Language Professionals Give Your Business Communications the Edge
Language is an essential tool for all of us, regardless of our business. We use it for literally everything, from day-to-day business dealings, to wooing a potential client, to advertising our products and services. It is the medium through which we present our business to the world.
Yet many of us take it completely for granted. We tend to give little thought to whether we are using language in a way that represents our business in an appropriate and professional manner. Ironically, at the same time, we are all familiar with the unfortunate results of language being carelessly used, be it an email containing misspellings, a poorly-expressed CV, or promotional texts with unwanted double meanings. To give a first-hand example, I recently came across the website of a stationery company that had the following emblazoned on its homepage: "We are the last place you should come for stationery". I assume they meant that your search was at an end when you discovered their company, but sadly (for them - hilariously for the rest of us), they overlooked the other, colloquial meaning of "the last place you should look...".
As this example illustrates, poorly-used language makes the writer look unprofessional and careless, no matter how good the product or service is. It is clear, therefore, that language is a sensitive business tool that requires a high degree of skill, care and attention to detail.
That is where translators, interpreters, proofreaders, technical writers, and copywriters come in. These are highly-skilled language professionals who specialise in portraying your business in the most appropriate and professional language possible. The functions of each of these professionals are as follows:
- Translators transfer written text from one language to another.
- Interpreters transfer the spoken word from one language to another.
- Proofreaders scrutinise a written text and correct and improve it as necessary.
- Technical writers provide written text on technical subjects, such as an operating manual for a piece of machinery, instructions for use of a medication, or software documentation.
- Copywriters provide written text on a wide range of subjects, usually non-technical, such as advertising, promotion, journalistic texts, or corporate communications.
How do you make sure you are getting good quality when choosing a language professional? There are two main factors to consider. Firstly, the person in question must be a native speaker of the language they translate into or write in. Written communication is a highly sensitive medium, and a text written by a non-native speaker will not look 'quite right'. (The rare exception to this is a writer who is truly bilingual.) Secondly, the person in question should have appropriate qualifications, such as a degree or approved certificate in translation or technical writing, and ideally, several years’ experience as a practising professional. This may sound obvious, but in the field of translation in particular, the view that "if you can speak two languages, you can translate between them" is sadly prevalent. Language skills and translation skills are two separate things and the former does not automatically imply the latter.
Once you have established the credentials of your language professional, you can be confident that your investment will pay off, and that they will deliver highly professional results that represent your business as a quality-conscious, professional organisation.