Monday, July 30, 2012

Top 3 Reasons You Should Learn Bahasa Indonesian


If you are planning a trip to Indonesia, first of all: Congratulations! Visiting such a beautiful country is going to be an amazing experience and will definitely be one you will cherish and remember for a lifetime.
Surely by now, you are already thinking of what outfits to bring and which specific sites you want to see. Your passport, itinerary, hotels-check, check, and check.
Have you stopped to consider that maybe you might have forgotten one of the most important things? Before getting on that plane, you should learn Indonesian first and here are the top 3 reasons why:
1. To get rid of unwanted language barriers
Being in a different country can be overwhelming enough, without having to worry about the difficulty of overcoming a language barrier.
Just being able to fully express yourself to other people is a great load off your shoulder. Imagine the immense bonuses involved in being able to speak Indonesian: you won't have to worry about getting lost, you can converse freely with locals and get to know about their culture and daily lives, and of course, you can haggle for the best prices on merchandise and souvenirs.
2. To build strong networks and gain opportunities
It has often been said that communication is the key to strong relationships. On that account, the key to communication is language.
In order to create lasting bonds with Indonesians, you need to put in the effort to learn their language. If you can speak with them on their level, they will appreciate and respect you for it. And in today's global economy, where every nation is intertwined, it would not hurt to have strong networks in Indonesia.
Also, you might be able to set up work and other related opportunities while you are there. It all depends on whether or not you can put yourself out there. The most significant step involved is learning Indonesian.
3. To be able to pride yourself in a new achievement
Let's face it. Learning a new language like Bahasa is no walk in the park. It will require your time, effort, and focus. But if you think about it, the end more than justifies the means. Just think of all that you have to gain and you will be on your way.
Learning Bahasa will not afford you a plaque or trophy, but it is something that you can keep and it will only grow as you nurture it. And even though it is not something tangible, people will recognize you for it and you can even impart your own knowledge.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Advantages of Being Bilingual in the Workplace


Communication plays a vital role in any type of organization where people have to interact with one another. One of the problems that may hinder successful communication is the language barrier. In order to address this problem, more companies and businesses are employing individuals who have the skills and the ability to learn Spanish language. Managers and supervisors who are equipped with knowledge and understanding of major languages aside from English will be able to manage their workforce better especially when cultural diversity is present in the workplace.
Aside from people coming from Hispanic origin, there are also other groups of people who may be speaking another language other than English. Individuals who are occupying the managerial and the supervisory levels may provide instructions through the language that is understood by their subordinates. The workers or the employees on the other hand may also give the right feedback and do their work properly as instructed especially if they have clearly understood what their employers would like them to do. Language barriers in the workplace should be minimized if not eliminated in order to attain goals or objectives.
The changing demographics in the workplace account for the need of business organization to hire individuals with additional qualifications such as proficiency in major languages of the world which includes English, Mandarin and Spanish. People who are in charge of hiring workers or employees who are coming from varied cultural background and orientation may be able to select the best ones especially if they understand the language that applicants use. A culturally diversified workforce may benefit the business or the company especially when they need to expand their markets around the world.
Another advantage of people who have the ability to learn Spanish easy and understand other languages is that they are able to perform better in the workplace. Individuals with bilingual competencies have better work output because of better cognitive functions according to some studies that were conducted. Employers would want to hire people who have higher cognitive abilities as they can contribute to the attainment of the organizational objectives. Individuals may also have better career opportunities if they can speak other languages like Spanish for example.
There are lots of available jobs for individuals who know major languages of the world. Aside from government work like foreign services that require individuals to know at least two world languages, there are also various companies that need workers and employees who can speak languages such as Mandarin or Spanish. Individuals who would like to advance in their career or to land on the next step in the corporate ladder have to acquire the necessary skills and competencies like proficiency in major business languages.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Bilingualism and Communication in the Workplace


Individuals who are equipped with proficiency in various languages can gain career advancement in the workplace. Communication is very vital in any type of business organization or institution. Today's workplaces have evolved to accommodate all type of workers or employees coming from various cultural orientations. Hence, businesses may expect some of their personnel to be speaking Spanish for example. Those who are occupying supervisory and managerial positions have to be able to communicate well with their subordinates in the language that they can understand. Although English may be the official language, there are companies that employ people with Hispanic culture and language for example.
Employees or workers may be required to make use of the official language in the workplace only but company supervisors and managers know that explaining things or giving instructions through the use of the Spanish language may be better. Members of an organization may yield better output and results if they really have understood what is expected of them. Being bilingual may help individuals in attaining the next higher step in their careers especially if they can use their proficiency in Spanish, Mandarin or other major languages of the world for the benefit of their companies or organizations.
More and more businesses are expanding their markets as well and they need more people who can understand the local language spoken by most people in a particular place. Businesses have to adapt to the changing profiles of their target market in order to reach out to them. They can only do this if they hire the right people who know the language very well. More firms are also looking for people coming from various cultural backgrounds as they can contribute to the attainment of objectives such as expanding or penetrating new markets.
Companies also know that individuals who are able to speak two or more languages can perform better in the workplace. Studies indicate that abilities of workers or employees can also be gauged by their use of other languages other than their own mother language. They may expect better work output from these individuals as they are able to display better cognitive functions that are needed in specific kinds of work.
Individuals who know Spanish and any other language may be able to land in better jobs as well. Those who are already working may find themselves climbing up the corporate ladder. People who would like to advance in their career or to be promoted to higher positions in the workplace have continue acquiring useful skills especially those that can be used for better communication.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Choosing The Right Translation Services For Your Needs


