Intercultural Communication and Translation News

“Inexcusable Gobbledegook”

neil — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:50:49 +0000

Could you translate this?

“The promise of reform which the Green Paper heralds holds much for the public and Service alike; local policing, customized to local need with authentic answerability, strengthened accountabilities at force level through reforms to police authorities and HMIC, performance management at the service of localities with targets and plans tailored to local needs, the end of centrally engineered one size fits all initiatives, an intelligent approach to cutting red tape through redesign of processes and cultures, a renewed emphasis on strategic development so as to better equip our service to meet the amorphous challenges of managing cross force harms, risks and opportunities.”

Read more > Gobbledegook

International Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy 2009

neil — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:26:58 +0000

The International Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy 2009 will bring together a diverse group of participants from across the world for a weeklong program of lectures, panel discussions and social events that will look at the role of soft power in contemporary international relations. The speakers during the week will be experts and leading figures from politics, academia, and the private sector. The participants of the Symposium include students, young professionals, senior academics and diplomats, who will have the chance to consider the future of soft power and cultural diplomacy with fellow participants and leading authorities. In the evenings the participants will have the opportunity to network in social events, enjoy live music and entertainment and to explore Berlin’s vibrant nightlife.

Program
The International Symposium comprises a weeklong program of panel discussions and lectures in different locations across Berlin. Each component will be followed by an interactive question and answer session with the speaker. This structure enables the participants to hear a range of informed perspectives on the issues under discussion and then raise issues they feel are important for further consideration.

During the evenings the ICD will organise activities and events that will allow the participants to experience Berlin, network and socialise with other participants and the Symposium speakers, and discuss the topics raised during the day.

Symposium Themes
The International Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy will look at the role of soft power in the international environment and will focus on five related themes:

* The approaches of states and international organisations to soft power and the role it plays in their policy making
* The importance of multi-lateral understanding to cooperation on global challenges
* The role of cultural diplomacy in relations between the Western world and the Middle East
* The challenges and opportunities of using art and culture as vehicles of national foreign policy
* The influence of the private sector in the generation and application of soft power

To explore these themes thoroughly from both theoretical and practical perspectives we have selected expert speakers from the fields of academia, politics, and the private sector. We will hear from individuals with experience in prominent international organisations, including the United Nations, the African Union, the North-Atlantic Treaty Organisation, and the European Union, as well as politicians and former politicians who have played instrumental roles in the development and application of foreign and national policies.

The Symposium speakers will also include professors and academics who have been at the forefront of international relations theory over the past two decades and who have played key roles in pioneering and developing the related concepts of soft power and cultural diplomacy.

The ICD is proud to announce the following as a selection of our speakers:
•    Jorge Sampaio, UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, Former President of Portugal (1996-2006)
•    Joaquim Chissano, Former President of Mozambique (1986-2005), Former Chairperson of the African Union (2003-2004)
•    Dr. Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, Former President of Latvia (1999-2007)
•    Cassam Uteem, Former President of the Republic of Mauritius (1992-2002)
•    Dr. Vasile Puşcaş, Romanian Minister for European Affairs
•    Ints Dālderis, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Latvia
•    Dr. Erkki Tuomioja, Member of Parliament and Former Foreign Minister of Finland (2000-2007)

Why Somerset?

neil — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:47:12 +0000

“Business needs good people and Somerset attracts very good people who also want to enjoy its quality of life”

Deborah Meaden, Dragons’ Den investor and entrepreneur

We get a lot of questions as to why Kwintessential are based in Somerset. We were born in Croydon in 2003. In 2005 a strategic decision was made by the company to move away from the bright lights of London to the more tranquil surroundings of Somerset in the South West of England. Since that time the company has grown and now boasts offices in London, Monterey (California), Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Cape Town (South Africa). The point being that a business can grow and expand without being located in a big city.

Why Somerset?

Somerset has proven to be a great home for the company offering a number of benefits including:

* Lower costs (rent, services, etc)
* Higher calibre employees
* Less competition from the translation market
* A significant number of multinationals and global market-leaders in Somerset
* Access to key regions of the UK through transport links
* Two international airports
* Excellent IT and broadband connectivity
* A cleaner, relaxed and less-stressful way of life
* A fantastic commute to work every morning! (Fields, sheep and cows rather than crammed into the 7.45 to London Victoria!)

Read more > Somerset Translation and Interpreting

Is South Africa ready for the 2010 World Cup?

neil — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:40:15 +0000

South Africa is guaranteed tourism in the summer of 2010 as it plays host to the biggest sporting event in the world - the World Cup. With thousands of foreign fans coming through the airports in search of football, fun and a fantastic holiday what are local companies doing to ensure they get the business? Have they started implementing multilingual strategies on their websites to grap the attention of all the fans who will be doing some research online for hotels, restaurants, safari parks or anything else? Or are they doing nothing and assuming all these people will come to them?

This is the question being asked by Kwintessential (Africa) in its online survey of the South African tourism industry. If you own a business that is related to tourism in South Africa why not take part and get automatically entered into the draw for a free website translation?

Take the survey > South Africa 2010 Survey

China is top expat destination

neil — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:14:06 +0000

China is the top expat destination followed by the U.S., UK, Singapore and Switzerland, survey reveals.

China is ranked as the top destination for international assignees in the annual Global Relocation Trends report from from Brookfield Global Relocation Services. In second place was the United States followed by the UK, Singapore and Switzerland.

China was also ranked as the top emerging destination followed by India and Russia.

