For anyone who wants to get a quick and cost-effective translation, machine translation is the way to go. Machine translation is basically using the computer in translating human language. A lot of people have resolved in using this type of translation process because it is free and quite fast; however, people who have the intention of using translated documents for outbound purposes still go for translation companies. Machine translation can only provide gist translations with 70% accuracy. Anyone who totally depends on it will only receive inarticulate and sloppy translations. The technology is not yet fully developed to meet the various translation formats required by many companies.

Machine translations can only process common words and phrases, so it’s imperative for anyone who opts to use it to avoid complex words, sentences and phrases. Instead of using clichés, colloquial expressions and vernaculars, one should use the literal meaning of words. He should even avoid writing lengthy sentences that have more than twenty words. If a sentence contains too many ideas, it has to be broken down to one sentence per thought. Documents that will undergo machine translation must be thoroughly checked for incorrect spelling or grammar. If a word is spelled incorrectly, the computer might not recognize the word and eventually produce a document filled with translation errors.

In totality, machine translation can only be used for personal purposes; in knowing the general meaning of a word or phrase. Nothing can still replace the skill of professional translators. Businesses and companies should only entrust their critical and highly important documents in the hands of professional translators.