Translation Best Practices
Click on the headings below to learn about some best practices for translation.
Have your materials translated from English to the language of interest and then ask a different person
to translate the materials back to English. Comparing the 2 English versions of the document can help
find errors or clarify a translation.
Make sure your materials acknowledge cultural and linguistic needs and your translations are culturally tailored. For example, some graphics, words, or phrases that are perfectly acceptable in English are unacceptable or offensive in other languages.
Refer to the HHS Office of Minority Health's National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care: A Blueprint for Advancing and Sustaining CLAS Policy and Practice (The Blueprint) for a definition of cultural and linguistic competency.
Figure out your community’s languages of highest need before translating documents. Refer to your needs assessment to see what languages your current and prospective patients most commonly speak.