May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the vibrant cultures, languages, and legacies of Asian and Pacific Islander communities and languages around the globe.

Language is the tool that our team uses to support organizations and individuals worldwide – so during this month of reflection and recognition, we pause to honor the stories told, preserved, and passed on through the Asian languages our remote interpreters and translators are often privileged to work with.

Whether through real-time interpreting or carefully crafted translations, our work creates moments of clarity, encourages dignity, and strengthens connections. Through every conversation our clients have, there is a culture. Within every document, there is a history. Behind every request, there is a human being navigating systems, seeking belonging, or advocating for themselves or others.

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, we want to share a little more about some of the Asian languages themselves – where they’re spoken, what they represent, and the resilience of the people who carry them forward.

Mandarin Chinese

Mandarin is not only the most spoken language in the world, it’s one of the oldest. Evolving over thousands of years, Mandarin has shaped philosophy, poetry, medicine, and commerce across East Asia. Today, it is the primary language of mainland China and Taiwan and widely spoken in global diasporas, from San Francisco to Singapore.

Chinese characters are logographic, meaning each symbol carries meaning beyond sound – a reflection of a deeply visual, layered linguistic tradition.

Vietnamese

With origins in the Austroasiatic language family and strong Chinese and French influences, Vietnamese is spoken by over 80 million people. The Vietnamese community is one of the largest Asian diasporas in the United States, especially in California and Texas.

The language is tonal, lyrical, and rich with proverbs and expressions that reflect deep cultural values like filial piety, perseverance, and harmony. Vietnamese is also the language of a resilient refugee community whose stories continue to shape the fabric of American society.

Rohingya

The Rohingya people are a stateless ethnic group from Myanmar (formerly Burma), and their language – Rohingya – is not officially recognized in most countries. It is closely related to Chittagonian, spoken in parts of Bangladesh.

Despite efforts to suppress it, the language survives through oral storytelling and community use, often in refugee camps or displaced populations. Interacting with the Rohingya language is an act of honoring the identity and humanity of a people long denied both.

Dari and Pashto

Dari is a Persian dialect and one of the two official languages of Afghanistan; Pashto is the other. Dari is known for its poetic tradition, closely related to classical Persian, while Pashto is deeply tied to Pashtun tribal culture.

Many Afghan families today carry the weight of conflict, migration, and rebuilding – and their languages reflect both these stories and their cultural pride. Dari and Pashto speakers often navigate multiple cultural worlds, preserving oral traditions and navigating new systems with strength and grace.

Burmese

Spoken by the majority ethnic group in Myanmar, Burmese uses a unique script derived from ancient Brahmi. It is tonal and syllable-timed, with deep connections to Theravāda Buddhist texts and traditions.

Cultural expressions in Burmese are marked by politeness, metaphor, and spiritual allusions. The language is a reflection of a complex and diverse nation, shaped by both colonization and resistance.

Tagalog (Filipino)

Tagalog is one of the two official languages of the Philippines (alongside English) and is the foundation for Filipino, the national language. It blends indigenous roots with Spanish, English, and regional influences, creating a flexible, expressive vocabulary.

Filipino communities across the globe – especially in the U.S., Canada, and the Middle East – keep the language alive not only through conversation, but also through music, food, and faith traditions passed down through generations.

Korean

The Korean language (Hangul) is often admired for its logical script, created intentionally in the 15th century to promote literacy. Korean is spoken in both North and South Korea and across global communities connected by K-pop, tech, and family ties.

Beneath the modern popularity is a language rich in honorifics, hierarchical structure, and emotional nuance – capturing everything from collective memory to personal longing.

Language is Identity. Language is Power.

When we honor a language, we honor a people. We recognize their right to be heard in their own words – not just translated, but understood.

True communication requires more than word-for-word accuracy. It calls for cultural sensitivity, especially when supporting individuals navigating unfamiliar systems – whether in a hospital room, a courtroom, or a humanitarian aid setting. Our interpreters and translators are trained not just in language fluency, but in listening with empathy, adapting tone, and understanding cultural context. These human elements matter, especially for clients with trauma histories or from communities whose languages have been marginalized or politicized.

Localization is one of the language aspects our remote language professionals focus on the most, and they take care to preserve the cultural resonance of every message. From health education materials to public service campaigns, it’s not enough to translate language literally – we ensure that every word fits the audience it’s meant to reach.

We recently explored this challenge in our blog on how non-profit interpreting can enhance impact through cultural adaptation, and how successful localization can prevent serious miscommunication in our updated article on cross-cultural marketing missteps and transcreation. Check these resources out!

