Peak Translations

In an era where businesses are expanding their horizons and reaching out to international markets, the role of language in global success cannot be overstated. Precise translation services have emerged as a powerful tool, facilitating seamless communication and breaking down language barriers. In this blog, we'll explore how the art of precise translation can be a game-changer for businesses venturing into the global arena.

The rise of technology and interconnected economies has transformed the business landscape into a vast, global marketplace. Companies of all sizes now have the opportunity to tap into diverse markets, reaching consumers from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. However, this expansion comes with a unique set of challenges, with language being a primary hurdle.

One of the key obstacles businesses face when entering new markets is the language barrier. Effective communication is the foundation of successful business relationships, and when parties involved speak different languages, misinterpretations and misunderstandings are bound to occur. This is where precise translation services come into play, acting as a bridge that connects businesses with their target audience.

In the global arena, trust is a currency that holds immense value, so building trust and credibility is critical. Consumers are more likely to engage with a brand that speaks their language, both literally and figuratively. Accurate translations not only convey the intended message but also reflect a commitment to understanding and respecting the local culture. This fosters trust and credibility, essential components for establishing a strong foothold in new markets.

Expanding into international markets often involves navigating complex legal and regulatory frameworks. Documents such as contracts, agreements, and compliance materials need to be accurately translated to ensure that all parties involved have a clear understanding of their rights and responsibilities. Precise translation services play a crucial role in avoiding legal complications and ensuring smooth operations in diverse business environments.

In a world where online presence is paramount, businesses need to adapt their digital content to cater to a global audience. Whether it's a website, marketing materials, or product descriptions, translations that capture the nuances of the target language enhance a brand's market reach. This not only broadens the customer base but also demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity and accessibility.

Investing in precise translation services is an investment in the long-term success of a global business. By eliminating language barriers and ensuring clear communication, companies can minimise the risk of costly misunderstandings and errors. This, in turn, maximises the return on investment and sets the stage for sustainable growth in international markets.

In the fast-paced and interconnected world of international business, language is undeniably a powerful force. Precise translation services are not just a convenience but a strategic imperative for businesses seeking global success. By breaking down language barriers, building trust, and navigating complex landscapes, businesses can position themselves for growth and prosperity on the global stage. As the saying goes, "The limits of my language mean the limits of my world," and in the realm of international business, unlocking new linguistic horizons opens the door to boundless opportunities

Introduction:

In the dynamic world of business, where challenges and triumphs intertwine, milestones are not just markers of time but testimonies to resilience and dedication. This holds especially true for Helen Provart, the dynamic owner and leader of Peak Translations, who is celebrating an impressive 10-year anniversary at the helm of this linguistic powerhouse. As we raise a toast to this milestone, it’s not just a celebration of a decade but also a nod to the remarkable 45-year legacy of Peak Translations.

The Journey:

Ten years ago, Helen Provart embarked on a journey that demanded a delicate balance of vision, adaptability, and perseverance. Taking the reins of Peak Translations, a company already steeped in three and a half decades of linguistic excellence, she faced both the excitement and challenges of steering the ship through the ever-evolving seas of the translation industry.

Challenges and Triumphs:

Running a business is no walk in the park, and Helen Provart has navigated her fair share of challenges. From the unpredictable twists in the global economy to the technological revolutions transforming the language services landscape, she has shown an unwavering commitment to steering Peak Translations through choppy waters.

The rapid pace of technological advancements in the translation industry has required Peak Translations to stay on the cutting edge of tools and techniques. Helen’s ability to embrace innovation while staying true to the core values of the company has been instrumental in maintaining Peak Translations’ position as a leader in the field.

Importance of a Great Team:

A business is only as strong as its team, and Helen Provart understands this fundamental truth. Over the past decade, she has built and nurtured a team of dedicated professionals, each contributing their unique skills to the success story of Peak Translations. The importance of a great team cannot be overstated, and it is this collective effort that has propelled the company to new heights.

The translators, project managers, and support staff at Peak Translations form a cohesive unit, ensuring that the company not only meets but exceeds the expectations of its diverse clientele. The ethos of collaboration and shared success is deeply ingrained in the company culture, a testament to Helen’s leadership style.

Desire to Grow:

Celebrating a decade of success is undoubtedly a significant achievement, but for Helen Provart and Peak Translations, it’s merely a milestone on a longer journey. The desire to grow and continue for the next 10 years and beyond is a driving force behind the company’s ethos.

Looking ahead, Helen Provart envisions expanding the reach of Peak Translations, exploring new markets, and embracing emerging trends in the language services industry. With a keen eye on the future, the company remains committed to delivering exceptional linguistic solutions while fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Conclusion:

As we celebrate Helen Provart’s remarkable 10-year tenure at the helm of Peak Translations, it’s not just a celebration of the past but a glimpse into an exciting future. The challenges met, the triumphs celebrated, and the team forged are all part of a narrative that speaks to the enduring spirit of entrepreneurship. Here’s to a decade of excellence, and to many more years of Peak Translations’ linguistic brilliance under the visionary leadership of Helen Provart.

