Liverpool footballer Luis Suárez was recently handed an 8 match ban for the racial abuse of Manchester United footballer Patrice Evra. In Suárez’s native Uruguay reactions to the decision have veered from bemusement to outrage, with suggestions that the language used would not have been viewed as offensive in Rioplatense Spanish.   more »

For businesses of all sizes, operating internationally is an essential factor in both short-term survival and long-term growth. Thankfully, whether bringing investment to the UK or looking to export, there are a number of services out there to help make doing business internationally as easy as possible.   more »

Managing a number of language service providers can cause serious problems with regards to linguistic consistency, as well as bringing the added time-consuming complications that come with dealing with a large and disparate range of suppliers. We look at why it makes sense to centralise your translation services.   more »

Students from Meadowhead School were given a taster of life in the language industry with a visit to TransAction Translators in Sheffield last week.   more »

With many university language departments facing cuts in the light of the current economic crisis, we ask if language skills are undervalued in the UK.   more »

When times are tough and money is tight (sound familiar?) businesses will look to reduce expenses in any way possible. One way in which companies of any size do this is to ask bilingual members of their staff to carry out their translation work, rather than using the services of a professional translation company. Business Development Manager Sabine Panneau recently outlined why doing this can be extremely costly in the long-term.   more »

With research suggesting that translation buyers prioritise speed and cost, is there still room for quality in the translation industry?   more »

It has been suggested that translators perform an ‘invisible’ job, with the work they do going unnoticed and largely unheralded. Nevertheless, translators provide a vital service in bridging the gap between languages and cultures, and nowhere is this service more important than in the work of humanitarian group Translators Without Borders.   more »

The language industry continues to grow, thanks to its ability to combine new technology with human linguistic capabilities. Here we run down a few of our most important technological tools.   more »

The Concise Oxford English Dictionary celebrates its centenary this year and, just like one hundred years ago, technology and social trends dominate the latest editions. In keeping with its illustrious history, there is no shortage of controversy surrounding new entries with ‘retweet’, ’mankini’ and ‘cyberbullying’ among the latest inclusions.   more »

For small businesses looking to trade across the EU, working among the different types of contract law within the various member states can represent a major, often insurmountable, logistical and financial hurdle. However, the European Commission is discussing a solution which may provide an alternative to existing international business practices.   more »

This is my final blog post for TransAction as I will be leaving this week to relocate to London.

I ...   more »

Our most popular tweets of the last few weeks.   more »

Paula recently completed some work experience at our offices. Similarly to TransAction Project Manager Rich Furlong, she has decided to move from teaching into the translation.   more »

There are a few things that we pride ourselves on here in Britain: our sense of humour, a stiff upper lip and, of course, our unfailing politeness. However, in a business context, what we might consider to be courteous language can actually be confusing or even misleading to our European counterparts.   more »

In order to stay competitive in a crowded market, many translation companies are becoming ‘boutique’ and specialising only in the translation of a particular type of text. This may mean that they focus specifically on financial, legal or technical translations, believing that this specialisation allows them to offer a better quality of service to their customers.   more »

Our most popular tweets of the last few weeks.   more »

This post is a summary by Silvan a local student who recently completed work experience at TransAction, of the W£lcome article that appeared in this summer’s edition of the UKTI publication, Springboard.   more »

Our recent tweet linking to an article discussing the pitfalls of poor translations proved very popular. With more and more UK business opting to translate their websites to reach more international clients, an increasing number of companies are relying on free, online machine translation tools to do the job: often with negative consequences.   more »

TransAction’s Marketing Manager Annika Vale is on a 124-mile charity mission to raise £500 for Diabetes UK.   more »

Our most popular tweets of the few weeks.   more »

Languages Sheffield are currently drafting Sheffield's City Languages Strategy, which will cover all sectors in the city that use or learn languages or provide language services such as translation agencies and freelance translators and interpreters. We are therefore collecting information on the translation and interpreting services available locally.   more »

Our most popular tweets of the last month:   more »

A quick glance at any translation forum, #translation Twitter feed or online search result will leave readers in no doubt about the ongoing and growing debate surrounding the application of machine translation. This heated debate has been fuelled by the presence of online translation tools such as Babel Fish and Google Translate whose popularity has had such an impact that even those unfamiliar with the industry are aware of the potential of machine translation.   more »

No doubt many of you will stumble across language faux pas on your summer holidays. Seny your translation blooper snaps to us for a chance to feature in our August newsletter!   more »

Recent research conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) found that over two thirds of UK businesses are looking to expand overseas. The value of the pound against the dollar and the euro has certainly made exporting a particularly appealing option in recent months. However, it should not be forgotten that the recession is worldwide. In order to succeed, companies need to take the time to ensure that they are targeting the right country and the right customers.   more »

The London 2012 games are expected to attract 10 million visitors over the course of their 27-day programme. As businesses focus on how they will profit while the international spotlight is on the UK, will they make the mistake of overlooking the tourism sector in the interim?   more »

Our most popular tweets of the last few weeks:   more »

And if you're still not convinced, listen to our clients!   more »

We often take our ability to ride a bike for granted but I imagine that, for most of us, mastering two wheels was probably one of the biggest and most memorable achievements of our tender years.   more »

As Business Language Champions we aim to encourage more school pupils to consider careers in the translation industry, but what about budding linguists in higher-education and beyond? How can the translators of the future take their first step on the career ladder? Here is our selection of the top sites and resources offering support and guidance for those considering earning a living as a freelance translator:   more »

As long-standing members of the Association of Translation Companies we are proud to present the association's new logo.   more »

A selection of the most popular online articles that @TransActionHQ have been reading this month.   more »

Professional translations by professional translators. Although fluency in more than one language is an essential part of becoming a translator, this skill is not, in itself, sufficient. A linguist must be able to demonstrate a number of other key skills in order to succeed as a freelance translator.   more »

With over 500 followers, our twitter feed is proving to be rather popular. If you don’t follow @TransActionHQ on Twitter ...   more »