What Is a Language Service Provider?

A language service provider facilitates communication among people who speak different languages. Also called a language services provider or an LSP, a language service provider may be an individual or a company that offers linguistic services.

The most common linguistic services are translation, localization, interpretation, transcreation, transcription and voiceover recording. However, there is a growing number of linguistic services as a result of evolving technology, such as multilingual search engine optimization.

Why Hire a Language Service Provider

Like other types of service providers, clients seek out LSPs to perform services that they can’t or don’t want to perform themselves, as it can be very costly and time-consuming to develop the necessary expertise and methodologies to carry out these services by yourself or in-house.

Do you need a brochure translated into Spanish? A website localized for Chinese-speaking users? How about a training course written in five languages? No two linguistic projects are the same. Different industries and companies require linguistic services for a range of applications and to meet specific goals, which is why it’s so important that the LSP you hire has the particular characteristics, expertise and experience you need.

Some LSPs specialize in doing one or two services well, such as Japanese to English translation, while other LSPs provide a larger range of options to carry out more complex projects and satisfy more stringent requirements. For example, regulatory and legal requirements are primary considerations for clients when translating K-12 accountability tests, pharmaceutical drug labels or patents, and any LSP who works on one of these projects needs to be well versed in meeting those requirements. Just as all medical specialists are not interchangeable, not every LSP is equipped to deliver such a specialist linguistic service.

How to Choose a Language Service Provider

There are many language service providers out there, but there’s no need to kiss any frogs. Keeping a number of factors in mind can help you vet and select the right language service provider for your particular project and your company. Consider:

• The service you need: Does the LSP provide this service, and do it well? Do they have any proof of that? And will you need any supporting services, like third-party review, graphic design or voiceover recording, to ensure your project is received by the target audience as well as it should be? Do they provide those services too?
• Languages: Does the LSP work in the languages and language pairs you require? What about any specific dialects?
• Expected volume: Can they comfortably handle the amount of work to be done?
• Deadline: Can they comfortably meet your desired deadline, or deliver even earlier?
• Process: What processes will they use to perform the work? Do these processes meet or exceed industry standards? What about any legal or regulatory requirements?
• Qualifications and experience: Does the company and the linguists involved have the right qualifications and experience to perform the work? How do you know? Will the LSP let you participate in linguist approval or recruitment if you want to?
• Budget: How much do their services cost? Do their prices fit your budget?

Any LSP you choose should thoroughly understand your requirements and expectations, and be committed to meeting them.

The LSP for Compliance-Intensive Industries

Responsive Translation specializes in providing linguistic services for clients in education, health care, clinical research, human resources and other compliance-intensive industries. For more information about our range of services and how we can help you, please get in touch at 646-847-3309 or [email protected].