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Language Lines, September 2009
 From the Editor
Welcome to our September edition of Language Lines.
This month's topics include the benefits of working with Language Service Providers (LSP's), the difference between translation and interpreting, tips on learning foreign languages, and funny examples of why the English language is difficult to learn .
Language Translation, Inc. is your translation service expert and we look forward to doing business with you. Please feel free to contact me anytime with any questions you may have.
For more frequent updates about language services and their importance in the global marketplace, consider subscribing to one of our blogs: Language Translation Blog or Language Links Blog.
Adriana Nevin
Corporate Sales Manager
anevin@languagetranslation.com
FEATURED ARTICLES
What a language service provider can do for you
What is the difference between a translation agency and a language service provider?
When we speak or write about our company, Language Translation, Inc., we tend to use the term “language service provider” rather than “translation agency.” That’s because we provide a number of language services, some of which the general public may not be aware of.
Of course, the backbone of our business is language translation and interpreting. But even those two key tasks have changed over the years as information technology has taken over the business world. We can “translate” websites or software using a technical process called localization, and we now carry out interpreting jobs remotely using SpeakEasy, a telephonic interpreting system.
We also offer diverse language-related services such as transcriptions, foreign-language desktop publishing, and editing documents that have already been translated. And if you live in the San Diego area, you may be interested in our equipment rental services: we rent out all the equipment necessary for events involving language interpretation.
As you can see, our services go far beyond translation. So don’t hesitate to contact us for all of your language-related needs – and let us make language work for you.
Betty Carlson
Language translation and interpreting: two different fields
In the press and in conversation, "interpreting" is often referred to as "translating." Technically, however, they are not the same activity. Interpreting is the process of taking the spoken word from one language to the spoken word of another language. Translating is taking the written word from one language to the written word of another language.
A recent article from ENCToday.com points out the differences between translation and interpretation. It also emphasizes a common point between the two fields: the need for professional training:
’Interpreters are not translators; they are specially trained to be medical interpreters,’" said Barbara LaRoque, marketing coordinator at Lenoir Memorial Hospital. "’It's not just a matter of being able to look at something in English and tell you what it means in Spanish. It's a very different situation with much more responsibility’."
Medical interpreters must receive additional training in medical terminology, ethics and laws, and regulations..
Since minors don't have that training, they are discouraged from translating for their families.”
Unfortunately, as this blog pointed out last year, bilingual children are called upon too often to serve as interpreters in medical situations. More training programs and higher language service budgets are definitely needed to face up the shortage of trained medical interpreters in the USA.
At Language Translation Inc. in San Diego, our interpreting service works only with highly qualified professionals who follow a strict Code of Ethics while performing their professional duties. Whether your subject is software, technology, engineering, law or medicine, Language Translation Inc. provides interpreters who will match your specific requirements and needs.
Betty Carlson
TIPS & TIDBITS
Tips for Learning a Foreign Language
Learning a foreign language isn't always easy. Discover four easy ways to increase your chance of success and even make studying fun.
For New Year's, some people resolve to crunch off those extra Christmas calories, others strive to stop smoking. And perhaps some finally hope to sit down and learn a new language. Be it Spanish, French, or even Mandarin Chinese, the decision to learn a language begins a lifelong journey that takes time and dedication. To help stick to that resolution, here are a few tips to get the most out of quality time spent with your new language.
Keep Study Sessions Short
Keep time between study sessions short. It is important to have contact with the language as often as possible. This means six twenty-minute study sessions per week will be much more effective than a single two hour session. Regular contact helps things stick and like with exercise, it's better to aim for small, reachable goals.
Imagine going out for a two hour run the first day of a weight loss resolution. You would probably ache for the following days and not run again until about a week later. Result: motivation would fizzle and you'd have little to show for all your good will. Reach for smaller, regular achievements and the positive results will make you want to push on.
Invest in Tools for Success
Not everyone can afford a private tutor, but that's OK. You don't need a native speaker to learn a language. But some basic tools will help you succeed. For do-it-yourselfers, a self study kit, reasonably priced provides the freedom to set your own pace. Make sure the kit includes an audio CD or cassette, as listening is a key part of learning any language.
Just think of how much time you spent listening to your first language before being able to speak – between two and three years! Plus, to pronounce words correctly, listening and repeating are essential. A good kit includes grammar explanations, set phrases for quick motivation-boosting results, organized vocabulary, and both listening and speaking exercises.
For those who enjoy the contact that another language brings, find out if your nearest university offers night classes. While often more costly than a kit, classes offer needed structure and a sense of obligation to attend, both great for people with lacking organizational skills.
Practice New Language Out Loud
Even if you decide to buy a self study kit, it is important to learn a language out loud. Going back to the sports analogy, like in dance, you have to train your muscles to make the right movements. Trying to learn a language without ever speaking it would be like trying to learn ballet by simply reading about the movements.
Use Foreign Films, Music
What do most people do to relax? Watch TV, go to the cinema, and listen to music. All things that can easily be done thanks to the Internet. Remember how important it is to do regular language study? Spend a couple of sessions watching a TV program, see a movie in its undubbed version (English subtitles are OK, but listen to the dialog too!), or buy a CD of a hit band in your new language. Such activities make language learning fun and open the doors to a new culture.
Don't expect to understand much in the beginning; simply try to pick out a few words. Just listening to the language will help improve comprehension and later on, will help build your vocabulary as you begin to guess the meaning of a word from its context.
Practice, Goals Build Confidence
Keep in mind that learning a new language is a lot of work, but it can also be a lot of fun. Regular contact with the language keeps your mind on all that new vocabulary and sometimes strange new structures. Setting mini goals can help build confidence, so divide and conquer. Aim for new vocabulary one week, then perhaps a new verb tense the next.
And most importantly, enjoy your new knowledge. Reach out an embrace entertainment in another language. What better way to reward your hard work while fueling the desire to keep going?
Suite 101.com
JUST FOR FUN (Humor)
Reasons Why the English Language is Hard to Learn
We must polish the Polish furniture.
He could lead if he would get the lead out.
The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
I did not object to the object.
The bandage was wound around the wound
The farm was used to produce produce.
The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
They were too close to the door to close it.
The buck does funny things when the does are present.
A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
After a number of injections my jaw got number.
Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
Indian Child.com
For more news about languages, translation and localization, and international business, visit our news blog, updated three times a week. For previous newsletters, visit our archive. You may have our newsletter delivered to your inbox each month by subscribing to Language Lines.
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