Some Sound advice for the construction industry

The New Language of Construction Safety

From electrical wiring and scaffolding to a wide variety of lethal chemicals, hazards are common on construction job sites. Are workers with limited English proficiency another danger on today’s multicultural construction projects?

In America, predictions are that Hispanics will comprise more than 50% of the construction workforce within the next five years. In the UK there is a growing percentage of migrant workers within the UK construction industry. The accident and fatality rate for Hispanics in construction in the US is already much higher than it is for either African-Americans or Caucasians. What’s the reason for this disparity?

The answers are both cultural and linguistic. The workplace in Latin America is a hierarchy with a well-defined chain of command. Workers go up the ladder with ideas or suggestions to their immediate supervisor. To many Latinos, a “good” employee trusts his supervisor implicitly- without questions. Asking questions can be seen as a threat to the supervisor’s authority instead of a desire for clarification.

The cultural barrier to communications is just as serious as the language barrier where safety is concerned. Even though many Hispanic workers are learning English, for many it is a Herculean task. For average Hispanic adults, the learning curve to speaking English fluently can take up to seven years and sometimes longer.Consequently, implementing training policies that are spoken and/or printed in English only will be ineffective and potentially dangerous.

There are many questions concerning how to deal with the potential dangers associated with non-English speaking workers in the construction industry. There’s no doubt that job sites will always pose some risks, however employers bear the ultimate responsibility for making the workplace as safe as possible.

Cultural diversity and Spanish language training for supervisory personnel will continue to provide some of the answers to this complex 21st century construction issue within the US. A change in awareness may provide others. The situation is similar in the UK but across a more diverse set of European (predominantly) languages.

Think about the ways you can create a new language of safety on your job site. When translators are not available, speak slowly, be direct using short simple sentences, and when possible use demonstrations. Show specific safety techniques and have all employees practice them. This practical training and facilitated communication is an important aspect of the new language of safety.

How to Break the Language Barrier

1. Speak slowly. Non-native English speakers need extra time to process what you are saying. Translating from one language into another isn’t automatic.
2. Be direct. Use short, simple sentences, especially when giving instructions. People learning English get lost in long sentences with complicated grammar.
3. Use a normal speaking voice. Don’t speak in a loud voice. Your employee doesn’t have trouble hearing you. They have trouble understanding you.
4. Use bilingual employees wisely. They are one of your company’s biggest assets. Group non-English speaking employees with bilingual ones. If possible, group people from the same countries together. Their language and accents will be the same.
5. Colour. Identify bilingual employees with a brightly coloured hard hat. When seconds count in an emergency they can be found quickly.

LangCommLive provides an on demand telephone interpreting service which could be invaluable in a training environment or in the event of an emergency. Despite the economic downturn, particularly in construction, the date of one sporting event is fixed for the Summer of 2012. There's a lot of construction work required before the Olympics can commence.

To open an account with LangCommLive and overcome the language barrier, contact us at +44 (0)845 055 9756 or enquiries@langcommlive.com

Visit www.langcommlive.com

Doing business in Italy or Russia and other Russian speaking countries?

Italian is mainly spoken in Italy, with 58 million native speakers. Italy is an industrialized nation with ready access to internet services. Italy is also a major player in the EU as well as world politics and larger area economies with a significant consumer buying power.

Russian: At least 167 million people speak Russian as their mother tongue. Russian is an official language of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. It is widely understood in the Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaidjan, Turkmenistan, Moldavia and Tadjikistan.
Outside former soviet countries, Russian is the mother tongue of more than 750,000 people in Israel, where you can find Russian-language newspapers and TV channels.

Besides the written word you will enhance the likelihood of business success by embracing the languages and cultures of Italy or Russia. For the language, Telephone Interpreting is probably the simplest course of action: Dial LangCommLive on +44 (0)844 555 5224, enter your account number* and enter the appropriate number to bring in either an Italian or a Russian interpreter. On average it will take 22 seconds for the interpreter to come on line.