The world of translation is a multi-million-pound industry, and yet, when creating brand messages for a specific foreign market, the native tongue of a company’s marketer or translator is seldom recognised or even considered.

To adapt a text into another language, a translator is not only required to speak the language they are translating into, this must be their first tongue.

When looking to translate informative text for highly technical products and services to this audience, it is paramount to understand the importance of clear, concise communication as any errors could cause life threating accidents, leaving an organisation liable for damages.
Helen Provart of Professional Translation Service, Peak Translations, states: “If there’s anything within a text that is likely to cause offence, confusion or, in the worst-case scenario, serious danger, translators, as part of their job, will adapt that text to safeguard against these factors.

“Part of the training provided when learning to translate is how to deal with these kinds of situations. It’s often misconceived that translation is just changing one word to another, however, the value of a translator comes with conveying messaging and meaning by re-working the semantics of a sentence to clearly convey its meaning in a foreign language.

“What we’re also talking about here is localisation, which is where a translator will take a message created by a marketer and adapt this text according to the country its going into, taking into consideration many aspects, including cultural references.

“It’s not always clear to the client what localisation is, and sometimes a business or company just want a straight translation as they don’t understand the benefits and safeguarding that professional translation can provide to them. 

“When translating, Peak Translations always include a local expert from the country the text is targeted at. This is important, especially if the client doesn’t speak the language the document is being translated into, as fact checking and proofing can be very difficult for them. For example, if a client has distributors, agents or offices in the foreign countries, Peak Translations will get a contact there and send them the text once it has been translated and say, this is the proposed text, are you happy with it?”

At a time when international relations are becoming increasingly unpredictable between the UK, the EU and further afield – the world of translation is evolving and becoming increasingly integral; from conveying detailed technical texts vital to engineers through to the need for an emoji translator, as advertised by a London company in December 2016, in what is thought to be the first job of its kind worldwide. Translation is omnipresent, yet, it is overlooked by businesses across the world far too often. 

Accurately presenting your brand and its messaging to your international clients is something that should be a priority when creating an international marketing strategy, specifically safeguarding against any inaccuracies and cultural considerations when exporting for the first time.

To find out more about professional translation or to book a free consultation, contact Peak Translations on enquiries@peak-translations.co.uk or call +44 (0) 1663 732 074.
 

Peak Translations, a UK-based professional translations service believe the role of a translator is understated when a company is creating an international marketing strategy and looking to delve into foreign markets.

Research studies highlighted the importance of the link between firms’ export strategy planning process, their planned export marketing strategy content and their export market performance.

Whether you are a first-time exporter looking to establish yourself in Dubai or a seasoned exporter across the globe, it is essential to know the customs and business etiquette that relates to your audience.

The translation of the marketing materials used to attract these foreign markets will often form the first impression potential clients have of your business. Being selective of whom you trust to complete this job when creating an export marketing strategy is, therefore, imperative – especially if you can’t read the language your content is being translated into!

Helen Provart, Managing Director of Peak Translations, added: “Professional translators are an often underutilised asset to a business creating an international marketing strategy. To become a qualified translator, you must have at least three years of academia behind you and often, in addition to this, you will need to have industry specific knowledge and experience. The often cited misconception that anyone who speaks a different language can translate into it is misconstrued.”

To maximise impact and therefore return on investment, utilising a free consultation with a professional translation service before you embark on your journey into a foreign market, should be a necessity, she added.

Qualified translators, as native speakers of the language you are translating into, provide an essential level of knowledge transfer that includes fine combing any cultural nuances, from the basics like greetings and business etiquette to forming messages that will resonate with your market.

When forming marketing messaging in another language, it is common that a company comes up against obstacles. The process of translating into a foreign language is not something that is household knowledge and, for even the most experienced translators in a particular industry, it can take time to overcome these challenges.

“One example is the in-house terminology a company has developed over time. Small obstacles like this can be ironed out as a translator is not going to know it and will, therefore, flag it for clarification,” said Helen. “There are certain circumstances when that would happen, and you need an agent or technical expert in the foreign language to say, ‘actually, we call it this…’.

 “It only takes a quick Google search to find some classic examples of where translation has gone wrong. To complement the guidance of a Professional Translation Service, there are several avenues to get additional advice and assistance when creating an international marketing strategy, such as the British Chamber of Commerce Global Network, who run Export Britain, EXPORTING IS GREAT and Export Savvy.”

To book your free consultation, contact Peak Translations on enquiries@peak-translations.co.uk or +44 (0) 1663 732 074.