Contact Us to Strengthen Your Asian Language Communications

This AAPI Heritage Month, we’re reminded that the work of language access is also the work of honoring cultural identity. Whether it’s through real-time interpretation, carefully transcreated documents, or localized outreach campaigns, we believe every person deserves to be understood in a way that respects both their language and their lived experience.

If your organization serves Asian language-speaking communities, we invite you to explore how culturally sensitive interpreting, translation, and localization can deepen trust – and strengthen your impact among your global audiences. Contact us today to learn more.

The post Celebrating Heritage: Top Asian Languages (And Why Cultural Sensitivity Matters) appeared first on SpokenHere Language Services.

Branching out into new markets – whether internationally or within diverse domestic regions – offers incredible opportunities, but it also demands a thoughtful communication strategy. In today’s globalized economy, localized cultural knowledge isn’t just valuable: it’s essential. This is especially true when your target audience speaks a different language or holds cultural perspectives distinct from your current customer base.

Far too often, companies assume that machine translation or a simple word-for-word approach will suffice. The results? Campaigns that miss the mark – or worse, cause offense. Effective global marketing isn’t just about language; it’s about understanding and aligning with the social values, humor, idioms, technological trends, and even legislation of the market you’re entering. Without this, your message may lose its meaning entirely.

That’s where transcreation becomes the “icon-maker” of global marketing campaigns.

Transcreation (and localization) services ensure your brand’s story stays authentic while resonating with a cross-cultural audience, creatively adapting content to cultural contexts. As you’ll see in the lackluster – to outright disastrous – marketing blunders outlined below, failing to prioritize professional transcreation services can lead to costly communication mistakes that your company will regret.

Don’t make the same mistake – let’s explore the differences between transcreation and translation and why AI alone can’t be trusted to ensure your message lands with impact:

How is Transcreation Different Than Translation?

There is much more to communication than just language. From body language to social cues, there are countless nuanced elements that contribute to the meaning of a message, and they can vary greatly from one culture to another.

Transcreation goes beyond word-for-word translation by creatively reimagining marketing content to ensure it connects with audiences on a cultural and emotional level. It’s not just about words, but rather about crafting the right message for the right culture.

Transcreation Defined

The term “transcreation” is a hybrid between “translation” and “creation” and involves rewriting a message to adapt it to a specific culture or target audience, taking the linguistic process of localization a step further and focusing specifically on the best, culturally-relevant method to convey the content itself.

A Note On Localization:
Localization is the process of adapting each element of your messaging to your target audience so it can reflect the needs, interests, and context of people in that specific area/group. Localization requires a deep understanding of the wider culture of your target audience.
A few of the biggest areas addressed in localization are: (1) Idioms, Sayings & Slang, (2) Humor, (3) Culturally Confusing or Offensive Imagery, and (4) Culturally-Rooted Scenarios.
You’ll need experienced translators who have first-hand expertise in the target culture and who also have technical knowledge in the field.

In order to adapt the most creative content elements of a marketing campaign such as the slogans, taglines, jokes, symbols, storytelling, and even emojis for a cross-cultural target audience, language professionals who are experts at the transcreation process must sometimes choose new words, images, and symbols entirely different from the original marketing campaign’s branded elements.

For example, in Japan, parents don’t use the story of a stork delivering babies to explain how their child “arrived.” Instead, they tend to explain that a baby came from a giant floating peach. Since using imagery or messaging that portrayed a stork delivering a baby would be confusing and irrelevant in Japan, transcreated content would use a peach in place of a stork and adapt the storyline where needed. Word-for-word, non-localized translation, however, would have botched the marketing campaign with stork imagery and words that didn’t convey the business’ accurate content.

5 Shocking Examples of Big Companies Making Marketing Blunders

Believe it or not, cross-cultural marketing blunders are remarkably common and show a lack of localization and transcreation prioritization. Even big companies with extensive resources are not immune to these kinds of mistakes despite the headache they can cause after a global or multicultural audience is negatively impacted by botched marketing campaigns.

1. IKEA’s Fartfull debacle

Although “fartfull” just means “speedy” in Swedish, IKEA’s unfortunately-named children’s desk had a very different impact in the U.S. market. U.S. consumers were startled (and a bit amused) by the gassy name of this desk!
What caused it:

• Lack of market research
• Lack of cultural awareness
• Cutting corners during the translation process

How to avoid making the same mistakes: A professional translator would have instantly spotted the error in this product name, and could have informed IKEA that it may not go over well in the U.S. market. Localization and transcreation services would have then be able to adapt the content and messaging to ones less odorous to U.S. parents.

