Intercultural Communication and Translation News

Mobile World Congress 2008 –Enterpret Communications, Inc. today announced the launch of the Enterpreter(TM) Mobile Translator — with the largest mobile English-Spanish translation database — now available for the Americas and
European markets.

Consumers seeking instant translation services now have direct access to Enterpret’s robust mobile translator, specifically designed for Internet enabled mobile phones. Offering web 2.0 mobile technology, Enterpreter(TM) provides travelers, business people and consumers needing language translation the ability to translate words, commonly used phrases or
conversational sentences directly from their mobile phones.

Read more > Press Release 

The Academy for Intercultural Dialogue, founded December 2007 in Berlin, has established a new platform: cm-germany.org . Beyond the political scene and exempt from economic incitement, the Academy is designated to provide a forum of dialogue between groups of different political, religious and ethnical backgrounds. With its name ‘Civilisations Matter’, underlining the need of an interdisciplinary and intercultural discussion, this academy is bound to be an international site of encounter for scientists, philosophers, artists, politicians and business representatives.

Read more >  The Academy for Intercultural Dialogue

The survey by networking company LinkMe.com.au found 79 per cent of workers believe body language speaks louder than words, especially when it comes to interpreting the boss’s directions or making sense of a conversation at work.

Furthermore, 87 per cent of the 1568 people surveyed say they are usually correct with their interpretation.

They pick up the warning signs far quicker from understanding body language than analysing words, which can often be ambiguous.

“Body language is a vital part of everyday communication and having the capability of understanding physical signals can have a significant impact on corporate success,” LinkMe CEO Campbell Sallabank said.

“Well-crafted body language helps people in all areas of their career, particularly in interview situations where first impressions are crucial.”

“Emails are misinterpreted so often because the words on screen do not convey the all-important tone, expression or nuance,” Mr Sallabank said.

Read more > Body language 

Welocalize, Inc., a leading provider of integrated globalization services, announced today the acquisition of Sinometrics, a multilingual software localization firm based in Seattle. The acquisition (number eight for Welocalize) signifies another major stepping stone in building a great company with first-class talent and customers.

As the largest Seattle-based localization company, Sinometrics has corned the Seattle market by providing language solutions to technology companies using a value-based service model and a solid technology platform. Their venerable presence and down-the-hall attitude has won Sinometrics significant business from Microsoft and a place as preferred localization service provider for Cisco. “We were immediately impressed by their fresh and forthright approach, and are delighted to join forces in servicing two key customers in the Seattle region,” explains Smith Yewell, CEO of Welocalize.

Read more >  Welocalize, Inc.

Athletes, coaches and officials from 205 nations and regions who visit China during the Olympic Games will be served in 55 languages, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) said on Tuesday.

Foreign-language hotlines would be open around the clock.

“Language services will be provided at all Olympic venues and sites with large-scale activities,” said Zhao Huimin, head of the international department of BOCOG.

Zhao forecast that up to 5,000 oral interpretation services would be provided and daily translation services would reach 500,000 characters.

Read more > Beijing 

There are plenty of programs to help learn a new language but pure translation programs are rare. This is because this type of software is still very much in its infancy.

Enter Linguatec Personal Translator 2008 Home Edition, a reasonably priced package that integrates with a word processor for instant translation of words, sentences or entire documents between English, German, French, Portugese, Spanish, Italian and Chinese.

The program has a logical, friendly layout. The screen can be divided into two areas, vertically or horizontally. One area displays text to be translated, the other shows the results of the translation. We found it easier to split the screen vertically on our widescreen notebook, but the results box can be totally collapsed, leaving what is essentially a text-editor similar to a basic word processor.Read more > Computer Active! 

The lack of involvement of the EU sport sector in the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008 is a missed opportunity, argues the International Sport and Culture Association (ISCA).

The president of ISCA, Mogens Kirkeby, said that sport is the most grassroot and widespread civil society sector with “operational structures locally, nationally and internationally and with more that 70 million Europeans directly involved”. If the goal of this European Year is to make 2008 a grassroots-oriented campaign year, it would be “an unfortunate missed opportunity” not to highlight the contribution of sport more”, he added.

Kirkeby’s frustration stems from the observation that none of the seven pan-European flagship projectsexternal  selected to spread the messages of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogueexternal  during 2008 has a starting point in the sport sector.

He also notes that a recent Eurobarometer surveyPdf external shows that almost three in four EU citizens view sport as a means of promoting integration and two thirds of them perceive sport as a means of fighting discrimination.

UEFA president and former French football star Michel Platini, addressing the Council of Europe (CoE) last week, said that “grassroots sport is an extraordinary catalyst for ethnic intermixing and integration. Football in particular is a welcoming, protecting and integrating sport.” However, he also added that “sadly, racism and xenophobia remain part of our society, and sport can be affected just like any other social phenomenon.”

The Commission is about to publish a study on “Sharing Diversity – National approaches to Intercultural Dialogue”, which will also consider sport’s role in this regard.

Read more > ISCA 

Following the publication of the National Audit Office’s report that showed there was still a significant gap between the employment rate for ethnic minorities and the general population, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation has again highlighted the need for more work to be done in this particular area.

The report stated that the employment rate is 60 per cent for the ethnic minority population compared to 74 per cent for the general population.

Read more > Diversity 

A whole cottage industry has developed for telling visitors how to behave on business trips to China, from how to hold your chopsticks to the famous Mao Zedong sayings that can be cited at meetings.

Much of this makes sense, as China is a place with a strong sense of its history and uniqueness. But do not worry too much; it is much simpler than it seems.

At business meetings in China, there is often not too much ceremony, but the one important thing is to bring a suitcase-full of business cards. Every meeting starts with a thorough exchange of cards and your hosts will be flummoxed if you come without.

Your guidebook will probably have told you to hand over your card with both hands but do not to be too worried about the ritual. The important requirement is to make sure that your card has a Chinese translation on the back with a clear description of your job title.

Read more > FT 

Chinese folklore tells the tale of the simple farmer who outsmarts some arrogant monkeys. A farmer on his way to market with baskets of hats is beset by monkeys who steal them and dance about, teasing him by mimicking each movement he makes to recover his goods. But soon the farmer prevails by snatching his own hat from his head and throwing it into the basket, which the monkeys then imitate by throwing in their own stolen hats.

“Ha ha,” he cries and hurries off to market with his baskets again full, while the monkeys are left to rue their lost prize.

Children in China are told the tale to teach them humility and wisdom. But the ancient fable also holds salutary lessons for today’s young Australians, some of whom heard the story during Melbourne Immigration Museum’s kids’ festival on China last month. Only a slim minority of those children — who also pasted together paper dragons or decorated noodle boxes — might ever know enough Mandarin to hear the tale in its native tongue.

Australia’s future prosperity is aligning itself ever closer to China, largely on the back of the resources boom. But like arrogant monkeys dancing about under a cloud of global economic uncertainty, are we losing our hold on the prize while our booming north Asian neighbour makes its way to market?

Hass Dellal, executive director of the Australian Multicultural Foundation, which runs delegations of Australian businesses to China, says many companies have already missed opportunities to build crucial partnerships in the Far East. “In the early days … there was this arrogance that we can help you, we can teach you,” he says.

“In China, they give you a lot more time and respect if you have actually gone out and learnt a bit more about the culture and where they are coming from and what their thinking is and how they do business. But as a general public, I don’t think we realise the (extent) of the growth in China and the speed with which it is developing — and I don’t think we’re quite prepared to work at that pace yet.”

Read more > China