As a multinational organization specializing in localization, the effects and importance of understanding different cultural practices during business exchanges hits us twofold! For today’s Straight from the Source, we asked a few members of the CSOFT team to share some insight into cultural differences when doing business in their home country or in a country they have previously worked before.

What are some cultural differences to remember when doing business in another country?

Fine tune those ears for today’s Wacky Word Wednesday, a weekly celebration of the wackiest and most interesting words from around the world!

From TermWiki.com, the definition of today’s wacky word:

mon·de·green [mon-di-green] -noun a word or phrase resulting from a misinterpretation of a word or phrase that has been heard, usually with an amusing result

A mondegreen is the often comical result of what one thinks is heard when actually mishearing or misinterpreting something—song lyrics are not the only victims, but usually the most common. Mondegreen was coined in 1954 by Sylvia Wright when she introduced the word to the world in the Harper’s Magazine article, “The Death of Lady Mondegreen.” The article was about Wright’s realization that the line Lady Mondegreen from the Scottish ballad “The Bonny Earl of Murray” was actually laid him on the green. In what would have been a beautifully poignant and poetic end to two lovers’ lives ended up being the lonely death of Earl o’ Moray:

1. What is the definition of localization?
   1. Localization? Ha! Now you’re just making stuff up.
   2. Localization is another way of defining sociology, the study of society and social interactions between individuals and groups.
   3. Localization is an industry, which focuses on making products linguistically and culturally appropriate for a specific local market.
   4. Localization is when you move to another country and get down with the locals!
2. What percentage of consumers say that they are more likely to purchase a product with information in their own language?
   1. 56.2%
   2. 38.7%
   3. 12.8%
   4. 72.4%
3. What is the difference between source language and target language in localization?
   1. Source language is your mother tongue; target language is the language you wish to acquire.
   2. Source language is for translation; target language is for interpretation.
   3. Source language is the original language of the text; target language is the language the text will translate into.
   4. Source language is the original words that come out of your mouth; target language is what people think they hear.

Last week, we learned how to fletcherize our food to a pulp. With today’s Wacky Word Wednesday, a weekly celebration of the wackiest and most interesting words from around the world, we’ll be focusing on the other side of dining… wining!

From TermWiki.com, the definition of today’s wacky word:

quaff [kwof] -verb to drink plentifully and with enjoyment

Quaff was first used in 1515, but its etymology is unclear. Some sources believe the word quaff came from quassen, which means “to overindulge (in food and drink)”, the –ss erroneously identified as –ff. Another source suggested that the word quaff came into existence as an onomatopoeia.

One of the most basic rules of writing is to know your audience. Because of this, preparing content for a global audience can be quite intimidating. That said, being mindful to a few best practices when preparing original text will help mitigate any challenges that might occur later on in the translation process. Combine this with the expert knowledge of your choice localization vendor, and you’ve got yourself a winning formula!

Preparing Content for a Global Audience Checklist:

• Use simple grammar and sentence structures.

• Avoid using slang, colloquial or idiomatic phrases.

• Keep sentences short and simple.

• Be consistent with your use of vocabulary by making the most of terminology glossaries. (Don’t start using “start button” halfway through a text if it already uses “on button” to describe the feature.)

If you’re looking for something to chew on, go ahead and take a bite out of today’s Wacky Word Wednesday, a weekly celebration of the wackiest and most interesting words from around the world!

The definition from TermWiki.com:

fletch·er·ize [flech-uh-rahyz] -verb to chew (food) slowly and thoroughly; prolonged chewing

Like clerihew, this week’s word is another eponym derived from Horace Fletcher, an American food faddist and dietician who lived from 1849 to 1919. From 1895 until his death in 1919, Fletcher campaigned vigorously and passionately about what he believed were the keys to good health. This included:

It’s funny how a-ha moments strike when you are least expecting it. A fun fact about TermWiki that you might not know is that it was conceived in a downtown bar in Beijing! The live music band that was onstage that night was supposedly playing with such gusto that the beat of the drum and the strums of the guitar were enough to pulsate to life the beginning wisps of what would soon turn into TermWiki.

A few weeks later, the TermWiki concept began unraveling, synthetic bricks being laid down to form the foundation of an idea that would change how countless companies, individuals, and translators from all around the world would approach social learning and terminology management.

It is hard to believe that a year has already gone by. The entire journey has been a great adventure and experience, and the hard work of many around the world made every moment worthwhile. To all of our supporters, contributors, and believers, many thanks…This day goes out to you!

The timeline below will take you through TermWiki’s first year—our achievements, the addition of new features, and the result of ongoing collaboration with all of our supporters.

A common and growing trend for businesses across all industries over the past few years (including translation, localization and software companies) has been to move their data and workflows upwards… to the cloud.

Which means what exactly? The general meaning of cloud computing can be understood as a way to offer services and capabilities via virtual servers over the Internet. Therefore, instead of using software or applications on specific computers or servers, they are now available through a collective virtual computer. This essentially means that users of cloud technology become less dependent on hardware and infrastructure while still being able to access the resources and tools they need.

At CSOFT, we are committed to researching and developing technologies that will help you improve your localization workflow without the hassle of installation, maintenance and training. The advantages of using both of our latest technologies, TermWiki and ReviewIT, which are both cloud-based systems, are clear:

Localization can be loosely defined as the process of adapting both textual and non-textual elements of a product or service to the needs, habits, culture, and aesthetics of various local markets. That being said, localization not only demands a great deal of linguistic and technological expertise, it also requires a proactive mindfulness of different cultural practices and customs.

Here on T for Translation, as very vocal advocates of cultural awareness, we say there’s no better time like the present to head over to your nearest music festival, fly a kite, and drink a margarita!

… but before you do that, take a moment to read on a bit—it might help put that statement into perspective.

For some, today is an ordinary Thursday in early May, the day before the day before the weekend. And yet, in other parts of the world, people right now are celebrating vastly different occasions simply because of their different cultural upbringings.

Companies localize their products to make them usable in other markets, and to convey a message to those who would have otherwise had no exposure to it, whether because of a language, cultural, or location-related barrier. In a sense, communication is one of the main reasons why localization is necessary, and why it drives revenue in foreign markets.

At CSOFT, we believe that solid strategies, calculated decisions, and a vision of the future are necessary to securing the maximum return on your localization investment. So for today’s Straight from the Source, we asked four CSOFT team members for insight on strategic communication.

What does strategic communication mean to you, and why is it important?