In the aftermath of Britain’s decision to leave the EU, Peak Translations urge further support of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) checklist for protecting language skills in the UK to ensure public and private organisations have access to quality interpreting and translation services.

The possibility of emerging hostility in trade negotiations with European countries, for many British Industries, will mean that language services are now even more of a necessity.

However, British Prime Minister, Theresa May, recently shut down speculation that British officials would be forced to negotiate the UK’s ‘divorce’ with the EU in French. This hints at just how much Brexit negotiations could rely on professional translation services once article 50 is filed.

The following four actions, outlined in the document – ‘Brexit and Languages: A checklist for government negotiators and officials’ – released by the APPG, make recommendations to government to protect language skills in the UK:

1) Guaranteeing residency for EU nationals already living in the UK and safeguarding future recruitment of EU citizens to address the shortage of language skills.

2) Continuing full UK participation in the Erasmus+ programme.

3) Committing to legislate to replicate the rights enshrined in the 2010 European Directive on the Right to Interpretation and Translation in Criminal Proceedings.

4) A post-Brexit plan in education (from primary school to post-graduate research, including apprenticeships), business and the civil service, with specific actions to ensure the UK produces sufficient linguists to meet its future requirements as a leader in global trade and on the international stage.

Helen Provart, Managing Director of Peak Translations, commented: "Mastering a language takes years of dedication. Reducing the talent pool that our UK authorities and businesses have access to in this time of uncertainty makes little sense.

"One of our objectives for the future here at Peak Translations, is to provide support to the newly qualified interpreters and translation professionals by providing them with vital experience required to work in the sector.

"We must encourage our government to support vital language skills, whether through protecting EU Nationals in the profession, adhering to EU Directives or providing funding and support to teaching via programmes like Erasmus+."

Losing language experts, including translators and interpreters living in the UK, is a worrying prospect at a time where there is a skills gap rife across the sector. The possibility of weakening the UK’s capability when it comes to translation services is undesirable, to say the least.

This skills gap has been prevalent for some years. A deficit in language skills has caused complications across the private and public sectors, one of the highest profile cases being in UK Courtrooms. A lack of relevant skills has not only created delay and therefore financial issues but also those complications in compliance with the Human Rights Act 1998.

The recommendations from APPG are a necessary start to prevent further problems like this in other sectors of British industry that rely on language services.

There are hundreds of European Directives that affect the way business is conducted between the UK and Europe. For the language industry, an important directive that protects the vulnerable is the 2010 European Directive on the Right to Interpretation and Translation in Criminal Proceedings.

It states that:

"Interpretation must be provided free of charge to suspected or accused persons who do not speak or understand the language of the criminal proceeding including during:

• Police questioning.
• Essential meetings between clients and lawyers.
• All court hearings and any necessary interim hearings.

Suspected or accused persons who do not understand the language of proceedings must be provided with a written translation of documents that are essential for their defence:

• Any decision depriving a person of his or her liberty.
• Any charge or indictment.
• Any judgement."

For ministerial departments, businesses and organisations that conduct their business in multiple countries – there are many more legal and corporate requirements for translation.

These rules and regulations apply to EU and UK organisations and can be vital to the well-being of workers, such as the requirement for safety instructions and data to be translated for its audience, from users of machinery to the customers of the products they manufacture.

Peak Translations are a professional translation service that provide industry specialists who understand the technical context and terminology, ensuring accuracy, legal compliance and relevance of your content to make it easy to understand.

Peak Translations have created a five-step guide exploring the best practices when using a professional translation service to create a cost-effective, efficient process.

Managing Director, Helen Provart shared her thoughts with James Jeffrey, Business Writer at Applegate Marketplace.

Step one: Make sure the document they want to be translated is finished.

“First of all, one of the main things clients can do is make sure the document that needs to be translated is finished before the start of the process. Especially in tender situations when there’s time pressure.

“Clients often send in a draft and ask us to get started, as they think it is going to speed it up and then send an amended version which we’ve then got to go through and work out what the amendments are. So it doesn’t help at all in terms of time efficiency so make sure the document is finished first.”

Step two: Provide a brief.

“Who is the target audience? What country is it going into? What’s the demographic of the audience? What’s the purpose of the translation and what format would they like to receive it in?

“These are the questions we would ask but if they can provide it for us in advance that can save time.”

Step three: Avoid cultural references

“If clients haven’t written the source document yet and they are still writing it, thinking about how it would work in another language – avoiding things like the cultural references.

“Small things like red telephone boxes, double-decker buses, black cabs – all these things we wouldn’t necessarily bat an eyelid at but will not make sense in another language.

“Avoiding play on words. That’s really difficult in a foreign language and it is often lost. You’re better getting a clear, straight message across than trying to be clever.”

Step four: Only get the text translated that you need.

