New updated website

I've FINALLY updated my translation company website.

Comments and keen proofreading welcome!

www.intoenglish.eu

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5 Tips for Passing the Diploma in Translation

Here's a few pointers that I found immensely helpful when I was studying and preparing for the Chartered Institute of Linguists' Postgraduate Diploma in Translation.

1. Stick it to 'em! Save yourself valuable time in the exam by pre-printing labels with your candidate number and language combination. Stick one to each sheet of paper you use.
   
2. The pen may be mightier than the sword... but the pencil has its own sneaky tricks too. Use pencil to circle words in your translation you want to go back to and check carefully. In my experience it's better to come back to problems with a fresh head than waste time racking your brains over one word and end up not finishing the paper. You can erase the pencil markings once you're done.
   
3. Layer up. The exams take place in January. It can be very cold, but equally some exam halls over-compensate with loads of heating. Be prepared by wearing different layers so you can make yourself comfortable and concentrate on the translation.
4. Space: the final frontier. The diploma in translation exam regulations state that candidates must write with double line spacing, i.e. write only on every other line, and only on one side of each sheet of paper. Not only does this help the examiners to mark your work, but it also does yourself a favour. It's much easier to correct a mistake or re-order an unidomatic sentence if you have given yourself a bit of space!
5. Timing. In the weeks prior to the exam you'll no doubt be doing plenty of practice exams at home or in your local library. Why not make a skeleton exam schedule so you can quickly tell if your on track to finish the paper within the allotted time? Here's a sample schedule:

Paper 1 - General, 600 words in 3 hours
9:30 Read and analyse source text
9:45 Translate first 1/3
10:35 Translate second 1/3
11:25 Translate final 1/3
12:15 Proofread and polish target text
12:30 Pens down

Split your source text into rough thirds. Check you're on schedule now again during the exam, otherwise you risk running out of time.

Good luck!

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Diploma in Translation

Great news!

I've passed the last of the exams for the Chartered Institute of
Linguists' Diploma in Translation.

So now I'm Rebecca Parker BAHons ACIL DipTransIoLET. Phew! How many
more letters can I collect?

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Loss of consumer confidence mitigated by seeking translations of key materials

The newspapers are currently full of stories on the decline in consumer confidence. Rising prices and the aftermath of the credit crunch are among the factors causing this disquiet, according to analysts.

This must surely remind corporate entities of the importance of language. Communicating with your customers in their own language is one sure-fire way to boost their trust.

Imagine the scenario:

• you log onto the Internet to search for product or service X
• your chosen search engine returns a list of results for various websites relevant to the criteria you entered
• some results are in your native tongue, others are in English, Spanish, French etc.

Even if you speak a foreign language, which site are you more likely to pursue? Most consumers would answer, "the site available in my own language."

And why is this? In a world where information is now freer than ever and consumers are more prepared to shop for the best deal, making sure that your target audience can access all the data on your product or service in their own language is key to success. Or to look at it another way, by NOT providing your site in multiple languages, you are effectively loosing thousands, maybe millions, of customers who will choose a competitor's site over yours if it is available in their mother tongue.

Website localisation is the process by which content is translated or modified to be appropriate for various audiences. Not only does it widen your potential client base, but it also works to counteract the negative effects on consumer confidence which the recent commercial turmoil has left us. There are many translation and localisation agencies who will help companies source the linguistic service providers, like Into English Ltd, to get this job done.

If you are considering getting your marketing materials (website, brochures, catalogues etc.) translated, be sure that you use qualified translators who work into their mother tongue. As an example, I am a professional translator working from French and Spanish into English (my first language). To get my own website (www.intoenglish.eu) translated and localised (a long-overdue task!), I am going to find a professional native speaker to produce the content in French and another to produce the content in Spanish.

"This will take time and will cost money but [...] the return on investment will be significant."

This will take time and will cost money but it is much safer than trying to do it myself and I know that the return on investment will be significant. As a translator, I do not underestimate the value of a properly executed translation. Tempting though it may be to cut corners and have a friend or colleague who 'knows French' do the work, having poor content on a website can do irreversible damage to hard-earned brand and reputation. The sooner a company realises that translation is important to them and should be given the time and budget it deserves, the sooner that company reaps the benefits of expanded business, international recognition and improved consumer confidence.

For professional translations from an experienced web editor, contact Rebecca Parker through www.intoenglish.eu