Since California AB5 passed, it is critical for linguists who want to remain independent contractors to take some steps to be more business-like. The most important step to take is to get an EIN (Employer Identification Number.) Getting an EIN is free and takes less than 3 minutes via the IRS websit
CSI: Transcription and Translation vs. Interpreting
Language Services now comprise many disciplines. The main division is between spoken means of rendering one language into another, called interpreting and written words called translation. Then there are cultural communication challenges as well as technologies and systems that need to be organized
Thomas Edwards joins International Contact as General Manager
Thomas joins INTERNATIONAL CONTACT, INC. to oversee operations, sales and growth of the company. He has been in the translation industry since 1994, starting as a technical translator. Prior to joining IC, Thomas held positions in operations and sales, working with start-ups as well as preeminent co
What to know when hiring an Interpreter
Interpretation is the verbal translation of the speaker’s words to an audience that does not speak the same language, with the express purpose of having the audience understand what is being said by the speaker. To achieve this purpose in various situations, there are different modes of interpretati
Foreign Language Testing
FLT–Foreign Language Testing Have you ever asked yourself these questions: What are my bilingual employees saying to my customers? Are they worth the bonus we’re paying for speaking another language? If you are part of today’s interconnected global marketplace, you know the world has grown smaller,
An Introduction To The Chinese Language For Project Managers
Written Chinese • Spoken Chinese • Mandarin vs. Cantonese Written Chinese Chinese writing uses a series of pictographic glyphs known as “characters” to express thoughts in written form. There are two different systems for the formation of “characters” in Chinese writing: Traditional and Simplified.
What Is Transliteration
Transliteration means representing a text from one script in another (e.g. transliterating a Cyrillic text into the Latin script). We also use it to mean when a name or word is pronounced in another language and written down phonetically. It does not involve translating meaning. Chinese New Year gre
Reviewing Existing Translations
Sometimes, in an attempt to reduce the cost, a client opts for translating internally and requesting that International Contact, “review” or “proofread” or “edit.” A word of caution about reviewing existing translations. When an editor has to deal with a good translation, the work basically consists
One Tier Vs Two Tier Translation
On the question of One-Tier vs. Two-Tier Translation, it is never a question of which method produces the best result. Two-tier translation is defined as a comprehensive translation (usually in-country), which is then thoroughly reviewed by the respective local language team to assure proper localiz
How Do I Ensure the Quality of my Translation?
How do I ensure the quality of my translation? Does a second translator proofread the translation? [SEE: One Tier vs. Two Tier Translations] Proof reading was important in the original, so it is important in the translation as well. This should always be the case unless you will only be using the tr