*To open an account with LangCommLive and overcome the language barrier, contact us at +44 (0)845 055 9756 or enquiries@langcommlive.com

Alternatively visit www.langcommlive.com

LangCommLive exhibit at Call Centre Expo 2008

LangCommLive took part in its 3rd exhibition this year to promote its telephone interpreting service. The Call Centre Expo was by far our most successful show to date with interest shown from organisations from within the public and private sectors, both in the UK and off-shore. Small in house call centres and help desks, large outsourced call centres and BPO seemed genuinely interested in our service. It was clear that most organisations either have some of their own resource to help them overcome some of the language issues or acknowledged that this was a gap in their own service offering.

Take a look at some pictures of our stand, featuring Gail Clothier and Jannet Tebb, LangCommLive Regional Account Managers, and Andrew Rowley, UK Sales Director.

If you want to learn more on how accessing LangCommLive's telephone interpreting service can help your call centre overcome the language barrier, please contact us on 0845 055 9756, visit our website http://www.langcommlive.com/ or write to us at enquiries@langcommlive.com

Four!

Here's a quick current-events quiz for American golf fans:
Question: When people turn out for the LPGA tour, they are most interested in:
A) Viewing the athletic prowess of the best women golfers in the world.
B) Hearing them speak good English.
If you're confused by the question - and the choice of answers - then you've passed the test. That's exactly how intelligent people ought to respond to the LPGA's requirement that international players not just speak some English, but be English-proficient by 2009 or be suspended. It's befuddling that the Ladies Professional Golf Association would choose to alienate some of the world's best players for the sake of proper English discourse.
This kind of requirement might have been acceptable in the days of American sports of yore, when there were mostly homegrown players on the field and the few female players were subjected to much more personal scrutiny than the men.
These days, sports organizations, from baseball to soccer, are more concerned with how athletes excel in their particular sports than with their looks, their culture or their language skills.
As they must be. To put together winning teams, U.S. sports organizations are now regularly recruiting players from all over the world. Indeed, there are 121 international players on the LPGA tour. When you're a multinational organization of that scope, you've got to expect some language diversity.
So what gives? LPGA officials' reasoning for why they are treading where no other sports league has, including the PGA, is thin, not to mention patronizing.
"In order for them and the LPGA to be most successful, players must be able to effectively communicate with fans, sponsors and media, the vast majority of whom speak English," LPGA Commissioner Carolyn F. Bivens said in defense of the new rule, which caused an instant uproar. Funny, the sports world hasn't seemed at all concerned about players' use of translators or language barriers before.
But the LPGA sees itself apart from other sports. "Unlike athletes in other sports, LPGA players must entertain and engage sponsors and their customers on a weekly basis." Is she talking abut professional athletes or strippers here? It's hard to tell. (In any case, the controversy surrounding the new rule has at least one sponsor, State Farm, reconsidering its sponsorship.)
As for charges that this is an English-only rule, Bivens explained that English would be required in three instances: during pro-ams, winner acceptance speeches and media interviews. Players could speak to their caddies, for example, in whatever tongue they like.
Not surprisingly, the LPGA's patronizing tone with this language requirement has caused some uproar from groups representing Asian-Americans and women, such as the Asian American Justice Center and the California National Organization for Women.
The rule seems to have been targeting some of the 45 players from South Korea who have varying English skills and are camera-shy to boot.
But it also targets women athletes, and that is what has so many people upset. No other professional sports league has any similar requirement, though many do have international players with varying degrees of English proficiency.
California state Sen. Leland Yee condemned the action.
This rule reflects poorly on the LPGA, which should rescind it immediately. In this day and age, it's not acceptable to hold women athletes to a different standard than men, and certainly not when it comes to behavior when the games are over.
It would be nice if all the players were able to rattle off in clear English their hopes, their dreams, their strategies and competitors. But it does no service to anyone - the players, the tour, the media, the fans or even those important sponsors - to make decisions about players based on something other than their skill on the green.
There clearly is a language barrier on the LPGA tour, and it has nothing to do with the players.

I'm not sure whether Telephone Interpreting is really the solution to the above impasse, but for most other communication difficulties contact LangCommLive.
www.langcommlive.com
enquiries@langcommlive.com

British banks set sights on ‘Polish pound’

Here's an interesting piece from the FT from last April 2007.

