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LingoStar’s Blog 
Welcome to LingoStar’s blog! On this page, you can find a lot of interesting and useful information about the translation industry. Explore topics on website translation and localization and how successful localization can influence your business to help your company grow and go global.
Language Blog Topics
On this blog, you can also learn about professional translators and interpreters, multilingual search engine optimization (SEO), the importance of socializing and networking and translators’ professional ethics. Quite often we write posts about the languages of the world, other cultures, and their traditions. Not only do translators convert texts from a source language to a target language, but they also help people communicate with each other, help establish international contacts, and are often prominent figures in the social, economic, and political life. Lastly, of course, we want you to have fun, so on our blog, you can find many posts that will entertain you and, hopefully, make you smile!
We hope you enjoy our blog and discover a lot of interesting things!
English | Dutch Translator
Interview with Tim, Translator from English to Dutch: First things first, we would love to learn more about you: why and when did you decide to become a translator/interpreter? Where did the idea come from, and have you ever considered doing anything else? I hold a Master’s and Ph.D. degree in linguistics. When I was asked to do a translation job from English to Dutch by Lingostar, it caught my interest. Being a translator is not my main job. For the most part, I am the co-ordinator of an urban network in the southern part of the Netherlands. But both jobs are highly interconnected. It all comes down to making the effort to use a language that is fully understandable to the receiver. How different is being a translator/interpreter from what you had expected? I was not aware of the fact that translation is really more about the world than about language. However, internet always helps me to get a quick introduction into worlds that I am less familiar with. What is, according to you, the best way to learn a foreign language? How did you learn your languages? The best way to learn a foreign language is to go to an area where that language is spoken, on your own. And to force yourself to communicate solely in that language with native speakers of that language. Most of the languages I understand and speak I learned that way. What are the challenges of being a translator/interpreter? What are the perks? The most important challenge is to capture all subtleties from the source language in the target language.... read moreItalian | French | English Translator
Interview with Sharon, Translator and reviser from Italian and French to English: First things first, we would love to learn more about you: why and when did you decide to become a translator/interpreter? Where did the idea come from, and have you ever considered doing anything else? It first occurred to me that I could become a translator when I applied for – and won – my first “real” job as Translator, Editor and Speechwriter at the Italian Embassy in Ottawa. After working there 3 years, I took and passed the certification exam for Italian to English. From then on I have always worked in the field, at first part time and for the last 12 years, full time, from my home office. I have in fact, worked in other fields, notably as a high school teacher, but translation is what I love, together with being my own boss. I have discovered that the best translators not only have in-depth mastery of their source languages; they are well-read and excellent writers themselves. We are communicators on several planes. Translation combines my own strengths and at this point, I can’t imagine doing anything else. How different is being a translator/interpreter from what you had expected? I’m not sure that it is terribly different from what I had expected, except that it is amazing how at times so many translations of a phrase can all be correct. What is, according to you, the best way to learn a foreign language? How did you learn your languages? The BEST way is to arrange to have parents who speak a different native language... read moreLanguage Matters July 2011: How Facebook Got [Almost] Universal Through Translation
Dear Language Friend, You have probably already noticed the vast number of languages that are available on the widely popular social networking website, Facebook. You also may have already seen the window below and marveled at the diversity of available languages: Yes, Facebook already has 69 languages available in its database, in addition to regional dialects and geographic varieties, such as English (US), English (UK), or English (India), Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Mexico), or Spanish (Venezuela). Surprisingly, in spite of all the new features and constant improvements, Facebook is still free and easy to access. You may ask yourself: how come? How can Facebook afford to pay more than 70 translators for the 24,000 phrases currently present on the website? Well, it doesn’t have to. Here is the full story, courtesy of the LingoStar team! Contributed by Coralie Tripier and Cecilia Rose *** After having quickly conquered Harvard, the Ivy League, and later a large part of North America, former student and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg had one thing in mind: making Facebook known and used worldwide. Clearly, the young CEO needed to translate the entire website into other languages, but that is not all: more than anything else, he needed to localize it – adapt it to different cultures. Sometime around the year 2007, Zuckerberg had a revolutionary idea: a translation by the Facebook user for the Facebook user! Since then, the Facebook Translation App – an application allowing users to translate and choose the best translations for the website – was launched. First, it helped translate the platform into Spanish, German, and French, before expanding to other languages.... read moreEnglish | Chinese (Simplified and Traditional) Translator
