Intercultural Communication and Translation News

Kwintessential have today launched their first App for the iPhone.

The ‘International Business Etiquette’ App features information for business travellers on topics such as language, culture, etiquette and business protocol.

To download to your iPhone please go to the App Store and search under “international business etiquette”.

Immigrants hoping to settle in Britain will be quizzed on queuing etiquette under Government plans.

The revered practice of forming a line will be part of the citizenship test migrants must pass to secure a British passport.

While the idea may sound like a joke, ministers insist it is a serious part of coaching foreigners on the British way of life.

Immigration minister Phil Woolas confirmed the plan, saying: “The simple act of taking one’s turn is one of the things that holds our country together.

“It is very important that newcomers take their place in queues whether it is for a bus or a cup of tea.”

Read more > UK

The Foreign Office has advised Britons to make themselves aware of local laws before they make trips to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

According to the department’s latest British Behaviour Abroad report, it is in Middle-Eastern states where Britons are most likely to fall foul of the authorities.

“The report highlights just how many British nationals encounter difficulties whilst abroad,” commented Foreign Office minister Chris Bryant.

Brits were proportionally more likely to have been jailed in the UAE than in any other country, the study showed, although most arrests were made in Spain (2,290).

Mr Bryant noted: “Researching the local laws and customs before you travel could avoid time in a foreign jail.”

Tourists visiting Shanghai for next year’s World Expo could be confused by signs on wet floors reading “Slip Carefully!”

So authorities in China want to make sure they never see them.

The Shanghai government, along with neighbouring Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, published a 20-page guide book this week to standardise signs and eliminate notoriously bad, and sometimes amusing, English translations.

“A number of the English translations are quite baffling, others are simply awkward,” Xue Mingyang, director of the Shanghai Education Commission, was quoted as telling the China Daily.

The official campaign prompted local media to share favourite mistranslations.

At Shanghai’s iconic Oriental Pearl Tower, visitors are warned “Ragamuffin, drunken people and psychotics are forbidden to enter”, according to the Shanghaiist city blog.

A malfunctioning online translation tool may have helped a restaurant named “Translate server error” get its photo published in Tuesday’s Oriental Morning Post. The sign’s Chinese characters merely read “Restaurant”.

The nearly 400 standard translations included in the guidelines were devised by linguists and experts from Shanghai universities.

They range from the basic labelling of men’s and women’s toilets to a stern “No Smoking, Eating, Drinking or Loitering”.

Read more > Shanghai

Pollution is sometimes a problem, but recent improvements made before the Olympic Games last year mean that now is a good time to be there. What better place to do business than the original city of democracy, learning, philosophical excellence and the arts?

Arriving: The state-of-the-art Eleftherios Venizelos international airport was finished in 2001 in readiness for the Olympics and makes flying into Athens easier than ever, says athensguide.com. It’s about 20 miles from the capital and the city centre can be reached via a new six-lane motorway or the new metro extension. Immaculate trains leave every 30 minutes and stop at all stations to Monastiraki in the centre of town. The names of each stop, and signposts in general, are now translated phonetically into English to make life easier for travellers.

Business etiquette: The linchpin of business dealings in Greece is personal relationships, says kwintessential.co.uk. The Greeks prefer to do business with friends, but becoming too chummy too quickly might cause offence. The preferred way to do business is face to face and appointments are ideally made one or two weeks in advance. Afternoons are usually reserved for lunch so are not a good time for business, says worldexecutive.com. Nepotism is not frowned upon either, so expect to find relatives working for the same company. Printed material should be written in both English and Greek and an interpreter is a good idea.

Read more > Greece

A hotel room in Phoenix, Arizona, 7pm. A weary traveller, recently off an 11-hour flight from Gatwick, has just eaten half a bucket-sized portion of beef, cheese and peppers in the hotel restaurant and is about to get into bed.

Caller: “Hi, Mr Richardson. This is Brad here. Your waiter for this evening.”

Me (puzzled but friendly): “Oh, hi, Brad.”

