In this digital age, many organizations are looking for quick solutions. Teneo Linguistics Company recognizes this and over the years has perfected its on-demand interpreting services.
Professional interpreting is a much-needed component of communication in today’s global marketplace. Whether a community event, a medical appointment, or a business interview, quick and professional interpreting services through TLC’s online system can be utilized by any company.
The platform allows customers to log in and schedule an interpreter for a face-to-face interpreting assignment or request immediate services over the telephone or via video.
Here’s a look at the benefits of each type of interpreting through the online portal:
• Video Remote Interpreting – The interpreting is done over a computer, tablet, or phone. This type of interpreting service is commonly used in the healthcare and corporate industries. It is beneficial in emergency situations due to its immediacy in connecting with an interpreter. VRI is typically more economical and ensures effective communication with the face-to-face factor.
• Over-the-Phone Interpreting (OPI) – Another budget-friendly interpreting service that allows an organization to preschedule an interpreter through a telephone call. Since most people have their cell phones readily available, this is another option to connect to a professional interpreter quickly.
The platform also collects and records data any time it’s used. This gives an entity more flexibility and fast resources as they control their own customized page.
TLC management provides every new customer with a demonstration of the platform, complete with a PowerPoint, and answers questions along the way. While the platform streamlines the interpreting process, customers are never left to fend for themselves. Clients always have direct access to TLC employees.
This modern, cloud-based system enables us to deliver high-value and lower-cost service.
And while this platform is a great option for many customers, TLC also offers on-site interpreting as well. There are two types of on-site interpreting:
• Simultaneous Interpreting – The interpreter listens and renders the message in the target language simultaneously as the speaker is speaking. Simultaneous interpreting is suitable for conferences and/or large meetings. TLC also provides the needed specialized interpreting equipment.
• Consecutive Interpreting – The interpreter speaks after the source-language speaker has stopped speaking. This is suitable for business meetings, press conferences, educational settings, and small groups.
Learn more about TLC’s professional interpreting services by visiting www.tlctranslation.com.
There are about 7,000 languages spoken worldwide today. However, more than 2,000 languages are now considered endangered.
In early 2022, data released by the Endangered Languages Project showed there were 222 endangered/threatened languages in North/Central American countries, 226 in South American countries, 148 in Europe/Russia, 428 in Africa, 693 in Asia, and 733 in the Oceania countries.
There are several contributing factors as to why a language becomes endangered including war and genocide; natural disasters, famine, and disease; political repression; urbanization; and intermarriage.
But what are the criteria for a language to be deemed endangered?
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), there are varying degrees of endangerment. These are separated into categories:
Extinct – There exists no speaker of the language.
Critically endangered – The language is used mostly by very few speakers, of the great-grandparental generation.
Severely endangered – The language is used mostly by the grandparental generation and up.
Definitely endangered – The language is used mostly by the parental generation and up.
Unsafe – The language is used by some children in all domains; it is used by all children in limited domains.
Safe – The language is used by all ages.
The Guardian published a list of languages on UNESCO’s scale of endangerment. Here are some of the languages that are considered “critically endangered”:
• Hawaiian – This is a Polynesian language of the Austronesian language family that takes its name from Hawaiʻi, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed.
• Mayo – This is a Uto-Aztecan language. The language is spoken by less than 40,000 people, the Mexican Mayo or Yoreme Indians, who live in the South of the Mexican state of Sonora and in the North of the neighboring state of Sinaloa.
• Yakkha – This is a language spoken in parts of Nepal, the Darjeeling district, and Sikkim. The Yakkha-speaking villages are located to the East of the Arun River, in the southern part of the Sankhuwasabha district, and in the northern part of the Dhankuta district of Nepal.
• Northern Totonac – This is a Totonacan language cluster of Mexico, spoken across a number of central Mexican states by the Totonac people.
• Mūöt/Nancoury – This is a Nicobarese language spoken in the central Nicobar Islands. It is not mutually intelligible with the other Central Nicobarese languages and is distantly related to Vietnamese and Khmer.
• Nihali – This is a moribund language isolate that is spoken in west-central India, with approximately 2,000 people in 1991 out of an ethnic population of 5,000.
• Tchumbuli – A Guang language spoken by 2,000 to 3,000 people in Benin.