Britain’s banks are fighting an intensifying battle to capture a slice of the “Polish pound” – the disposable income of the more than 600,000 immigrants from Poland living in the UK.
The “Polish pound” – which a new calculation by the Centre for Economics and Business Research values at more than £4bn a year – offers a rapidly growing and largely untapped market for businesses in a wide range of sectors. With many Poles looking to send money to family or personal accounts back home, banks and financial services companies are at the forefront of the drive to win their custom.
On Wednesday sees the latest bid for their business when Lloyds TSB unveils a current account specifically tailored to new immigrant workers, including a radical money transfer card. It reflects the bank’s belief that offering simpler and cheaper international remittances is the best way to enhance its appeal to central European immigrants.
It has designed the service after 125,000 current accounts were opened with Lloyds TSB by Polish customers last year alone. Poles now make up the bank’s largest foreign national group.
The new Silver account, which has been coupled with a significant recruitment drive for Polish-speaking branch staff and a more accessible credit card, is designed to respond to competitors such as HSBC and Barclays who have also identified the Polish community as a strategic target.
HSBC last year launched its Passport account, which can be opened before a migrant arrives in the UK and offers discounted money transmission services.
Lloyds TSB has responded with its new account offering annual European travel insurance, which has been unavailable to recent arrivals, and a new card similar to a second debit card which can be pre-loaded with cash, sent to family members for use in their home country and topped up by telephone. The bank had found that many Polish customers were sending their debit cards home to family and friends, leaving themselves without a cash card in the UK.
Financial institutions are not alone in spotting an opportunity. Mainstream retailers are increasingly catering to Polish tastes. Tesco says Polish food is the fastest-growing minority range ever launched, while Heinz has introduced Pudliszki, its brand of Polish prepared foods, to British supermarkets.

Without doubt, therefore, telephone interpreting would assist UK Financial Institutions to reach out to all nationalities - not just Polish - around the UK. It is clearly impractical to be able to accommodate the full range of languages spoken across the UK via recruitment alone. Equally, the revenues available from the collective migrant population must be truly vast if the Polish opportunity is in the region of £4bn

To discuss any matter pertaining to languages or to open an account with LangCommLive and overcome the language barrier, contact us at +44 (0)845 055 9756 or write to us at enquiries@langcommlive.com