“This may sound simple but I would say to make sure clients only get things translated that they need. What I mean by that is clients sometimes have this idea that they have to have the whole of their website translated – whereas actually, they don’t, they just need specific pages. It might be best to have just one or two pages translated so they’ve got a presence there rather than having the whole website done. For example, on our website, we haven’t translated the news page because it is only relevant here.

“And also there is a cost implication. If a client decides they are going to translate the news page, they’re going to have to keep translating every single news item that they generate. It’s not a good idea to do that because there’s a cost implication involved.”

Step five: Think about currency

“Another thing that I’d suggest they think about is currency. So often we get things, brochures, websites where clients leave the currency in pounds.

“Finally, clients should think about how once they’ve got the text out there. If it’s marketing and sales side of things how are they then going to communicate with those people in a foreign language. How are they going to communicate with the people they are trying to sell to?”

How can you do that?

“It depends on the channels requested. If clients just put an email in, and it’s all written communication they might be ok, but if the client has put a phone number on the material, they will need to have someone their end of the phone that can speak their language. If that hasn’t been done, don’t put a telephone number on there.

“It’s also a case of time. If there is a live chat on the client’s website for instance, and they receive enquiries from China, it’s likely they’ll receive a message at four in the morning – it is therefore essential to have someone awake to respond or close it down.

“There’s also things like online forms, some have ‘first name’ and ‘surname’, whereas in Spain they have two surnames. So it can be an issue if there’s not an input for two surnames, for example. Or if you think about Arabic names – where there are around seven names and in China where they write backwards. There are many issues with online forms.

“And also maybe get some advice before starting a project. If you’ve got something that you know will have to go out in different languages – come and talk to us. We’re quite happy to talk about it and give them ideas; it’s essentially a free consultation.”

The context of a stand-alone word or word in a sentence, according to Managing Director of Peak Translations, Helen Provart, is the biggest challenge professional translation companies face during a project.

Lack of context is most common in singular words that are submitted as part of a document with no clarification of what they refer to. The user of a translation service may not have considered the significance of grammar and how a lack of clarity could lessen the efficiency of the translation process.

When translating business software, such as an internal CRM, sometimes translation companies come across individual words where it isn’t necessarily clear whether it is a verb, an instruction or a command.

Business Writer at Applegate Marketplace, James Jeffrey, interviewed Helen to find out exactly what is meant by ‘lack of context’ and how it can affect the clients of Professional Translations Services.

Helen Provart (HP) explains:

HP: "In English, it all depends on what kind of speech it is; it gets quite technical in terms of the grammatical relationship that word has with the meaning you want to get across.

"It’s complex, but it matters because English words can be the same regardless of whether they are commands, verbs or instructions. For example, ‘close’ the window or something is ‘close’ by.

"Whereas in other languages it is not the case, the word will change and be different depending on whether it’s a command, verb or instruction. This is where professional translation services can intervene to match the word in English to a number of words that convey that the relevant meaning in the foreign language they have requested."

JJ: Is there a good example in a combination of languages that you can think of?

HP: "If you think of a website, and picture a button with the word ‘insert’ written on it. What are you expecting it to do? Insert a page or take you to an ‘insert’ on another page?

"That, in a foreign language, would be totally different, one’s a noun, and one’s a verb. In English however, it is just ‘insert’. It might be the same word in English, but in the foreign language it is very unlikely that it will be."

JJ: How is that done? How do you know when there’s a difference?

HP: "We have to ask. The translator will highlight and say: ‘I need to know whether this is a verb or a noun.’ So we’ll go back to the client, and we’ll explain what we mean, rather than saying: ‘is this a verb or a noun’ as that can sometimes confuse people, and we get that.

"Are you trying to instruct somebody to insert something or are you trying to tell them that they need to go and look at this insert? And they’ll answer the questions, and we’ll say whether it is a verb or noun based on what they say."

JJ: I imagine that happens a lot, as not everyone uses that kind of language day-to-day so you need to provide some form of clarification.

HP: "The other example is: in one of the pieces of software there was an instruction to assign and an instruction to allocate. This was going into Turkish and assign and allocate are the same word in Turkish. So it was translated the same way but obviously because the client had used two different words it suggested that they had two different meanings, but we weren’t sure what they were so we had to investigate.

"We had to find out what the definitions were for both and how they differentiate and then find out how the Turkish could convey that in the translation because there was a clear difference."

JJ: So you not only have to clarify it with the client but also with the native speaker who translates the text.

HP: "That’s correct, so we had to explain to them what the client’s definition of assign and allocate was, and they would then have to come up with a solution in Turkish that would reflect those differences."

JJ: A lot of the time you really do have to rely on your clients having an advanced understanding of their own language. Not everyone, in my experience, is going to have that – so you’ll likely be provided with incorrect information and rely on your checking system to filter that out.