• Lanoh – This language is also known by the alternative name Jengjeng, and is an endangered aboriginal Aslian language spoken in Perak, a state of western Malaysia.
• Chuj (Mexico) – A Mayan language spoken by around 3,000 members in Mexico.
• Lokono (Guyana) – This is a Northern Arawakan language spoken in the peri-coastal areas of the Guianas (Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana). Today, in every Lokono village there remains only a small number of elderly native speakers.
• Saaroa – A Southern Tsouic language that is spoken by the Saaroa people, an indigenous people of Taiwan. It is a Formosan language of the Austronesian family.
• Talodi – A Niger-Congo language in the Talodi family of Kordofan, Sudan. Talodi is spoken in Tasomi and Tata villages.
• Xinca – A small extinct family of Mesoamerican languages, formerly regarded as a single language isolate, once spoken by the indigenous Xinca people in southeastern Guatemala, much of El Salvador, and parts of Honduras.
• Itzá – A Mayan language that is spoken by the Itza people near Lake Peten Itza in north-central Guatemala and neighboring Belize.
• Hértevin – A dialect of Northeastern Neo-Aramaic originally spoken by Chaldean Catholics in a cluster of villages in Siirt Province in southeastern Turkey.
• Ulch/Olcha – A Tungusic language spoken by the Ulch people in the Russian Far East.
• Iñapari – This is an indigenous South American language spoken by just four people in Perú along the Las Piedras River near the mouth of the Sabaluyoq river.
• Ottawa (Michigan) – This language is also known as the Odawa dialect of the Ojibwe language is spoken by the Ottawa people in southern Ontario in Canada, and northern Michigan in the United States.
• Northern Paiute (Oregon) – A member of the Uto-Aztecan language family. It is most closely related to the language of the Owens Valley Paiute and to Mono, spoken directly on the other side of the Sierra Nevada.
• Tlingit (United States of America) – The language of coastal Southeastern Alaska from Yakutat south to Ketchikan. The total Tlingit population in Alaska is about 10,000 in 16 communities with about 500 speakers of the language.
• Sauk-Fox – An Algonquian language, spoken by a thousand Meskwaki, Sauk, and Kickapoo in various locations in the Midwestern United States and in northern Mexico.
• Zazao – An Oceanic language spoken in the Solomon Islands. Its speakers live on Santa Isabel Island.
• Assiniboine (Canada) – A Nakotan Siouan language of the Northern Plains. The name Assiniboine comes from the term Asiniibwaan, from Ojibwe, meaning “Stone Siouans”.
Of course, this is just a small number of languages on UNESCO’s list.
But what is the importance of saving languages? When a language becomes extinct, a culture can be lost. Language is entrenched in a community – its stories, songs, poems, and heritage.
Ways individuals can help preserve endangered languages range from keeping and maintaining printed or written documentation of a language to promoting languages on social media, taking language courses, and teaching languages to children and others.
Teneo Linguistics Company has thousands of professional, experienced linguists in its database who are proficient in more than 180 languages. And the languages TLC offers continue to grow over time.
Learn more about how TLC can support language projects by visiting www.tlctranslation.com.
With more than 18,000 language services providers worldwide, it can be challenging to separate the great from the mediocre.
So where does Teneo Linguistics Company fall in this long list of vendors? This piece will discuss just some of the ways TLC stands above competitors in the language industry.
1. TLC doesn’t lean on larger corporations for support.
Customers have direct access to and work with TLC decision-makers.
Many language services providers out there are subsidiaries, which means they are under the direction of a parent company. TLC sets its own high-quality standards and is not just a cog in a large corporation’s machine.
2. Customers get the same level of systems and programs.
TLC is known for its excellent business practices and its use of a combination of human talent and AI software that rivals that of larger language service providers.
TLC excels in providing highly accurate and efficient technical translation services and is committed to quick turnarounds with a 100% on-time delivery rate. There are thousands of professional, experienced linguistics in TLC’s database who are proficient in more than 180 languages.
3. TLC provides language services to a wide range of industries.
The industries TLC serves include life science organizations, government agencies, manufacturing companies, legal firms, and education/e-learning.
Life Sciences – Biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, hospitals, medical offices, etc.;
Government – Federal and state government, public health, law enforcement, and local government;
Manufacturing – Medical device and pharmaceutical distributors, software, construction, electronics, materials, etc.;
Legal firms – Company legal counsel, law offices, and individual attorneys;
Education and E-learning – Educational materials within any business and public education testing materials.
