Language has the power to shape lives, and thus the life of any business. With the aim to confront some of the issues international companies face today, with respect to their choice of corporate language, I ask: Must companies in otherwise non-English speaking countries make the switch to English in order to succeed? And are local languages becoming more and more obsolete in the corporate world in the process? The answer escapes me but English is becoming more the norm than the exception, with the rise in European, Asian and Middle-Eastern corporations transitioning into making English their language of choice, to accommodate an ever increasing need to communicate transnationally. It’s just easier when customers and employees alike are scattered across the globe. This, however, is producing the undesired effect that English, in its purest form, suffers continued erosion, as writers and non-native English speakers – myself included - introduce homegrown terms, faulty syntax and other linguistic oddities. The native or local language of a company also suffers as terminology and terms are frequently used in English, and therefore may cease to exist in the native language altogether.
Lost in Translation?
Many industries already require documentation to be available in English, to comply with local or international standards and regulations, and companies that opt for switching to English often begin by having critical source language material translated but meanings are often lost in translation, and this can’t necessarily be attributed to the translator(s), sometimes intent becomes unclear because the original wording is vague. You may solve part of this problem by producing all material in English to begin with. If the people within your company have the needed skills to do so, you save the cost of translation but you may need external editing services for quality assurance purposes.
The Theory of Variation
In linguistics variation theory is based on studies of language variation and its correlation to sociological categories. It is an important if overlooked issue when companies are trying to capture the coveted attention of their international customers and employees. Linguistic variations are psychological fingerprints that reveal and reflect a company’s identity and values. Something said in a humorous vein doesn’t necessarily translate (well) and may neuter a joke completely. This is why I always encourage my non-native English-speaking clients – despite typically displaying a very high level of linguistic command - to determine whether they have the skills to produce written material in-house, or should outsource the production of English language texts for public consumption (or international divisions) to an external provider.
Shipshape and Bristol fashion
You may ask, why this is even an issue when the English proficiency level has increased exponentially, with the growing demand for high quality content in English in otherwise non-English speaking nations. One reason is the fact that frame of reference will vary from country to country. Despite the commonality of the language itself, we understand things differently, demographically speaking; the non-native speaker may apply an overly literal translation to a particular word, which may have an entirely different meaning when spoken in Mumbai as opposed to New York and that usually results in misunderstandings. Idioms like the title of this section may be gibberish if you’re not English or are unfamiliar with maritime expressions – and you may not realize that it refers to something being neat and clean or spick and span. That’s also the reason why corporations hire linguists in various countries in connection with product launches, to uncover whether a particular brand or product name, slogan or turn of phrase has an offensive meaning or connotation in another language and, of course, to avoid libel.
Communication glitches
George Bernard Shaw wrote, “The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
Many companies fail because they fail to communicate. What works in one’s native tongue doesn’t necessarily work in English and its inappropriate use may influence the perception of the services and/or products you offer. If your company decides to transition into English, introduce measures to avoid glitches in communication, such as review and approval procedures.
Accentuate the positive
More and more transnational companies produce videos to showcase their products and services, many of which are scripted in English, and while an accent may be charming, I would advise companies to consider using professional narrators if there is a risk of losing your audience because of it –in some cases, however, having employees featured in your promotional videos speaks to authenticity and will accentuate (pun intended) a positive impression – so, ignore the accent if it doesn’t hinder your message. Passion and personality can negate any disruptive influence a thick accent may have.
Five points to guide you, when choosing your corporate language:
1. Determine the demographics of your target audience of all communications, strategies, message and brand identity documents before you decide to switch to English. Is it a good idea or just the thing to do?
2. Decide whether you should communicate in English internally as well as externally. Answering the question whether all employees read and write English with sufficient proficiency cross departmentally will help you decide.
3. Make sure that the author(s) of all written material have in depth knowledge of the language and the country/region/customer you’re hoping to reach. If you enlist outside help, take the time to introduce them to your company and values, that they may find the right tone (of voice) to aptly represent you.
4. Preserve your style – you don’t want to lose what makes your company a reflection of you in the pursuit of perfection - show your true colors, it will separate your company from the herd.