Visit www.langcommlive.com

Overcoming barriers - BAPCO Journal July 2008

A year ago an article published by the Daily Mail highlighted how police forces in the UK were spending record amounts on foreign language interpreters, and how those levels of spending could have repercussions on frontline policing resources. However, could clever use of technology have a substantial impact on these costs?
The Daily Mail held that in a 12-month period, £25 million had been spent in England and Wales on translators alone, an increase of £4 million from the previous year. Gloucestershire Chief Constable Tim Brain was quoted as saying that forces were using their contingency reserves to pay for these bills. “Once they’ve spent out, there will have to be cutbacks and, in a service where over 80 per cent of our costs are staff, that inevitably will mean fewer police officers or staff.”It is no surprise, then, that technology solutions that could make an impact on these translation bills are now much sought after.First ContactOne such solution is First Contact by Lattice, a new company that exhibited at the BAPCO exhibition this year. As previously highlighted in this magazine, First Contact is a suite of software that can be used by call operators; front desk staff with touch screens; and officers on the street equipped with mobile data devices.The system integrates with telephone, computing, Internet and mobile technologies, and works as a system of multilingual, pre-configured dialogues. A police operator using First Contact can identify the language of a caller in a matter of seconds. The system enables the operator to ascertain the key facts of a given situation (e.g. a traffic accident, the number of cars involved, casualties etc) in order to deploy the suitable resources.At the front desk of a police station, First Contact allows an officer and a visitor to communicate via touch screens. Once a language is established, the officer can establish the reason for the visit – eg to report an assault – and also collect details such as description of the attacker and time/location of the incident. The system is being used by Northamptonshire Police in the mobile control room for this year’s F1 meeting at Silverstone.Officers on the street can deploy First Contact via their PDAs, and – for example – ask a Chinese motorist in their own language if they have drunk alcohol in the last 20 minutes. The officer can then go on to explain that he is authorised by law to ask the motorist to take a breathalyser test, in Chinese, and talk the motorist through the use of the device.Lattice Director Bob Carnell has seen much interest in First Contact since exhibiting at Bapco, especially from the larger forces. “One large force said that it could save half of its interpreters bill by using it. Every day they have interpreters called to police stations, and these professionals are often paid by the day, but often are only used for 15 minutes here and 20 minutes there. In many cases the officers know what the questions are going to be in advance, and with First Contact they could get that information straightaway. And in some cases they may not have to use an interpreter at all.”Carnell also highlights how First Contact could be used in the context of emergency call handlers. “When people who don’t speak English call the police, there is a time lag while the call handler tries to identify the language and engages an interpreter, so that a meaningful conversation can take place. In this scenario First Contact would enable the call handler and caller to engage straightaway instead of having to wait. And it is a lot less costly.”For the last three months call handlers at a major UK Police Force have been working with Lattice developing the different scripts necessary for the different scenarios, with and many police forces have subsequently been impressed with the development of the system.According to Carnell, interest in First Contact is increasing due to continued efforts by police forces to engage with ethnic communities that don’t speak English very well. Considering that this is a nation-wide issue that is not confined to one area of the UK, there could be scope for a unified approach along the lines championed in Sir Ronnie Flanagan’s recent report. Time will tell and while it is too soon for Carnell to be more specific, one of the world’s largest telecommunications companies has already expressed an interest to offer First Contact to all lines of business, in the UK and around the world. “In the police sector, it makes no sense to reinvent the wheel for each force, so we are talking about making the core system available to any force who wants to use it, tailored to their local needs. All they would do is to obtain the relevant access codes, from which point the call handlers could then use the software.”“Once deployed in this way with the UK police forces, then it could easily be expanded to the other emergency services, the MOD, local authorities and beyond that into the commercial sectors such as utilities, hotels and airlines.”Human interaction and technologyWhile scripted language technology such as Lattice’s certainly has huge potential, it does have limitations. How would a police officer on the street use First Contact, for example, when dealing with a lost child that cannot speak any English? It is here, in situations requiring specific answers, that “on demand” telephone interpreting services come into their own.Andrew Rowley, UK Sales Director of LangCommLive (part of the Transatlantic Translations Group), believes that telephone interpreting services – which offer immediacy – is a sector that will continue to grow as immigration into the UK continues apace. In practice the system works as follows: each police officer is issued with a credit-sized reference card with a code and a number. Once a language is established, the officer can call an interpreter – often based in the native language country – who is part of a pool of such interpreters available 24/7. The company has a pool of around 1,600 interpreters, all from professional backgrounds and with at least three years’ interpreting experience. They are all thoroughly vetted and trained, and all also sign a non-disclosure agreement.
As for costs, LangCommLive charges by the 100th of a second, which Rowley is quick to point out is not the industry standard, where to the nearest minute is closer to the norm. Bills are all itemised in a similar style to a standard telephone bill.“There are great advantages to telephone interpreting over face-to-face interpreting where you have to bring someone in and usually pay by the hour. Our rates are competitive and the charges don’t start until the interpreter has answered the call – and it doesn’t matter which language you call.” Rowley suggests a high quality interpreting service at an aggressive price per minute, providing cost per minute savings for the public sector is realistic – invaluable because of the cost pressures on public sector spending. “In sensitive situations I cannot say that the interpreter would not find the content of a conversation or interview disturbing, and if an interpreter was required for something quite unpleasant then we would suggest the services were booked in advance, so the interpreter could be briefed first.” Rowley has only recently started approaching the blue lights with LangCommLive, and has been surprised by the reaction. “Most people have never heard of such a service, or the fact you can dial into 156 different languages. We are happy for people to trial the service for a couple of months to gauge the benefits.”

Contact LangCommLive at enquiries@langcommlive.com
Visit www.langcommlive.com
Tel 0845 055 9756

Considering supplying to or buying from Germany?

There are approximately 75 million German speakers in Germany, 7 million in Austria, 260,000 in Luxembourg, 3,400,000 in Switzerland, and about 1,500,000 in Alsace-Lorraine. There are many German speakers in Eastern Europe but the subject is quite sensitive and no statistics are available. The total number of speakers is said to be 120 millions.