Interview with Peter, Translator from English to Chinese (simplified and traditional): First things first, we would love to learn more about you: why and when did you decide to become a translator/interpreter? Where did the idea come from, and have you ever considered doing anything else? I decided to become a translator in 2004, two years after I immigrated to Canada. In order to survive in the new country, I took different jobs, such as file processing specialist with an immigration company, ESL and TOEFL tutor with some private colleges and bookkeeper with a Vancouver-based company. But none of the jobs was what I liked. Later a friend of mine, who is a translator, asked me to help him with some translation jobs, and he encouraged me to be a full time translator. I followed his advice and quit all the other odd jobs and started to work as a translator. How different is being a translator/interpreter from what you had expected? A translator’s job is more challenging and time-consuming than I expected. To be a qualified translator, one must not only be very proficient at both the source language and target language, but must also have extensive knowledge in your areas. A good translator should also know how to use CAT tools in his translation and have good project management skills. Above all, a good translator must be committed to his work and clients What is, according to you, the best way to learn a foreign language? How did you learn your languages? To me, the best way to learn a foreign language is by communicating with native... read moreMandarin Chinese | English Translator
Interview with Milton, Translator from English to Chinese: First things first, we would love to learn more about you: why and when did you decide to become a translator/interpreter? Where did the idea come from, and have you ever considered doing anything else? I was admitted to the foreign languages department of my university in error first, then I was assigned a job as an interpreter upon graduation, no much choice made by myself then; Later, I went away from it by running my own websites for about five years. How different is being a translator/interpreter from what you had expected? Not much difference, but it’s becoming more rewarding now as I spend more effort and time in translation. What is, according to you, the best way to learn a foreign language? How did you learn your languages? Practice makes perfect and you need to practice it every day. I learnt it through normal schooling at first, and through working with it later. What are the challenges of being a translator/interpreter? What are the perks? Time management when facing a growing flow of work. You can earn quite a lot without the pains of 9 to 5. Thank you very... read moreEnglish | Japanese Translator
Interview with Mami, Translator from English to Japanese: First things first, we would love to learn more about you: why and when did you decide to become a translator/interpreter? Where did the idea come from, and have you ever considered doing anything else? When I was working at a Japanese community newspaper in Vancouver, I had a few occasions to translate English articles to Japanese. Since I enjoyed this experience so much, I started to see becoming a translator as my next step, and so I took a translation introductory course. During the course, my nascent interest transformed to determination that I should pursue this career and do further studies. How different is being a translator/interpreter from what you had expected? To do English to Japanese translation requires a higher level of Japanese writing skill and wider knowledge of Japanese vocabulary than I have ever expected. Also, translators have to be very detailed-oriented. What is, according to you, the best way to learn a foreign language? How did you learn your languages? Read a lot, whatever interests you. I am reading news on the internet, a few magazines, and books in my fields of interests. What are the challenges of being a translator/interpreter? What are the perks? Not to make mistranslations is challenging for me. Even though it might sound basic, the definition of words is so different between fields and this is not simple, but very important. Therefore, I am always doing in-depth research about the topics I work on. Also, I am trying hard to make the resulting text look natural, using adequate style and wording... read moreEnglish | Chinese Translator
