Category: Translation Skills

Why Email Marketing Needs Translating?

The main aim of having an email marketing strategy is:

  • for a better understanding of your customer;
  • to improve customer engagement;
  • to increase customer loyalty;
  • to save money; 
  • to boost sales.

One of the hardest challenges today of running a business is developing the most effective marketing strategy so that you can compete successfully with competitors. According to current statistics from many leading brands, email marketing provides the highest marketing returns on investment (ROI) than any other known marketing channel.

When you translate your email marketing, you will open the door to starting a conversation with potential international customers. Your international customers will appreciate your efforts to communicate with them in their own language.

Building a loyal customer base is the main target of a professional marketer, but simply putting your emails through Google translate isn’t sufficient you will need to hire professional translators so that your email content looks and sounds natural. Trained professional translators don’t just translate text but they will also adapt the translated language so that it considers the socio-cultural differences in each of the countries you wish to target with your email marketing campaign. Email marketing is one of the most cost-effective marketing channels available. 

Boosting sales

A translated email marketing campaign will boost your sales, and increase your returns. If you have just a few subscribers on your email mailing list who aren’t able to speak any English but are eager to purchase if they are able to understand more then this is a good reason to get your email marketing campaign translated as soon as possible. 

Increases your global market

If you want your products and services to be known internationally you should be able to connect with your customers in their languages. There is no better way of doing this than translating your email marketing materials.

More precise information for foreign clients

Another important reason why your email marketing needs translation is so that you can convey information much more clearly to your foreign clients. People who do not speak English as a native language are likely to skip over your email or delete it, instead of exerting the effort to understand complex words that are not easy for them to understand.

On the other hand, if you have the content of your email translated into the language that your clients speak comfortably, then you can communicate with them much more effectively and they will be able to understand your message better. Ultimately, they will be able to better appreciate what you are saying about your products or services, and they will be more likely to make a purchase.

How to translate marketing emails

There are many methods of automatically translating emails such as Google Translate. But as this is not yet considered to be the most effective and accurate way of translating a professional email translator should be sought to translate marketing emails. You will only get your business embedded in the international market if your marketing emails are accurately translated. Accuracy is what consumers prefer and mistakes are unacceptable.

Conclusion

Don’t miss out on the market potential of emails and begin translating your email content as soon as you can. Just look out for the best translators who have been successful in engaging clients with their state-of-the-art and effective email translations. Professional translations of emails may help you connect to potential consumers. Customers prefer to see products promoted in their native language so multilingual email marketing can be the most effective way to reach out to potential customers. 

 

What are the Benefits of Subtitles and Subtitle Translation?

Videos, whether they are documentaries, dramas, or other genres of films are popular forms of entertainment around the world. Of course, they mix audio content with video content, which can pose problems for some viewers. Deaf people, for example, only see the video content and miss out on the audio content. Viewers who do not understand the language used in the video format also miss out on important context. One of the answers to these sorts of problems is subtitling and subtitling translation. This article explores the advantages and disadvantages of subtitling and subtitle translation.

What is a subtitle?

A subtitle is a text version of the audio content that can be heard in the film or video. Subtitles appear on the screen, typically below the video content. Without translation, subtitles use the same language that is used in the audio content. Noises, music, or other sounds can also be represented by text-based subtitles. Subtitles can often be turned on or off on some screens, e.g. on a TV screen.

What is subtitle translation?

Subtitle translation is simply a translated version of the original subtitle. For example, let’s say a new Bollywood film comes out in Hindi. Subtitles can be added to help hard-of-hearing or deaf Hindiviewers, but subtitle translation means that viewers who don’t understand Hindi can follow what is going on when they can see subtitles in their own language.

Where are subtitles used?

Subtitles are primarily used to help deaf people or those who have reduced hearing ability understand the audio content that is on the video or film. The subtitles may just be the text version of what is being spoken, or may include sounds and noises where relevant as well. For example, if people are laughing in the film, the subtitle may show the word “laughter”.

Where are subtitle translations used?

Subtitle translations are translations of subtitles. They are used to allow viewers who do not understand the language used in the original video or film. Subtitle translation allows films made in one part of the world to reach out and be enjoyed and viewed by many more people around the world, as long as the translation happens to be in a language they understand.

What other techniques are available for video promoters and marketers?

