When translating documents and other materials the goal is to produce a quality translation that sounds natural to the intended audience, is free of grammatical errors, and uses the proper terminology.
The basic goal of quality remains when translating test items. However, one critical component to monitor is whether the psychometric properties of those items are kept intact throughout the translation process.
Unless translations are carried out by trained linguists and the process includes thorough reviews and extensive analyses of the adapted items, it’s plausible that scores achieved in various languages may not be entirely valid.
How Do Poor Translations Affect Validity?
- Changes in level of difficulty:
Unfortunately, it’s quite easy to make test instruments easier or more difficult in one language than another. Sometimes, this can be simply because not all words have literal translations in other languages. It’s also possible that an untrained translator inadvertently converts a complex term into a simpler one to make the translated content easier to comprehend.
- Providing literal translations:
The famous phrase “out of sight, out of mind,” translated as “invisible, insane,” provides a good insight into how a literal translation can add confusion or provide incorrect meanings. Such changes could render an item invalid.
- Providing clues to the correct answer:
You’ve probably seen the example of the test question, “Where is a bird with webbed feet most likely to live?”. In Swedish, “webbed” was translated as “swimming feet” as a direct translation didn’t exist. This provided a clear clue to the right answer, making the test easier in one language than another.
How can you improve your chances of maintaining psychometric properties intact during the translation process?
Choose qualified resources:
Translators and editors must be native of the target language and have an extensive background in the subject matter. It is imperative to train these linguists to adapt test instruments specifically. This process can take many hours and requires a trainer who understands psychometric principles and who also has expertise in the intricacies of language adaptation.
If outsourcing, choose the right Localization Vendor:
Many vendors understand what represents translation quality, but few have experience in the test development industry. Why is this critical? Understanding key psychometric principles equips a vendor with the knowledge necessary to not only establish industry-standard and approved processes but also to raise a flag when necessary.
Ensure the translation process includes multiple translators, expert reviews, and pilot testing when possible:
Focus on representing the original content with accuracy while considering cultural nuances and linguistic equivalence. Use a process with forward-translation that may include backward-translation, depending on the subject and objectives.
Thoroughly document the process:
Documentation should detail decisions made during the test adaptation process and their underlying motives. Additionally, it should cover the changes made to the test, statistical analysis results, and provide explanations for the various decisions and their reasoning. This will be useful if post-psychometric analysis of the translated items shows score discrepancies among languages.
When you need excellent adaptation, Targem Translations can help:
Targem Translations team members bring over 15 years of experience in the Test Development and Test Publishing industries.
Our translators specialize in adapting test items and receive extensive training on basic item-writing practices and psychometric principles.
We ensure that our translations are accurate and meaningful, and that they maintain conceptual, semantic, and pragmatic equivalence with the original. By customizing our ISO-certified processes according to International Test Commission guidelines, we help you achieve ideal testing outcomes.
Let’s partner today to make your translation projects successful. Contact us today.
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