2. Sankt Hedwig Hospital improperly implants knee prosthetics

Among the more upsetting outcomes on this list in 2006 and 2007, a translation error led to a series of failed knee replacement surgeries in Germany. Knee prosthesis packages that were made in the U.S. were incorrectly labeled by hospital staff using the the German equivalent that means “non-cemented” instead of “non-modular cemented.” Surgeons, who were misled by the incorrectly translated label, left knees without the necessary support and had to perform reparation surgeries on 47 patients!
What caused it:

• Inaccurate/incomplete translation
• Use of internal staff instead of a professional translator
• Lack of oversight

How to avoid making the same mistakes: Again, a professional translator would instantly have caught this serious mistake. At the very least, an expert translator with technical medical knowledge should have been consulted to proof the label translation instead of relying on in-house bilingual employees and/or machine translation.

3. HSBC’s tagline becomes a $10 million dollar mistake

When HSBC Holdings launched their “Assume Nothing” campaign to U.S. markets, the ambiguous headline proved largely effective. In foreign markets, however, the slogan translated roughly to “do nothing”. The ambiguity of the campaign was completely lost on international audiences, and even counter-productive to the goals of the marketing effort.
What caused it:

• A lack of transcreation services when expanding into a new global market
• Failure to apply localization to the marketing campaign

How to avoid making the same mistakes: A team of professional translators who were knowledgeable in the nuances of the target languages would have used transcreation to adjust the content to connect with international consumers. After having to redo and relaunch their marketing campaign, HSBC spent an additional $10 million to bring its campaign back to the international market in a way that would resonate with potential customers.

4. Amazon’s Swedish Website’s Embarrassing Launch

Yes, even the biggest companies on earth have made some major cultural marketing blunders. When Amazon launched the Swedish version of its website in 2020, the machine-translated site that went live was a hodgepodge of translation and localization disasters. Not only did the site mistake the Argentinian flag for the Swedish flag, but also many products had embarrassingly inaccurate descriptions as well. The word rooster, for example, was replaced with the Swedish word for male genitalia!
What caused it:

• An overreliance on machine translation
• A failure to consult human translators before publishing the live website

How to avoid making the same mistakes: There is still no replacement for human translators! Automated tools like Google Translate are notorious for missing context and other devastating mistakes. A human translator has a much deeper understanding of cultural context and can adapt content accurately.

5. Coca-Cola’s (Freudian?) Slip in New Zealand and Marketing Failure in China

In New Zealand…

Even though Coco-Cola has been responsive for some of the most impactful marketing campaigns, two of their digital expansions into different markets caused costly mistakes and serve as prime examples of marketing campaigns gone awry without localization and transcreation services.

Coca-Cola’s attempt to combine Māori, the New Zealand indigenous language, and English, resulted in a horrible misfire. The company inadvertently wrote “Hello, Death” in Te reo Māori, on a vending machine full of it’s products. Not the drink anyone wants!

Coca-Cola thought the use of “mate” was safe because of its use as a friendly term in English-speaking local cultures of the region. But in Māori the word “mate” literally means death.

In China…

Coca-Cola’s attempt to localize its brand in China initially backfired due to a poor Mandarin translation. The company used the phrase “Ke-Kou-Ke-La,” which unintentionally translated to “bite the wax tadpole.” Unsurprisingly, the campaign failed to resonate with consumers. Coca-Cola quickly corrected the mistake by adopting “Ko-Kou-Ko-Le,” which translates to “happiness in the mouth,” ultimately salvaging the brand’s image in the market.
What caused it:

• Cutting corners and not consulting translators with knowledge of the target language
• Lack of quality assurance/oversight of finished translation

How to avoid making the same mistakes: Quality assurance provided by a language professional with actual knowledge of the target languages could have saved Coca-Cola from enormous headaches. Cutting corners rarely pays off when it comes to cross-cultural advertising!

When You Need an Icon-Maker, Choose Translators Who Are Localization and Transcreation Experts

When expanding to a foreign or even domestic market where your audience speaks a different language, it’s no time to cut corners. Failure to take context and cultural differences into consideration when creating your messages for that new audience can cause embarrassment and long-lasting damage. This is especially true in our digital landscape and age of social media influencers, where a marketing misstep can spread like wildfire before your organization has the time to pivot.

The solution is simple: hire a language services provider who has an intricate knowledge of localization and transcreation. Using experts who can accurately translate or interpret your messages to customers and employees in a new market will tremendously impact your success.

If you are in need of a language services provider who will partner with you to avoid cultural marketing blunders, we’d like to be that partner. Start a conversation with us today to learn more about how we can help your company expand to new markets successfully.

