Language can greatly affect your business, regardless if you’ve made the move to international markets or not. With our increasingly interconnected society and our growing global economy, it’s important to take other cultures into account when creating a business strategy. Whether you plan on learning a new language, or just becoming aware of what potential clients and customers are speaking, this article is here as an outline to the most powerful voices in business. Mandarin

Accidentally mistranslating a word in a casual conversation or on a sign is typically seen as a funny situation that everyone can get a good laugh from. However, this is not always the case. There have been multiple moments in history that could have had a happier ending had it not been for a mistranslation. One moment in history you may recall is the US bombing of Hiroshima that took place in August of 1945. When the US dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima it killed over 90,

The World is becoming increasingly global as the use of technology increases and evolves. This means that more businesses large and small are creating international partnerships, targeting international consumers, or maybe even opening up locations in new countries. It is a very exciting time, and with that we need to keep in mind that communication is key in taking your company global. You want to make sure that what your company is saying is what the consumer or company is

Mexico: Dia de los Muertos #LanguageTranslations #WorldHolidays #Worldmarketing

​China: Teng Chieh In China, the purpose of their Halloween season is to create a remembrance of the dead and freeing of the spirits of “pretas” so that they may ascend to heaven. Teng Chieh is a Halloween festival that honors the deceased and their spirits. People place food and water in front of photographs of their family members who have passed away. They also have bonfires and create paths lit by lanterns for the spirits to travel the earth on Halloween night. In some re

Halloween is one of the most exciting holidays and is celebrated all around the world. Most know Halloween as a day to dress up in a costume and run around a neighborhood trick-or-treating for some delicious candies. However, around the globe there are many different traditions and customs for celebrating the season. ​ Ireland: Halloween’s Birthplace Halloween is on October 31st, the day of the Celtic calendar. it was originally a pagan holiday and was referred to as “All Hal

Culture The Latin American culture is a collectivist one. Meaning that much of the business and communication is family oriented. Latin America often has companies that are rooted in the regions historic traditions. Leadership within a business has a paternalistic hierarchy and the employers often take on the responsibility to personally care for their employees. The company is often run by family members who invite extended family to work for them. Employers generally hire n

In 1977, US President Jimmy Carter traveled to Poland to hold the United States’ first-ever news conference in a communist country. Still reeling from communist threats, this visit was a significant event, one that needed to be met with equal care and grace. But that’s not how it went. President Carter was speaking through a not-so-accurate freelance translator who spoke “shaky” Polish. When Carter opened with “I left the United States this morning,” it was translated to, “W

Did You Know? There are about 7,000 languages in the world. There are 50,000 characters in the Chinese language. You’ll need to know about 2,000 to read a newspaper. 12.44% of the world’s population speaks Mandarin as their first language. There are about 2,200 languages in Asia. 1/4 of the world’s population speaks at least some English. 50% of educational time in Luxembourg devoted to learning English, German, and French. There are 13 ways to spell the ‘o’ sound in French.