Category Archives: Language
If you’re planning a multilingual event that requires the services of interpreters, you may notice that, for certain languages, your language services provider will ask you who your target audiences are or what accent they may have. You may ask – well technically, it’s the same language, right? So are accents that important for interpretation? Do they matter anyway? Do I even need to hire a native speaker? The answer to all these questions is a resounding YES. …
The first thing anyone wants when paying for a service, no matter what it is, is quality. But when it comes to translation and interpretation, it might be hard to describe exactly what that is. You know you want a “good” translation, but what does it really mean? And what does it take to achieve it? To start, the quality of a service will be defined by…
As the weeks become months in the midst of one of the most severe global health crises in recent history, lockdown measures are easing in parts of the world. However, in others, reopening has been halted or even rolled backed because of new spikes in cases or difficulties in managing the initial Covid-19 outbreak. With…
While Turkey and the U.S. are NATO allies on paper, the increasing tension between the two countries has created multiple domestic and international headlines – all of which can feel heart-stopping for U.S. business professionals facilitating relationships in Turkey or with Turkish-speaking prospects around the globe. Some of the most recent headlines: S. Punishes Turkey…
As professional linguists, you can imagine our delight when we read a recent New York Times op-ed titled, The Sacred Spell of Words. It’s not often that non-linguists think of language in sacred terms, and yet those of us who make our living as professional interpreters and translators spend the majority of our time reverently…
Executive briefing centers are not new. However, an increasing number of US-based companies have been using them more frequently and intensely than ever before as they branch out into the international market. This is especially true in the era of the Internet and Silicon Valley, where getting your brand’s newest products and services out ahead…
If you speak English, it may seem like a no-brainer that it has become the lingua franca, but that isn’t such a no-brainer if you live in a non-English speaking country – or are descended from those who speak other languages. Due to the combined effects of colonialization, globalization and – quite honestly – and…
Data recently published by the Census Bureau for 2017 shows roughly half of residents in America’s five largest cities now speak a language other than English at home. While China may have its fair share of the media limelight, economic experts proclaim it’s India we should pay close attention to. According to an article in…
Language has always been fluid. Otherwise, Americans would still be using “thee,” “thine”, and “thou,” and Shakespeare’s plays could remain footnote-free in English-speaking countries. However, the advent of social media, which thrives on abbreviations, conversational colloquialisms, and acronyms, has accelerated the natural evolution of language. That makes it challenging for businesses, organizations, and politics to…
Even the most multilingual heads of state and politicians utilize conference interpreters in important meetings and crucial events. They know when it comes to the fragile, silken threads that often bind international diplomacy on all fronts – political, professional and humanitarian – precise words are essential to fluid communication. This respect for language and its…
