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There are many words in English that are used in other languages but they do not have quite the same meanings.  There is a special term given for these words and that is false friends.

Examples of false friends

• The word angel in English means a winged supernatural being, but in German, the word means ‘fishing rod’, and in Dutch, ‘sting’.
• Bank in English is the place where the money is kept safe, or ‘to bank on’ means ... View More

When you attend meetings as a business owner you will need to get all the discussions and details written down accurately so you can refer to them at any time and know they represent what took place. The best way to do this is to ensure the whole meeting is recorded word for word. The recording must be high quality otherwise you will not be able to understand it when you refer back to the ... View More

Tourism has become a global industry and this has only come about because of the presence of experienced translators in many different languages. No one will visit a country unless s/he can learn about its attractions in their own language. Marketing material has to present all the required information in the language or languages understood by those who are likely to want to visit a country.

A country like ... View More

Video game localisation includes everything that’s necessary to prepare your game or app for sale in a new place. Translating the text or words in your game is important but video game localisation goes far deeper. In order to attract a global audience for your game, it will need to be localised.  You will get more gamers leading to more revenue and downloads if you localise.

To get into this position you need to ensure your game matches ... View More

A lot of humor is very culturally embedded, so what in your language you find funny might not appear so funny in another language. Even the best translator has to have a foot in both worlds of the two languages they are able to translate in order to accurately complete the translation of humour.

There are many examples of stand up comedians in all cultures who perform in a country which doesn’t match their culture. They ... View More

The National Accreditation Authority of Translations and Interpreters (NAATI) is the organization in Australia that provides accreditation through sitting an examination.  When a translator passes the NAATI professional translator examination the translator can submit an application to be a member of the Australian Institute of Interpreters and Translators (AUSIT) or New Zealand’s Society of Translators and Interpreters (NZSTI).

If the NAATI paraprofessional exam has been passed, it’s possible to obtain affiliate status of AUSIT and ... View More

Phone translating and interpreting services have been around for quite a long time now, but have grown in importance, partly because of the ease of communications today as well as an almost insatiable growth in demand.

Phone interpreter services in Australia are important because of the country’s large migrant and refugee community and huge distances. Many migrants choose to live in one of Australia’s largest ... View More

Today, the world economy is far more complex than it has ever been throughout human history. There is one thing that hasn’t changed that much and that’s the fact there is no common language to bridge the boundaries. No business can expect to be successful in the international market if it fails to accept that it has to adapt to the vast number of languages spoken in the world.

Failing to recognise these language barriers in ... View More