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Technology is making our lives easier and more productive each day, and the translation industry is no exception! Two  concepts that are often bundled together and confused by laymen are machine translation and CAT tools. They are, however quite distinct and serve quite different functions. That's why we are asking…

Rosetta Translation officially started its Shanghai operations in 2008. That’s 7 long years already, and I thought it would be interesting to sit back and think what lessons can be learnt in terms of getting a small service business off the ground in the People’s Republic of China.   Get…

  Well, the short answer is: the Chinese language isn’t so difficult to learn, and here is why. Ease of learning depends on (linguistic) distance The difficulty of a new language that we want to learn is very relative, and is significantly related to how similar it is to our…

I have been instrumental in setting up, developing and running the Shanghai office of Rosetta Translation since we first planned a China office in 2007. It might be tempting to think that running a translation business is pretty much the same everywhere, but the situation in the translation industry in…

If you aren't lucky enough to be multilingual, then chances are you've at least tried to learn a foreign language at some point in your life, or at least considered it. The skill of mastering a new tongue certainly comes easier to some than it does to others, but that's…

Here are some tips on how to produce a document that will be easy to translate into another language.  If you've never used the services of Rosetta Translation Ltd before, then you might be surprised to know that we do much more than just translate a document from one language…

There are 33 European languages that are on the verge of extinction, according to new research - but what are these least common languages, and how close are they to disappearing? When you think of European languages, the obvious examples are always going to spring to mind - English, French,…

Brits abroad - two words that are enough to make any respectable English person cringe. However, aside from the lager lout behaviour and general debauchery that springs to mind with this phrase, are we really as bad as the stereotype suggests? In particular, are we a country of language novices?…

When moving into a foreign market, it's important that you do as much background work as possible before your 'launch' to ensure you hit the ground running. In modern business, your website is your shop window - so it's vitally important that everything is in the right place and makes…

Can you ever imagine the English language no longer existing? It seems like an unlikely thought, but that is what has happened to an estimated 400 languages over the last 100 years, which roughly equates to one tongue dying out every three months. In addition to this, the BBC reports…

Learning a new language can do wonders for your brain - regardless of age.   'You can't teach an old dog new tricks', or so the saying goes.   However, this might be true for certain aspects of life (who wants to learn how to 'freerun' any way?), it's certainly…

It was quite close in the end, wasn't it? However - as many predicted - Scotland voted in favour of staying in the United Kingdom, with 55.3 per cent voting 'No' to independence and 44.7 per cent choosing 'Yes'. So, for the meantime at least, we're still all one big,…

Translating - if it's not done right - can be a risky business. As well as words that have multiple meanings, there are also cultural connotations with certain phrases that can have an adverse effect on the message you're trying to communicate. This post is about what can happen when…

If you are already trading overseas or have ambitions to move into a foreign market, it's likely that at some point you will have to consider if you need a business interpreter to assist with your venture. While some might see this as an unnecessary cost based on the assumption…

Despite it being almost literally a world away from English, it's not impossible to understand the Thai language. However, you'll have undoubtedly noticed that learning how to speak, read and write this fascinating tongue is likely to take a wholly different approach to learning German, French or Spanish, for example.…

It's no secret that translation is a difficult process at the best of times, with those doing the work needing to possess a number of key skills in order to be successful in their jobs. However, the best translators are not only talented in the act of reproducing literature from…

As the tenth most widely-spoken language in the world, Punjabi - the official language of the Indian state of Punjab - is used primarily in India and Pakistan. In the former country, the most recent census shows around 30 million people use this tongue, while there are 70 million speakers…

Whether you need help with interpreting to facilitate conversation between a group, during a conference or similar event, or on a one-to-one basis, at Rosetta Translation Ltd, we can provide services to assist you. However, there are a number of different modes of interpreting that we offer, each suited to…

It is often the case that translating a piece of text from one language to another is never as straightforward as it seems to someone who hasn't done it before. As well as being skilled in understanding at least two tongues, the best translators also specialise in a professional sector.…

For those who just speak English, or any other Western language for that matter, understanding the Chinese language - both in written and verbal forms - can be a challenging task, even if you are curious about interesting idioms in Chinese. The country is quite literally on the other side…

When it comes to receiving a good service from an interpreter, there are probably two key elements you'll be looking out for - accuracy and efficiency. Both are equally important, as incorrect interpretations will inevitably lead to misunderstandings, while an interpreter who cannot keep up with the speed of the…

When localising your brand for any market, you should never presume this can be something done easily. It's never as simple as translating from X language into Y language and often it's not a few poorly-converted words that can end up costing you time, money and reputation - it's those…

When you need translation work done, it's vital that you employ the right person for the job. Not only will you require your translation to be done to an impeccable standard, but you need to know that it will be done by the right deadline, as for a great number…

The British are known for many things - tea, scones, roast dinners and a passion for sarcasm, to name just a few of our great loves. However, when it comes to modern foreign languages, it would be fair to say that, as a nation, we are notoriously bad at them.…

Recent years have seen an explosion of online translation tools there to help us. They pop up when a page is in an unfamiliar language, casually requesting if you fancy having that page translated into English. Google Translate is probably the most well known and enjoys the same verb-like status…

We understand that confidentiality and data security is very important for our clients and naturally it is for us too. Confidential material comes in all shapes and sizes, no matter the type of document everything at Rosetta is treated with the strictest of confidence. Our minimum confidentiality protection measures involve…

