Translation Requests

MOVE was created to help organizations that need to get information out to multilingual members of our community, but who may not have access to professional interpreters. Therefore, we focus on non-profit agencies, community service, and school-based organizations. We also provide some translation services for UVA employees, as well as teachers and program administrators in surrounding public schools. 

If you are uncertain about whether your request qualifies, please contact us at visas@virginia.edu for assistance.

There is no cost for translation or interpreting services. Our work is done on a volunteer basis. Your projects provide a way for The MOVE program to promote community engagement, connections with our neighbors, and multilingualism at UVa.

We translate and interpret for non-profit efforts, and help to inform our multilingual neighbors about community resources, events, and services that might impact their health, safety, and well-being.

Since we are entirely a volunteer organization, we do not translate official or binding legal documents, medical records, or any other high-risk documents, nor can we provide certified translations. 

We will do our best to complete work in as timely a manner as possible. However, as a volunteer organization composed primarily of students, staff, and faculty at UVA, we are often tied to an academic calendar and cannot promise to meet your deadline. During certain periods, such as midterms, exams, and summer vacation, it can be difficult for volunteers to take on additional responsibilities. Therefore, it is best to submit your document with some time to spare. We will let you know if we do not think we can complete a project before the deadline. 

At present, our volunteers represent over 40 languages. Some of our language teams are composed of many speakers, while others may only have one or two speakers.

To have a document translated, or to request interpreting services, your organization will need to fill out a request using this form. If you have a document for translating, we ask that you submit it in an editable Word or Google Doc, as we do not do any formatting. 

Once we receive a request, MOVE administrators send out a description of the project to all of our volunteers for the language(s) requested. 

Those who are interested and available will begin working collaboratively on the document. We give the translators the master document in English and they begin to create a new document in the target language. We will give you the link to the Google Folder they are working on so that you can check progress and we will give them your contact information so that if they have content questions, they can ask you directly.  

Participating organizations should expect to communicate with volunteer translators to clarify the expectations and requirements of a project. MOVE staff will provide support as possible, but at times, translators will need more information and context as they translate documents. 

In addition, we welcome your feedback once you receive completed translations. Many of our translators are gaining experience in putting their language skills to work, so your comments can help them grow as translators and language students. In addition, it is very helpful to hear about how their work is being used and what kind of an impact it is having on the community at large. 

We would like to credit the University of Michigan’s Language Bank for inspiration for this document. 

https://lsa.umich.edu/lrc/translation/languagebank.html