For nearly 25 years, our women-owned, family-owned business has provided high quality language translation and interpreting services. Over time and thousands of projects, our talented team has learned important best practices and tips about the language services industry, and we continue to stay current on the latest translation technologies and trends.
We'll share that kind of great information here in our Blog, in addition to addressing topics such as:
Running a small businesses efficiently and effectively
Supplier Diversity
Global Supply Chain Management
Plus items of cultural interest like Recipes, Photography, etc.
So please visit again soon. Thank you!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Pharmacies agree to translate drug instructions
In New York, two major pharmacy changes have agreed to to translate prescription drug instructions into the primary minority languages spoken by their customers. In our increasingly diverse society, the translation of necessary materials such as these is becoming more widespread, due to increased customer demand, and resulting legislation.
According to the Associated Press article, “state law requires pharmacists to provide information about prescription drugs orally and in writing and prohibits discriminating against non-English speakers, officials said. Census data show more than 1 million New Yorkers who do not speak English well or at all, according to Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. He said misunderstanding dosages, side effects and allergic reactions can be "a matter of life and death."”
According to the Associated Press article, “state law requires pharmacists to provide information about prescription drugs orally and in writing and prohibits discriminating against non-English speakers, officials said. Census data show more than 1 million New Yorkers who do not speak English well or at all, according to Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. He said misunderstanding dosages, side effects and allergic reactions can be "a matter of life and death."”
Monday, November 17, 2008
Europe mapped by language
We recently discovered this map of Europe, color coded by language spoken, which we think is fascinating. Language diversity is alive and well in Europe; as you can see, there are more European languages than European countries! The languages are grouped by language family--not all European languages are related to each other! Some are part of several language groups distinct from Indo-European (the most common European language family).
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Clear, Rapid Correspondence
There's a good chance that you've seen this classic (and humorous) example of mistranslation, but in case you haven't, please read on.
The story is that officials asked for the Welsh translation of a road sign, and they thought the reply was what they needed. Unfortunately, what the sign actually says is that "I am not in the office at the moment. Please send any work to be translated." And presumably that was followed by the e-mail address of another person.
Bottom line, issues like this can be easily overcome with clear written communication between client and translation company - something Dynamic Language specializes in. :)
The story is that officials asked for the Welsh translation of a road sign, and they thought the reply was what they needed. Unfortunately, what the sign actually says is that "I am not in the office at the moment. Please send any work to be translated." And presumably that was followed by the e-mail address of another person.Bottom line, issues like this can be easily overcome with clear written communication between client and translation company - something Dynamic Language specializes in. :)
Monday, November 3, 2008
Free Language Instruction
For anyone who would like to quickly learn some basic phrases, I suggest you visit the BBC Languages page. You can pick up some knowledge for FREE in the following languages: French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Greek, and Chinese.
Beyond these comprehensively covered languages, there are also some essential phrases in 36 languages available as well, from Albanian to Ukrainian.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
ASL (American Sign Language): Different Essentials to Visual Language
Did you know that there are several different styles or methods of ASL (American Sign Language) that can be used for the Deaf culture and Hard of Hearing? It is easy to think that ASL (American Sign Language) covers the complete visual language for this social group, but based upon the background of an individual, their preferences and needs might extend beyond visual signing. They may need Oral Interpreting, Close Signing, Tactile Signing or a combination of several in order to fully understand a conversation. Understanding your client’s needs and their preferred style can be a very important step. Different styles aid to different individuals and their preference of retrieving information. Knowing the key essentials of ASL can render a new light for you and your client. Check out the differences below.
ASL (American Sign Language): ASL is a complex visual language, with its own unique syntax, grammar and sentence structure used by many deaf and hard of hearing clients. ASL is not directly from the English Language or solely a form of signed English. Clients who have ASL as their first or only language may not have learned English. ASL is its own visual language, meaning that the information is expressed with combinations of handshapes, palm orientations, movements of the hands, and facial expressions. ASL is used natively and predominantly by the Deaf and hard-of-hearing within the United States and Canada. ASL can also include both finger-spelling borrowings from English, as well as the incorporation of alphabetic letters from English words into ASL signs to distinguish related meanings of what would otherwise be covered by a single sign in ASL.
PSE (Pidgin Sign/Signed English)/Contact Signing: PSE is a combination of ASL signing and English grammar. However, word endings and words unnecessary to the overall understanding of conversation are not usually included. For example, if the sentence “The dog jumped the fence“is spoken within a speech or lecture, the interpreter may just sign “Dog, Jump, Fence“, skipping any unnecessary words or phrases. PSE can range from being more ASL-based to being more English-based depending on what the client is comfortable using.
