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International development

The Growing Challenge of Good Communication—And Its Importance

Communication has always been a vital part of humanity. From the dawn of time until now, communication has driven our growth and advancement in every area. But today, it’s cultural differences that can impact your business in a huge way. Whether it’s a minor translation error or a cultural faux pas, professional connections can be negatively influenced when translation breaks down. It’s a huge challenge for your HR department, marketing department, and even your sales or research teams. When you are working on a global level, it’s vital that you

December 19, 2019 No Comments

Tips & Advice

The Heavy Cost of Translation Errors

Translation is something that many businesses and professionals today have to focus their attention on. Whether you’re trying to attract international customers, forge a relationship and partnership with another business, collaborate, or something else, it’s vital that you take the time to make sure that you properly translate all communications. The importance of using an experienced, accurate translator for all of your translation needs can’t be overstated. Your business demands error-free translations that aren’t just accurate, but also localized. Failure to do so can cost you big. Common Mistakes Businesses

December 10, 2019 No Comments

Did you know?

How One Little Word Can Mean So Much

Saying goodbye is never easy. This is especially true when you’re saying goodbye to someone— or something—that you’ve grown fond of. Good thing there are so many languages to choose from when it’s time to bid adieu. Origins of the Word Goodbye Around the time of the 16th century, the popular way of saying goodbye in English “was formed partly by clipping or shortening ‘God be with you,’ where people speak hastily or in shorthand, and partly by compounding, the practice of combining two or more words into one” (Columbia

November 28, 2019 No Comments

International development

Translate Your Brand to Meet the Masses

Translating your brand across borders can be a delicate process. Virgin explains the challenge faced by U.S. company Clairol when introducing their “Mist Stick” curling iron to a German audience: “mist in German slang means manure.” Another example of brand-gone-bad is when “American baby food company Gerber came up against a similar problem in France, a country where the word ‘gerber’ is similar to the slang word for throwing up” (Virgin). When launching your brand in another country, one of your top priorities should be understanding the local culture. Working

November 21, 2019 No Comments

Did you know?

Where did that phrase come from?

If you’ve ever weighed the pros and cons of a situation, you’ve experienced a popular word phrase. The same can be said if you’ve ever bit off more than you could chew. While only a handful of phrases like this might come to mind, there are hundreds of them used commonly around the world each day. So, if you’ve ever wondered why birds of a feather flock together, you’ve come to the right place. (Spoiler alert: It’s because birds stick with their own kind; it was first used in the

November 13, 2019 No Comments

Did you know?

Here’s What Happens When Words Have Too Many Meanings

If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a thousand times: There’s more to translation than taking a word in one language, finding the meaning of that word in another language, and plugging it into a sentence. We recently looked at a list of words called homonyms, which are spelled the same and are pronounced the same, but have a totally different meanings. When taken out of context, they can produce quite the translation dilemma. But these are not the only words that can cause commotion when it comes to

November 6, 2019 No Comments

International development

Localization Takes Your Business to New Places

Did you know that 75% of non-English speakers won’t buy products from a business that doesn’t use their native tongue? As described in Medium, “The logic behind this is clear—you can’t buy what you can’t understand. And though in English-speaking countries we often have the assumption that everyone around the world speaks English, this, in fact, is not necessarily the case.” The Audience Matters to Your Business Your audience matters. What does your audience see when they view your website? Do they land on the home page and see words

October 29, 2019 No Comments

International development

Better Business Comes from Better Translation

A business that doesn’t have a longevity plan in place is a stagnant business. A business that wants to stick around for a generation or two (or more) needs to adjust and expand to larger audiences. The best way to do that? Translation. The best way to ensure good translation? A good language service provider. Translators Understand the Culture There are plenty of automated translation apps and technologies available today, but machine translation will only take you so far. An app can be good when you’re travelling and you want

October 23, 2019 No Comments