Individuals in the community needing translations are also a big part of TLC’s customer base. This primarily consists of personal document translation for official purposes.
TLC can translate a variety of personal documents, including birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, academic transcripts, driver’s licenses, passports, and medical records.
4. Services are tailored and performed by hand-picked staff
TLC tailors its language services to fit a client’s individual needs without pressure from a holding company. This also allows TLC to carefully select its global linguists and other employees to ensure the highest quality of language services. No one has a say in the hiring process except TLC management.
Teneo Linguistics Company is a certified small, woman-owned business specializing in translation and interpreting services in more than 180 languages.
Doing business in Canada, some may not know that Quebec has its own set of rules when it comes to translation. The Charter of the French Language was adopted by the Quebec government in 1977. The law was passed in order to preserve the quality of the French language, which was deemed the majority language among residents.
The Charter states that all inscriptions on products and accompanying documentation — commercial publications, public signs, public posters, and commercial advertising — must be translated into French. More specifically, this includes catalogs, flyers, brochures, websites, social media accounts, contracts, invoices, promotional bags, and employee uniforms.
The following additional rules apply to all businesses no matter how big or small they are.
Registered trademarks are NOT required to be translated into the French language unless a French version of the trademark is already registered.
French must be used in written documents and messages intended for employees in general, including those posted in the workplace. However, versions of these official documents and messages in English or another language are also allowed as long as the French stands out.
Businesses must have a French version of their websites if the company has a Quebec address and/or it sells its products and services to residents of Quebec.
Companies with 50 or more employees are required to use French in external and internal communication, work tools and/or documents, software, and computer technology.
In the event of a public emergency, French and English can both be used for signage. In addition, cultural and educational activities such as conferences and plays are not required to be in French. This goes for non-French media as well and some non-profit organizations.
An agency called the Office is responsible for enforcing the Charter of the French Language. Complaints must be filed through the Office.
The Charter has been amended more than six times since 1977 — each amendment controversial in Quebec.
Teneo Linguistics Company offers French translation and interpreting services that are affordable, efficient, and high-quality. TLC uses a network of highly qualified and experienced language professionals that have the highest standards in accuracy, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
TLC’s French business translation services cover all language needs during a company’s expansion. The professional translators used by TLC are native speakers and effectively navigate the cultural nuances of the language. They also have the ability to work with a variety of documents and software, and understand the semantics and structure of the French language.
Transcription is the process of listening to video and/or audio and writing it into text in the source language. Simply put, transcription is the conversion of spoken words into writing.
The earliest forms of transcription date back to ancient Egypt, around 3400 BC. Scribes wrote down the history and laws given by kings and aristocrats at that time. The scribes would attend school and dedicate their lives to learning and perfecting this skill. However, instead of a computer, they used stone tablets or papyrus.
Alexander Graham Bell — whose mother and wife were deaf — put a spin on Thomas Edison’s phonograph in the early 1880s creating the first dictation machine. The machine used a wax cylinder. A typist would pump the machine by foot in order to play back a recording and then listen using stethoscope-type earphones.
The invention of the typewriter in 1867 by Christopher Latham Sholes pushed transcription into the future making the work far faster. And it has only improved from there with the invention of computers, word processing software, and the internet. Professional transcribers can now do their work anytime, anywhere.
There are several benefits to transcribing certain video or audio projects within a company. Having meetings or conferences transcribed will give employees physical records without having someone take notes during the event. This will be important for future use, specifically if the subject matter needs to be presented in document form.
Here are a few additional reasons why transcription is beneficial from a business standpoint:
Expanded accessibility
Closed captioning was developed for those who are hearing impaired. It has continued to be an important part of video programming and another benefit of transcription. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 13% of the US population, or about 30 million people, ages 12 and older have hearing loss in both ears. Transcription is an important tool to ensure this population isn’t ignored and expands a company’s reach. Studies have shown that closed captioning also helps an audience further understand the material.
Increased views and Search Engine Optimization
Using podcasts as an example, it’s frustrating when a video or audio project is difficult to locate online. Transcribing a podcast ensures the video/audio is seen by online search engines and maximizes SEO reach. This will also make a project more shareable and inclusive.