The main alternative to using subtitle translation is the use of voiceovers. A voiceover is also called dubbing. When video or filmmakers or marketers use voiceovers, what they do is employ someone to say what the actors or spokespeople in the original video, but in another language. The original audio content is muted, with the newly translated audio voice content superimposed on the film instead.

Advantages of subtitles

Apart from the main virtues of subtitles and subtitle translation already mentioned, the main advantage of using subtitles, rather than opting for voiceovers, is that they are much cheaper and more flexible. A video that has been subtitled can be converted into many other languages quite quickly by translating the subtitles. Finding real people to translate the audio content and dub the original content is more complex and certainly more expensive.

Disadvantages of subtitles

The main disadvantage of subtitles is that is that it tend to distract from the video content of the film, documentary, or other format. Viewers may spend so much time reading the subtitles that they miss what is actually happening on the screen. There is an additional disadvantage of translating subtitles into some languages, as they may occupy more space than the original language, adding to the potential distraction for viewers.

Conclusion

Subtitles are useful extra provisions for hard of hearing or deaf viewers of videos and films allowing them to understand the context of the video content. Subtitle translation allows foreign viewers to watch and understand the content of videos and films that are not in their own language. Subtitles are cheaper and more flexible to use than the main alternative, dubbing or voiceovers, but may be more distracting.

 

The Benefits of Content Localisation for International Audience Engagement

Businesses that have substantial international penetration have to get on top of language barriers and cultural nuances to be sure of success. When marketing their products, whether this is via their websites, or through more traditional advertising, there are key benefits of content localization if there is going to be any expectation of international audience engagement.

Understanding content localization

Content localization is the conversion of text, video, and graphics used in marketing content into versions that are aimed at a different cultural environment. There used to be a time when businesses assumed that language and culture were more or less constant everywhere in the world, but soon realized that to succeed outside their own home market they had to recognize cultural differences just as much as they have to recognize that the world is multilingual. 

Content localization is mainly done by specialized translators who have an in-depth understanding of the individual cultural preferences of the target market for which the material they have been supplied is to be converted. Content localization means:

  • translating the words, phrases, logos, and web pages into the distinctive language of the target market, taking into account local dialects and colloquialisms. 
  • avoiding text that could offend the people for which the marketing is intended; this might mean adapting the messaging to suit religious preferences, ensuring that potential customers are not offended by the use of culturally insensitive 
  • using phrases and words that resonate more with the intended market.

Enhanced audience engagement

The main objective of content localization is to enhance audience engagement and through this boost the international brand locally and lead to sales growth and greater profits.

Improved user experience

There is considerable evidence from marketing research that individual consumers prefer to inspect and choose marketing messages that are presented in their own language and are culturally appropriate. Businesses that fail to take advantage of content localization soon find that they will lose out to more aggressive marketing by their more savvy competitors. 

Increased brand visibility and recognition

When businesses develop their business, they aim to shape a brand so that it becomes synonymous with their products. Brand visibility and recognition are very important aspects of good business practice. International expansion doesn’t mean that the way a brand is recognized in the home base is going to be appropriate everywhere else. Even well-known brands like Coca-Cola and McDonald’s have learned the hard way that their brand messaging has often had to be revised to avoid miscommunication, confusion, indifference, or offense. There are numerous well-known examples of big brands being embarrassed when their marketing messages have failed by not taking into account local cultural preferences.

Access to New Markets and Revenue Opportunities

Content localization as part of preparing business expansion into an international market provides greater access to new markets and revenue opportunities. The ready uptake and use of the internet as well as modern super-fast communication has effectively created a global market. Any business that is used to a local market of several hundred thousand potential customers can now potentially expand its business with access to hundreds of millions of potential customers.

Conclusion

To reach a much wider market, businesses often get to the point where they make the decision to expand internationally. With the huge advantages that digital communication brings to doing business outside traditional boundaries, there is a strong recognition that to succeed in the twenty-first century businesses have to get ahead in an increasingly competitive world by expanding into the global market. Professional translation and localization services are important partners for internationally driven businesses.

 

Why Translate Podcasts?Why You Should Translate Your Podcast?

What is a podcast and how does it work? 

