Category: Blog
What is language fluency?
22nd December 2020
There are several ways of categorising someone’s linguistic skills, but when can we say that someone is fluent? Where does accent stop, and fluency begin? And what about the dialect? Fluency comes from the Latin word fluentem meaning “to flow.” Being fluent means a person is native-level proficient, able to speak and write quickly in… Read more »
10 Great Etymological Finds
21st November 2020
Etymology is the study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history. “Etymology” itself originates from the Greek word etumos, meaning “true.” Etumologia was the study of words’ “true meanings.” This then progressed into “etymology” by way of the Old French ethimologie. There are many words in the English language… Read more »
Cognitive Elements of Language Have Existed for 40 Million Years
30th October 2020
A new study completed at the University of Zurich has shown that humans are not the only beings that can identify rules in complex language-like constructions, monkeys and great apes can do so too. A series of experiments based on an ‘artificial grammar’ were used by researchers at the Department of Comparative Language Science of… Read more »
Simultaneous vs. Consecutive Interpreting: What’s the difference?
20th October 2020
Interpreters play an important role in global markets, helping businesses to communicate, expand and trade overseas. There are two primary methods to interpretation: simultaneous and consecutive interpretation. Both are used to bridge language and cultural barriers and enable smooth communication, but in slightly different settings. It’s important to understand their differences so you can identify… Read more »
The 6 most common questions about translation services
24th September 2020
Are you looking for a translation service for the first time? No doubt you will have a lot of questions. To make it easier for you, we’ve put together a list of the most frequently asked questions about translation services. 1. What do translation services actually entail? Put in the simplest way, we basically translate… Read more »
The main differences between a translator and an interpreter
15th September 2020
Translation and interpretation are often used interchangeably, but there are clear distinctions between these closely related linguistic disciplines. Knowing the difference is essential when choosing the service you need. Translator vs Interpreter A translator is a person who works with written text. An interpreter is someone who works with spoken words and translates orally. These… Read more »
Chinese Translation – Do you need Mandarin or Cantonese translation?
2nd September 2020
Imagine being asked to get a document translated into the Chinese language. Does it mean the document needs to be translated into the Mandarin or Cantonese language? However, what many of us don’t realise is that the question to ask isn’t whether the document should be translated into Mandarin or Cantonese, but whether it needs… Read more »
What’s the difference between translation and transliteration?
17th August 2020
Many people assume transliteration is equivalent to translation. However, there are some significant distinctions. Translation, put in simple terms, gives you the meaning of a word that’s written in another language. A transliteration doesn’t tell you the meaning of the word, but it gives you an idea of how the word is pronounced in a… Read more »
What is certified translation and how can I certify my existing translation?
24th July 2020
Have you ever been asked to get a certified translation and were unsure what it meant? You are not on your own, we get asked this question often. What is certified translation? A certified translation is any document that has been translated, signed, stamped and dated by a professional and qualified linguist (or a translation… Read more »
Should I use a Human Translator or Machine Translation to translate my website?
21st July 2020
There are hundreds of languages spoken in the world today, meaning there is a need for translation for both businesses and individuals. The advancements in technology over the past few years give us various options to get your translation completed. One of these options is machine translation. Although machine translation isn’t personal and can’t be… Read more »