Reduction in company manpower and time
Hiring a professional language services company instead of doing transcription in-house will save a company time and manpower. Transcription is meticulous and having a professional do the work also ensure accuracy and efficiency.
Teneo Linguistics Company offers both audio and video transcription services in most language combinations. High-quality, clear, and frequently confidential transcription can be a complex process. TLC handles all transcription projects with ease and affordable pricing.
Projects that TLC will transcribe include:
Taped meetings, calls, or video surveillance
Conference proceedings, lectures, or seminars
E-Learning
Market research
Clinical interviews
Psychological assessments
Podcasts
TLC provides monolingual translation, target language transcription, and bilingual transcription. Monolingual is when the source language audio is transcribed into text in the same language. Target language transcription is when the source language audio is transcribed directly into the requested language text. Bilingual transcription is where the source language audio is transcribed into text in the same language followed by the requested language.
All multilingual transcription projects are tailored to clients’ goals. The TLC team not only has excellent linguistic skills and appropriate subject matter expertise but also significant experience with transcription.
Learn more about TLC’s transcription services, and other language services, or request a quote by visiting www.tlctranslation.com.
Transcreation is the process of adapting a message from one language to another while ensuring its meaning is culturally appropriate for the target audience. Basically put, it’s an artistic interpretation of text rather than translating it precisely.
The term comes from the words “translation” and “creation,” but where is this process used most? Transcreation is typically considered when translating material for a global audience. It is most often used in marketing and advertising where creative messaging need adaptation. It is also utilized during the translation of art, like books.
While a translator still adjusts messaging to be culturally appropriate, transcreation is likely necessary for the adaptation of creative projects. Transcreation requires multiple skill sets — quality translation, copywriting, and copyediting.
Marketing translation is almost always more transcreation than direct translation. A translator has to localize phrases and words within the cultural and linguistic context to deliver the same meaning to the intended audience. This is just one of many reasons why human translators trump machine/online translators. A machine/online translator will not understand the context, emotion, and tone of certain messages and end up mistranslating the piece.
An example of marketing transcreation is a campaign that was done for the Apple iPods. Apple decided to transcreate its slogans in order to expand its reach globally.
But transcreation isn’t just used in marketing, it can be beneficial in other fields like entertainment, law, literature, and healthcare. And while it is not a familiar word to many, the term transcreation has been around since the 1960s and is an important technique that is far-reaching.
At Teneo Linguistics Company, expert linguists will be able to determine whether a project needs transcreation in order to move forward. And a company will be informed every step of the way. Learn more about how TLC can assist a business/organization or get a quote at www.tlctranslation.com.
Forms of translation have been around since the creation of languages. In the early days, translation was only used for communication and understanding and didn’t become an academic subject until the 1950s.
Because languages come out of culture, it has remained to be an essential piece in translation. A translator must always understand the significance of cultural context for every word translated. A word or phrase in one country may not mean the same thing in another.
The importance of understanding cultural context can be seen through mistakes of the past. One includes a mistranslation that occurred during a speech by Soviet Premier Nikita Kruschev in 1956 when tensions were rising between the Soviet Union and United States. And another that took place during President Jimmy Carter’s speech in Poland in 1977. Detailed accounts of these incidents can be found in a previous blog post.
In addressing cultural gaps, an academic paper written by Jianqing Wu of the Qingdao University of Science and Technology cites three practice points to follow during translation:
Translate the concept and convey the complete feeling of the original piece rather than just one word.
Use different styles with different genres.
Pay more attention to the reader of the piece.
Ultimately, Jianqing’s paper says a translator should attach greater importance to cultural equivalence than to any other aspects.
A professional translator’s job is to translate writing or speech from one language to another. And ultimately, if a professional translator lacks knowledge of cultures, it will lead to confusion, misunderstandings, offensiveness, and may even be threatening.
When a person communicates with another from the same culture, it is easier to exchange words and be understood, unlike people communicating from two different countries. So, it only makes sense that most professional translators work on projects that use their native language.
Teneo Linguistics Company handpicks professional translators who are experts in their region’s cultural and language variations so messages never miss the mark. The culture TLC has cultivated relies on living four core values: Excellence, Gratitude, Integrity, and Partnership. And intercultural awareness is especially important at TLC and teaching amongst employees is a big part of the company values.
Teneo Linguistics Company, LLC has been ranked by Best Startup Texas as one of the Top 22 Natural Language Processing companies in the state.
