If your task is to train translators, you may be wondering where to begin. Or you may have already started training in translation basics but want to go deeper and train the translators more thoroughly. This self-analysis follows a series of questions that will help you identify what training is needed at each step along the way. By answering this series of questions, you will be able to assess what you’ve accomplished up to this point and also identify additional training for more advanced or complex translation challenges. Along the way, we will provide links to training materials that you can use to prepare your team to complete the steps that remain. You will also be able to determine what problems or challenges you are encountering, what your objectives are, and what the current capacity of your translation team is.

How much translation work have you already done?

1. None - go to Translate Open Bible Stories First

2. Some or a great deal - Continue answering questions to help us find out what kind of process you follow

   1. How much of the Bible has your team translated?
      1. Very little - go to Translate the Bible
      2. Some - go to next question
   2. How deeply does your team study and analyze a text?
      1. We spend very little if any time studying the text and go straight to the work of translating it - go to Preparing to Draft the Translation
      2. We spend a great deal of time studying the text before doing the work of translating it - go to next question
      3. We spend a some time studying the text before doing the work of translating it but not a great deal - review training and decide if needed
   3. How well can your team describe the qualities of a good translation and follow them as they translate?
      1. Not very well - go to Qualities of Good Bible Translation FG
      2. Extremely well and follow them strictly - got to next question
      3. Not sure if they can describe them or whether they follow them or not - review training and decide if needed
   4. How have you determined what kind of translation you want to do based on the community you are reaching with your translation and how will you have a way to make sure your translation follows it?
      1. We have not done this and do not have a way of tracking it - go to Translation Brief Guidelines & Instructions
      2. We have done a needs analysis and documented the findings in a translation brief which we refer to during translation - go to Next question
      3. Not sure if the method we follow accounts fully for both of these - review training and decide if needed
   5. How have the people who drafted the translation checked each other’s work?
      1. There is no formal process of checking one another’s work after initial drafting - go to Partner Checking FG
      2. Translators follow a formal process of reviewing one another’s work to check it - go to next question
      3. Not sure if translators follow a formal process or only check on request - review training and decide if needed
   6. How do the translators check their drafts together as a team?
      1. They do not have a formal process for checking their drafts as a team - go to Team Checking FG
      2. Translation teams follow a formal process of reviewing one another’s work as a group - go to next question
      3. Not sure if translators follow a formal team process or rely only on peer checking - review training and decide if needed
   7. What translation checking tools do you use to complete your checking?
      1. We do not use any special tools - go to Using transaltionWords in translationCore
      2. We use specialized software and accompanying resources - go to next question
      3. Not sure how translators complete their checking on computer - review training and decide if needed
   8. How do you have the larger community who speaks your language read/listen to your translation and give you feedback?
      1. We do not consult with the larger community on our Bible translations - go to Language Community Checking
      2. We use a formal process for inviting the larger community to provide feedback on our translation - go to next question
      3. Not sure if we have a formal process for completing a community review - review training and decide if needed
   9. How have you had church leaders in your language and area church leaders review your translation?
      1. We do not have a formal process of church leaders reviewing our translation - go to Church Leader Checking FG
      2. We use a formal process for inviting church leaders to review and provide feedback on our translation - go to next question
      3. Not sure if we have a formal process for church leaders to review our translation - review training and decide if needed

   Help us fit the process to the needs of the church

   These questions will take a little more time to answer and will help us make suggestions as to how you can customize the Bible translation process to meet the specific needs of your church or language group.

   • What is the church network trying to accomplish by doing Bible translation? How do they plan to use the Scripture?
   • What problems and challenges are they facing? What is causing them to reach out for help?
   • What strengths and capabilities does the team have?
   • Who is going to be involved in BT? What roles do they currently fill in their churches? Describe their training and experience. What skills do they have that you think would be valuable on a translation team?
   • What theological training if any does the translation team have? What is the process for discipleship among the churches?
     • What churches do they hope to have work on the BT project and how are they trying to involve them?
   • How does the network train new leaders?
   • Do they have believers to form a Bible translation team or are you starting with unbelievers?

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