“So, when are you going to be replaced by an app, then?” is something translators are asked at parties. From Skype to PowerPoint, Babbel to Google, tech geeks have been busy developing apps, plug-ins and even VR, in a bid to have us all communicating more effectively with fellow humans across the globe. So, when

While the holiday season is in full swing it’s worth taking the time to put down the passport and sunscreen and have a think about what happens when things go wrong abroad. Not to put a downer on your plans, but the unthinkable does happen and disaster can strike. According to the Association of British

We’re celebrating 25 years in the translation and interpretation industry and marking it by reflecting on what we’ve learnt so far. Back in 1993, when Language Link UK Ltd launched, we communicated very differently to the way we do now. Mobile phones were quite a rarity – and the size of  bricks – and the

Back in 2009, global banking giant HSBC spent an estimated £6.8m rebranding its private banking arm. Their previous ad campaign’s strapline ‘Assume Nothing’ was mistranslated in some regions as ‘Do Nothing’ – obviously not the message the bank was intending. It is important to note that language errors don’t just cost money. In 1977 US

Looking at media reports you’d be hard pushed to find a positive Brexit-related headline or rhetoric that isn’t all doom and gloom. One thing that business leaders all seem to agree on is that on-going uncertainty isn’t doing businesses many favours. So it’s time to concentrate our efforts on framing our departure from the EU

It is a well-known fact that languages evolve. While some do it faster than others – Japanese has changed little over the centuries while English has evolved fairly rapidly, for example – the fact remains that they do and if we don’t keep track of those changes, we could be left behind. This month we

Are you finding that your business is at a stage where you need to use multiple languages to communicate with clients, partners, and staff in different countries? If you need to make that critical jump from English only to two or more languages, there are a few things to consider in order to get it

While it is second nature to some people who regularly work through interpreters, for most of us it is a new experience. You may be doing business with a new client in a foreign country for the first time, pitching for business, or organising an event for foreign visitors. Whatever the circumstances, using an interpreter

When you hear the words ‘transcription service’, your first thought is probably about cost. Your second is that you don’t need such a service, you have enough people in your team who can take notes, even as a small start-up; you could even do it yourself, couldn’t you? More than likely you could. Or you

If you have bought anything new lately that has been manufactured overseas, the chances are that when you read the manual, or even the ‘welcome to your product’ flyer that was included in the package, you know that it wasn’t written by a native English speaker. Nine times out of ten you don’t mind, it