The post Transcreation: The “Icon-Maker” of Global Marketing Campaigns appeared first on SpokenHere Language Services.

The facts and numbers all paint a pretty clear picture of the trajectory of consumer markets: the non-native English speaking market is growing exponentially.

Want to see what numbers are involved? Spanish-speaking households, which make up the largest and highest spending ESL (English as a second language) minority in America, account for nearly $1 trillion (with a T!) in annual spending. Ironically, the Latino community is also one of the most under-represented populations in ad campaigns, with a surprising lack of marketing material targeting this audience in spite of the data on their spending.

By not connecting to the Latino community, and many other non-native English speaking consumer bases in America, your business is likely leaving money on the table!

So what does this mean for your business, your brand voice, and your holiday ad strategy this holiday season?

Connecting With Your Multilingual Audience 

There are a few good rules to follow that will help your brand messaging connect better with customers that speak English as their second or third language, and may be uncomfortable with the many nuances in English.

1. The avoidance of slang 

One of the most challenging obstacles for ESL (English as a Second Language) customers is understanding common figures of speech or slang phrases in English.  These may not be used in their native language at all. Even if they understand the literal meaning of the phrase, elements of cultural background and context may make the message very confusing.

2. Use literal wording 

Adding on to the first point, it’s better to be as literal as possible with the wording of your ads. Many advertisements targeting native-English speakers might use more sarcasm, facetious language, or euphemisms. You have to remember that a non-native speaker already has to go through the work of translating each word or sentence in their head. Adding unconventional twists or non-literal language creates unnecessary confusion.

3. Slow down and/or reduce wording in audio and video content

If you’re a native-English speaker who has a limited working knowledge of another language, you can probably relate to this challenge. It’s very difficult to understand a language you’re not well-versed in when it is spoken extremely fast. Keep this in mind when marketing to ESL consumers. You may be inclined to cram a lot of words into your short-form video ads, TikToks, Reels, or radio snippets, but a multilingual audience will benefit from slower, more concise messages.

While these practices can help you create more effective and targeted ads, it’s important to consult a professional translator for your ads to truly be successful. In addition to best practices, a translator will catch cultural blind spots, nuances, and sentence structural issues that your ad team may not be aware of (this is also called Transcreation).

Professional translators are also great at helping you avoid offensive or insensitive content that could sour your audience, even if it was meant harmlessly.

This brings us to our next point…

 Does Language Matter in Holiday Ad Campaigns? 

The answer is resoundingly “yes”.

Sure, your target audience may have a functional understanding of English, or even an extensive familiarity, but that doesn’t mean they will be more responsive to the language they’re less comfortable in.

Once again, the data bears this out. A study conducted by Harvard Business Review found that over 70% of bilingual consumers surveyed spent the majority of their internet time on websites in their native language. The same study found that over 70% are more likely to buy products with information in their language and 56.2% of consumers said the ability to get product information in their native language mattered even more than price.

Marketing insights repeatedly show that ESL consumers are more favorable to ads that include their native language. Increased favor with your ESL audience will likely have a direct impact on your sales, revenue, and reach.

During the holiday season, religious and cultural beliefs are often tied into your ad campaigns. Working with someone on your transcreation project could make a big difference for your brand’s reputation too.

 The Key to Translating Your Ad Campaigns is…  

You may be wondering what your next steps should be. Your team is not likely to be fully equipped with the ability to translate and culturally localize content for your holiday ad campaign. Language translation after all, is a skill set all on it’s own. The strategy (or re-strategy) of targeting ESL consumers may be daunting for a holiday ad campaign.

 The Key is Smart Partnerships! 

Partnering with trained translators will put you miles ahead of your competition, and it will allow you to create carefully crafted holiday ads that connect with your ESL audience.  SpokenHere’s team of translators is determined to empower your business by connecting you with your multilingual markets.

Want to see what we can do? Get in touch with us and let us integrate smart ad translations into your vision for your most successful ad campaign yet!

The post How To Translate Your Holiday Ads appeared first on SpokenHere Language Services.

Is your organization clearly communicating in context?

Join us to examine how important context is to effective intercultural communication and to make sure that your organization is utilizing the best interpretation and translation resources for your audience.

If you’ve ever misunderstood what someone was trying to communicate because of something non-verbal or not explicitly written out that “you should have known,” then you’ve experienced how misunderstood context can quickly derail an interaction.

Communication difficulties in the way two people interpret the context of a conversation can happen in many professional and personal situations. While many factors impact this, we’ve seen challenging intercultural communication issues arise between people whose native languages rely on context to differing degrees.