Research has shown that bilingual people have brains that are able to deal with ambiguities faster, are able to distinguish sounds even against a noisy backdrop faster, and resolve conflicts or problems quicker. Studies have also shown that bilingual brains remain ‘sharper’ for longer and can resist diseases such as…

As a linguist I am sometimes asked what I think is the most difficult language to learn. Having studied German, French, Japanese and Spanish at various stages my knowledge is relatively limited, and from my point of view there is no definitive answer. But, some are definitely more difficult than…

Having studied languages at various stages in my life, school, university (under and post graduate) it has always been evident that languages were more of a ‘girls’ thing’ rather than a boys’. In classes, for every one guy there was at least five girls; a favourable ratio perhaps for the…

It is estimated that there are approximately 7000 languages spoken in the world today, although about 1000 of these only have a few hundred speakers. It is also estimated that 25 languages are lost every year, which is a sad thought. Are we moving towards a new chapter of globalisation…

The trend of using machine translations has made its mark in recent times. It’s a service that is free and available online anytime.  Nothing really compares when you need a quick reference right there and then for a few phrases or sentences.   Its efficiency, therefore has led most businesses…

Top 10 Advertisement Translation Mistakes Since advertising experts, working in their own native language, still often struggle in getting the words and message right, how surprising is it that linguists face substantial challenges in translating highly colloquial and emotive advertising documents? Not getting the message quite right is one thing,…

Most of us are familiar with the day-to-day language services we provide. So, I thought that this month’s article should be dedicated to one translation area in particular: subtitling and dubbing. But, to spice things up a little I have decided to introduce you to subtitling and dubbing in the…

Have you ever wondered why some languages seem faster than others? And, if this were truly the case, would that mean some languages conveyed more information in the same amount of time than others? In an attempt to solve this spoken mystery, François Pellegrino of the University of Lyon conducted…

Being bilingual is something many people would envy you for. You can communicate with a wider range of people, you have more chances of getting a good job and it seems you are smarter than monolingual people. This is what has been claimed in an interesting article written by Yudhijit…

My father used to say, “If you know Chinese, Spanish, and English, you can communicate with one third of the world!” Whilst this may be an exaggeration, the growing numbers don’t lie! What we speak seems to be a great factor upon the influence we have. However, as we know,…

Narrative stories around the world have been using alien languages for generations. Sometimes completely made up, sometimes real but distorted, these languages add some mysterious dimension to their speakers. What are the top 10 Alien languages in movies, then?   Below is a non-exhaustive list of some of the most…

A wasted letter, also known as a silent letter, refers to a letter within a word which does not contribute to the sound or pronunciation of that word, for example the ‘n’ in ‘autumn’ and the ‘k’ in ‘know’.  So, why do we spell ‘colour’ with a wasted ‘u’ when…

National identity, the sense of belonging to one state or nation, rather than another, is far from a natural phenomenon. It rather requires the presence of a number of symbols of various kinds, which people can identify with. These can include flags, songs, colours, the nation’s history (particularly the national…

Within the general “social class” theme (if there is still such a thing) that we are touching upon this month, the language-related section will be looking into the social stratification of people based on their language use and more specifically the way they pronounce (or not) a specific linguistic variable,…

Are you self-conscious about your grammar, accent, pronunciation of words, or are you maybe in the habit of saying uhmm and errrr a lot? All these are indications that you may not speak as clearly and properly as you could. You may therefore want to improve your techniques for speaking…

How to Make a Good Translation Below are some basic rules for making a good translation aimed at linguists working in the translation industry. This list is not exhaustive, but it is a starting point for whoever wants to develop a career in translation and is not familiar with the…

It is one of those things that we take for granted, we don’t stop to think twice about this impressive ability that humans have to acquire language so effortlessly. In the linguistic circles this is a popular topic however; there have been many studies and many linguists who tried to…

The Practical Importance of Stuying Phonetics   As a French native speaker, it became obvious to me very early on that I would need to learn at least one, and ideally two foreign languages, in order to optimise my chances of getting a good job in the future. How does…

Languages change so quickly that it’s a wonder how people of the same language understand each other, mind you talking to younger people of the same generation is often like trying to communicate with a foreign language speaker. Here are some of our tips on why language change is inevitable…

The issue of male versus female performance in translation and interpreting work is one that rarely comes up, but it is one where project managers may be surprisingly opinionated. The question of whether women or men make better translators or interpreters is not one that is frequently asked. Perhaps this…

A High Court in the UK recently ruled to uphold English language tests for immigrants wanting to live in the UK. The outrage from some couples caught up in this affair is understandable, but is it too much to ask immigrants to speak the language of their destination country? The…

Logic dictates that higher immigration levels increase the demand for language provision in both the healthcare and justice system. But what happens when increased demand and a need to cut costs meet head on? For the NHS, providing interpreters for patients who do not speak English is vital for patient…

“I am a citizen of the world”, this is what both myself and my two brothers, who also live abroad, think of ourselves. Having left home at 18 to come to the UK to study, when people ask me now if I miss “home”, sometimes I wonder: Where is home…

I have a tattoo, something which I don’t necessarily regret now, but should I have had my time again I think I would probably not choose to ‘scar’ myself for life with one Japanese symbol. I often forget it’s there until someone spies it and then asks what it means;…