Avoiding translation and language blunders

When it comes to translation, even huge companies can get it wrong. In Italy, a campaign for Schweppes Tonic Water translated the name into Schweppes ‘Toilet Water’.

This is a good example of how easy it can be to translate a product’s name incorrectly – and reduce its appeal in an instant.

In today’s international business world, the use of foreign languages is becoming more and more important to companies if they are to communicate effectively with overseas partners, colleagues or clients.

It is no longer considered acceptable for UK companies to communicate solely in English if they are hoping to attract foreign interest in their products or services.

But simply learning the basics of a foreign language is often not enough, as business deals, meetings and even advertising and websites, require expert knowledge of all words, terms and hidden meanings. As the above example shows, failing to realise that a word can have two meanings could be disastrous for a company advertising their product in another country.

However, it can be difficult to know where to start and how to go about translating company literature into the local language abroad.

TradeYorkshire has worked with Yorkshire translation and interpretation company Applied Language Solutions to present an informative and insightful guide entitled ‘How using foreign languages can help you to succeed in overseas markets’. It has been written by Applied Language Solutions with TradeYorkshire website users in mind.

The guide contains information on effective communication, working with translators, using interpreters and succeeding in any language. It also contains some further examples of translation blunders, showing that it is not that unusual for big-name brands to get it wrong.

Download the guide: How using foreign languages can help you to succeed in overseas markets (77kb PDF)