HP: "What we’re getting at here all boils down to the meaning of the word, that’s where the value lies in what we do.

"That’s why it’s not just a case of changing the words from one language to another, what we’re getting at is the meaning and what translation is really about is not just one language to another it’s taking the semantics of that sentence and getting the meaning of it across in a foreign language.

"We do it in English all the time. W-I-N-D, is it wind or wind? R-O-W, is it row or is it row? If you take those out of context, the only reason you know it’s wind or wind is because of the context of the rest of the sentence. But if you have a list, there’s no way of telling."

JJ: As a journalist, I have to use shorthand every day, where you take out all the vowels in English words. It would be very difficult to figure out what P-R-T is written in shorthand without the context of the rest of the sentence. Is it part, is it port? There would be no way of knowing.

HP: "I have one other example that emphasises this but also shows the issues when people translate. This is where we have a client that makes machinery that produces sprung mattresses and the software that the operator uses to operate it. We translated the manuals that explain to the operator how to use the machinery. The manuals contained screenshots of the software so in order to be consistent with the information the operator would see on screen, we had to ask them for the existing translation of the onscreen text.

"This is because that had already been translated we needed to make sure we were using the same terminology as this was just a list of words that were out of context. When we received the existing translation from the client, they had things like a ‘jam’ in the machinery and, because they had used Google Translate, it had been translated as the ‘jam’ that you put on your toast.

"That just shows what a lack of context can do. Obviously, a human translator is going to understand the context and will appreciate that they are translating a manual for a piece of machinery and will, therefore, know which version of the word to use."

Next month’s article will explore how to avoid these contextual pitfalls and how to become more time efficient and cost effective when using a translations service. To read more about Peak Translations, visit the company’s news page on the Applegate website.

A senior EU lawmaker has claimed that once Britain leaves the ‘bloc,’ English could be barred as an official language of the European Union, despite being the working tongue of most EU institutions.

Danuta Hubner, chair of the European Parliament’s constitutional affairs committee, told Reuters that: “English is our official language because it has been notified by the UK. If we don’t have the UK, we don’t have English.”

There are 24 official languages in the European Union, which currently consists of 28 countries. For English to be barred as an official language, all of the 27 remaining member states after Brexit would have to vote in favour of abolishing it.

This vote would be made by a representative from each country on the Council of Ministers, who have the power to make changes to the EU Institutions language regime. For this vote to take effect, like many decisions in European Parliament, it would need to be unanimous.

If this were to happen, each member state would then be able to select their official language – the most cited examples being Ireland reverting to Gaelic and Malta to Maltese.

What if English were barred as an ‘official’ language?

If the EU were to bar English as an ‘official language’ it would, Helen Provart of Peak Translations believes, “be logistically impossible for some European institutions to communicate with each other in an efficient manner.”

This is because there is a very small percentage of professional translators or interpreters that speak some of the more niche combinations of languages, like a combination of Maltese and Gaelic.

“If English were to be barred as an ‘official’ language, it would require translators and interpreters to specialise in a niche combination of languages, such as Gaelic to Maltese. This wouldn’t be plausible.

“The current system uses English as the international language as a mediator. So, for example, if a Gaelic speaker wanted to listen to a Maltese speaker, the speech would be interpreted from Gaelic to English and then English to Maltese.”

In addition to this, on a slightly smaller scale, when the UK leaves the European Union it will have to translate all EU documents and legal texts that are currently written in 24 official languages as part of the partnership. This will require a tendering process from the UK’s central government to find a professional translation service suitable for this task.

What is the best outcome?

Maintaining English as an ‘official’ language of the EU goes far beyond the desire to prevent adding an unworkable amount of red tape to business communications in Europe. English must be maintained as an ‘official’ language of the EU as it is not only essential to the logistics of communication within the EU but also, as the long-standing international language of business, it is a key component to trade in and outside of Europe.

Without it, increases in red tape would not only hit the smaller of the remaining 27 countries hard but cause havoc for European countries attempting to trade outside Europe.

There are three working languages in the EU – German, French and English.

These, according to the publication reporting France’s news in English, The Local, are broken down to 26% that can speak French and 32% German.

When the UK leaves the EU, the only remaining countries with English as their national language will be Malta and Ireland. The number of people that speak English as their first or second language in the European Union currently stands at 51%. Once the UK leave, it will diminish to 45%.

“With these facts and figures in mind, it is very difficult to see what benefit the European Union would gain from barring the English language,” concluded Helen Provart, Managing Director of Peak Translations.

Peak Translations are an ISO accredited, UK-based professional translation service that has been providing language services since 1978, servicing a variety of different clients from industries ranging from engineering and manufacturing to web design and public relations. Its team of expert linguists specialise in five key areas – technical, legal, financial, medical and creative.