A podcast is an audio recording that is available for interested people to listen to at their time of choosing. Typically, these days, podcasts are recorded by news media, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and businesses and made available via a link on a website. The fact that podcasts are available means that those people who may have an interest in listening to the podcast don’t have to listen to it when the original recording was made. For example, a radio presenter may interview a politician about a controversial policy that their party is keen to pursue or argue against. The interview is recorded and made available on that radio show’s own website as a podcast. Someone who was busy working at the time of the interview can then listen to it later when they are free to do so. 

Why you should translate your podcast

The reasons for translating podcasts are the same as the reasons for translating anything important. Making available a podcast in more than a single language, means that more people can appreciate or make use of the information in it. Not all podcasts are translated, of course. The creator of the podcast has to make a decision, often financially, whether it is worth having the podcast translated, and if this is a good idea, which language or languages should be chosen. 

In some countries, multilingualism is part of the make-up of the community. Leaving one or another language out wouldn’t make sense in somewhere like Switzerland or Singapore, for example, where there are three or four official languages. It would be quite natural even in the United States, which has a large Spanish-speaking resident community, to consider reaching this important community through podcast translation. In fact, in many countries these days, multiculturalism is accompanied by multilingualism. Most people prefer to listen to and read material that has been presented in the language they know best. Without translating such things as podcasts means that fewer people are entertained, or informed by whatever the podcast focuses on.

Factors to consider when translating your podcast

When a podcast has been chosen for translation, it is often first transcribed into text. Then the transcription is used by the speaker who reads out the material in the desired language after the transcription has been translated. The fact that the podcast was first transcribed is useful in more than one way. For a start, it allows the transcriber/translator the chance to ‘localize’ the podcast so it best suits the language group the translation is intended for. Transcription is not expected to alter what was said in the original podcast significantly, just render it easier to understand when it has been translated. The other advantage of having a text version of the podcast is that this will be picked up by search engines, whereas the translated audio version will not. 

It stands to reason that anyone tasked with transcribing, translating, or reading out the podcast once translated should have a good grounding in both the source and target languages to ensure the accuracy and acceptability of the podcast once translated. Professional translators tend to specialize in a particular niche, so some will concentrate on legal translation, and others, on medical or technical translation. There will also be some translators who specialize in podcast translation services. This particular skill is often accompanied by offering app translation services, too.

Conclusion

Podcasts have become a very popular way of getting a message or information across in a time-hungry and internet-savvy world. Listening to podcasts in the language you are most familiar with is the main justification for having a podcast translated into more than one language so that whatever the podcast is about can reach a wider audience. 

If your organization, media outlet, or business is looking to make your podcasts multilingual, then you are advised to hire professional podcast transcribers and translators for the highest degree of accuracy.

The Connection between Transcription and Translation

Transcription is a specialized task in which someone’s speech is written down as accurately as possible. The person who does the writing down is called the transcriber. The most difficult transcription is when the transcriber has to record what has been spoken directly at the same time that the person is actually speaking. There is no chance to hear the speech a second time, especially if the transcription is taking place in a public place where there may be many people listening. Some transcribers make a recording of the person’s speech, then do the transcription later in their own time. This is a lot easier, assuming that the recording is of reasonable quality, as the audio recording can be played over and over again until as much as possible of the person’s words can be transcribed.

There are also many occasions when the transcriber is also a translator and must listen to someone speaking in a language that is not their own language and will need to both transcribe and translate it. Note that the difference between immediate transcription and remote transcription as far as translators are concerned is the same. The translator who is also a transcriber would find listening to a recorded speech would find it easier to do the translation part of the task than having to listen carefully and simultaneously transcribe and translate at the same time. The transcriber may then opt to transcribe the person’s words directly into text using the speaker’s language then perform the translation part later by consulting what they have written down.

The transcriber/translator is somewhere between a pure translator and an interpreter. Translators normally work with text. This is in some ways easier than what interpreters have to do, but it would be expected that translators would normally achieve a higher degree of accuracy. Interpreters listen to someone speaking and then convert the speech into the desired second language. Interpreters’ end product then is audio, while translators’ is text. It’s not really possible for either transcribers or interpreters to produce a totally accurate version of the spoken word, so the aim is to be as accurate as possible rather than aim for total accuracy.

When are transcribers/translators needed?

There are very many uses for transcriber /translators and the demand for good quality transcription and translation services is constantly growing. Here are a few examples of where this service is needed:

As with many translations and interpreting services, there is a strong tendency for specialization in the transcription/ translation industry. This does mean that if you are on the lookout for a transcription/translation service it is important to use the service that specializes in your own field.