China presents greatest challenges
Paradoxically, China was seen as presenting the greatest challenges to both international assignment managers and assignees due to the difficulty in finding suitable homes and schools, accessing medical care, immigration formalities, tax compliance, communication and knowledge of international regulations, the remoteness of the destinations and increasing costs. India ranked second and Russia third in terms of presenting the greatest relocation challenges.
The survey of 180 multinational firms reveals a significant move by companies to control costs with the number one relocation challenge being the overall cost of assignments, followed by finding suitable candidates and controlling policy exceptions.

Read more > China

Review: Yanks in Blighty

neil — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:19:26 +0000

Donna Marsh is a business woman and cultural awareness trainer specialising in many fields. Over her 30 year professional career she has visited more than 140 countries. As a strue globe-trotter this has given her a great insight into the field of intercultural communication, awareness and skills.

Now this experience has translated itself into a new publication entitled “Yanks in Blighty”. As the title suggests the book is aimed at Americans moving, working or living in the UK who are looking for a better understanding of their new environment and the natives.

Review:

Having readthe book we are pleased to offer a glowing review and thoroughly recommend it to our readers. The one major factor that sticks out in the book is how much ground is covered in terms of topics. Donna leaves no stones unturned in her examination of what the UK is, where it is and how it is. We are given quick, informative facts on subjects such as the present situation the country is in, the Royal Family, government, the cultural diversity of the population, language, transport, housing, health care and of course the weather. In short this book contains probably everything anyone would ever need when moving to the country.

As well as the fantastic details, the book also offers the reader answers to questions they were probably thinking but most authors never thought to answer. Although it may sound trivial, knowing how a washing machine works, how the rubbish (or should I say trash?) is collected and when the sales start are all little things people really do need to know.

The book wins in a lot of ways due to its focus. As it is targetted at Americans specifically wanting to understand the UK it allows the author the luxury on concentrating on what they want to know and specific areas of concern for Americans (rather than some other nationality).

Excerpt:

“As a rule, the British are likely to overlook or at least keep silent about most social behaviour that they do not approve of. Queue jumping a notable exception.”

Where to buy?

You can buy the book by clicking the link below to Amazon or at any decent online bookstore. The ISBN is 978-1-906710-37-8.

British Reserve - what’s it all about?

neil — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:03:09 +0000

The British are known culturally for many things, one of them “reserve”. Reserve relates to the general disinclination to show emotion, feelings or to act in any way that could be viewed as slightly off-centre. The cultural concept heavily correlated with the sense of privacy the British hold.

As a result of British reserve you will note that language is heavily tempered and gestures are restrained. Neutrality and diplomacy in communication are seen as necessary components of courtesy. British reserve does not mean that Brits are boring, lifeless and unemotional. It simply means that in British society people are trained from school-age to be self-contained and not to be open emotionally.

Read more > British Reserve

Aussies say Aussies are racist

neil — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:55:30 +0000

Australians are in two minds about multiculturalism, a long-term survey has found.

They believe cultural diversity is good for the country but they’re worried that cultural differences will stop everyone from getting along.

An 11-year study by a collaboration of Australian universities has found 85 per cent of Australians acknowledge racial prejudice occurs in the nation and one in five has been a victim of racist verbal abuse.

The study found that 6.5 per cent of the 16,000 Australians surveyed were against multiculturalism.

Professor Kevin Dunn, from the University of Western Sydney’s school of social science, said the study revealed that the majority of Australians are pro-multiculturalism but are anxious that the diversity will not be managed well.

“Over 40 per cent of those surveyed feel that cultural differences pose a threat to societal harmony,” he said.

Read more > Survey

Attract International Clients to Your Multilingual Web Site

neil — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:51:31 +0000

Develop content for your Web site with an international clientele in mind. For instance, be sensitive to cultural nuance, use universal images and metaphors, and develop a slogan that reflects your global outreach, says Ayse Oge, president of Ultimate Trade, an international consultancy based in Encino, Calif. “Include testimonials from internationally known prominent people who use your products. If you have been written up in a well-known publication, include a short piece on it on your front page,” she says.

All these factors will enhance your credibility and help you avoid major blunders. But you’ll need more than an appealing Web site to find and keep international customers, says Peter Zapf, president of GlobalSources.com (GSOL), a consulting and outsourcing firm based in Singapore. “Keep in mind—in addition to the Web content—customer service, logistics, and product delivery and payment,” he says.

Smooth out issues ahead of time with customs duties and shipping procedures, and include UPS (UPS) and FedEx (FDX) international shipping rates on your site in a drop-down box, so your clients don’t get sticker shock when they check out, Oge says.

Be aware that selling outside of your country exposes you to higher transaction fees and a higher likelihood of fraud, Zapf says: “At a minimum, you need to have good fraud management practices in place in order to minimize potential charge backs.”

When it comes to multilingual Web site content, remember that if you include it, you’ll also need a multilingual customer service team to answer telephone inquiries and reply to e-mail. “The key to attracting clients is having content localized for each global market, but this can be costly to maintain, particularly for smaller companies,” says Susan Peters, senior director of corporate marketing and Web strategy at ILOG, a software firm headquartered in Silicon Valley and Paris and recently acquired by IBM (IBM).

Read more > Businessweek

Poor numbers shut French course

neil — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:42:19 +0000

While universities have been warning of a surge in applications for courses this autumn - some language courses are struggling to attract applicants.

The University of the West of England is to stop courses in French, Spanish and Chinese this year because they received only 39 applicants.

The university has seen a 14% rise in applications for other subjects.

But the university’s vice-chancellor says “there are too few students who wish to study languages”.

As such there will be no new intake for these modern languages this autumn.

Read more > BBC