Maybe, the two communicators even grew up speaking the same language, but their geographical and cultural backgrounds litter their seemingly straightforward communication with contextual differences. Sometimes the results can be catastrophic, while sometimes the blunders result in hilarious stories that might be cringe-worthy, but at least not harmful.

Context in communication matters more than some people acknowledge – to the detriment of their communities and customers.

Meaningful communication relies upon the communicators themselves and/or the supporting interpreters and translators first identifying the importance of context and then harnessing the correct communication tool plus their own expertise to localize all communications. As we often note among our own team, “you need an interpreter for that.”

Let’s take a deeper dive into definitions and resources.

What Do We Mean When We Talk About “Context”?

According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, context is defined as “the situation in which something happens and that helps you to understand it.” What this means in reference to communication is that how we each decode messages based on what our backgrounds are, who we are with, where we are, what is happening around us at the time, our opinions and beliefs, our shared values and experiences, and our non-verbal cues.

Context is hard to explain to others from a different background; however, we use this nuanced “context” to decipher interactions or ideas without being conscious that we’re doing it. If you’re still a little confused about how a difference in cultural contexts can affect communication, here’s an example:

In some cultures, an offer of coffee after a meal is considered a polite way to indicate to guests that they should leave soon. In other cultures, an offer of coffee at a similar social gathering or occasion is viewed as an act of kindness or an invitation to guests to stay longer because everyone is having a great time. If people from different cultural backgrounds (let’s say the host is from Culture “A” and the guests are from Culture “B”) are unaware of these differences, it could easily lead to an awkward situation if coffee is served.

Communication in Context: Explaining High vs. Low “Context” Cultures

The famous anthropologist, Edward T. Hall, studied the effects of context and culture on communication and was the first to discuss the delineations between high context and low context cultures. He noticed that certain cultures relied more on the use of context instead of explicitly stating what was being communicated. He called these high context cultures. In contrast, cultures that tended to communicate using terminology and rules that are explicitly spelled out, he called low context cultures.

High context societies and groups are those where people tend to have close connections over a long period of time. Because of this, certain behaviors and expectations aren’t made explicit, because most members learned what to do and think from years of interactions with each other. When communicating, a person from a high context culture may not verbally state the precise intent of their message, but instead expects the receiver to read between the lines using their contextual understanding. In these cultures, non-verbal contextual cues such as tone of voice, eye contact, gestures, and facial expressions carry a great deal of meaning.

In contrast, among low context societies, behaviors, beliefs, and expectations are more openly spelled out. These cultures rely much less on context to convey meaning and instead state their messages more directly and explicitly. The essence of a communication is conveyed by the precise words used, and there is very little expectation that nonverbal or situational cues might drastically change the meaning.

As you can probably guess, communication between people from high context and low context cultures can be challenging and lead to misunderstandings. People from low context cultures tend to listen primarily to the words spoken and often miss or misinterpret the nuances and non-verbal cues of a high context communicator.

No culture is completely high or low context. However, below is an idea of where some notable cultures fall on the context scale:

As you can see on the scale above, even cultures speaking the same language can rely more or less on context in communicating. That’s why simply understanding or speaking the same language as the person you’re interacting with isn’t always enough to understand their message: there is often contextual meaning buried within the communication.

Communication Tools that Increase Contextual Understanding

Even though two people might speak the same language, being from different countries or cultures impacts how they interpret the words spoken or written. When those two individuals speak, they may easily misinterpret each other.

So, how do you as a friend, organization, employer, health professional, or family member ensure that your meaning does not get lost in translation?

Learn more about what we now know about body language and context? Explore our blog “Is Your Body Language Lost in Translation?” and join in the discussion!

Partnering with an experienced professional interpreter or translator is vital in avoiding some of the breakdowns in understanding what could otherwise occur during intercultural communication. An experienced interpreter or translator will not just have a high-level of sensitivity to cultural context, they will also know which resources to recommend to support meaningful communication in all of the settings that you find yourself in.

Key communication tools and resources include:

Video Remote Interpreting

Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) can provide an easy solution for a company needing to facilitate communication with a limited English proficiency (LEP) person whether they be a customer, employee, member of a multilingual team, patient, or an international client or community partner.

Having a skilled linguistic and cultural liaison present via VRI can be the “deal maker” that helps to solve a problem or to facilitate an agreement across cultural barriers, because it preserves the authenticity of language by showcasing non-verbal cues and other contextual information that would be lost in audio or over-the-phone interpretation (OPI).

Check out our free resource to make the most of communication time: “Top 5 Tips for Optimizing Your Remote Interpreting Session“

Because video remote interpreting sessions do not require the interpreter to be present on-site and yet still retain the authenticity of cultural contexts because of the video platform, companies can simultaneously reduce their personnel costs and still greatly boost participants’ understanding.

