I've seen many corporate marketing efforts to communicate with the Hispanic population in the USA. A few years ago, I opened the Houston Chronicle one morning just to find that part of the sport's section was in Spanish. It was not surprising that given the size of the Latino population in Houston, they wanted to reach them using the Soccer World Cup. To my surprise the quality of the Spanish language was dismal. To their credit, they've improved significantly since those early days and now have professional Spanish writers and professional translators on staff that is responsible of producing a Spanish only publication.

The challenges faced by the Houston Chronicle are not unique to the newspaper business. Many companies, governments and individuals in the US need to communicate in Spanish with their Hispanic constituenties so we've prepared a few tips on how to select the right Spanish translator for your Spanish communications.

The Suggestion

Use professional translators if you need produce quality translations that convey the exact same meaning as the original document in a well written Spanish text. Look for the following key attributes in a qualified translator.

Tip # 1 - Native Spanish Speakers

As a rule of thumb, translators should work into their native language because they must be aware of the nuances of the written and spoken language. Every language has complexities and subtleties that are usually lost to non-native speakers. In addition, they must posses through knowledge of the source language. There are texts with relatively simple grammatical constructions, such as technical language, that are easy to understand for a foreign speaker. On the other side of the spectrum there are texts that have complex grammatical constructions with colloquial expressions that represent a huge challenge for most translators.

Tip # 2 -Good Spanish writers make good Spanish Translators

A good translator is, by definition, a good writer in the target language. This is also one of the reasons not every bilingual person can be a translator, just as not everyone is a good writer. Spanish translations need to reflect the quality (or register) of the original text. Would you trust the translation of Shakespeare's Hamlet to an unqualified bilingual Spanish speaker? If not, why would you trust the translation of an important contract to a non-professional translator?

Tip # 3 - The details make the difference

Attention to detail produces a great translation. Spanish is as complex and sophisticated as English with its rich vocabulary and long literary tradition. Good translations render text that has been carefully crafted and written, paying attention to every detail of the language. When it's done like this, the written word is honored and it achieves the purpose of its message. We all pay careful attention to our important written communications. In equal measure, a qualified Spanish translator will produce a carefully thought out translation.

Tip # 4 - Specialization

Translations must be done by professionals with relevant experience in the specific fields. Just as you would not have an engineer write a medical document, you wouldn't use a specialized technical translator to produce a medical translation. Each field has it's own terminology, style and vocabulary.

Tip # 5 - Experience and education

The final tip is that translators need to be educated in the arts of translation. Being bilingual is not enough to guarantee the quality and effectiveness of the Spanish translation. For instance, if you need a legal translation, Spanish legal translations will be done by specialized translatros with years of training and experience in their craft.