Optimizing a business process is an important part of a company and should be utilized when starting any new project. Because Teneo Linguistics Company has been in business for 15 years, we have developed and fine-tuned our internal process for working with new clients.
This process is called the “Five Ts” and ensures TLC customers have a smooth experience during translation or other language services projects. It consists of the following:
Touch: In our initial conversation, we learn about your language needs and how we can support your business. Together, we will see if we’re a good match.
Team: A hand-picked, experienced team will become acquainted with you and your project(s) to construct innovative ideas and solutions, and foster a meaningful partnership. We believe the best results come from strong partnerships focused on long-term success.
Tailor: We create a unique plan based on excellence and high performance specific to you. Your dedicated team will dive into our best practices and work collaboratively to finalize a formula that creates value for your company.
Translate: With our reliable quality, impeccable customer service, and tailored processes, we ensure your project is progressing in a timely manner, and exactly to the specifications we determined together.
Trust: We believe in doing the right thing, honesty, and transparency, and promise to honor that commitment to all customers and our community every day. We foster a culture of gratitude and appreciate every client and opportunity.
Having a strong business process in place has several benefits. This includes increased efficiency, better organization, a reduction in errors, improved customer focus, and more effective communication.
TLC offers a variety of customizable services that fit clients’ individual needs, in over 180 languages. The industries that TLC serves include:
TLC is a certified small, woman-owned business that has shaped its success by living the four core values of Excellence, Partnership, Integrity, and Gratitude.
Learn more about how TLC’s language services can support your company at www.tlctranslation.com.
If you live in the United States, you’ve probably heard the phrases a dime a dozen, it’s raining cats and dogs,and ignorance is bliss. But every country has its own set of figurative language and this blog will explore some of the more common idioms in various countries.
An idiom is a group of words whose meanings cannot be determined from the literal meanings of the words it is made of; i.e., using up in the air for “undecided.” They are categorized as figurative language. The word itself comes from the late 16th-century French word idiome or late Latin from Greek idiōma “private property, peculiar phraseology.”
One of the oldest known idioms is “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” which comes from the code of Hammurabi in 1780 BC.
• A dime a dozen – this phrase began around 1800 following the first minted dime in 1796. At that time, many goods such as eggs or apples were advertised to cost a dime a dozen in the US. The phrase began as a way to promote good value for money. This then evolved into an idiom that means something nearly worthless as it is easily available.
• It’s raining cats and dogs – this idiom is said to have originated in England during the 17th century. City streets were then filthy and heavy rain would occasionally carry along dead animals. Cats and dogs also have ancient associations with bad weather.
• Ignorance is bliss – this phrase comes from Thomas Gray’s 1768 poem “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College.” The quote states: “Where ignorance is bliss, ’tis folly to be wise” — meaning, you’re better off not knowing.
Some idioms used by English speakers actually originated in China.
• 一石二鸟 translates to two birds one stone. English speakers added the word “kill” to the beginning because the phrase felt incomplete.
• 老狗玩不出新把戏 translates to old dogs can’t play new tricks. This phrase pretty closely mirrors the English idiom.
Here is a look at other popular idioms in other countries and their meanings.
• Arabic – التكرار يعلّم الحمار or At-Tikraar yu’allem al- Himaar, which means “practice makes perfect.”
• French – Coûter les yeux de la tête or to cost the eyes of the head, which translates to “cost an arm and a leg.”
• German – Um den heißen Brei herumreden or talk around the hot porridge. This translates to the English idiom “beat around the bush.”
• Italian – Ogni morte di papa or every death of a pope. This translates to the English idiom, “once in a blue moon.”
• Japanese – 手のひらを返す – te no hira wo kaesu meaning to flip over one’s hand or the English idiom “to turn a cold shoulder.”
• Polish – Nie mój cyrk, nie moje małpy or not my circus, not my monkeys. This idiom means “Not my problem,” in English.
• Spanish – Abrir la caja de los truenos or opening the box of thunder, which is equivalent to “opening a can of worms.”
• Swedish – Skägget i brevlådan or the beard in the mailbox, which translates in English to “to be caught with your pants down.”
And while idioms can be more challenging to translate, they are essential to individualistic expression. They offer cultural understandings of societal standards, principles, and beliefs and allow us insight into the thoughts, emotions, and views of the speaker’s background.
The best way to translate an idiom is to find an equivalent idiom in the target language.
Historical linguistics not only studies the history of languages, but also how languages change, and how they are related to one another. Jacob Grimm, of the Brothers Grimm, helped pave the way for historical linguistics.
The Brothers Grimm, born in 1785 and 1786, were German authors and academics who had passions for language and folklore. The two are considered among the most important German scholars of their time.
In 1816, Jacob and Wilhelm became librarians where they collected folklore and conducted literary research. The brothers had already begun writing their first collection of fairytales four years prior. Some of their more famous pieces include Cinderella, Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Rumpelstiltskin.
