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    "title" : "An introduction to multilingual glossaries |Digital.gov",
    "description": "An introduction to multilingual glossaries",
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    {"title" :"An introduction to multilingual glossaries","deck" : "Understand how and why to use a multilingual glossary when translating content","summary" : "Learn how to use multilingual glossaries to share common translations and contribute to consistent communication across government.","date" : "2024-10-02T13:12:00-05:00","date_modified" : "2025-01-27T19:42:55-05:00","topics" : {
        
            "communication" : "Communication",
            "content-strategy" : "Content strategy",
            "multilingual" : "Multilingual"
            },"branch" : "bc-archive-content-3",
      "filename" :"introduction-to-multilingual-glossaries.md",
      
      "filepath" :"resources/introduction-to-multilingual-glossaries.md",
      "filepathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/blob/bc-archive-content-3/content/resources/introduction-to-multilingual-glossaries.md",
      "editpathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/edit/bc-archive-content-3/content/resources/introduction-to-multilingual-glossaries.md","slug" : "introduction-to-multilingual-glossaries","url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/resources/introduction-to-multilingual-glossaries/","weight" : "1","content" :"\u003ch2 id=\"what-is-a-multilingual-glossary\"\u003eWhat is a multilingual glossary?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA common struggle for translators is interpreting an English word or phrase when there is no direct equivalent in the language you’re translating to (often called the “target language”).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne example is the common English phrase “log in.” In Spanish, “to log in” translates to \u0026ldquo;apertura de la sesión,\u0026rdquo; which translates back into English as “to open the session.” It takes tremendous time and effort to research how to interpret common terms into the most universally-acceptable translation of Spanish.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA multilingual glossary is a tool that facilitates sharing common translations among subject matter experts across communities. These glossaries help translators and agencies better communicate with non-English speaking audiences and households. Pooling commonly translated government terms into a shared multilingual glossary supports consistent communication across government.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA multilingual glossary is not the same thing as an \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/resources/introduction-to-translation-technology/\"\u003eautomated translation tool\u003c/a\u003e. Think about the example where you translate the Spanish “apertura de la sesión” back into English “to open the session.” Automatic translation technologies do not have the programming to ensure that your translation is actually the way people speak.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"why-create-a-multilingual-glossary\"\u003eWhy create a multilingual glossary?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore than \u003ca href=\"https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2022/12/languages-we-speak-in-united-states.html\"\u003e67 million people\u003c/a\u003e in the U.S. speak a language other than English at home. Nearly \u003ca href=\"https://www.census.gov/acs/www/about/why-we-ask-each-question/language/\"\u003e25 million\u003c/a\u003e of those people, or 8.2 percent of the U.S. population, are considered of limited English proficiency (LEP). Despite these numbers, most government web content is only available in English.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProviding content in different languages makes important government information more broadly accessible in the U.S. and beyond. Translated government websites have worldwide reach and influence. According to \u003ca href=\"https://analytics.usa.gov\"\u003eanalytics.usa.gov\u003c/a\u003e, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) \u003ca href=\"https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/\"\u003eMedlinePlus en Español\u003c/a\u003e receives nine to ten million unique views on health topics every week, largely from other Spanish-speaking countries.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is important that timely and vital information is available in languages beyond English. If you were a  Spanish-speaking person with a limited understanding of English living in the United States in 2020, where would you have gone to get accurate, timely, and life-saving information about COVID-19 if it was not available from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/spanish/\"\u003eCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) en Español\u003c/a\u003e? During national emergencies, natural disasters, and worldwide pandemics, government agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the CDC provide crucial information the public trusts and depends upon.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFinally, language access is a civil right. Executive Order 13166 was signed on August 11, 2000, to improve access to government services for people with LEP. In 2011, the Department of Justice revived the effort by publishing \u003ca href=\"https://www.lep.gov/sites/lep/files/resources/2011_Language_Access_Assessment_and_Planning_Tool.pdf\"\u003eLanguage Access Assessment and Planning Tool for Federally Conducted and Federally Assisted Programs (PDF, 867 KB, 22 pages, May 2011)\u003c/a\u003e. While the federal government is actively undertaking efforts to produce content in more languages, a shared multilingual glossary makes the effort more efficient. Multilingual glossaries reduce duplicate agency translation work and lower costs through fewer man hours spent on commonly translated government terms.  It also helps to standardize terminology across agencies to communicate with the public in a clearer, more efficient way.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003carticle class=\"dg-ring\" aria-labelledby=\"bbb962d3c7cde62cb75477a997200ed3\"\u003e\n  \u003ch2 id=\"bbb962d3c7cde62cb75477a997200ed3\" class=\"dg-ring__title\"\u003eRelated policy\u003c/h2\u003e\n  \u003cp\u003eExplore the requirements for improving access to services for people with limited English proficiency (LEP).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/resources/requirements-for-improving-access-to-services-for-people-with-limited-english-proficiency-lep/\"\u003eUnderstand the policy framework: Executive Order 13166, Attorney General memorandum, and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act\n\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003c/article\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"how-can-i-start-using-multilingual-glossaries\"\u003eHow can I start using multilingual glossaries?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Digital.gov Multilingual Community of Practice, GSA’s \u003ca href=\"https://10x.gsa.gov/news/multilingual-glossary-tool/\"\u003e10x Multilingual Glossary Tool project\u003c/a\u003e, and an interagency working group worked to develop a shared translation glossary of health terms in Spanish. The glossary is available and use is encouraged by all translation teams working in both public and private sectors. The goal of the glossary is to ensure consistency, quality, and understandability of key health-related terms across government.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDownload the \u003ca href=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/static/multilingual-glossary-tool-fall-2024.csv\"\u003eHealth-Spanish Translation Glossary - Fall 2024 (CSV 506 KB)\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReview the \u003ca href=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/static/data-dictionary-multilingual-glossary-health-fall-2024.docx\"\u003eHealth-Spanish Translation Glossary Data Dictionary - Fall 2024 (DOCX 16 KB)\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"what-can-i-do-next\"\u003eWhat can I do next?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExplore more resources and knowledge related to \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/topics/multilingual/\"\u003emultilingual digital content\u003c/a\u003e on Digital.gov.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can also join the \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/communities/multilingual/\"\u003eDigital.gov Multilingual Community of Practice\u003c/a\u003e to connect with government multilingual content managers who are working to expand and improve multilingual glossaries.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n"}
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