When conducting research for a school project or an article, certain information that might be crucial to your overall topic may prove a pain to research. Even with the wealth of information already available at your disposal, certain subjects that may be native to a certain part of the world, may not be available from sources that you can understand.
I encountered this exact same problem while conducting research for a magazine article I was writing on a certain type of gadget. Since it has received little adoption in the US and the UK, much of the information available for it were written on websites that served non-English speaking audiences. In fact, the bulk of the reviews and press releases I found were either in Korean or Japanese.
Instead of giving up on it, though, I downloaded the available research pieces and put them through a language translation software, which I purchased online over a year ago. Within minutes, I had all of my references translated in English, allowing me to conduct the necessary study to write my piece. However, don’t forget to ad the translation sources as references to your document.
Translation software has helped me tremendously in my job as a writer, allowing me to derive cutting-edge information from sources that aren’t easily available to English speakers. As a result, my reports are often more expansive in coverage than those from others who haven’t yet discovered the benefits of sifting through foreign language documents as a vital source of research.
When you write for a mixed audience, occasionally peppering your work with foreign phrases can lend it a character that makes it more endearing to certain segments of it. If you write a blog, for instance, and has seen a growing number of French readers, throwing in a couple of French phrases during a piece (even if you haven’t learned to speak the tongue) can really make it all the more special for those who pick up on the reference.
Common Expressions
Throwing in a common expression from the foreign language is employed by many writers. However, much of the luster in this case tends to fade away, especially if it’s such a frequently employed phrase, such as greetings or clichés.
Section Headers
I love using the technique on section headers, especially if the article is related to the foreign language. When I wrote a piece about Italian aperitifs for a food website, for instance, I wrote short two to three word section headers, ran them through a language translation software and used the Italian equivalents on the actual piece.
While English-speaking readers probably didn’t understand what the headers meant, they would have picked up on it eventually based on the context of the section. On the other hand, Italian readers loved it, almost like it paid a genuine homage to them.
Full Foreign Language Sentences
Occasionally, I’ve seen writers use full sentences in the foreign language as part of the piece. Even without explaining what they meant, the pieces flowed smoothly, while lending it a special character. As with headers, let the context fill in the blanks.
Posts Tagged ‘Software’
Language Translation Software – How to Use it Properly
Sunday, January 10th, 2010Language Translation Software – Instantly Write in 75 Languages!
Sunday, December 6th, 2009In today’s stressful economic times, thousands of people in America and around the world are facing the daunting reality of job losses, pay cuts, and a seemingly endless supple of bad economic news. National unemployment in the U. S. has hit a 17-year high, resulting in the layoffs of hundreds of thousands of our valuable work force.
During such a difficult period, many people are searching for ways to boost their resumes, increase their job prospects, and showcase themselves as potential employees. Employers looking to cut corners are willing to hire new applicants who present themselves as educated, efficient, and hard-working.
But how can you make yourself shine?
The first place to start is language. Being able to fluently and correctly speak the English language is a priority for a majority of employers in America. Not being fluent in the language is one of the biggest problems facing a large portion of today’s unemployed workers. Bridging this language gap will prove to be the key in fighting the surmounting job losses facing the world economy.
Language problems don’t only affect America’s lower working class, but also employees and potential employees of virtually any industry. Making a language or grammar error during and interview or application can be the deciding factor in the decision to not hire you. Employers expect professionalism, intelligence, and attention to detail, and without proper grammar you will be unable to convey these vital traits.
Below this post you will find link to resources which can help you achieve your language and grammar capabilities. Mastering this difficult language will give you the confidence to succeed, and the ability to make yourself shine in an incredibly difficult world job market.
How bad can poor translations affect your business? Back in 2005, the Wall Street Journal ran a story about a slight mistranslation, which caused a wave of panic in currency trading. Imagine all the folks who let their stocks go for cheap because of such a simple mistake.
If your business regularly depends on foreign contacts, the importance of a translation setup that you can rely on cannot be stressed enough. When you’re taking careful watch of news and events in certain countries, there’s no better place to get them than local sources. Oftentimes, they will be written in some foreign language you don’t have familiarity in and you’ll need to rely on a translation to get the complete picture.
For accurate and detailed translations for your business, nothing beats hiring in-house personnel who are capable in both the foreign vernacular and your native tongue. However, even the best translators will falter given the task of interpreting dozens upon dozens of news pieces daily.
As such, the best language translation solutions often come as a combination of both trained language experts and a capable translation software. Good language translation applications can automatically convert news sources into English or some other language, which your human translator can then fix up to correctly reflect meaning and context. As such, your in-house employees can accomplish in a shorter time frame.
For many businesses, information is power. Good communication is crucial. Arming yourself with knowledge of the right circumstances will help you make the correct business decisions.