Globalization has been encouraging more interaction between people and cultures around the world, resulting in more demand for translation services. The same point is valid vice versa: if a company wants to grow – it needs to speak its customer’s language. This is the sole and most important role of translation and localization companies in an increasingly globalized world, where borders are shrinking and cultures are starting to flow into one another as globalization starts linking people from previously considered far-off places leading to the creation of a much smaller global village.
Globalization and culture
In an increasingly globalized village, where boundaries are no longer a barrier and where the proliferation of technology is rapidly gaining ground, culture comes into the spotlight as an area that’s related to translation services and globalization. Cultural norms prevalent in all societies are slowly reshaping themselves due to influences from external countries – whether through television, dramas, and film, the internet, books, and publications, or even language classes. Culture plays an increasingly important role in globalization because its norms and values, which prevail, must be taken into account by the “visiting” culture as they seek to gain entry into the host culture. This is where globalization and translation work hand in hand, as the process of globalization today requires that translations are increasingly localized and that local cultures’ intricacies are taken into account by the translator. Without taking cultural intricacies into account, the role of the translator will be diminished.
Globalization and languages
Research indicates that a language in the world is lost every two weeks. Indigenous languages are such an integral part of a culture, yet they are becoming extinct with the proliferation of other large language groups around the world taking center stage, English being one of them. As globalization gains momentum across the world, languages are becoming increasingly important in a business’ business strategy and further expansion plans. A company, which faces increasing pressure to expand to other markets must take local languages into account and tailor-make its communication strategy to the local market. Again, localization and translation here will play a critical role, with translation services gaining a prominent place in a company’s expansion efforts. Speaking the language of your customers with a translation that takes into account local customs will ensure a stronger company presence and will ultimately lead to increased benefits and more success.
Globalization and employees
These days, technology is playing an increasingly important role in the way companies do business. For example, it is becoming more and more common for foreign companies to source labor across borders for effectively carrying out their business strategy. In addition, many companies are moving their operations to distant lands trying to infiltrate the markets. This development means that employees in foreign countries need to adapt to the culture of the host business. This will take place through several language and cultural courses as well as adaptation to the host company’s values, mission, and vision. The opposite is also true where businesses need to adapt to local conditions to ensure effective implementation of tasks and goals at hand. They can do so by taking into consideration the local country’s local cultures, customs, and practices so that there is clarity of goals and a common purpose towards achieving them.
Globalization and companies
Furthermore, due to globalization, companies are increasingly faced with prospects of expansion into local, host markets and countries, as the world continues shrinking and borders become less and less pronounced. Companies operating in globalized conditions must ensure that they adapt their communication and business strategy to the local market as messages in one language can be interpreted in a variety of different ways in the host language, and small language errors must be prevented to avoid ostracizing the company’s clientele in the host country. One example of this is Japan, where business people there prefer meetings to get straight to the point rather than engaging in small talk. By respecting the local rules and valuing the client’s time, a company in a globalized world is likely to experience more success. And this is where translation and localization services come to play a prominent role.
Globalization and translation
When it comes to globalization and translation, there are now many benefits for translation companies, as the world shrinks into a global village and communication becomes “glocal”. Various sources indicate that with globalization and its increased proliferation, translation services will play an even greater role in companies’ expansion efforts, as well as in their business strategy. Translators who work in a globalized marketplace also need to be aware of the cultural and linguistic intricacies of the target market, so that they can produce the most effective results and so that they do not end up offending the host country’s clientele. This will mean localizing the content by taking into account local cultural intricacies.
Conclusion
As the world keeps on shrinking due to the process of globalization, translation service companies will have a lot to deal with. They will not only need to translate documents and communication strategies effectively but will also need to localize the content for the target market. As mentioned above, culture and language are intertwined and since culture plays such a prominent role in the daily lives of people in the host country, this must be respected and conveyed in the most accurate manner. This is where translation and localization services have a crucial role to play in effectively communicating a foreign company’s message and tailor-making it to suit the local market. With such a strategy being followed, it is guaranteed to lead to more success, with a warmer reception by the host country’s culture and people, ultimately resulting in improved business dealings, more clients, and better integration within the host country.