5 Benefits of Hebrew Translation Services
As can be expected, a majority of Israel’s population of 9.3 million speaks native Hebrew. Worldwide, around eight million people grow up speaking Hebrew at home.
This makes Hebrew translation vital for all kinds of organizations. And this is especially true in countries with large Jewish populations, such as the United States.
The US also has strong economic and educational ties with Israel. And Israel and the Hebrew language are at the forefront of many clinical trials. All this highlights the importance of clear and precise handling of documents intended to serve a Hebrew-speaking population – such as clinical trials targeting communities with native-Hebrew speaking patients.
To do this well, clinical research organizations have to address 5 key challenges in their approach to translating their consent and other explanatory documents to include and serve this community.
Let’s take a look at these challenges:
1. Create a Bridge Between Cultures
Language service companies usually hire translators who are native speakers. This allows them to understand the intricacies of the language. These include the relevant local influences, cultural references, and linguistic nuances.
Native-speaker translators serve as a bridge between cultures. This means that they are better ableto translate both the content and the meaning. And in clinical trials, culture can often impact execution and interpretation.
This applies to all language pairings, but especially to Hebrew translation. Here, an in-depth knowledge of the culture will make for a translation that resonates with the intended audience on a much higher level.
2. Achieve Optimal Precision
Professionalism requires precision. And precision is more essential than ever when you have to take into account the exact meaning behind words in two very different languages.
Bilingual researchers, physicians, and organization members may understand English well. But assuming they can translate for themselves is a big yet common mistake.
Their language knowledge can be helpful for quick interpretations or to provide clarification. But they often lack the necessary training and education in specific language translation methods.
This means that they can’t offer the accuracy of a professional translation service. As good as anyone’s language skills are, data can get lost in translation. And it’s all too easy to make what could be a costly mistake with complex trial data that isn’t in your mother tongue.
Hebrew translation means delivering key facts in a language (with nuance) that your target audience will understand. But they’ll only get the message if the translation is 100 percent accurate. And, when dealing with clinical trial documents, accuracy is even more crucial.
Informed consent forms record dated and signed decisions to take part in a clinical trial, which are freely undertaken by individuals once they have been informed of its nature and risks. These documents must be easily understood by study participants. If the informed consent forms contain translation errors the entire clinical trial may be canceled, thus delaying the drug approval process.
3. Convey the Right Context
Every clinical trial requires a protocol, which facilitates communication among all individuals in the trial. Each protocol describes the objectives, design, methods, statistical aspects, and organization of a trial. Clinical trial protocols are formal, written documents of a very specialized nature which show a high degree of technical complexity and require a clear, concise, and accurate style so that any ambiguity can be prevented.
The modern Hebrew language only has around 33,000 words. This is far less than the English language, which has around one million words.
When discussing clinical trial protocols, side effects, and result interpretations, this disparity can have a huge impact. Not least because most Hebrew words have several meanings. Context then matters even more when translating both into and from Hebrew.
As Hebrew translator Jessica Cohen explains, Hebrew is a “depth language” while English is a “breadth language.” This means that there are Hebrew words that translate to many different words in English.
These English translations are interchangeable in some contexts. In others, though, an accurate Hebrew translation would have to pick up on the subtle differences between English synonyms.
Translating from English into Hebrew also has its distinct challenges. Many Hebrew words have several layers of meaning and allusions. These include historical, cultural, and biblical references. To be accurate on all fronts, Hebrew translations must convey both the right context and the true depth of meaning.
4. Increase Credibility
Precision and context accuracy help to boost the quality of your translations. But they also increase your credibility.
Whether you’re carrying out clinical trials or exploring new avenues for scientific research, credibility counts. Reputation and image are of key importance to everyone, from pharmaceutical brands to academic institutes. And one way you can stand out is by translating your documents, results, and other material.
Potential clients and collaborators tend to be more responsive to translated content. And this goes for Hebrew speakers even if they can also speak English. Having access to data in Hebrew will make them more responsive to your message, results, and products.
5. Ensure that your Hebrew Translators understand the critical nature of Clinical Trials.
Hebrew translation services ensure that your content is tailor-made for your intended audiences.
Allowing for an exchange of quality data helps you deliver the right message. It also adds value to both your clinical trial results and your organization.
Here at DTS Language Services, we specialize in the translation of clinical trial documents. As such, we understand how crucial precision is in languages such as Hebrew.
Want to find out more about how our translation services could help you? Feel free to contact us here at DTS Language Services today with any questions or to request a quote.