Picture this: you have a document that's in another language, and it has to be translated for an important business presentation to all the executives of two companies. You have a limited understanding of the language and time is short - so you're tempted to try to translate it on your own. You get out your French dictionary, and try to remember your four years of High School lessons on the language, and start to translate.
After a short time you realise that, though the general idea of the article is correct, there are some glaring inconsistencies, and there are some things that just cannot be correct. Why is an article about technology talking about cars? You realise that it's almost too late to finish at the rate you're going, and that you should have got a professional translator from the start. The good news is that there are translation services out there that can cater to your needs, even if time is short and the document is long.
This scenario is probably not that uncommon. It's also not uncommon for people to approach an untrained freelancer who will give you a good hourly rate - but maybe not achieve the best results. Both scenarios can end in frustration. Even if your friend has good language skills, it doesn't mean they will be an expert translator. Even being a fluent speaker of both languages doesn't mean you will be able to perfectly capture the essence of the article you need translated.
People who are constantly translating do the best translations. Why? Because it's a skill that can be honed through many hours of use. That's why choosing a translation service is probably better than choosing a freelancer who isn't constantly translating.
Looking out for a translation service that uses people who live in the country of your target language (for example, someone who lives in France if you need a French translation) is bound to help. When translators live outside their native country, they're not immersed in the language, and so inconsistencies and mistakes creep in. They are also less likely to keep up with the current use of expressions and words, which change over time in every language. Words and phrases go in and out of use in society, and new words are constantly immersed into a language (foreign words, technological words, words coined by young native speakers).
Similarly, translators who have a good knowledge of the subject that you need translated mean that they are less likely to make mistakes, and are more likely to finish the document efficiently. If your original copy is written by someone very knowledgeable in the subject, but this is then put through the lens of someone who has very limited knowledge, it's likely to become a confused mess. Good translation services will always use someone who is knowledgeable in the target area - and will even decline jobs that they think are outside their forte.
A dedicated translation service is also likely to be extremely efficient as well as accurate. A freelancer is likely to be efficient, but if they are working on material outside their comfort zone, it's possible that they could be much slower. A translation company is likely to have more staff - which obviously means they can distribute the work, and will mean that there's more than one pair of eyes who can evaluate each translation.
As always, the quality of the finished document is the best way to evaluate how good the translation service is. And quality with a professional translation service is likely to be higher.

Friday, July 6, 2012

How To Learn English Online


English is one of the most popular languages in the entire world. While more people speak Mandarin Chinese than English, English is still the main language of the modern world. English is the main language used in academics, science, mathematics, business and the field of technology. While English is an extremely important language, it's also one of thd most difficult languages for a foreigner to learn. The following guide provides simple tips and tricks on how to learn English online.
One of the best ways to learn English is through language immersion. While memorizing verb tables and grammar can be useful in some situations, it's often possible to learn a language by finding effective ways to simulate a natural English-speaking environment.
For example, it's a good idea to teach oneself English in the same way that a child learns his or her native tongue. In most cases, children learn a language based on the context in which it is used. Children don't learn a language by memorizing grammar or verb tables. Instead, they learn it by picking up on subtle information in their environment.
By immersing oneself in English, it may be possible to pick up on different elements of the language. Fortunately, there are a variety of online resources that make this a possibility.
For example, there are many English news stations that one can watch for free on the Internet. In many cases, it's possible to select a news station that is subtitled with one's language. By learning a language in this way, it's possible to quickly and easily pick up on the subtle nuances that form a language.
It's also a good idea to browse the web in English as much as possible. Instead of using one's native tongue, try setting one's browser to English. Many search engines will also allow one to change the default search language.
In addition, chatting with native English speakers can be a great idea for ESL students. By chatting with native English speakers, it's possible to learn slang and casual language patterns that are essential for success. While formal English may be useful for writing business documents and correspondence, it can't be used in situations where one is conversing with another person in a natural way.
It's also important to make sure that one is learning about grammar, verbs and definitions. While these can be boring subjects for many people, they do form the foundation of a language. Fortunately, there are a wide variety of online flashcard websites that can make learning verbs and definitions lots of fun. In addition, there are a variety of online grammar tools that can be used for learning English.