Localization

Localization is another key communication resource for those requiring contextually sensitive translation services.
Localization is a step beyond the standard translation project scope or a Google translate response and provides companies with a more accurate end-result that better communicates with the target audience. While localized translations require more time and attention to detail, they are safer, culturally-sensitive, and overall a better representation of what your organization wanted to communicate – whether it be via a localized website translation or any other technical documents and marketing collateral.

Curious if our team of SpokenHere language professionals have experience in localizing translations for your industry? Check out a few of these additional case studies and industry articles for a behind-the-scenes view of our work partnering with clients in the manufacturing industry, healthcare arena, marketing sphere, and non-profit organizational realm (just to name a few! We would love to chat and answer your questions about how our language specialists are ready to meet your business’ communication needs.)

Context Matters to Us Because it Matters to You and Your Communities

When you find yourself in a situation that calls for a skilled linguist and cultural liaison, we’re here to help.

SpokenHere provides on-demand video remote interpreting services with a robust team of skilled, culturally-fluent interpreters. Plus, we understand the complex language service needs of many organizations, and do not require minimum call times or monthly fees from our clients, but rather charge by the minute to make sure companies are confident in both reaching their meaningful communication goals and staying within their budget’s parameters.

We also offer services such as simultaneous interpreting and voiceover support with our team members that specialize in making sure your context is at the forefront of their minds, as they enhance your communication no matter what platform or setting you find yourself in.

SpokenHere’s localization service includes more than rewriting text into a different language, because we focus on adapting your complete message to a specific audience and location. We take a holistic approach, considering other aspects such as adapting graphics, using appropriate date and time formats, and adopting cultural references, among many other details.

We love languages, because we love making sure that people feel seen and are heard, as we actively engage in relationship-building efforts across the globe. Contact us to learn more and view a demonstration.

The post The Impact of Context in Communication: Culture matters! appeared first on SpokenHere Language Services.

This story is a perfect example of how words and phrases can differ in meaning depending on which location or culture they are used, or their “locale” – that’s localization. Even though the two students spoke a common language, the American could have used some pointers on how to localize his English for the UK to help him avoid this situation.

What is Localization and How Does it Differ from Translation?

Localization is sometimes confused with translation, but these terms actually mean two different things. Translation is part of localization, though localization is more comprehensive.

Translation involves converting a message from one language into another so that the meaning is the same. Translation includes grammar and spelling differences which can differ by the geographical location.

Localization is a more involved process that takes cultural, linguistic, and non-textual components into consideration when adapting a message, product, or service for another country or locale. A locale is a combination of a language and the physical place where it is spoken.

Localization is about much more than rewriting text into a different language, because it focuses on adapting your complete message to a specific audience and location. It addresses other aspects such as adapting graphics, using appropriate date and time formats, and adopting cultural references, among many other details.

Why is Localization Important?

In basic terms, localization is important because it makes your message better understood and more appealing to your intended audience. For example, Spanish is spoken in many countries, but localized content for Mexico would be different from localized content for Cuba or Spain. Just like in our opening story, miscommunication can happen when you use the wrong version of a term or saying for the location you are in. These language differences can make a big impact on the acceptance of your message. In some cases, it can impact safety.

Localizing content can help an organization expand its reach to a new audience, build loyalty among existing customers, and increase sales. Localization makes a product or service and the content surrounding it more engaging, which results in a higher return on your investment. It also allows an organization to communicate better and build loyalty among your geographically dispersed workforce or domestic employees who are more comfortable communicating in another language.

According to a 2014 Common Sense Advisory report, 75 percent of consumers said they were more likely to purchase goods and services if the corresponding product information is in their native language. And in another survey, half of senior executives said they believed localization leads to profitability and growth.

What Needs to be Localized?

There are many pieces of your communication that need to be localized beyond just using local terminology or words. Some of these include:

• Colors – They can have various meanings, depending on the target audience. In some countries, red expresses danger, white is associated with death, and orange expresses mourning and loss.
• Layout & Formatting – Some languages need more space than others to express the same concepts. Translation from English into other languages, for example, can result in the text taking up 30% to 100% more space. Elements such as dates, addresses, and phone numbers also need to be formatted to match your audience’s expectations.
• Visual Aides – Adapting photos and other visual aides to local cultures is a must-do.
• Units of Measurement – Most countries use the metric system, so converting units of measurements will be necessary to make content easy to follow for each specific locale.
• Currencies – Prices and monetary amounts may need to be converted from your base currency. Make it easy for potential buyers to make buying decisions and for business contacts negotiating contracts or navigating employment terms.
• Contracts, HR Documentation, Training Materials – When doing business or managing a workforce in foreign countries, you need to comply with local regulations and conventions to avoid legal implications or productivity issues.
• Content – Certain subjects may be taboo or handled very differently in another locale. Other expressions such as local idioms and cultural references also need to be localized to make sense for your target audience.

