Frequently Asked Questions

In our ongoing effort to serve you better, we have answered your most frequently asked questions. They are organized by category to help you find them more easily.

Feel free to contact the Contact Centre for any questions about our products and services that are not covered here. We will be glad to provide you with an answer.

Service requests

Can I request translation services from the Translation Bureau? If yes, how do I go about it?

The Translation Bureau provides linguistic services for Parliament and Government of Canada institutions. We do not offer services to private-sector companies, unless they have a contract with a federal department. In these special cases, we can only translate documents in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract.

If this applies to you, feel free to contact our Contact Centre by calling the toll-free number, 1-855-997-3300 (Canada and United States), or 819-997-3300, or by sending an email to Bureaudelatraduction.TranslationBureau@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca.

Quality assurance

What is your quality assurance procedure?

We provide quality control at all stages of the process-we leave nothing to chance. When we take your order, we make sure we fully understand your needs. We assign the work to a skilled professional. We do the work using the latest electronic tools on the market, even during the revision process. And on top of all this, your translation comes with a quality guarantee, which stipulates that if you are not completely satisfied with the work, we will make the necessary corrections, at no cost to you.

Can I request that my texts always be translated by the same translator? How do I arrange for this?

Yes, it is possible to always have texts of the same language combination translated by the same translator, in other words, to have a "dedicated translator." To arrange for a dedicated translator, contact your client services advisor, service point manager or please contact our Contact Centre by calling the toll-free number, 1-855-997-3300 (Canada and United States), or 819-997-3300, or by sending an email to Bureaudelatraduction.TranslationBureau@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca.

Invoices

If I have questions regarding my invoice, whom do I call?

We recommend that you discuss any questions regarding your invoice with your unit's translation co-ordinator. If you still need clarifications, please contact our Contact Centre by calling the toll-free number, 1-855-997-3300 (Canada and United States), or 819-997-3300, or by sending an email to Bureaudelatraduction.TranslationBureau@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca.

How do I get my invoices?

You can download your Translation Bureau invoices from the On-Line Ordering System. Please call our Contact Centre by calling the toll-free number, 1-855-997-3300 (Canada and United States) (press 2 and then 0). An agent will explain how to access your invoices.

Government copyright

Can I reproduce a document I've downloaded from the Translation Bureau Web site?

Documents may be reproduced from the Translation Bureau Internet site provided they are reproduced accurately, credit is given to the Department and there is no commercial/resale intent.

For more information, please read the terms and conditions on Government copyright.

Employment opportunities with the Translation Bureau

How can I apply for a job with the Translation Bureau?

Visit our Career Info section to learn about employment opportunities with the Translation Bureau.

You can regularly consult the list of jobs open to the public on the Public Service Commission of Canada site.

Suppliers

I'd like to offer my services as a supplier to the Translation Bureau. What do I need to do?

You need to register with the Inventory of Linguistic Services Suppliers. Visit our Supplier Info section for further information.

We also invite you to consult the Frequently Asked Questions - Suppliers.

Publications

Where can I obtain Translation Bureau publications? Are they free?

If you want to consult a glossary, visit our Publications, Glossaries and More section. You will find a wealth of terminological resources (glossaries, vocabularies and other) in highly specialized fields. They can be read online or downloaded.

Why does the Translation Bureau issue linguistic recommendations and reminders?

The Translation Bureau, a world leader in the language industry, issues linguistic recommendations and reminders to facilitate consistent communication with Canadians. We provide tools to help standardize vocabulary, spelling and usage in government documents. The recommendations propose solutions to tricky language problems, while the reminders offer practical advice on how to handle recurrent language errors, such as anglicisms in French.

The Linguistic Recommendations and Reminders are also published in the Translation Bureau Newsletter for Clients.

Linguistic recommendations and linguistic reminders

What is the difference between linguistic recommendations and reminders?

The recommendations propose solutions to contentious language issues, while the reminders offer practical advice on how to handle recurrent language difficulties.

Can I subscribe to receive the Translation Bureau's linguistic recommendations and reminders? Are they free?

Visit the section entitled Linguistic Recommendations and Reminders and click on Subscribe. Subscription is free.

How do I remove my name from the distribution list?

Contact our Contact Center by calling the toll-free number, 1-855-997-3300 (Canada and United States), or 819-997-3300, or by sending an email to Bureaudelatraduction.TranslationBureau@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca.

TERMIUM Plus®

I'm told that the Government of Canada has a terminology and linguistic database. What is it, exactly?

Termium Plus® is an English-French-Spanish-Portuguese electronic dictionary that has almost 4 million terms; up-to-date, accurate and specialized terminology; and a wide range of user-friendly writing tools.

Why should I use TERMIUM Plus®?

Because it is a trilingual dictionary containing exact equivalents of a wealth of English, French and Spanish terms, a unilingual dictionary that provides the meaning of specialized terms and a writing tool that contains electronic resources.

Does TERMIUM Plus® contain writing tools?

TERMIUM Plus® users have online access to various tools that provide thousands of style and usage tips for writing assistance in English and French. Visit our Writing Tools section for a complete list.

Machine translation

What is machine translation?

"Machine translation" means translating a text entirely using one or more computer systems, without the intervention of a human translator in the process.

Why is the Translation Bureau of the opinion that machine translation is not of sufficiently high quality to correctly communicate information in another language?

In spite of all the technological progress since the appearance of the first machine translation system in the early 1950s, a machine cannot replace a human translator. Translation is a complex mental process. What are translated are not words, but notions, concepts, ideas–in short, cultural, social, intellectual, scientific, technical and other values.

Moreover, the designers of machine translation software themselves acknowledge this:

  • Google Translate – "Even today's most sophisticated software...doesn't approach the fluency of a native speaker or possess the skill of a professional translator. Automatic translation is very difficult, as the meaning of words depends on the context in which they're used...it may be some time before anyone can offer human quality translations."
  • Windows LiveTranslator – "Please note that automatic translation enables you to understand the gist of foreign language text, but is no substitute for a professional human translator if fluency is required."

The Translation Bureau advises against use of machine translation systems other than for purposes of simple personal information.

How can the existing machine translation systems be used?

They can be useful to give a reader who cannot read the language in which the document is written a general idea of what the document is about. However, even in the best cases, machine translation is not of sufficiently high quality to correctly communicate information in another language. Machine translation systems and language-related technology must be considered tools to help professional translators, not replace them.

Client Satisfaction and Feedback

Your opinion