Germany remains one of the strongest and most stable economies within the EU and World stage. With consumer buying power in the billions of dollars, reaching out to this industrious market can result in significant growth potential.

Besides the written word you will enhance the likelihood of business success by embracing the language and culture of Germany. For the language, Telephone Interpreting is probably the simplest course of action: Dial LangCommLive on +44 (0)844 555 5224, enter your account number* and enter "4" to bring in a German interpreter. On average it will take 22 seconds for the German interpreter to come on line.*To open an account with LangCommLive and overcome the language barrier, contact us at +44 (0)845 055 9756 or write to us at enquiries@langcommlive.com

Visit www.langcommlive.com

Inspired by the Beijing games and interested in forging business relationships in China?

With a population of 1.3 billion there is a huge business opportunity in China both in terms of potential clients and also suppliers. Cantonese is among the top 20 most spoken languages in the world, with 70% of the population speaking the language. The greatest concentration of Cantonese speakers are located in southeast China, mainly in the populous Guangdong province, parts of Guangxi province, the island of Hainan, Hong Kong, and Macau. Other southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam also have a significant number of speakers.
There is at least some economic benefit to learning or translating your materials into Cantonese, especially if you wish to do business with one of the many companies in the industrious Guangdong province. Although many speak Mandarin as a second language, most native Cantonese speakers prefer speaking Cantonese.
Forecasted to continue its super fast growth and become a serious player on the world stage, this is an large audience of consumers ignored by many Western-based companies and industries as a result of the language barrier.

Besides the written word you will enhance the likelihood of business success by embracing the language and culture of Cina. For the language, Telephone Interpreting is probably the simplest course of action:Dial LangCommLive on +44 (0)844 555 5224, enter your account number* and enter "93" to bring in a Cantonese interpreter or 97 for a Mandarin speaker. On average it will take 22 seconds for the interpreter to come on line.

*To open an account with LangCommLive and overcome the language barrier, contact us at +44 (0)845 055 9756 or enquiries@langcommlive.comVisit www.langcommlive.com

European Day of Languages - 26th September 2008

On the 26th September the European Day of Languages will be held. See the list of events that have so far been scheduled for the day across Europe and further afield.
Tell us about your thoughts and plans for the day via the blog or by writing to us at enquiries@langcommlive.com or visit our website

LangCommLive - "overcoming the language barrier"

Contemplating business in Brazil or Portugal?

Portuguese is spoken by about 160 million people, mainly in Brazil and Portugal. It is also spoken in Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, S. Tomé and Príncipe, East Timor.
Brazil is a rising star among the international economic scene and thanks to smart energy policies and aggressive economic growth plans will become a major new market for major sectors of industry. Tap into this fast growing, modern country of millions who speak Portuguese as a native language.
Besides the written word you will enhance the likelihood of business success by embracing the language and culture of Portuguese speaking countries. For the language, Telephone Interpreting is probably the simplest course of action:Dial LangCommLive on +44 (0)844 555 5224, enter your account number* and enter "996" to bring in a Portuguese interpreter. On average it will take 22 seconds for the Portuguese interpreter to come on line.

*To open an account with LangCommLive and overcome the language barrier, contact us at +44 (0)845 055 9756 or enquiries@langcommlive.com