Increasingly, the motivations underpinning the ‘In’ and ‘Out’ campaigns for Britain’s EU membership are becoming departmentalised into different sectors of the British economy. As a translator, interpreter or user of a professional translation service, it is likely the factors affecting your stance on this month’s referendum will differ.

For the language industry, the possibility of Brexit presents a common scenario felt by all UK businesses. For those who hire, work for, or are in any way part of the translation industry, there is a scarce amount of information available on the impact of Brexit and how it will directly affect their sector.

So how significant is the European Union to the total amount of trade available to the UK’s professional translations services, what are the concerns of the industry and how should they be considered?

Currently, the European Union trails only the United States as the largest single market for translation services. It is somewhat unsurprising then, that in a recent survey of 1,283 members of the Chartered Institute of Linguists, 84% of members said they wanted to remain ‘In’.

This is believed to be the case as, unlike the UK’s manufacturing sector, that benefits directly from the weakening of the pound, professional translation services, who often work with freelancers based in the EU, could suffer from increased costs in the event of Brexit.

When delving further into the motivations of the industry, it somewhat depends on the business model of a particular translation service as to how they’ll be affected by the outcome. For instance, if the majority of its trade is conducted in the public sector via contracts and a tendering process, the  policy concerns that underpin whether they will vote ‘In’ or ‘Out’ are going to be very different from those organisations that focus solely on corporate trade.

An important consideration for smaller businesses that rely on large corporations is whether these larger organisations decide to move their headquarters in the event of Brexit. Earlier in the year, for example, HSBC threatened to move 1,000 jobs from London to France if the UK leaves the EU. Should other large corporations follow suit, this could significantly impact the British economy and therefore the financial health of the clients of translation services.

Centralising policy decisions to the UK is one of the major selling points cited by the ‘Out’ campaign, giving more powers to UK government decision makers and taking it away from the European Parliament and MEPs. For translation services that rely on the public sector and therefore local government policy, theoretically, Brexit could be a benefit as they would have a heightened opportunity to influence policy decisions relating to their sector.

For those unfamiliar with the industry, it should be noted that professional translation services hire two very different professionals: translators and interpreters. Translation deals with written language; whereas interpreting, whether simultaneous or consecutive, deals with the spoken word.

The best scenario for those in the UK’s professional translation industry would be to allow continued accessibility to Europe’s single market and, in the event of Brexit, avoid the likelihood of increased ‘red tape’ that could add complex and time-consuming processes to those that already exist.

Helen Provart, Managing Director of Peak Translations, believes that the amount of trade available would be unlikely to change, instead, the main impact being increased costs and therefore a loss of margin for the UK’s professional translation services.

“In addition to requiring specialist knowledge of the area being translated, all translations have to be conducted by professionals from a foreign language to their native tongue. For this reason, it is unlikely that Brexit will have a significant impact on the amount of trade available to professional translation services based in the UK, even if larger corporations were to leave Britain.”

As Managing Director of Peak Translations, a professional translation service based in Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire, she believes that although the need for the translation industry is not highly publicised, it is vital to UK business of all sizes: “Translation services rely on the financial health of their clients and similarly, these businesses rely on the health of the translation industry. For regular users of translation services, understanding how the eventuality of Brexit could affect the industry should be an instrumental factor in the final decision on Britain’s membership of the European Union.”

Professional translation services employ a vast panel of professional linguists, including translators and interpreters, specialising in a remit of languages needing to be processed by businesses or organisations. Translation services are vital to the UK economy, aiding organisations from the public and private sector, each contributing to the business of translation that globally generates revenues of $37 billion a year, according to Common Sense Advisory (CSA).

The language industry, according to the EU translation service, is growing faster than any other industry in the country thanks to an increase in global trade and communication. The question of whether automation of the translation industry could turn into a benefit or hindrance is a difficult question to answer because of the nature of technological advances.

The UK’s Automation and packaging industries have achieved autonomy with great success, becoming what is known as ‘future proof industries’ by utilising the concepts of Industry 4.0 to create ‘smart factories’. The theory behind this concept involves the Internet of Things, where raw materials and equipment are interconnected, communicating through IP addresses stored in microchips via Cloud technology. Thus, allowing them to move through the manufacturing process independently.

While this is exciting news for some business owners looking to cut costs, it is not for many workers who are potentially facing redundancy. Whether automation could be achieved in the translation industry is still unclear.

European translation services are worth over £12 billion, the sheer breadth of use is staggering and somewhat overlooked. While the subtitling of films and television programmes is an example most people will have come in contact with at some point in their lives, interpreting in court, translating legal documents and telephone interpreting are amongst those that aren’t ubiquitous in the consciousness of the general public. Translation is paramount in many professions, a single contract, for example, was obtained for £300 million to complete the exact list of services above.

The fees paid for this contract beg the question, what is it about professional translation that government agencies and businesses believe warrants this amount of money?

