Language Solutions

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In our first issue of "Language Solutions" for 2012, you will find hints and tips to help answer the important questions in order to be successful using foreign languages:

why can't we just do business in English?
how do I know it says what I want it to say?
what about machine translation?
how has your translation team changed?

If you have questions you'd like the solution to, then why not send them to me and we'll include them in the next issue.

Why won't English do?

It's true that many foreign nations do have a very good understanding of English and it's true that a high percentage of business is conducted in English.

But what people don't often realise is that they can be more successful in negotiations with non-English speakers if they observe some of their language traits.

David Solomons of Cultural Intelligence tackles this topic in his article "Semantics in Business". He suggests "the way different countries use language is often a great way to determine their behaviour, and their behaviour leads back to their attitudes and values."

He goes on to say that looking at a nation's language traits and how they differ from our own will help us to gain an insight into their culture and may make us more skilled at negotiating with people from these cultural backgrounds.

To read the full article, click here. And remember, yur customers and suppliers may have a good grasp of the English language, but when it comes to negotiating a better deal, their culture will play an important part and could lead to costly misunderstandings. For advice on avoiding the potential pitfalls, please contact us.

Does it say what I want?

To ensure your translated texts really say what you want them to say, it is imperative that the translator has a complete understanding of the industry you work in.

Every industry has its own specialist terminology, which can be misunderstood or misinterpreted by anyone unfamiliar with it.

But even after a professional translator has produced your foreign language version, how can you be sure it's right?

The answer is to do your homework before placing your translation work.

Make sure you work with a reputable company with ISO Quality Assurance standards and experience in your industry, who offer translation and second stage proofreading. This means your documents will be checked by a second pair of qualified eyes for greater accuracy.

And if you have in-country technical experts, get them involved in the process so they can assist with specialist terminology and in-house preferences to give you the peace of mind that it does actually say what you want it to say.

For more hints on getting the most out of translation, see our Top 10 Tips.

What about machine translation?

So, what do we mean by "machine translation"?

This is translation produced solely by a computer, with no human intervention, such as Google Translate and Babelfish.

And although it may be of use on a purely informative level, it should not be used for any documentation that would impact on your company's reputation or business dealings.

According to the publication Translation - getting it right, "it is simply not suitable: you run the risk of looking inarticulate. And stupid".

It is possibly for a human translator to edit a text produced using machine translation, although this must be done with great care and attention.

There are many translators who will not even entertain carrying out this type of editing as the process can be much more time-consuming, and therefore much more expensive, than producing an original translation from scratch.

To get your free copy of "Translation - getting it right" which offers suggestions and hints to non-linguists aimed at reducing the stress of buying translation, simply contact us and we'll send you a copy.

Changes to the Peak team

Welcome back to Helen, our Senior Project Manager, who has rejoined the team following her recent maternity leave.

She will be focusing on business development and client liaison, so if you have any questions or comments, let her know.

"It's great to be back again! I love being a mum but equally I love the challenges at work and am looking forward to developing our business relationships with new and existing clients."

So, if she hasn't contacted you yet, expect a call. You're sure to be on her list!

And finally…

You may remember from one of our previous newsletters that we offered you the chance to
suggest a title for our newsletter with a bottle of Champagne going to the winning suggestion.
We had lots of amazing suggestions from you all, so thank you for your efforts. We decided
on "Language Solutions" as it reflects exactly what we provide both with our newsletter and
through the services we offer. So, congratulations to the winner - a bottle of Champagne is
on its way to you!!

Wishing you a very happy Valentine's Day - don't forget our special "Languages of Love"
offer!!

Ian Gordon, MD

Go to our Newletter archive to view previous issues

Meet the team

Manuela
United Kingdom

Technical Translator

“I am a state-certified translator for engineering and natural sciences and I translate from English into my mother tongue, German. I have been working as a freelancer for the past 7 years now and I am based in the UK. I've worked with Peak Translations on quite a few projects so far, and I always enjoy collaborating with them.”

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