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3 Ways to Sabotage Business Expansion Plans with Language

August 2, 2013

For many US companies and organizations a logical way to expand their reach is to enter new markets. In some cases new target markets speak and communicate in a language that’s something other than English. Doing business in non-English speaking markets and geographic regions implies a host of considerations. Language is high in importance on the […]

Client Question: What If Translation Is Deemed “Unusable?”

June 2, 2013

Here’s a question we recently received from a prospective new client. Our response follows. Client Question: What happens in the event that our European office says that a translation is un-usable? Would that be something you would attempt to re-translate? If re-translated, would that be our expense? Affinity Answer: If a third party deemed […]

3 Ways to Sabotage Business Expansion Plans with Language

August 2, 2013

Client Question: What If Translation Is Deemed “Unusable?”

June 2, 2013

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3 Ways to Sabotage Business Expansion Plans with Language

August 2, 2013

Doing business in non-English speaking markets and geographic regions implies a host of considerations. Language is high in importance on the list. Too often language implications are not given sufficient consideration and business expansion plans fail, or are less successful than they might have otherwise been.

Three ways organizations sabotage their expansion plans with language include:

1) Smugly Persist in the View that English is the “International Language.”

English is actually the third most common native spoken language in the world, after Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. Together all three represent only about 25% of the world’s native spoken languages. There’s no such thing as a universal international language.

2) Take a “We’ll See How Things Go” Attitude Before Considering Language.

Hellooo! In case you haven’t noticed, it’s a competitive environment out there. A successful market entrance is risky even under the most favorable scenario. Half-hearted expansion plans lead to half-hearted results … or likely more often … disaster.

3) Hire Your Second Cousin’s Ex-Husband (God knows he needs the work) to Do Translation For You.

Whether it’s your second cousin’s ex-husband, or the guy at work two offices down from you who spent his high school summers in Albania and is an “expert” in the language, be aware that translation of written material is a specific skill. Verbal fluency in a language pair does not necessarily a linguist make. For professional translation results hire experienced professional translators.

Client Question: What If Translation Is Deemed “Unusable?”

June 2, 2013

Here’s a question we recently received from a prospective new client. Our response follows.

Client Question: What happens in the event that our European office says that a translation is un-usable?

Would that be something you would attempt to re-translate?
If re-translated, would that be our expense?

Affinity Answer: If a third party deemed a translation “un-usable” it would be an unprecedented event in our company’s experience. It might also be a less than constructive criticism. If such feedback was ever received we’d probably ask for clarification, more specific information.

What’s more likely is that a given third party reviewer might notice deviation from their personal language preferences (e.g., translation of terms, phases, etc.). These sorts of things are seldom translation errors, and should be expected.

There is typically no single correct translation to the exclusion of others. A translation project assigned to 10 different translators might produce 10 somewhat different translations, all correct. Synonyms, alternate expression and approaches exist and are valid. There is subjectivity in the translation process which cannot be removed entirely. So generally we leave subjective determinations to professional linguists who are skilled in such things.

Translation clients therefore pay for the professional judgment of translators. Translators are not expected to conform to the unknown subjective language preferences of a third party reviewer (nor is it even possible). If an error or deviation from a client provided glossary should occur despite our best efforts then we would correct it without charge.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

3 Ways to Sabotage Business Expansion Plans with Language

Client Question: What If Translation Is Deemed “Unusable?”

3 Ways to Sabotage Business Expansion Plans with Language

Client Question: What If Translation Is Deemed “Unusable?”

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

3 Ways to Sabotage Business Expansion Plans with Language

Client Question: What If Translation Is Deemed “Unusable?”

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