Translation FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should we translate our materials?

Providing quality materials in Spanish is a great way to demonstrate your desire and commitment to serve Hispanic/Latino Catholics in your ministry.

Some best practices include:

• Get to know your audience
• Clarify your preferences
• Research copyrights
• Translate before finalizing the original
• Consider doing graphic design after translation
• Choose a point person & a decision maker
• Hire a quality, experienced translator

Learn more here.

Why can’t we just use AI to translate our materials?

While AI and other machine translation tools can be helpful to streamline processes, they cannot replace the work of a human.

These tools cannot infer the context, are inconsistent, do not do research, do not do well with slang, idioms and other expressions, do not understand cultural differences and nuances, are not creative, do not sound natural, and do not critically analyze texts as they translate.

Learn more here.

What do you mean you can tailor the translation?

Our team can help you decide the tone and style you prefer for your project. We can also use a Spanish that is targeted toward your audience based on how long they have been in the U.S., their educational level, and country of origin. We can also make suggestions based on whether your audience are “insiders” who already know your lingo or if more explanations are needed for certain terms.

Download a preference checklist here.

What makes your translation services “Catholic”?

Having served Hispanics/Latinos in parishes and dioceses for decades, our team knows Catholic lingo like the back of our hand. We have extensive knowledge of Sacred Scripture, Catholic theology, the Magisterium, Church doctrine, etc. At the same time, we know how to communicate with Spanish-speaking immigrants in a way they can understand.

How quickly can we get a translation done?

We can usually make room in our schedule to translate 1,000-2,000 words per work day (8,000 words per work week) depending on the complexity.

If you need something quicker than that, need a translation the same day or you need us to work over the weekend there is a rush fee which is subject to our availability.

How is billing handled?

New clients are asked to approve an estimate for their first project via Freshbooks.

When we send the translation we will also send a W9 for your records and an invoice due 30 days later. Large projects may be broken up into installments.

You can mail a check or set up an ACH.

FAQ