SEE (Signed/Signing Exact English): SEE is a method of manual communication that visually represents spoken English. Some vocabulary is taken from ASL, supplemented with special signs that allow English to be signed exactly as it is spoken.
Deaf/Blind (tactile and close-vision):
Tactile signing is a method of communication through which the interpreter uses ASL signs or finger-spelling on the hand or hands of the Deaf/Blind person.
Close-vision can be used when the client still has some sight. The interpreter needs to sign in very close proximity to the client, use smaller, more compact gestures and any other accommodations (lighting, clothing, etc.) to maximize the ability of the client to see the interpreter as clearly as possible.
Oral Interpreting: For Oral Interpreting, the interpreter must clearly articulate, with their mouth (without voice), what is being said for a client who relies primarily on lip-reading (speech reading). Oral Interpreting does not usually include signing as in Transliteration.
Transliteration: For Transliteration, the interpreter mouths the words being spoken (without voice) while signing for a client who reads lips and uses the signing to clarify the communication. The emphasis is not solely on the mouth as in Oral Interpreting.
Real Time Captioning/CART (Communication Access Real-time Translation): Real Time Captioning and CART are mostly used for presentations, workshops or training courses. English text appears as it is spoken, on a laptop or large screen, as it is typed on a stenotype machine (also used in court reporting). This type of communication can only be used for those deaf or hard of hearing clients who read and understand English.
For more information, please contact web@dynamiclanguage.com or visit our website at www.dynamiclanguage.com.
ASL (American Sign Language): ASL is a complex visual language, with its own unique syntax, grammar and sentence structure used by many deaf and hard of hearing clients. ASL is not directly from the English Language or solely a form of signed English. Clients who have ASL as their first or only language may not have learned English. ASL is its own visual language, meaning that the information is expressed with combinations of handshapes, palm orientations, movements of the hands, and facial expressions. ASL is used natively and predominantly by the Deaf and hard-of-hearing within the United States and Canada. ASL can also include both finger-spelling borrowings from English, as well as the incorporation of alphabetic letters from English words into ASL signs to distinguish related meanings of what would otherwise be covered by a single sign in ASL.
PSE (Pidgin Sign/Signed English)/Contact Signing: PSE is a combination of ASL signing and English grammar. However, word endings and words unnecessary to the overall understanding of conversation are not usually included. For example, if the sentence “The dog jumped the fence“is spoken within a speech or lecture, the interpreter may just sign “Dog, Jump, Fence“, skipping any unnecessary words or phrases. PSE can range from being more ASL-based to being more English-based depending on what the client is comfortable using.
SEE (Signed/Signing Exact English): SEE is a method of manual communication that visually represents spoken English. Some vocabulary is taken from ASL, supplemented with special signs that allow English to be signed exactly as it is spoken.
Deaf/Blind (tactile and close-vision):
Tactile signing is a method of communication through which the interpreter uses ASL signs or finger-spelling on the hand or hands of the Deaf/Blind person.
Close-vision can be used when the client still has some sight. The interpreter needs to sign in very close proximity to the client, use smaller, more compact gestures and any other accommodations (lighting, clothing, etc.) to maximize the ability of the client to see the interpreter as clearly as possible.
Oral Interpreting: For Oral Interpreting, the interpreter must clearly articulate, with their mouth (without voice), what is being said for a client who relies primarily on lip-reading (speech reading). Oral Interpreting does not usually include signing as in Transliteration.
Transliteration: For Transliteration, the interpreter mouths the words being spoken (without voice) while signing for a client who reads lips and uses the signing to clarify the communication. The emphasis is not solely on the mouth as in Oral Interpreting.
Real Time Captioning/CART (Communication Access Real-time Translation): Real Time Captioning and CART are mostly used for presentations, workshops or training courses. English text appears as it is spoken, on a laptop or large screen, as it is typed on a stenotype machine (also used in court reporting). This type of communication can only be used for those deaf or hard of hearing clients who read and understand English.
For more information, please contact web@dynamiclanguage.com or visit our website at www.dynamiclanguage.com.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Inc. 5000!!
Thanks to the support of our customers, and our team, Dynamic Language has just been acknowledged as one of the fastest-growing companies in the United States! This ranking is from the 2008 edition of Inc. Magazine's annual Inc. 500/5000 list of privately held companies, ranked by 3-year growth rate since 2004. We wanted to share the news asap via the Blog, but a press release will also be going out soon. Thank you for your support!!!
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