Giving Feedback on a MotaWord Translation - For Proofreaders

Our proofreader community is an integral part of MotaWord's high-quality promise. Our most experienced linguists, our proofreaders, are what set us apart from other translation services. Giving feedback on a MotaWord translation is one of the most important jobs a proofreader has, and this small guide serves to aid in any questions you may have during that process.

1. Be prepared
Let’s say you are proofreading a completed translation on a project, and you come across some unsatisfactory strings. You see this string has some clear complications, there are comments from the client, and the translator is unresponsive. Check the style guide, the glossaries, and check with the MotaWord internal team. Rely on your own expertise as well as the expertise of those around you to correct the mistake. Reach out to the translator is a question, and if they are unresponsive, let us know. Use any combination of the many tools we have to offer.

2. Avoid confusing language
It is no secret that everyone has their own perspective. As a proofreader, it is your responsibility to accommodate your tone when giving feedback to ensure your points are getting across clearly. Abstract words and concepts without solid, actionable examples will not yield any result. Confusing language will lead to more confusion. Keep it simple; keep it clear; keep it high-quality.

3. Refer to the client provided style-guide and glossaries
Our clients have a very specific vision and image in their mind of what they want from our translation services, and we trust our proofreaders to be aligned with that vision. This is where the style-guide and glossaries come in. It is up to you and the team of translators on the project to use the information in the style-guide exactly as the client asks. No embellishments, no additions. In the event that something in the style-guide or glossary is confusing to you, please reach out to us via email or the intercom widget on our site.

4. Be communicative with the MotaWord internal team
We are here to help you! Do not keep anything secret. We all work remotely, all over the world. When you need us, we will be there. Letting us know what is happening with a project, how you are working, and any comments your colleagues are making on a project will always do one thing: make our translation services better. Providing any feedback to us regarding your proofreading experience will give us more insight into how our colleagues’ performance is progressing and will allow us to make any necessary changes to solve any problems that may come. Just because a situation may initially be unhappy does not mean it needs to end that way, and a productive feedback session is one that ends on a positive note.

5. Help to improve the quality of our community
How can we improve in silence? How can a person improve their performance if they only receive positive or negative feedback? A happy relationship between positive and constructive feedback is crucial to achieving the desired change in behavior. We have automated features to help make quality assurance easier. The best tool we have found is for our translators and proofreaders to work together with our translation editor. Automatic suggestions will prompt you from a translation memory associated with that client.

Our single-proofreader model and philosophy were not conceived overnight. When done right, it works to deliver the MotaWord high-quality translation promise. Following these simple feedback guidelines as a proofreader will enhance the communicative relationship with your colleagues, and will result in increased motivation, respect, and productivity. We are all involved in MotaWord under the common desire to deliver the best to our clients. We should all be committed to respecting each others’ feedback just the same.

Citations: TED