Visit www.langcommlive.com

New York New York - Mayor Orders New York to Expand Language Help

Navigating the city’s bureaucracy can be a daunting endeavor for the nearly three million immigrants who live in New York. Aside from a lack of knowledge about the way government works and the services it provides, one fundamental barrier has stood in their way: language.
There are an estimated 170 foreign languages spoken in New York City, and in nearly half of all households, English is not the primary language, according to the census in 2000. And given that the city receives more than 20 million calls from residents each year, officials said, communication can often be a challenge.
On Tuesday, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg ordered the city’s more than 100 agencies to provide language assistance in six foreign languages: Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Korean, Italian and French Creole. The order requires, for the first time, that the agencies follow the same standard when providing translation and interpretation to New Yorkers who do not speak English.
Immigrant advocates and city officials say it is the most comprehensive order of its kind in the country. The mayor refused to be specific about how much the services will cost, saying only that it was a “relatively small” amount given the size of the city’s budget. He added: “This executive order will make our city more accessible, while helping us become the most inclusive municipal government in the nation.”
“The fundamental basis of government is its interaction with its citizens,” the mayor said before signing the executive order at City Hall on Tuesday. “If people don’t know what we do, don’t know what they should do, what the law requires them to do, don’t know how to get services, all the money that we’re spending providing those services, providing those laws, is meaningless.”
The order requires that agencies translate essential public documents, pamphlets and forms in the six languages. But its reach is broader, as it allows for the use of a telephone-based service that can link immigrants with interpreters who speak Urdu, Hindi, Arabic and dozens of others less-common languages.
Chung-Hwa Hong, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, an umbrella organization that works with immigrants and refugees in the state, called the order “a landmark step toward inclusion.” Councilwoman Rosie Mendez of Manhattan, who has pushed for more translation services for public housing dwellers, said it was a “bold and necessary action” to increasing immigrants’ access to city government.
The types of services each agency will provide will depend on how much each of them interacts with the public. The agencies have until Jan. 1 to submit a plan detailing how much translation and interpretation service they will need to suit their needs.
Immigration advocates and some elected officials have tried for more than 10 years to get the city to provide language assistance to non-English speaking New Yorkers, with limited success. In 2001, a federal judge approved a settlement through which the city agreed to make available Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Arabic copies of food stamp applications in welfare offices around New York, as well as translation of these documents into languages spoken by at least 100 clients who use any given office.
In recent years, the Education Department’s translation unit has been expanded to provide parents with information in eight languages. The city’s 311 customer-service center has allowed interactions in 170 languages since it was formed in 2003. And the Office of Emergency Management has offered audio translations of some public documents to those who cannot speak English and are visually impaired, a spokeswoman for Mr. Bloomberg said.
There is little doubt, of course, that London offers the same linguistic challenges as New York.
LangCommLive provides the simple solution to language barriers.
Contact us via the website, www.langcommlive.com or write to us using enquiries@langcommlive.com

Some interesting statistics on French language

French is the official language of more than 75 million individuals spread throughout France, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Canada, Madagascar, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, Belgium, Rwanda, Haiti, Switzerland, Burundi, Togo, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Comoros, Djibouti, Luxembourg, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mauritius, Vanuatu, Seychelles. It is also widely understood in Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and Lebanon.
Many of these countries and a significant portion of the 75 million individuals do not speak another language, making our exposure into French-language markets dependent on creating accessible, French-language content.

Besides the written word you will enhance the likelihood of business success by embracing the language and culture of France. For the language, Telephone Interpreting is probably the most simple course of action: Dial LangCommLive on +44 (0)844 555 5224, enter your account number* and enter "95" to bring in a French interpreter. On average it will take 22 seconds for the French interpreter to come on line.

*To open an account with LangCommLive and overcome the language barrier, contact us at +44 (0)845 055 9756 or enquiries@langcommlive.com

Visit www.langcommlive.com

Some statistics on languages - Spanish

Spanish: spoken in more than 25 countries and with 330 million speakers. Spanish is spoken by 100 millions people in Mexico, 44 millions in Colombia, 41 millions in Spain, 39 millions in Argentina, 22 millions in the USA, and within many other Latin American countries.
By marketing your products and services in Spanish your company will be able to reach out to large populations in the following local markets: Spain, Andorra, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, Equatorial Guinea, Colombia, Puerto-Rico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Panama, El Salvador, Honduras, Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Gibraltar, Nicaragua, Mexico and by more than 22 million people in large portions of the United States, including New Mexico and Miami, Florida, home to more Spanish speakers than any other country/state outside of Latin America and Spain.

Besides the written word you will enhance the likelihood of business success by embracing the language and culture of Spain. For the language Telephone Interpreting is probably the most simple course of action:

Dial LangCommLive on +44 (0)844 555 5224, enter your account number* and enter "1" to bring in a Spanish interpreter. On average it will take 22 seconds for the Spanish interpreter to come on line.