What Should You Look for When Choosing a Localization Service?

Localizing your translation project might sound intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. SpokenHere’s full-service language services team is experienced in producing high-quality, localized projects on time and on budget. SpokenHere has the expertise and technology to handle any type or size of localization project, from websites, to employee documentation, to technical documentation, multimedia, voiceovers, training and eLearning, and marketing materials. Our localization services can help you expand your reach and make your customers and employees feel more at home.

The post Language Localization: Getting Your Translation Project Right appeared first on SpokenHere Language Services.

3 Accent Marks in French

French is a beautiful language, but it can be tricky to master. Why? One reason, aside from its unique nasal and guttural sounds, is the inclusion of several different accent marks. Some of these accent marks affect the way a word is spoken, others are simply meant to differentiate two similarly spelled words. We’ll dive into three of the French accent marks below.

The Accent Aigu

This accent in French is represented by an upward, slanted tick mark and it changes the way an E is pronounced. Normally, the letter E in French is pronounced “uh,” but when you add the accent aigu, it becomes “eh.” To really hear the difference, try smiling as you say “eh.” It should sound like you’re saying the letter A in English, but a little softer.

Some words that have the accent aigu are “fatigué” and “parlé.” To hear this accent and the following accents in action, check out the short video below.

The Accent Grave

This accent is a downward, slanted tick mark and it always falls at the middle or end of a word in French. The accent grave changes the normal “uh” sound for E in French, to an “eh” sound like in the English word “egg.” It might seem like a slight difference, but to native speakers – it’s a very noticeable one!

Some words that have this accent mark are “très” and “après.” The accent grave can also be used on other vowels like A or U, but in these cases, it doesn’t change how the word is pronounced. Instead, it helps distinguish the word from another word that sounds exactly the same.  

For example, look at the words “ou” and “où.” “Ou” without the accent means “or,” but with the accent it means “where.” Another example is with the words “la” and “là.” “La” without the accent means “the,” but with the accent it means “there.”

The Trema Accent

The last accent we’ll go over in the article, although there are more accents in French, is called “le tréma.” This accent is represented by two small dots that hover over a vowel. You’ll see this accent mark on a word that has two vowels side-by-side.

Instead of pronouncing the vowels together, this accent mark tells the speaker to separate the vowel sounds. Because of the accent mark, the vowels become two different syllables in the word, like in “Noël.” Instead of saying “Nol,” the French say, “No-el.”

When it comes to translating documents or websites, using accent marks properly is a necessity. Forgetting an accent can drastically change the meaning of a word, and leave your listeners or readers very confused. Save yourself from embarrassing mistakes and be sure to work with real language experts for all of your translation needs. Check out SpokenHere today.

Jessica Dais is Senior Content Marketing Specialist for TakeLessons. She is a friend and guest blogger of SpokenHere.

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Two thousand years ago, Latin was the lingua franca (which is Latin, sort of, for “universal language”). From Spain to Romania, everyone understood at least enough Latin to shop or serve in the military (there was no cable TV back then, so those were just about all your choices). When people learned to read, they learned to read Latin, and a great many people could read — at least a little (just think how much easier medical or law school must have been back then!).

However, if you travel today to Italy, heart of the Roman Empire, you won’t hear anyone speaking Latin in the restaurants or market places. You’ll hear Italian…and you’ll probably see it too, given the Italians’ penchant for talking with their hands.

Did the Italians kill Latin in favor of newer, better, hipper Italian?

Well, yes actually, but they didn’t do it in the Colosseum. It was more of a gradual thing. As the barbarians slowly overtook the Empire, their languages mixed with the indigenous Latin and what we are left with today are Italian, French, Spanish, Romanian, etc.

Every language is changing all the time (even the language you are speaking right now), in baby steps. Languages change in the way sounds are pronounced, in the words that are used, even in the way words are strung together to make sentences. Languages grow and even die too. When the last speaker of a language dies, so, too, does the language they speak (and a small part of the diversity of human culture). While the Pope (and the lawyers of the world) may have Latin on life support, it’s pretty much dead in the real world.

We’re just glad the toga died out with it.

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Check out Volume 3 of our Video Snack Series!

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When linguistic missteps are caused by government leaders on the world stage, the seriousness (or hilarity depending on your point of view) can go viral.