The effect of Covid-19 on demand for transcription

Because of social distancing rules in many, if not most countries, as well as the almost impossible ability to travel across borders, there has been a huge rise in virtual or online meetings and conferences of all types. This has inevitably meant that there is an associated huge growth in demand for good-quality transcribers and translators to record what is said at these events. Transcriptions of meetings and conferences can then be translated into multiple languages and distributed by email to participants without the need for risking infection.

COVID-19, Global Pandemics and the Role of Medical Translators and Interpreters

The 1918 Spanish Influenza pandemic swept unabated throughout the world, taking down 2 percent of the world’s population which was approximately 50 million people. One thing that would have been different back in 1918 was the availability of skilled medical translators and interpreters. Translation of course isn’t a new discipline but in 1918 the world was far less globalized. The key question is, whether the availability of skilled medical translators and interpreters has helped to lower the incidence of COVID-19.

The 1918 pandemic taught the world something and that was that some immediate action had to be taken to stop a similar outbreak from losing so many lives. It was organizations like the World Health Organisation that was founded from the necessity to have a common body to oversee health trouble spots around the world so measures could be taken to aid or eliminate the problem. As soon as an event of global significance rears its ugly head then world specialists are on to it as quickly as possible, partly to prevent global economic collapse when people are too sick to work. However, shared information has to be translated so all those experts know what their counterparts are doing in other countries. All relevant information must be fully and accurately translated so it can be shared by the relevant agencies in the global community.

There is always a possibility of more deadly global pandemics

The current COVID-19 pandemic reveals how fast an outbreak can spread throughout the world and it is helped along by air flight that is both potentially useful but also can prolong pandemics.

Many countries that are the most susceptible to the onslaught of a global pandemic speak more than one language like the United States. There is a high proportion of people who are linguistically deficient in English in the U.S. because they prefer to speak their native language like Spanish and are even employed in workplaces where the majority of the workers speak Spanish. Not many people have heard Donald Trump when addressing the nation speaking any other language except English. When he is giving out his latest guidelines for attacking COVID-19, every US citizen has to know about it otherwise they could be breaking the law if laws enacted are broken due to a language misunderstanding.

Global medical translation and medical interpreting

Medical translation and medical interpreting have become key instruments in the scientific, academic, and medical research that quickly started throughout the world following the global spread of COVID-19. In key areas like the medical industry, human translators are the only ones fully qualified to do a good job. Some countries or health care providers think it is okay to use machine translations because it is easy and fast to get results. However, even when presented with a less complex text the machine translation only gives a literal translation. It fails to capture the nuances or subtle meanings that are so easy for a human translator to translate.

When global pandemics are spreading a disease quickly around the world translation services are the key component to enable an integrated global response. Whether the current virus has found itself into meat processing plants, a hospital or care home if there are people involved who don’t speak English then the key to effective communication is through translations so that all can understand what’s going on.

The refugee crisis and a pandemic

Many refugees who pour into Germany may be able to speak neither English nor German making communication an impossible event. The host country has to quickly source translators and interpreters to keep the refugees informed

The role of translation services in a global crisis

Employing a professional translation service and skilled language interpreters is essential to enable a fast response in a global disaster. Economic disruption may be mitigated by distributing information concerning how to prevent and spread a virus so that people can continue to work and function as near to normal as possible. Even of more importance is getting information related to research, data, and analysis translated and then distributed to all relevant scientific, academic, and medical communities throughout the world.

Important Facts About Transcreation

What is Transcreation?

Transcreation is a relatively new idea. It is adopting a message used in one language into another, taking into account the intention, style, context and tone of the original message. A well-transcreated message will evoke exactly the same emotions and will project the same implications in both the target language and the source language.

Transcreation is used more and more by businesses for their advertising campaigns for the global market. A well-transcreated advertisement will incorporate the language and culture of the targeted market. It is not just words that transcreation handles it considers the images that are included in the creative message by making sure they fit in with the local market that is being targeted. When does someone ask what is a translation? it can be explained by using other phrases such as:

  • creative translations;
  • localization;
  • international copy adaptations;
  • marketing translations;
  • internationalization;
  • free-style translations;
  • cultural adaptations.