Between 1819 – 1837, Jacob began studying philosophy, working extensively on grammar. Jacob spoke for natural laws of sound change in various languages. He created bases for a method of research into relationships between languages and the development of meaning.
Jacob’s work on grammar had a huge influence on the study of linguistics. What resulted is known as Grimm’s Law or the First Germanic Sound Shift. This led to the creation of historical phonology as a separate discipline of historical linguistics. Grimm’s Law was a breakthrough in the science of linguistics.
In 1877, Karl Verner published Verner’s Law, a linguistic explanation of the exceptions to Grimm’s law. But Grimm’s Law first demonstrated the significant role that accent played in the linguistic change in Germanic languages.
Today, the most commonly studied areas of historical linguistics are:
• Etymology – the study of the reconstruction and origin of words.
• History tracing – recording the history of languages and grouping them into categories based on their similarities.
• Analyzing and describing multiple speech communities.
Grimm’s Law is important for historical linguistics because it demonstrates the principle that sound change is a regular phenomenon. It is not a random process affecting only some words, as had been thought previously.
To read more language blogs or learn more about Teneo Linguistics Company, visit www.tlctranslation.com.
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.
Today is International Translation Day, which is celebrated each year on September 30th. This day honors the work of language professionals who play an important role in bringing nations together.
As the United Nations puts it: “Professional translation — including translation proper, interpretation, and terminology — is indispensable to preserving clarity, a positive climate, and productiveness in international public discourse and interpersonal communication.”
But why is International Translation Day celebrated on this particular day?
September 30th marks the feast of Saint Jerome who is known for translating the Bible into Latin. His translation of the Bible is still used to this day by the Catholic Church. It also set the standard 1,200 years later for the King James Version. In addition, he translated parts of the Hebrew Gospel into Greek.
St. Jerome was a priest in Northeastern Italy. He learned Latin in school and was fluent in Greek and Hebrew, which he picked up from his studies and travels. He is considered the Patron Saint of translators, librarians, and scholars.
St. Jerome passed away near Bethlehem on September 30, 420.
The United Nationals General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution proclaiming September 30th as International Translation Day on May 24, 2017. The International Federation of Translators as well as several other organizations advocated for the adoption of the resolution.
Those other organizations include the International Association of Conference Interpreters, Critical Link International, International Association of Professional Translators and Interpreters, Red T, and the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters.
In addition, International Translation Day promotes and celebrates multilingualism and how languages play a vital role in society.
The role of language professionals has become invaluable in connecting nations and fostering peace. Each year, a unifying theme is selected for International Translation Day. This year’s theme is “A World Without Barriers.”
Teneo Linguistics Company has thousands of professional and experienced linguists who are proficient in more than 180 languages. Today, TLC honors all of its hard-working language professionals and all translators and interpreters across the globe.
Linguistics is the scientific study of language, which first emerged in the late 18th century. Today, there are an estimated 5,300 linguists around the world.
Many have the belief that linguists are people who only speak and/or teach many different languages. And while most do, linguists focus more on the structure, use, and psychology of language.
Linguistics is about the nature of language and communication. It deals with both the study of languages as well as the search for common properties in all languages or large groups of languages.
The study of language dates back to the 5th century BC when Indian scholar Pānini recorded the rules of Sanskrit grammar. Additionally, ancient Greek citizens also studied language structure to build understanding and expression of criticism and philosophy.
In the late 18th century, the findings of British philologist and ancient Indian scholar Sir William Jones found commonalities between groupings of language. In 1788, a piece about his findings was published and is cited as the beginning of comparative linguistics.
By the early 19th century, linguistics was regarded as a field of study in psychology or biology. This established the foundation of mainstream Anglo-American linguistics.
In the early 20th century, linguistics became a study within social sciences following ideas by Swiss Linguist Ferdinand de Saussure.
Saussure laid the foundation for many developments in linguistics, which led to studying language as a semiotic system with several subfields.
The subfields of linguistics are:
Phonetics – the study of speech sounds in physical aspects.
Phonology – the analysis of speech sounds in cognitive aspects.
Syntax – the study of the formation of sentences.
Morphology – the study of the formation of words.
Pragmatics – the study of language use.
Semantics – the study of meanings.
Linguistics continues to be a growing field with an important impact on other fields such as philosophy, education, psychology, sociology, anthropology, computer science, and language teaching. Someone who studies linguistics can choose several career paths within these fields.
In addition to the career possibilities, linguistics is vital in improving communication between people, assisting in literacy efforts, and treating speech disorders. Every language is unique and linguistics helps people understand the world.
Teneo Linguistics Company works with thousands of professional linguists that are proficient in more than 170 languages. They are the backbone of the business. Each linguist at TLC is educated, experienced, has a strong work ethic, and is efficient.
Learn more about how TLC’s expert linguistics can assist in a company’s project by visiting www.tlctranslation.com.
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.
