Translation and revision

The request management process is fairly straightforward. Here is an overview.

1. FORM: You must complete the Linguistic Services request form. You can add one or more documents, as well as reference documents and contact information.
2. CONFIRMATION OF RECEIPT: You will receive a confirmation of receipt for your request.
3. PROJECT COMPLETION: Your request will be fulfilled by the Linguistic Services team (free of charge) or by an external supplier (fees apply). We will notify you either way. The translator may contact you with questions to gain a better understanding of the document.
4. PROJECT DELIVERY: You will receive the final version of the work you requested. If you make any changes to it due to preference or specific terms used in your unit, please be sure to return the revised document to us so we can incorporate your changes into future projects.
5. BILLING: If your project was completed by an external supplier, the Linguistic Services team will send you an approved invoice. You will be responsible for paying the supplier’s invoice. Note that you will not be billed for linguistic services provided in house.

You must always:

• Plan enough time for the work to be carried out
• Involve the Linguistic Services team as early in the planning process as possible
• Use the right document formats (for internal translation): Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• Send any reference documents or existing translations
• Identify a contact person who can answer questions relating to the document
• Avoid submitting bilingual documents in two columns (e.g., English and French)
• Avoid sending partially translated documents
• Immediately notify the Linguistic Services team of any suspected quality issues
• Send us the final version of your document if you make any changes or corrections to the document post-translation.

Format de document

Our computer-assisted translation tool can easily handle most Microsoft Office formats:

• Word (.doc or .docx)
• PowerPoint
• Excel
• Text files (.txt)

Please do not send us PDF files for translation or revision. We require the original document in Word format. Also, please note that the Linguistic Services team does not use specialized graphic design applications.

Machine translation (e.g., Google Translate or DeepL)

Evryone wants fast, inexpensive translations, especially now that AI tools are broadly available. However, machine translation tools are best used for simple, general, and non-confidential texts. Using these tools for any other text without involving a professional translator can expose the school to major financial, legal, or reputational risk.

 Please see the following resources on the use of machine translation tools:

• The stance of the Ordre des traducteurs, terminologues et interprètes agréées du Québec (OTTIAQ) on artificial intelligence in translation (in French)
• The Translation Bureau’s stance on using new technologies and machine translation
• Our FAQ