The above words and phrases basically take the essence of a message and re-create it into a second language. The term transcreation actually originates from the combining of two words which are creation and translation. In a nutshell, transcreation isn’t just translating a message word for word. Creativity is used in a process where the transcreation agency employs professionals who specialise in considering the cultural variations that exist in different countries and make the most of them so that the marketing message benefits the business.

The Origins of the Word ‘Transcreation’

It was in the 1960s and 70s when the word transcreation was first coined and it was used in relation to the translation of creative advertisements. Transcreation agencies then started to take the term a step further and use it for the translation of highly creative language. These agencies used transcreation as a way of distinguishing their translation services from the more general translations offered by translation services.

Today, transcreation is now in its element and is used by transcreation agencies and marketing companies as a service offered to businesses who want to penetrate the global market and attract the global customer to buy their products.

An Example of a Transcreation Project

In 2004, Marvel Comics & the Gotham Entertainment Group produced a comic book for Indian customers which featured a Spider-Man who was born in India called Pavitr Prabhakar. Prabhakar, dressed in a dhoti takes on Rakshasa, a demon, against backdrops like Taj Mahal, not New York City. The CEO of Marvel Comics & the Gotham Entertainment Group said it was the first transcreation of a Western concept of Spider-Man made relevant to an Indian audience, attracting Indians to buy the comic book.

The Role of the Transcreation Agency

Most transcreative work is performed by a transcreation agency mainly for the advertising industry such as the production of, posters, flyers and brochures, TV & radio advertisements aimed at potential customers. Increasingly, transcreation is used on websites. In order to be effective, advertising has to touch both the hearts and minds of the potential customer.

Transcreative work, conducted by a transcreation agency, transcends both cultural and language boundaries in order to achieve a global marketing strategy that is effective. The copy needs to be translated well in the first place but taking into consideration other factors like mores, culture, dialects, humour and context are key to successful transcreation.

If an advertisement appears to lack any respect for local values, cultures and beliefs the transcreation agency will have failed as this sort of advertising would have a negative effect on any potential customers. Companies realise the importance of transcreation so to meet the challenges they choose to use a translation agency to produce their global advertising materials.

Who Produces Transcreation?

The majority of transcreation is undertaken by copywriters who specialise in transcreation. Generally, a successful transcreation is performed by somebody who shares the same native language as the targeted audience. In order for effective transcreation to be produced the native language copywriters are required to have a great deal of knowledge of the targeted market, perfect language skills, and be creative when adapting the message for the targeted market.

In summary, transcreation is more than translation because its focus is not on the literal text, but on getting the same emotional response in the new targeted market as it would get from those who speak the source language. Due to the use of idiom and the variety of the local usage of language word to word translations are no longer considered to be adequate. This means the best translation will consider not only grammar, vocabulary and syntax but also idiomatic and local usages of language by the targeted audience while including the context and text of the source document. This has all developed in relation to the demands of global markets where companies compete to sell their goods to unfamiliar markets.

Changing the Way We Learn Languages

How Netflix can help to transform the learning of languages is being tested in schools as there has been a significant fall in interest in learning languages. For decades, people who have been eager to learn English have helped their learning by watching dramas put on by the BBC and even Hollywood movies. Now there is Netflix, which is being used as a new online tool that transforms the streaming service into a comfortable language lab.

The tool ‘Language Learning With Netflix’ (LLN), lets viewers watch foreign language productions which have subtitles in both the original language of the production and English. The tool automatically pauses to let the learner absorb what’s just been heard. It is so popular that downloads have been in the tens of thousands since last December, its launch date.

Netflix Offers Programmes in 190 Countries Covering 26 Languages

Because fewer and fewer pupils were showing an interest in learning new languages linguists believe LNN is a great tool and has education potential as its programmes grow in numbers.

The LLN tool has been developed by two people called David Wilkinson and Ognjen Apic, who started the hobby some time ago. Once they had launched a Chrome browser extension, more and more people saw the benefit and have since downloaded the LAN tool. Wilkinson believes that as soon as possible students should be listening to their chosen language and at the same time there listening should be complemented by a good translation.

Even though Wilkinson was a mechanical engineer by training, he set up a business selling and marketing bilingual books. Three years ago he began his work on LLN. He found like-minded Serbian linguist, Ognjen Apic, who he teamed up with to work on Netflix. The streaming service offers a big range of programmes in many foreign languages, such as Suburra, the Italian crime drama, Blood on Rome, an Israeli based political thriller and the Oscar award-winning film called Roma, based in Mexico City.

