Would it help if I wrote my letter using translation software?
March 3, 2009 at 11:05 am Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) 2 comments
Q. I do not speak the same language as my sponsored friend. Would it help if I wrote my letter using translation software?
A. We truly appreciate your desire to communicate with your friend in her or his native language. This language may be Spanish, Swahili, Hindi or one of many hundreds of indigenous languages.
CFCA employs translators to translate your letter into your friend’s language. Although the translations may be less than perfect, the translators try very hard to convey the sentiments of sponsors and sponsored friends.
We prefer that you do not use translation software. Using such software often results in an unintelligible translation because the software is incapable of recognizing context and common phrases and expressions. For example, the word “Mass” can be translated as “lump” in Spanish. That is only one example among many. Sometimes, the translations are so poorly constructed, the letter must be returned to the sponsor.
If you do decide to use translation software, please include the English version of your letter so the translator can use it as a reference.
Thank you for writing to your friend. Letters are an important part of the sponsorship relationship and a sign of your love.
Entry filed under: Around the World with CFCA, Ask Sponsor Services. Tags: English, Hindi, software, Spanish, Sponsor Services, Swahili, translation.
1. Dennis Bernardo | March 13, 2009 at 11:00 am
I have requested many times to have my sponsors(2) letters NOT translated and my letters to them are in Tagalog and English.
I know they speak Tagalog(Pilipino) and I understand the language.
Its been a while since I started the sponsorship, maybe 6-8 years. It will be an awesome feeling to know that their letters came from the heart and not from a translator.
Thank you,
I do not have my sponsorship# but I guess you can look at my name in your data bank.
2. cfca | March 13, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Dennis,
Thank you for your question! A majority of our sponsored friends in the Philippines write their letters in English. If your friend is writing to you in Tagalog, and the letter is being translated, you will receive two copies of the letter. If you are only receiving an English version, then your friend is writing to you in English.
Because of in-house software limitations, we are only able to notify our Spanish-speaking projects when letters do not need to be translated. Countries where other languages are spoken will always be translated before they are sent to CFCA headquarters in Kansas for processing. Regardless of the country, if a letter is translated, the sponsor will receive the original letter and the English translation.
Claudia
Sponsor Services