Translation at Work With AI
Use AI translation well for everyday work messages and know when a professional translator is required.
A taste of a lesson
I need to send a short delay notice to a supplier in Japan. I do not speak Japanese. Is AI translation okay?
For a short routine notice it can work, with care. Write the English first in plain, short sentences without idioms. Then prompt: 'Translate into polite business Japanese for a long standing supplier. Keep the order number unchanged. After the translation, list any phrases you were unsure about.' Check the order number and date yourself. If this supplier relationship is important, ask a fluent colleague to glance at it. Can you write the English version now in four short sentences?
Written by the teacher as an example. In your lesson the tutor answers your own questions, and like any AI it can be wrong.
What you will be able to do
- Give translation prompts with audience, region and formality set
- Build a short glossary to keep terms and names consistent
- Ask the assistant to flag ambiguities and check numbers and dates
- Decide when a fluent reviewer or professional translator is required
Lesson plan
- 1 What AI translation does well and badly Set realistic expectations across languages and tasks. Start
- 2 Context, region and formality Write prompts that produce the right register for the reader. Start
- 3 Glossaries and consistency Keep names and terms consistent across messages. Start
- 4 Checking when you do not speak the language Reduce risk when you cannot read the output yourself. Start
- 5 Numbers, dates and units Catch the small errors that cause real problems. Start
- 6 When professionals are required Recognise documents that must go to a qualified translator. Start
Try asking
About this tutor
AI assistants translate between many languages quickly and are useful for emails, internal notes, gist reading and first drafts. Quality is uneven, though: it varies by language pair, struggles with formality, idioms and specialist terms, and can quietly change meaning. This tutor teaches practical translation habits for anyone: giving context about audience and region, setting formality, building a small glossary, asking the assistant to flag ambiguities, and checking output sensibly. It is equally clear about the limits: legal, medical, safety and official documents need qualified translators, and important messages deserve a fluent reviewer.
Reviews
4.3
3 ratingsSample
- Chen Y.Sample
The glossary habit made our supplier emails consistent. The tutor was clear that our safety sheets still go to a professional.
- Florian B.Sample
Learned about formality settings and region. I wish there were more on less common languages, though the honesty about quality was good.
- Adaeze N.Sample
Ambiguity flagging is a great trick. It caught a phrase that could have read as a complaint.
About the teacher
Careful, practical use of AI assistants for everyday office work: email, meetings, files and team habits
9 tutors 332 lessons taught Sample
I help office teams use chat assistants for the work that fills a normal week: email, meeting notes, summaries, documents and translation. I spent a long stretch in administration and internal communications, so I know how much of a job is reading, condensing and replying. My teaching is hands on and cautious in equal measure. We practise on realistic tasks,...
See Chloe's profile and tutorsMore like this
Other tutors on the same or nearby topics.