Interview with Jian, Translator from English to Chinese (Mandarin): First things first, we would love to learn more about you: why and when did you decide to become a translator/interpreter? Where did the idea come from, and have you ever considered doing anything else? I started to work as a freelance translator since 2002. I fell in love with this self-employment style almost since day one. I do have considered doing other things, but only for couple days, then I’ll be back to translation work again. What is, according to you, the best way to learn a foreign language? How did you learn your languages? You have to start to learn a foreign language from a early age, the early the better. What are the challenges of being a translator/interpreter? What are the perks? To discipline yourself and make your house like an office. Thank you very... read moreEnglish | Korean Translator
Interview with Bryan, Translator from English to Korean: First things first, we would love to learn more about you: why and when did you decide to become a translator/interpreter? Where did the idea come from, and have you ever considered doing anything else? Well, it must have been my new year’s resolution for the year 2010, trying to make the most of who I am and what I have been doing in my life, embracing and affirming who I am and how I have lived my life. Since I came to Canada, I had been struggling with my strange new language called English for quite a few years and it dawned on me that I can actually make use of that experience and the result of my long struggle. And I think I made a good decision. And I must confess that translation is still my part time job, although I like it very much and I think I am getting better and better in what I am doing. I have other jobs that I cherish with all my heart. I guess I believe in killing two birds with a stone. (Only figuratively, of course. As a vegetarian, I am strongly opposed to killing any bird or any animal for that matter.) And so far, translation has been one of the two (or three?) birds. And I love all my dead birds. How different is being a translator/interpreter from what you had expected? Well, I found translation involves more than just language skill: time management, marketing skill, computer skill, and a bunch of software. What is, according to... read moreEnglish | Spanish | French Translator
Interview with Louis-Benoit, Translator from English and Spanish to French: First things first, we would love to learn more about you: why and when did you decide to become a translator/interpreter? Where did the idea come from, and have you ever considered doing anything else? During my studies I have always been giving a lot importance to grammar, rules of citation and style guidelines, proper translation of specific terms, and best ways to develop ideas in my essays. I might was focusing a little too much on it…I’m not sure I always had much better marks because this part of my essays were really faultless. 6 months ago, after a semester in a Master program of Urban Planning I realised the job I already had in translation was definitely the best fit to my personality and abilities. So I decided to get a professional accreditation and really make my living with my passion for languages. How different is being a translator/interpreter from what you had expected? I had no idea CAT tools were so important in the translation industry. What is, according to you, the best way to learn a foreign language? How did you learn your languages? I think doing an immersion is something very important to learn a foreign language. This is what I did to learn Spanish when I was a teen. I stayed 6 months in Costa Rica, living with a local family who didn’t speak a word at all of English or French. Only after 2 months, I was feeling very comfortable speaking Spanish but, I knew I was still making a lot of... read more
Interpreters’ Profiles and Interviews
What is Language Interpretation? Language interpretation – the process of “translat[ing] orally or into sign language the words of a person speaking a different language”[1] – is a field too often confused with translation. As its name indicates, “interpretation” is the action of explaining the meaning of something. Indeed, an interpreter needs to convey information from one language to another – and from one person to another – very quickly, without being able to carry out any terminology research, and this process can be done by explaining what the speaker said rather than by translating verbatim. Simultaneous or Consecutive? Within the field of interpretation, it is important to make the distinction between two branches: simultaneous and consecutive interpretation. In consecutive interpretation, the interpreter listens to the speech while taking notes and renders his or her translation a few seconds later. This type of interpretation requires special note-taking skills. In simultaneous interpretation, the interpreter listens to the speaker with headphones and renders his or her translation at the same time. It is usually a more popular type of interpretation during large-scale meetings and conferences, and requires a high level of skill from the interpreter. How Does It Work? Rapidity and accuracy are mandatory in interpretation, and a mistake can have dramatic effect; whether it be in court interpretation or politics. This accuracy cannot be achieved unless interpreters work in a group, so they usually work in teams of two, taking turns every 20 minutes. A prime example of how hard interpreting can be occurred at the UN general assembly that was held in New York in September 2009. During this... read moreTranslators’ Profiles and Interviews
