In this age of translation software and quick and easy automated cheats, including the dreaded Google Translate, it is tempting to believe that professional translation services are no longer necessary. Surely technology and modern advances in automated linguistics have rendered human beings unnecessary in this field, right? Wrong!
Month: September 2017
Would you learn one of these rare languages?
There has been a surge in interest for language learning in recent years, thanks in part to wide availability of materials and language learning systems made possible by the internet. Not only that but the declining costs in international travel have made it much more realistic than ever before to get out there and immerse oneself in other cultures and languages.
The ten most spoken languages in the world
What are the ten most widely spoken languages in the world? Some of these might surprise you!
Should I translate my corporate blog?
Corporate blogs have become an integral part of any marketing strategy in a world where an internet presence has become crucial to success. The only problem is, with so many battling for a piece of the pie, the internet has become glutted with banal, dull content, with one article linking to yet another and without anything particularly interesting to say. With the advent of SEO sensitive content, the unfortunate by-product has been words for the sake of words, and the more the better. Content is produced simply to insert key-words which will hopefully show up high on google rankings.
How to recognise a good translator
Most of know someone who is adept in speaking more than one language, in some cases we may be fortunate enough to know someone who speaks several and may even be considered a ‘polyglot’. Fluency in multiple languages is always an impressive skill and one which most of us would love to acquire if we could. Some may have been born into a bi-lingual household, or maybe spoke one language at home and another outside in the local community.
Poor translation: the result of not proofreading
Have you ever read a document, be it a newspaper story, a web page description or an advertisement, and thought to yourself, “boy, this could really have done with some editing!” or worse, “wow, this is a really poor translation!”? It happens more often than you think, and most of the time, it is not so much a bad translation as the result of the writer not proof-reading their text before they publish it.
Read more “Poor translation: the result of not proofreading”
Top Ten Translator Resources
All freelance translators have at some time experienced that feeling of sitting at a computer, staring at a text, fingers hovering the keyboard ready to work… but your mind is blank. But don’t worry, there are plenty of resources out there to help you out with that blank screen!
Subtitle your Corporate Videos
In the past, marketing was understood to mean placing adverts newspapers, magazines, radio/tv, on billboards or flyers. In the past few decades things have changed radically, and the company that wishes to compete on today’s market must be digitally literate. If they want to continue or expand into the international market, that means using all of the new technologies and social media to their advantage.
Tourism translation, quality makes the difference!
At the risk of stating the obvious, most of us know what a challenge it can be travelling or merely being in places where our native language is not spoken. The feeling this inspires could best be summed up as being a ‘fish out of water’, flapping around uselessly as we try to get out point across, in much the same way as said fish! It is not only us non-foreign language speakers that go through this uncomfortable experience, but of course all those non-English speakers that we come into contact with, whether they be friends (or potential friends), business contacts or those poor souls charged with making our holiday a fun experience.
Read more “Tourism translation, quality makes the difference!”