To fully understand this, we must first look at Machine Translation (MT) and Computer Assisted Translation (CAT) services and how they have progressed since they first became available to the public. Yehosha Bar-Hillel started research for Machine Translation in 1951 at MIT; it wasn’t until 1991 that it became commercially available through Russian University, Kharkov State and a further five years until it was available online with Systran. Even at this early stage, funding was extremely close to being pulled as it was suggested, in a report from ALPAC, that MT could not compete with human translation quality.

Since then, the advancement in this technology has been vast. After 15 years of research, the latest development in automated translation services, Microsoft’s ‘Star Trek’ voice translator, was unveiled at its pre-launch as a new service using Skype. The software can understand spoken words, translate them into another language and speak back to them in real-time.

Modelled on the universal translator, utilised by Captain Kirk and the crew of the Starship Enterprise, the tool, demonstrated in a three-minute conversation, translated English into Chinese. Like many Machine Translation services, the few ‘minor mistakes’ reported with the translation epitomise the pitfalls present when relying on this technology in contrast to a professional translation service.

Even the most advanced Machine Translators services require thorough checks by a professional translator. Any translation will expect to pass through four key stages: translation agency, global multi-language vendors, corporate translation department and an external reviewer or subject matter expert.

It only takes a quick Google search to find pictures of translation mistakes that can jeopardise the credibility and reputation of a company in a foreign market. Professional translation services employ a team of translators, many of whom have specialisms such as law, HR or manufacturing. The best translators are those that understand the language needed to resonate with an audience; this comes with a holistic understanding of not only that area but the subject matter being translated and the aims of the brand.

With over 6,000 languages in the world, it is not surprising that, with the rise of the internet and the globalisation of services, professional translators are highly sort after. Checking the credentials of a translation service or freelance translator should be one of the first points of call for a business needing to translate material.

Helen Provart, Managing Director of Peak Translations, “It is widely believed that despite continuous development, Machine Translation will never fully automate the role of a professional translator. The Statistical Machine Translation programmes Google Translate use gather information over time to statistically offer you the most relevant combination of translation. This has its practical uses, such as determining a document’s native language, informal conversation or to give you a vague understanding of a foreign website or text. It is clear however, that businesses should not rely on it for professional use.”

Peak Translations provide a full range of translation services available to businesses of all sizes. As a professional translation service, it offers businesses the opportunity to create clear communication for world-class results by localising your marketing materials, conveying important messages in legal documents, letters or emails, in addition to creating suitable, relevant, corporate and other market-facing materials.

It’s a feeling many of us are familiar with; the embarrassment and reluctance we all feel the first time we try to ask someone for directions in a foreign language or sheepishly ask for the menu in a restaurant while abroad. This feeling is exemplified by several units of magnitude when we are met with the prospect of selling a product or service in an unfamiliar language.

When delving into a new foreign market, country or even continent, there are a vast amount of variables that need to be accounted for to craft a successful business venture. In addition to forecasting stock requirements, securing various insurances, accreditations and all other essential first steps, an often overlooked factor is the translation of written material related to a business and its products and services.

It is a fact that translated language is rarely shorter than the original. However, businesses strive to create accurate, concise content while attempting to keep it ‘on brand’. The first thought, for those new to translation services, will likely be to use an online machine translation service like Google Translate to achieve this. While the apparent benefit of using this kind of system includes an immediate turn-around and the fact it is free, accuracy is often significantly lacking.

A recent report from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) revealed that the UK alone loses £48bn in lost exports because of a lack of language skills. A significant number when coupled with a document, commissioned by the British Council, revealing three-quarters of English people do not speak a foreign language. It appears it is a problem that businesses of all shapes and sizes face on a day to day basis.

Those who have attempted to learn a foreign language will understand the complexity of the semantic differences between one language and another. Semantic barriers come from differences in education, language and culture. They are not something businesses want to encounter, especially when in time sensitive communications but they are often unavoidable without the aid of a professional translations service.

As a nation, the UK have a reputation for being opposed to learn foreign languages, other countries believe we are guilty of believing everyone should speak English. There is another common misconception that those who speak a language have the skills and expertise to translate for it.

To achieve this, as with most procurement and other purchasing operations, price is not always the defining factor. For smaller businesses, it may be tempting to go for a machine translation service, or even source a student who speaks a foreign language who would likely be cheaper option than a professional service. A much more vital facet when exporting for the first time should be accuracy as it not only validates your reputation within a foreign market but also builds confidence in potential customers. First impressions last in both the minds of your clients and other foreign acquaintances.