Brad: “I was just calling to check you enjoyed your meal this evening.”

Me: “Well, cheers for asking, Brad. It was fine.”

Brad: “Only, I guess you being tired and all, you forgot to express your appreciation in the customary way…”

Like a lemon I got dressed, went downstairs to the restaurant and handed Brad a $5 bill. The recollection of this episode has tortured me ever since.

Yes, I know that Brad gets paid diddly-squat and, like all American waitpersons, relies on tips to stay alive. I forgot, I screwed up. But I was already in my pyjamas, for God’s sake.

Tipping, let’s face it, is a cultural and pecuniary minefield. There are complex cultural variants, such as baksheesh in the Middle East (basically, daylight robbery) and ta’arof in Iran, a preposterous formality whereby offers of money are refused two or three times before being greedily gobbled up. But these require a lifetime of study.

Read more > Telegraph

People from diverse cultures react differently to the element of surprise, according to authors Ana Valenzuela (Baruch College), Barbara Mellers (University of California, Berkeley), and Judi Strebel (San Francisco State University). The research team explored different cultural responses to promotional gifts, such as gift cards, mugs, snacks, t-shirts, etc.

The authors conducted four studies in which participants received a gift as a token of appreciation for participating in a survey. Some of the participants knew about the gifts before participating, while others were surprised. Regardless of the gift, participants from the United States enjoyed the surprise more than participants in Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, and Hong Kong.

“Why does this phenomenon happen? For Westerners, an unexpected gift reinforces feelings of control over their environment. For East Asians, an unexpected gift indicates imbalance and prophesizes bad fortune,” the authors write. “Our findings suggest that East Asians’ experience of surprise is closely connected to their motivation to seek emotional balance.”

Read more > Gifts

Manners and attitude speak volumes in Asian countries. When making a new business contact, ensure your intentions aren’t lost in translation.

When conducting business in any country, certain customs are assumed: a firm handshake, eye contact, an exchange of business cards followed by friendly conversation. Although Asian countries often have similar customs, it is important to understand that even something as simple as direct eye contact can be misconstrued and cause a business interaction to end before it even begins.

Manners and attitude speak volumes in Asian countries, pointing to your inner character. Here are some basic tips to help make introductory business exchanges in China and Japan successful.

Business Introductions
When first meeting a new business contact, it is important to make a good impression and present yourself according to the customs of the country. In Japan and China, this entails bowing to indicate respect, says Asia Pulse’s Guide to Business Etiquette in Asia. In Japan, bowing is especially important, although the Chinese also consider bowing a key part of any introduction.

Read more > Etiquette

Travellers who have not familiarised themselves with the value of local currency are going over budget on their holidays, according to new data.

In a survey conducted by American Express Global Foreign Exchange Services, 46 per cent of tourists admitted to not fully understanding the conversion rate to the currency in their chosen destination.

Vice president of American Express Global Foreign Exchange Services Helen Grace noted that with the increasing demand for exotic currencies, such as the Dominican Peso and the United Arab Emirates Dirham, holiday makers must improve their knowledge of local currencies or risk over spending significantly while abroad.

Ms Grace said: “It can be really difficult to stick to a budget when you are unsure of the currency rate, and some find it hard to think of foreign currency as real money.”

The survey concluded that travellers are losing £975 million pounds per year due to confusion over foreign currency.

Read more > AMEX

A Buddhist preacher in Thailand has announced plans for new guidelines aimed at curbing the flamboyant behaviour of gay and transgender monks.

The “good manners” curriculum - the country’s first - is being introduced in the northern province of Chiang Rai.

The senior monk told the BBC he was particularly concerned by effeminate activities among novices such as the wearing of make-up and tight robes.

More than 90% of the Thai population are followers of Buddhism.

Tales of monks behaving badly are nothing new in Thailand.

In recent years, they have been accused of abuses of their exalted position in society that range from amassing dozens of luxury cars, to running fake amulet scams, to violating their vows of celibacy, our correspondent says.

Read more > Thailand