Workforce Language Services

Maryland DMV patrons pointed out inaccuracies in Spanish-language signs posted at statewide offices.  The brief article notes that a third-party translator was paid nineteen cents per letter, which is quite a high rate, especially if the translation is egregiously bad.

“They were taken down today,” Coyle said Tuesday. “They should have been taken down a while ago … not all branches got the correct message to take the signs down.”

The MVA posted the signs at 10 locations that process out-of-country applications for driver’s licenses, she said. Under federal law, signs, forms and other materials must be translated into languages spoken by at least 3 percent of the population, Coyle said.

It’s quite surprising that the DMV actually paid someone for such a painfully incorrect translation.  In my experience, inaccurate translations usually come from people who don’t charge for their services, but are asked to do it by their employer without having any special translation experience or education.

To read the entire Watchdog column, click here.