How can translators improve their translation work if they don’t receive both positive and negative feedback?

When a translator is working for direct clients, there can be constructive feedback, but generally, there isn’t. Comments such as: ‘Perfect’ or ‘Just what we needed’ are generally all the feedback you receive, but some translators are working in situations whereby they receive no feedback at all; and if they do, it’s not detailed feedback.

Working for translation agencies can be different. In fact, there are some less-reputable agencies who don’t proofread the translations they receive from the translators – they assume the translator has done an excellent job and forward the finished product to the end client. Obviously not good practice, because translations really should be seen by at least two sets of eyes! And when a translator is working at agency rates there’s simply no money left to hire another translator to edit your work before you submit a translated document.

Then there’s the other category of agencies who have their translations proofread by a person who reads the target language, but they may or may not read the source language.

And finally, the high-quality translation agencies out there are the ones who have their translations reviewed by a second translator who works in the same language combination as the original translator. And the best of these agencies will have these two people collaborate together, thus ensuring that the delivered translation is of the highest quality. But, in all of the above cases, it’s quite likely that the translator will never receive any feedback from the end client. The agency may, perhaps, but the translator probably won’t.

How Can Translators Improve Their Skills without Feedback?

So the question arises: How can translators improve their translation work if they don’t receive both positive and negative feedback? And when it comes to choice of words, who should be the ultimate authority? Do you think that agencies should be obligated to give the translator a copy of the final version of their translation document as it was delivered to the end client?

Feedback can indeed cause some problems. We know of one translation document which was ruined by an editor prior to being sent to the end client, with the result that the client was very unhappy with the quality of the translation. The translator would surely receive the blame for a less than high-quality translation. And what happens if a translator believes their work will be edited by another translator, but the agency doesn’t follow through and the work is never checked?

Quality Assurance and Feedback

Quality assurance and feedback do have issues: first of all, it takes time. If you have a project with a rush delivery date, the going back and forth with your editor takes time – time that you simply don’t have. And it’s not really the agencies job to provide continuing education to their translators. Giving a translator negative feedback or a poor review of their translation work could well lead to conflict, but on the other hand, no feedback at all creates its own set of problems because translators are deprived of the opportunity to improve their skills. If they were suddenly dropped by a once-loyal client, they’d be wondering why.

It seems that the best quality assurance a translation can have is for the translator and editor to work together: the editor suggests changes and these go back to the translator. However, this is not always possible when working for an agency, so perhaps it’s the agencies responsibility to ensure that all work that leaves their agency, to be delivered to the end client, is of the highest quality; thus protecting the translator from negative and sometimes unwarranted criticism.