Foreign language translation is the process of transforming a written text from one language into another language. However, it is not a simple conversion; often cultural subtleties have to be taken into account. Translation is not only about languages, it is about people, history, culture, ethics, and much more. A translator has to be knowledgeable in all these fields and has to be willing to carry out research for each new translation he or she receives. A freelance translator is a translator that works from his/her own office – often in his/her home – and translates documents sent to him/her by translation agencies or clients. This type of work allows them to be independent and in charge of their own workload and schedule. Read on to be introduced to some of our translators and learn more about them! {showhide titlebottom2=”true” title=”Spanish l English l Canadian French Translator” changetitle=”Close” template=”rounded-content,arrow-orange”} Spanish | English | Canadian French Translator Name: Louis-Benoit Job title: Translator Native Language: French Language Pair(s): English to French, Spanish to French Country of Residence: Canada Specialization(s): Politics and Economics Working with LingoStar since: 2009 Favourite quote: “Utopia lies at the horizon. When I draw nearer by two steps, it retreats two steps. If I proceed ten steps forward, it swiftly slips ten steps ahead. No matter how far I go, I can never reach it. What, then, is the purpose of utopia? It is to cause us to advance.” –Eduardo Galeano Click here to read our French translator Louis-Benoit’s interview! {/showhide} {showhide titlebottom2=”true” title=”Italian l French l English Translator” changetitle=”Close” template=”rounded-content,arrow-orange”} Italian | French | English Translator Name: Sharon Job title: Translator/reviser Native Language: English Language Pair(s): Italian... read moreLanguage Matters May 2011: The Wonderful Etymology of LingoStar’s First Names
Dear Language Friend, Our first name defines us, is part of us, and still, we often don’t think about its history. How many of us know the exact origin, meaning, and popularity of our given name? Very few, actually. Thus the LingoStar team decided to unveil the mysteries of our international team’s first names. Let’s take a closer look at the true sense (Étumon, in Greek), and at the reason (Logia, in Greek) – that is to say the etymology – of our Canadian, Czech, French, and Japanese names. Contributed by Coralie Tripier and Cecilia Rose. LENKA /leŋkə/ – Owner of LingoStar “Lenka” is a female Slavic name that was originally a diminutive of “Magdalena” or “Elena”, before being used as an independent name. “Lenka” is mostly to be found in Czech Republic and Slovakia. In Slovak, the meaning of the name is “light”, but “Lenka” is thought to be a clear reference to Magdalena, meaning “woman from Magdala”, a town that might have existed on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. However, there could also be another meaning to “Lenka”, or to “Magdalena”, as the word “migdal” means “tower” or “elevated and great”, in Hebrew. It is also a clear reference to Mary Magdalena, the apostle to apostles, the most elevated of all, hence the first one to see Jesus after his resurrection. CECILIA – /sɨˈsiːliə/ -Project Manager at LingoStar “Cecilia” is a female name derived from the Latin word “caecum”, meaning “blind”. Although it doesn’t seem at first “sight” to have a glorious meaning, especially considering that “Caecilian” is also used to describe a blind worm,... read more
Translator/Interpreter job
ON THE INTERPRETER SIDE What do interpreters do? What does a “typical” interpretation job entail? An interpreter’s job is to orally communicate a message effectively, quickly and accurately from one language into another. This can be done consecutively (person speaks and pauses, interpreter follows with translation) or simultaneously (person speaks and interpreter translates simultaneously from a separate booth into a microphone and people can listen to the translation if they choose, usually through a headset). The interpreter is neutral and bound by a confidentiality agreement. What are some of the main challenges associated with being an interpreter? Interpreters are highly skilled individuals, often working under enormous pressure. Dealing with stress is probably one of the main challenges that an interpreter has to face, especially during simultaneous interpretation. The message has to be conveyed instantaneously so the interpreter has to process the information in the source language and find the appropriate words to translate the information in the target language. It can be very difficult to translate cultural references, idioms, and specialized terminology, especially on the fly. A lot of preparation time is needed, often with reference material, and interpreters are chosen depending on their education and work experience. For example, you would need someone with an engineering background to interpret at a conference in that field, or someone with experience with medical terminology to interpret at a medical seminar, etc. They all can’t be experts at everything! What are some of the “perks”/rewards of being an interpreter? One obvious reward for being an interpreter is all the traveling: conferences and meetings are held everywhere in the world and an... read moreLanguage Translation & Locations
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