Ensuring legal, marketing and general correspondence are correctly translated should be viewed as an investment, rather than a cost. Peak Translations, a professional translation service, employ a vast panel of linguistic experts, who not only speak in the native tongue of your customers but also have first-hand knowledge of the area you are looking to export. They can abolish the chance of embarrassment of a poorly translated documentation, product packing, business cards or even legal documents. Peak Translations can help eliminate language barriers and provide businesses with peace of mind when exporting for the first time.

Almost every industry has its own unique expressions or jargon. While adopting terminology can help a business relay consistent communications within its field, this impact may be lost on international customers. Accurate, considered translation is key to making sense of technical language for a global audience.

Language evolves constantly. This is no more prevalent than in specialist industries, where businesses deal with highly technical products and services and the guides and legal text they produce, must include the latest terminology in multiple languages. In manufacturing, for example, it is important that content includes the precise language that their customers are likely to use when trying to source components and tools. Still, for several manufacturers translating jargon into a comprehensive and compelling read remains a challenge. In an industry survey, 75% of manufacturing companies who were asked what they considered the biggest issue when translating foreign content said ‘inconsistent terminology’.

Words, concepts and terms may mean one thing in one language but are interpreted differently in another. Likewise, the terminology used to describe systematic details, regulations and standards in any given industry, differ hugely around the world. Understanding this critical information is inherently linked to the smooth running of operations in a business. In industries where large volumes of technical translation are necessary, accuracy and clarity are a priority for businesses breaking into overseas markets.

Globalisation has led to an increasingly accessible worldwide marketplace, and businesses are no longer confined to their territory when sourcing products and services. With this opportunity comes the challenge of producing content that a new and international consumer base will understand.  As terminology continues to change, translating consistent content becomes a difficult, time-consuming task.

Translating technical documents is a skill, and for businesses to achieve marketability with foreign clients, they need a qualified translator with experience in the relevant field. Professional translators can convey complex language in a way that is appropriate to their audience, ultimately forging valuable communication over time. Expert guidance can avoid costly issues later on. For instance, if a document is translated incorrectly, this can cause concern around a business’ legitimacy and credibility – not exactly the take-away message you want a new client to be left with. A translator understands the importance of retaining the document’s context and detail in their translation work while ensuring that it reads comfortably for the audience. Naturally, it’s essential to give this task to the right person.

Peak Translations provide a variety of reliable translation services, matching your projects with a qualified professional who has comprehensive knowledge of the relevant language and industry for which they are translating. Peak Translations can showcase your business to an international audience, demonstrating that you value overseas customers by delivering content that speaks to them in their own words.

Attracting international interest is a pivotal part of many companies’ business models and consequently, effective communication is key. In the age of globalisation, small businesses need to ensure that their corporate messages are heard overseas to remain competitive. Employing a professional translation service can help small companies deliver clear, constructive information to foreign clients.

The adoption of the internet has helped to break down geographical boundaries, enabling businesses around the world to take advantage of new global opportunities. One barrier remains, however. Language, with its countless variations and interpretations, dialects and colloquialisms, is not so easily navigated when it comes to presenting information to potential clients abroad.  Limited by time and resources, translating important content in-house becomes increasingly challenging for small businesses but without it, they will certainly fail to establish a connection with partners overseas.

Translation plays a part in writing almost any document, sending out emails, producing marketing materials and building an online presence for an international audience. It is also essential for business conversion. In fact, recent studies reveal that consumers are deterred from making purchases from a website that seems foreign. In comparison, consumers are more likely to complete purchases when they feel relaxed and comfortable with the information being provided on a website. However, many small businesses find attempting translation work themselves inconvenient, with the result being prone to error and time consuming. Failing to translate effectively has further reaching implications on the economy and consequently, the language skill shortage costs the UK an estimated £16 billion in lost international trade. For many SMEs, language is the single biggest contributing factor in how successful their global expansion plans will be.

The Internet presents opportunities for small businesses to flourish, with online platforms providing scope to reach more prospects and grow their client base. It’s simple; for companies to engage new international audiences in rewarding conversations they need to be able to ‘speak’ to them on their terms and in the language they not only recognise but would use themselves.  Smaller businesses have the added challenge of informing potential customers about their products in a marketplace where price margins are close and larger firms are competing for the same orders. Successful translation, understandably, can help to provide a better customer experience online and enable SMEs to gain a foothold in their industry.

Fortunately, there are professional translation services available to large businesses and small organisations alike. What’s more, using a professional translation service can help businesses monitor any inefficiencies in the content they share with readers overseas and ultimately save time and resources in-house. Drawing on an almost unlimited pool of linguistic experts, Peak Translations can provide qualified translators for many languages with accredited knowledge in particular industry areas. With first-hand understanding of the local vocabulary and an up-to-date awareness of specific terminology, Peak Translations interpreting and translation services can help small companies convey important business messages with their exact meaning in various languages. Utilising a professional translation service ensures small businesses are no longer limited by language barriers and can deliver even bigger market potential abroad.