
  6. Click Add Assignment
  7. Choose the new language pair from the language dropdown
  8. Choose the workflows this language pair will be translated in from the workflow dropdown
  9. Select the translation tasks/workflow steps the resources should be assigned to
  10. Repeat steps 7-9 until all translation tasks are listed for all workflows for the new language

To get started, your new team members can watch our video tutorials.

Step 5: Apply Fees and Rates

Cost Estimates

To view cost estimates for the new language in your Jobs in Smartling, you need to add the rates for the new language to the agency and/or freelancer profiles.

Fuzzy Profiles

If a customized fuzzy profile is needed, please get in touch with the Smartling Customer Success Manager with the preferred fuzzy tiers and discount profile.

Step 6: Update Linguistic Assets

The new language will be added automatically to your Linguistic Package; however, you might need to update your linguistic assets to include some language-specific details.

  1. Check and update your Leverage Configuration if any language-specific settings are required (e.g. cross-locale leverage).
  2. If an existing Translation Memory (TM) is available for the new language, import the TM to Smartling and add it to the leverage configuration.
  3. Add the new language to your Glossary (if the language is new to your account). Steps to adding a new language to the Glossary depend on if you are using the New Smartling Glossary, or the legacy Glossary.
  4. Add a new Style Guide for the new language
  5. Add language-specific Quality Checks

Step 7: Project Configuration

Depending on the type of Project the new language has been added to, you may need to configure the new language in the project's settings.

Project Type Configuration Notes
Connector Locale Mapping Ensure the new language has also been added in the connecting application.
GDN

Network Configuration

 Update network configuration to correctly route new language requests.
When the new language is translated, you will also need to update the language chooser to include it.
GDN

Content parsing rules such as:

Rewrites 

Rules
Swaps

 Any language-specific rules should be updated to account for the new language.
API Check configuration The API client may need to be updated tto account for the new language.
Any Jobs Automation Any language-specific rules should be updated to account for the new language.
Any File Rewrites Any language-specific rules should be updated to account for the new language.

 

Alternative Options to Authorize Content into the New Language

Option 1: Authorize specific content only

This option is actioned by selecting I'll decide later in the “Add Language” dialogue.

Follow these steps depending on your integration.

Files & GDN projects

After selecting I'll decide later in the “Add Language” dialogue, you can then create a Jobs Automation Rule based on your requirements. Select include partially authorized content if you would like to authorize content that has been authorized already into at least one other language.

Alternatively, go to the Strings View and filter for specific content and select “Request Translation” from the Actions menu to create a Job.

Connectors

Native: Request translation from the connecting application instance.

Hosted: In the Connector Project in Smartling, go to the Asset List (Connector tab), select the assets you want to translate in the new language, and Request Translation from the Actions menu to create and authorize a Job for the new language.

This option also allows you to view a cost estimate before authorizing the content.

Option 2: Authorize new content only

This option is actioned by selecting I'll decide later in the “Add Language” dialogue and only authorize new content going forward.

This option also allows you to view a cost estimate before authorizing the content.

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