Today at the #Language Show 2014 Seminar: Conference Interpreting: What Future? by Helen Campbell,  Director, National Network for #Interpreting, Routes into Languages.  EU requirements for English-language #translators.

With less than 24 hours for the Opening Ceremony of the World Cup 2014 in Brazil, the attention of all nations is directed towards South America and football!   As a translator I am focusing on the linguist integration of people during one of the events that unites everyone through sport. Since the World Cup is taking place in a Portuguese-speaking country, many tourists and football fans travelling from around the world to support their teams would perhaps be interested in learning the basics of the language whilst in Brazil. Rosetta Stone has developed an application called Travel Portuguese Futebol Edition which provides football fans with help with Portuguese during the matches and their stay in Latin America.  Therefore, if you are travelling to Brazil and would like to fit in with other Portuguese speakers during a football match, you can download for free the Travel Portuguese Futebol Edition by Rosetta Stone which will coach you with some basic phrases which can b

Both 2012 and 2013 were years full of great events and experiences I would like to share in a short summary today. I have not been blogging since 2011, only because I have been engaged in a number of activities in relation to translation, interpreting and, of course, enjoying life! In one of my lasts posts I attempted to predict what was going to happen to the translation industry during London 2012 and the Olympic Games. After my publication 'Translation for the Olympics in London 2012' I progressed through different stages to become a London Ambassador and be involved in one of London's historical and most memorable events. The experience of working as part of great team whose main interest was to help and provide information to visitors that were coming to the city and to represent London with pride is something I will treasure, as well as the opportunity of attending the rehearsal of the Open Ceremony at the Olympic Stadium and of meeting many of the Athletes of diffe

My badge at the Great British Business Show Today I have been at the Great British Business Show in Earls Court, London, 'The essential resource for growing, improving and evolving your business' as organizers put it. After doing some research about exhibitors and seminars, I knew exactly where I wanted to go, but never imagined that other great options would be available on my way.  As a translator, I thought it would be a great idea to network with translation companies exhibiting at the show. Therefore, they were one of the priorities on my list. Then, I was also interested in attending the 'Growing online Seminar with Tips and Future Trends from Google', since my business is mainly carried out over the Internet. I also wanted to network with other professionals, because these days the networks I develop are mainly online and the chances of meeting people face to face are reduced. However, after getting into Earls Court Exhibition Centre, I would not have bee

As I was watching BBC Parliament today, MP Mark Menzies tabled a Rule Bill about amendments that should be introduced to Sunday Trading Legislation in view of the forthcoming 2012 Olympic Games in London. He  emphasized that the Olympic spirit can boost business and that London trading legislation should be adjusted to provide for the new demands that may arise as a result of the Olympic Games fever. Throughout his presentation I started thinking about the endless business opportunities that will arise as a result of the Olympics and the key role that translators and interpreters will be playing in London 2012. Hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world will come to England, many of them from non-English speaking countries. In order to welcome them, official documents, press releases, information about the Olympic camps and rules about the games, as well as brochures about London will be translated into different languages. During the games, the demand for interpreting s

Currently a translator, I'm embarking on a journey to interpreting in 2011 and it seems the right choice after reading the article that follows, even if I'm not in America. In the USA "Employment of interpreters and translators is projected to increase 22 percent between 2008 and 2018, much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the Labor Department." This is encouraging news! Now, I wonder what are the statistics about potential increase of employment for translators and interpreters in London during the Olympic Games in 2012? Best Careers 2011: Interpreter/Translator - US News and World Report

Language Translation: Test Product Names before Entering New Countries The above article shows other reasons why translators need to be human... As I said on my previous post, translators need to experience a feeling about the source and target culture and avoid word by word literal translations that sometimes sound weird in the target market... This article about localization and product names illustrates how literal translations have a negative effect on marketing and the importance of considering factors such as the sound of words, different meanings associated with the same word, and cultural differences when translating or developing a new brand name in a specific country. It is obvious that machine translation would not be able to make this process possible. If you attempt to translate your brand name or image using free software or google translator, beware... your potential customers may have a laugh at what you are offering!