What does LLN do for Language Learners?

LLN helps the user to take in the language which he or she is trying to master by letting them view 2 translations at the same time. One is a mechanical automatic translation based more on the literal meaning, while the second has been translated by someone who really understands the idiom of the language. Up to now, there is no certainty that the LLN will reverse the decline in language learning as one of the problems in schools, at least in many English speaking countries, that there is no compulsion for pupils to learn a second language. In Britain, for example, this change in the language learning requirement led to a drastic fall in pupils who wish to study German and French. Other specialists in the language learning field, like Katharina von Ruckteschell-Katte, who is the current director of London’s Goethe-Institut, have observed that making language learning more fun through the use of new tools like LLN certainly should encourage learning a 2nd language. They are a replacement for the human teacher, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Apps Help Language Learning Too

There is not just LLN and Netflix that are seemingly helping language learners, as there are a variety of apps available now like Babbel, Memrise, and Duolingo. These alone attract 13 million users in Britain and this is increasing every day. Duolingo revealed that since early in 2017 there have been 38% increases in British users studying French and 34% increases in users studying German.

Sam Dalsimer, the head of PR at Duolingo, says that LLN is great for learners who have some basic knowledge already of the language they intend to learn. He believes LLN and Duolingo are great companions for learning languages.

Real Teachers are the Only Teachers

Mickael Pointecouteau, who is the course manager for the London base of Alliance Française, believes apps and LLN are not a good substitute for a real teacher. They are too passive and lack the ability to promote proper oral exchanges in the languages being learned.

What is Planned for the Future?

At the moment, the duo of Wilkinson and Apic are considering branching out into platforms like Amazon Video, They are creating a tool for that at the moment. They are including an option that transliterates both Mandarin and Japanese into Romanised subtitles and are working on programmes to provide subtitle translations for the original language.

Languages Ready to Learn Using Netflix

  • Catalan, in the film Benvinguts a la Família, which is a dark comedy that acts out a family that faces eviction out of their home.
  • Dutch, in the film Bankier van het Verzet, which is a 2nd world war film based on Dutch resistance.
  • Filipino, in Kita Kita, which is a romantic comedy based on a tour guide who ends up blind when her fiance cheated on her.
  • Icelandic, in Andið eðlilega, which is a drama based on a tie between a single mum and an asylum seeker.
  • Tamil, in Radiopetti, which is a drama featuring a partly deaf elderly man and a valve radio given to him by his father.

So the future will determine whether these new methods of learning or being exposed to another language are successful in encouraging language learning or not. Maybe, particularly at a young age, making language learning compulsory in schools is the only way a country can be assured it has some citizens could become bilingual.

The Highest Paid Languages for Translations

Today, more than ever before, the world has become a global village. However, this doesn’t mean there is a single global language as there isn’t. As a result, translators are in high demand as people are keen to know what others are saying and eager to communicate for a wide variety of reasons. Not anyone can be a translator as it’s a highly skilled job. To get the best paying jobs you need to choose one of the most in-demand languages for jobs. These are as follows:

1.German

German is considered to be one of the highest paid languages for translation. A German translator can be expected to receive a yearly income of over £34,000. There is a big demand for English to German translators and vice versa because Germany and Britain are big trading partners, so business and financial translations are in high demand.

2.Arabic

Arabic translators earn a little more than German translators on average. This is because many of the translations are linked to requirements from wealthy oil-rich countries.

3.French

French translators are paid well too, as they are a key trading country in Europe. They can expect to receive on average more than £32,000 per annum.

4.Dutch

Dutch isn’t as highly paid as some other languages as it’s not spoken as much. However, the country is involved in a lot of international business so this is where there is a demand for Dutch translators.

5.Spanish

Spanish is a language that is spoken by more than 400 million native speakers. It is also the second language of another 9 million. Spanish translators are paid well as there is a great demand for their services throughout the world.

6.Japanese

Japan without a doubt makes its mark on the world economy even though the language is more or less confined to Japan. It’s a popular language to learn because the Japanese not only travel but they conduct business transactions throughout the world.

7.Russian

A Russian translator can expect to earn about £28,658 annually as Russia becomes more and more involved in the world economy.