5. Speak as one – (stylistically speaking) for consistency, and, equally important, to achieve the highest level of integrity – where possible, designate a head-writer, someone to oversee all outgoing corporate communications. This will align your message and increase the value of your content as the author becomes more accustomed to communicating about your company in English. Many will argue that you should always opt for a native English speaker, not only for localization purposes but because you want someone with the ability to convey your message and values eloquently and correctly, but in my book an understanding and appreciation of your native language and country is just as important, pick someone bilingual with a firm grasp of both languages who resides locally and can easily come to you for instructions.
***
Lost in Translation?
Many industries already require documentation to be available in English, to comply with local or international standards and regulations, and companies that opt for switching to English often begin by having critical source language material translated but meanings are often lost in translation, and this can’t necessarily be attributed to the translator(s), sometimes intent becomes unclear because the original wording is vague. You may solve part of this problem by producing all material in English to begin with. If the people within your company have the needed skills to do so, you save the cost of translation but you may need external editing services for quality assurance purposes.
The Theory of Variation
In linguistics variation theory is based on studies of language variation and its correlation to sociological categories. It is an important if overlooked issue when companies are trying to capture the coveted attention of their international customers and employees. Linguistic variations are psychological fingerprints that reveal and reflect a company’s identity and values. Something said in a humorous vein doesn’t necessarily translate (well) and may neuter a joke completely. This is why I always encourage my non-native English-speaking clients – despite typically displaying a very high level of linguistic command - to determine whether they have the skills to produce written material in-house, or should outsource the production of English language texts for public consumption (or international divisions) to an external provider.
Shipshape and Bristol fashion
You may ask, why this is even an issue when the English proficiency level has increased exponentially, with the growing demand for high quality content in English in otherwise non-English speaking nations. One reason is the fact that frame of reference will vary from country to country. Despite the commonality of the language itself, we understand things differently, demographically speaking; the non-native speaker may apply an overly literal translation to a particular word, which may have an entirely different meaning when spoken in Mumbai as opposed to New York and that usually results in misunderstandings. Idioms like the title of this section may be gibberish if you’re not English or are unfamiliar with maritime expressions – and you may not realize that it refers to something being neat and clean or spick and span. That’s also the reason why corporations hire linguists in various countries in connection with product launches, to uncover whether a particular brand or product name, slogan or turn of phrase has an offensive meaning or connotation in another language and, of course, to avoid libel.
Communication glitches
George Bernard Shaw wrote, “The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
Many companies fail because they fail to communicate. What works in one’s native tongue doesn’t necessarily work in English and its inappropriate use may influence the perception of the services and/or products you offer. If your company decides to transition into English, introduce measures to avoid glitches in communication, such as review and approval procedures.
Accentuate the positive
More and more transnational companies produce videos to showcase their products and services, many of which are scripted in English, and while an accent may be charming, I would advise companies to consider using professional narrators if there is a risk of losing your audience because of it –in some cases, however, having employees featured in your promotional videos speaks to authenticity and will accentuate (pun intended) a positive impression – so, ignore the accent if it doesn’t hinder your message. Passion and personality can negate any disruptive influence a thick accent may have.
Five points to guide you, when choosing your corporate language:
1. Determine the demographics of your target audience of all communications, strategies, message and brand identity documents before you decide to switch to English. Is it a good idea or just the thing to do?
2. Decide whether you should communicate in English internally as well as externally. Answering the question whether all employees read and write English with sufficient proficiency cross departmentally will help you decide.
3. Make sure that the author(s) of all written material have in depth knowledge of the language and the country/region/customer you’re hoping to reach. If you enlist outside help, take the time to introduce them to your company and values, that they may find the right tone (of voice) to aptly represent you.
4. Preserve your style – you don’t want to lose what makes your company a reflection of you in the pursuit of perfection - show your true colors, it will separate your company from the herd.
5. Speak as one – (stylistically speaking) for consistency, and, equally important, to achieve the highest level of integrity – where possible, designate a head-writer, someone to oversee all outgoing corporate communications. This will align your message and increase the value of your content as the author becomes more accustomed to communicating about your company in English. Many will argue that you should always opt for a native English speaker, not only for localization purposes but because you want someone with the ability to convey your message and values eloquently and correctly, but in my book an understanding and appreciation of your native language and country is just as important, pick someone bilingual with a firm grasp of both languages who resides locally and can easily come to you for instructions.
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