Enter French President Emmanuel Macron..

By any measure, President Macron, at 40 years old one of the youngest leaders in the world, is worthy of praise and envy. Successful, good-looking and, as French president, very powerful, Macron has definitely “made it” as they say. Yet, even Macron, despite his obvious intelligence and diplomatic savvy, can’t avoid stubbing his toe on the linguistic curbs that human language can put in front of us.

On a recent trip to Australia, President Macron was addressing Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, when he stepped in a pile of dialog doo doo.

During his comments, as any good diplomat and gentleman would, Macron paid respect to Turnbull’s significant other by commenting on how lovely she was. Well, sort of.

Mr. Macron said, “I want to thank [Prime Minister Turnbull] for your welcome, thank you and your delicious wife for your warm welcome.”

Sacré bleu!

His remark raised some eyebrows Down Under and set the Internet on fire.

The problem arises from how flexible human language is. You see, the French word “délicieux” (what was likely running through Macron’s gray matter at the time) can be translated both as “delightful” and “delicious” (what came out of his mouth).

We don’t know how Franco-Aussie relations will be affected by this French faux pas, but we’re pretty sure the rest of the world got a good laugh out of it. There’s been no comment from Mrs. Turnbull. Probably better that way.

Language can be hard. Translation isn’t with the right partner!

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If you have a sizable population of learners whose native language is something other than English, you may be doing them a disservice by not providing translated versions.

Presenting valuable training or educational information to learners in their native language is a fantastic way to improve the experience and the outcomes. With a little forethought and planning, your translated content can be just as effective as it is in the original language.

1) Determine Your Target Audience’s Requirements

Knowing you need to translate your learning content into Spanish is easy…but what kind of Spanish? Are your Spanish-speaking learners from Mexico or Spain? There’s a difference. What grade reading level should your content be translated to? Are you translating your content into a RTL (right-to-left) language, such as Arabic or Hebrew? Also, think about any cultural differences that you may need to consider.

Will the images you used in your English course work or be appropriate for the new target audience? What about the voice for any audio portions? Would a male voice or female one be better suited in your translated version? A professional language service provider (LSP), experienced in e-learning localization, can help you get a great finished product.

2) Look Beyond Just Content

Naturally, what you put in your e-learning course is critical, but when it comes to translation, how you build it can be just as important. Here are some tips to consider on the front end that will make the translation process easier and less costly:

• Keeping text out of images will mean you can avoid the extra expense of having to redo your images in your translated languages
• Making sure your content is UTF-8 encoded will allow foreign characters to be displayed properly
• Realizing that the amount of text can expand for many translated languages will mean you can allow more space in your design (ex. 15-20% for Spanish)
• If you can avoid embedded videos, you will not need to add complex audio or subtitle synchronizations to your project

3) Consider Content Changes for Your Localized Versions

It’s one thing to translate your content from one language to another, but even if the translation is grammatically correct and understood by the target audience, it still may not be effective because the content does not fit your new learners’ experience.

Consider this example: you have a course on fire extinguisher safety that was written for a U.S. audience per OSHA guidelines. The course details all the different fire extinguisher types/colors and what they mean. You then have your LSP translate the course into German. The result is a great translation that every German can understand…with one problem. By law, every fire extinguisher in Germany must be red. So, while the content is translating accurately into German, it is not translated effectively because Germans do not have any yellow or silver fire extinguishers. A great LSP will have the knowledge and expertise to understand these needs beforehand.

4) Provide Your Translation Partner with Style and Pronunciation Guides

You know your business and content better than anyone else. Selecting an experienced and quality language service provider can go a long way in getting your learning content translated easily and effectively. But no matter how good your LSP may be, there will still always be information that you will need to give them to keep the workflow streamlined.

There may be industry or even company-specific terms that should be used. How will acronyms be treated? Should they be left in English or translated? Will units of measure need to be converted to metric? Then there is the audio component. Do you want a male or female voice talent? How should they read the content? Is it better to have a more corporate read or a more personal, casual style?

5) Have a Clear Review Process and Use It!

Localizing e-learning content is truly a team effort. While your language service provider partner is an expert in translation and e-learning programming, you are ultimately the one who needs to be happy with the end product. Designate a review team in advance that is a native speaker of the language you are translating into.

Make sure there is a clear process for documenting any edits and that a clear timeline for doing so is understood by all. Review any translated audio scripts before the voiceovers are recorded. That step alone can save costly and time-consuming re-records.

In the end, having an experienced LSP partner team with your SMEs and programming experts will ensure that your translated e-learning courses will be effective and understood.

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