8.Italian

Italians left Italy in their droves and found new countries to settle in after the 2nd World War. Today, Italian is the 4th most popular language spoken in the United States. A good translator is both in demand and in the top 9 for annual income.

9.Mandarin

Even though Chinese is one of the most commonly spoken global languages being a translator doesn’t necessarily mean high pay. An experienced translator of Mandarin could be rewarded with as much as £28,160 annually.

Which language course is best for a career?

If you are thinking about learning a second language fluently enough to be a translator once you have mastered the language, don’t just look at pay. You have to think about what exposure you are likely to get to foreign language careers in high demand, apart from attending courses.

The best courses for learning a language used to be only available at a college or university. Today, you can master a language online using resources like Babel and Rosetta Stone.

What is a Certified Healthcare Interpreter and Why Is It Required For Hospitals?

Hospital interpreters have increased in numbers over the years due to more and more people ending up in countries who are not completely fluent in the host country’s language. The main aim of a healthcare interpreter is to provide an interpretation service in his or her pair of languages to those who need to access medical services but their competence in English, for example, is not good enough to understand in order to be able to competently provide the medical services that are required.

The medical professionals that a patient may need to communicate with effectively include:

  • doctors,
  • nurses,
  • other hospital staff.

Who provides a healthcare interpreter is decided by the medical facility that needs them. Increasingly local and federal governments are providing funding for a healthcare interpreter to be made available as required. They don’t always have to be physically present in the hospital, as sometimes video conferencing can be set up to provide the interpretation. Phone calls can be used as well.

Proficiency of a Healthcare Interpreter

It’s typically quite normal for a hospital interpreter to be fluent in two languages. In some cases, a healthcare interpreter may have studied healthcare terminology in both languages so they can deliver the best job possible for patients who have limited competency in English. It’s possible to become a certified healthcare interpreter by following a medical interpreter programme. This gives the healthcare interpreter the responsibility of being able to certify their healthcare interpretations. This is sometimes required when the medical document being interpreted and explained to the patient is an informed consent form. This needs to be accurate otherwise it may provide wrong information to the patient that could cause unnecessary stress.

When a healthcare interpreter attends a medical interpreter programme s/he will be taught that it’s important to be aware of the cultural differences that exist between people. They will also be taught how important it is to keep all information about the patients they interpret for confidential. Most hospitals publish their policies on patient confidentiality.

Qualities of a Healthcare Interpreter

A healthcare interpreter needs to be all of the following:

  • punctual,
  • communicative,
  • reliable,
  • sensitive to the multicultural environment.

The healthcare interpreter who focuses on maintaining good interpersonal relationships is likely to be successful and will excel as a healthcare interpreter. Apart from these skills he or she needs to have a high level of understanding and be able to understand complex information that is used in the medical setting. This also includes conforming to any written guidelines and hospital policies with regard to the healthcare setting.

Medical Interpreter Programme

Interpreters possess a high level of skills ranging and are often qualified up to degree level. There are some schools that offer medical interpreter certificate programmes. These programmes can be studied either at a college campus or online whatever is preferred.

What is a Certified Healthcare Interpreter Programme?

There are a few states in the U.S. which require a healthcare interpreter to be certified. In order to become certified, there are a number of certification programs available if a healthcare interpreter has completed no less than 40 hours of training to become a healthcare interpreter. To become certified it’s necessary to pass the oral component of the certification process. In the U.S., the National Board for Certification of Medical Interpreters offers a credential called Certified Medical Interpreter. To qualify for this, each healthcare interpreter needs to have successfully undertaken and completed a medical interpreter program, have passed an examination prove proficiency in no less than two languages.

Gain Experience to Enhance your Career as a Healthcare Interpreter

It might be difficult to get your first job as a healthcare interpreter unless you have accumulated some useful experience in the field. If you are determined to make a career of being a healthcare interpreter you can build up your profile by volunteering your services through organizations that regularly communicate with people who have limited proficiency in English. This includes organizations like the Red Cross which depends on volunteers in order to provide its interpreting services. Once you have built up your experience you will be ready to take the examination that qualifies you to be a certified medical interpreter.

Conclusion

Overall, a healthcare interpreter is vital for the normal running of a hospital, but it’s important that a healthcare interpreter program has been completed so that the healthcare interpreter has the knowledge to become fully certified.