If you own a company and want to expand into the Middle East market, chances are you have already explored ways to learn the Arabic language and rightly so. The 5th most spoken language, Arabic is a native language of over 313 million people. This figure is escalating rapidly, thanks to globalization and a rush to establish international business branches.
Arabic may be on the same list of the most widely spoken languages in the world, but it still has its fair share of challenges when it comes to translating it. Perhaps this is the reason why companies across the world seek help from professional and certified Arabic translation services to get their business files translated into Arabic.
However, there are certain tips that every Arabic translation agency should follow to ensure accurate and linguistically accurate Arabic translation. These are some tips:
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Tips for Arabic Translation Agencies
1) Lay Out your Translation Plan
Before you start working on providing Arabic translation services to your clients, it is important to lay out your translation plan. Ask yourself if your translators and linguists are aware of the different Arabic dialects and whether they are linguistically skilled at handling these dialects. Does your translation company have the required translation technology to tackle complex Arabic translation projects? Even if your linguists are well-known for providing professional English translation services, you still need to keep a check on the translation methods and technology that your company’s translators will use while translating multiple languages into Arabic. In addition, companies need to reflect on whether they are handling spoken Arabic translation or written translation, as well as the purpose of the translation.
2) Build a Specialized Knowledge of Arabic Language
Did you know that there are 25 dialects of the Arabic language in the world? These dialects fall under three main versions of the Arabic language—Classic, Modern Standard, and Colloquial. The skill and expertise required to translate into these Arabic dialects may not be easy for every Arabic translation services company, as they are mutually unintelligible and tough to translate into. Nevertheless, Arabic translators can build up their knowledge of these dialects as well as new ways of translating by searching for glossaries, reading newspaper articles, and browsing for any studies related to Arabic translation. Staying in the loop will enable these translators to stay equipped to handle even the toughest Arabic translations easily.
3) Be Culturally Aware
Other than having ample knowledge of Arabic dialects, one thing that every translation agency should focus on is cultural awareness. The Arabic culture, being quite ancient, is filled with cultural cues and nuances that must be kept into consideration during translation. For example, Arabic is widely spoken in the United Arab Emirates nations, all of which are Muslim-majority countries. During translation, any mistranslation or cultural gaff can hurt the religious sentiments of the people residing in these countries. Being culturally sensitive will also allow translation agencies to polish their translation skills for more efficient, accurate, and linguistically valid translations, whether you are providing professional English translation services or Arabic translations.
4) Know the Dialects
As previously mentioned, the Arabic language has 25 dialects grouped into 3 versions—Classical, Modern Standard, and Daily (or Colloquial) Arabic. Owing to the differences in these dialects, there are marked differences in the lexical choice, tone, and meaning of commonly-spoken words. For example, people in Oman speak different Arabic dialects, such as Omani Arabic, Gulf Arabic, and Dhofari Arabic. All three dialects have slight variations in tone and lexical choice, making them distinct from each other. Knowing the differences between these dialects will equip Arabic translators to understand the cultural norms and variations of Arab countries, allowing them to execute translation tasks more efficiently and professionally.
5) Optimize your Translations for Search Engines
Whether your company delivers professional English translation services or other language-centered services, it is imperative to make your presence known in the huge world of the internet. One guaranteed way to make sure your presence reaches its full potential is by optimizing your translation websites for search engines. Optimization for SEO increases the size of your audience, while ensuring this audience makes a decision that is favorable for your client company. For example, if you are publishing your Arabic translations, but your site is not available on search engines, chances are that your audience will not “click” on your website. You can increase the size of your Arabic-speaking audience by employing SEO techniques such as creating a unique URL, putting hreflang tags in the code, and translating all your on-page SEO elements.
6) Follow Up on your Translation
As a translation company, you probably know that your translation tasks are not complete unless you have a review system in place. The review of translated tasks is a necessary element of the translation process, allowing the translation companies to fix any translation errors that may show up during translation. Being 100% linguistically accurate is not easy for every translation company, and errors are bound to happen. This is why a detailed and elaborate translation review system needs to be in place to make sure no errors occur during translations. Furthermore, Arabic translators also need to proofread the translated content to ensure the intended meaning is intact and there are no major errors in the process of translation.
Key Takeaway
The Arabic language is the 5th most spoken language in the world and is the native language of over 313 million people. This is why translation companies are clamoring for advanced language translations in Arabic. Having this knowledge will allow you to deliver more accurate and professional translations in Arabic, without any compromise on quality or precision.