Best Startup Texas tracks more than 100,000 Texan startup companies and more than 500,000 people who have key positions within these companies. This information is then used to highlight organizations, founders, and top employees.
TLC was selected based on five areas — track record, executive leadership, market share, innovation, and ESG rating. TLC joins 21 other language services companies ranked in the piece from all around the state.
Hana Laurenzo is the founder and CEO of TLC and established the company in 2007. A recognized expert in her field, Hana has experience in providing language support to domestic and International businesses as well as government organizations.
TLC is located in Pantego, Texas, between Fort Worth and Arlington, and offers a variety of customizable language services to fit companies’ and organizations’ individual needs in more than 150 languages.
Core services include:
Translation
Interpreting
Transcription
Consulting
Website localization
Adaptation
Expert review
Media
Typesetting
Assessments
Staffing
Localization
Visit www.tlctranslation.com to learn more about TLC or to get a quote for language services.
There are about six billion online searches each day, therefore, having a solid multilingual/international search engine optimization (SEO) is important for any company’s website and/or application.
Multilingual/international SEO is the act of enhancing website content for different languages. This allows a company to expand globally and reach new audiences. This, in turn, gives businesses an edge over the competition by increasing sales, achieving long-term growth, and building trust with customers.
At Teneo Linguistics Company, this hybrid project falls between a client’s digital marketing team and TLC’s translation/localization teams.
TLC is a full-service language services provider offering expertise in more than 170 languages to medium and large corporations. The streamlined multilingual SEO process considers cross-cultural awareness, technology, and technical expertise. The operation includes:
International keyword research or setup of new keywords
Content gap analysis
Global content strategy (optional)
Approval of scope, budget, and timeline by the client
Content localization
On-page optimization and validation
Monitoring and reporting
Acquiring visibility across different locations and languages is what any company strives for. Using a professional for multilingual/international SEO will push a business’s ranking higher in Google search results. It will also ensure the content is accepted culturally — most web users will search utilizing their native language.
The benefits of working alongside TLC on a multilingual/international SEO project include:
Translation/localization expertise
English copywriters
Experienced native speakers in each country where a business operates
Neural language processing tools with elements of Artificial Intelligence to aid in the localization process
Copyright to translated content and terminological/keyword databases that belong to the client
Automated content workflows
Version control
Accessibility remediation
Transparent process and easy ordering and tracking of orders
Cooperation with a company’s existing translation resources
Increase website traffic and business by partnering with TLC on a multilingual/international SEO project by visiting www.tlctranslation.com.
It’s no surprise that in a world with thousands of languages, having bilingual employees can have many benefits for a business. This piece takes a closer look at the importance of hiring bilingual staff and how Teneo Linguistics Company can assist in the recruitment efforts.
Confidence with customers
Having employees that speak more than one language can offer confidence in assisting a company’s clients. The customer is likely to have an improved experience when being helped in their native language. In turn, this leads to positive feedback and a wider audience reach.
Target market development
A bilingual employee can help a business in developing target market content as well as Search Engine Optimization. However, a company shouldn’t rely on its bilingual employees as professional translators. Instead, they can help in the translation of some content, including social media posts. This will improve localization overall for a business.
A diverse environment
Hiring multilingual staff will benefit a company in creating a diverse work environment. This leads to an expansion of ideas that are culturally accurate in all divisions of the workplace. A company will also increase its demographics reach.
Global business affairs
Overseas dealings can be tough if one is not familiar with the native languages and culture. Having bilingual employees join or prep staff beforehand will ensure the trip goes a little more smooth.
TLC offers full-cycle bilingual staffing and takes over the recruitment process that’s tailored to the specific business. This service includes:
Temporary and/or permanent placement of bilingual staff.
Full-service on-boarding and off-boarding for all staff hired/managed through TLC.
Assessment of all new candidates through a state-of-the-art pre-screening and post-screening system.
A meticulous in-house system that allows a company to provide feedback and ensures quality standards are being met during the recruitment process.
TLC’s expertise in the language services industry allows for high-quality placements for every company. No project is one-size-fits-all so the solutions are customized to fit a company’s unique needs. And as a client, a business can be as hands-on or hands-off in the recruitment process as they’d like.
Learn more about TLC’s bilingual staffing solutions and get a quote at www.tlctranslation.com.
