English and Spanish are among the most spoken languages in the world, and in total number of speakers they occupy the 2nd and 3rd place, respectively. Only Mandarin has more speakers than English and Spanish. In addition:

• Spanish occupies the 2nd place in terms of native speakers, after Mandarin.
• English occupies the 1st place in number of speakers for whom it is the second language.

Due to their sheer number of speakers, both English and Spanish are subject to considerable variation from country to country, or even within regions of the same country. Therefore, it is not possible to use a general procedure when translating from English to Spanish. Every single case requires special consideration depending on the source of the material being translated and the country where it will be used. For example, translating a document written in United States for an audience in Spain is very different from translating a British document for Mexican readers.

Thanks to international business, travel and communication, an English to Spanish professional translation agency has become a highly in demanded service. The international importance of these two languages cannot be overlooked. The Americas in particular are an excellent market for English to Spanish translation services:

• The region includes the USA, where English is the official language; and Canada, where both English and French are official.
• Latin America is located to the south, and Spanish is the native language of all major countries except for Brazil, where the official language is Portuguese. The vast majority of the smaller Latin American countries also speaks Spanish as a native language.

Communication and travel between Canada, the USA, and Latin America are commonplace, and the reasons to do so include business, education, medical assistance or even migration. Therefore, English to Spanish translation services are required on a daily basis and in a wide variety of fields.

Guidelines for English to Spanish Translation

Whenever a translation is to be carried out, the best results can be obtained by involving two translators who have the following characteristics:

• The translation itself can be carried out with ease by a native speaker of the source language, from the same country where the document was produced, but who is also fluent in the target language.
• For proofreading, the best recommendation is to hire the services of a native speaker of the target language, from the same country where the translated document will be used, but who is also fluent in the source language.

This two-step approach guarantees that any regional or cultural issues will be accounted for, in both the source language and the target language. Of course, if the document being translated refers to a highly specialized field such as electrical engineering or medical science, the translators should also be professionals of the respective field. In some cases, it might also be necessary for the translation to be notarized or carried out by a translator who is certified by a regional or national governing body.

Although there is software which is capable of English to Spanish translation, it is incapable of matching a human translator when it comes to context, grammar, and regional differences. Software is useful for translating single words, but when translating a formal document the results will not be satisfactory. In order to achieve the best possible final result, hiring professional translation services is recommended.