*To open an account with LangCommLive and overcome the language barrier, contact us at +44 (0)845 055 9756 or enquiries@langcommlive.com

Visit www.langcommlive.com

Two stories from Europe which underline the importance of being able to overcome the language barrier

Missing an important day due to lack of language knowledge…

I remember how a friend of mine was looking forward to a wedding party in Italy. She had all her great expectations and she was totally prepared as she said. Her husband and she planned some days off to feel the Italian experience, hired an adventurous villa somewhere near where the wedding was to take place, in order to spend a dream vacation. Then they were counting the days…

When the day was approaching, they checked all the details for their villa and set off from Holland to Italy by car. The trip was a nice journey and they were enjoying it greatly, till the moment when they arrived late in the evening in the surroundings of the villa and they started their adventurous search of the location. Since the villa was “in the middle of nowhere”, they had difficulties in finding it. Asked here and there but the people in the neighbourhood, and at that time of the late hour, did not speak English and could not help them. No problem, they thought, and decided to not spoil their mood but spend the night in a hotel and the next morning firstly find the villa, put on party clothes and drive to the wedding. It was a strange introduction to their wedding experience, but they knew “the morning would be wiser than the night” so they waited patiently till the next day broke.

Early the next morning they drove to the supposed location to search for the villa, but as they could not explain well in Italian and the Italians in the nearby village did not speak English, it took ages before they found the villa. Then of course they were in an extreme hurry to get to the wedding, so they were driving quite much in haste. Unfortunately, this was going to be one of the worst days in their lives and if they had known that, they would have maybe opted for the LangCommLive service or would have learnt a bit more Italian in advance.

Why? Because this is what happened:

At a traffic light there were two signs pointing in the direction of the location they were going to, and there were road-works taking place. So it was quite unclear in the hurry which was the best way to go. They were almost going to take right until in the last moment they decided to take left, and at that very second…. Crash! A car from across collided with their small cute Peugeot and there it started… The police arrived after sometime and started asking all kinds of questions, of course in Italian…. There were also the Italians from the whole surroundings that gathered together to try to help, but they only spoke Italian!

So, communication was doomed to last forever.
It took about half a day to only make themselves clear about what exactly had happened. Then as sent from above, there were these two Dutch ladies that appeared from somewhere, and they were extremely helpful to offer their rescue, when they saw that the totally broken car had a Dutch number-plate.

Thank God there were these ladies! They helped as interpreters for another hour… and of course, you could imagine, the wedding had already taken place a long, long time ago…. My friends missed the whole ceremony. Yet, they were hopeful that at least they would be able to get to the party and congratulate the newly married couple…

How long would you imagine it took them before they went there?
Well, you wouldn’t guess. Firstly they had to go to a garage, where the car had to be inspected, and there they tried to order a taxi to take them to the party place. But the taxi would not come….

Finally, after half hour, luckily the garage owner was so kind as to understand somehow why my friends were “”in a hurry”” and he took them personally to that castle, where the party was going almost to its end…

A story that shows that no matter how much we like adventure, sometimes we need some practical arrangements in place, that would save us time and make our lives easier.
LangCommLive offers this kind of very economical practical arrangements.



A day of pain in Vietnam

Another friend of mine went to Vietnam, since her husband was there on business and they decided to explore the country and culture after the business trip was over. And why not?

Vietnam seems to be a very attractive country for European visitors. Europeans enjoy the freshly made food, the different way of living and of course the whole Asian experience.
My friend was having one of these idyllic days in the countryside when at once: ouch, she had this terrible, unbearable back pain. She was paralysed and could not move at all. Her husband was trying to understand what was happening, but not having any medical preparation for such cases he decided to search for help. Quickly he went to the nearest hospital to look for a doctor. Alas, when he went there he understood that there was not much he could explain since he did not speak Vietnamese, and the doctors at the hospital did not speak English.(My friend’s husband speaks Dutch, German, French, English… but alas, not Vietnamese.) So my friend was suffering enormous pain until they managed to somehow explain what they thought was wrong… but she felt this pain all her vacation after, so I am not sure the doctors understood what was the problem.

It would have been much and much better if my friends had used an interpreter or.. a telephone interpreter through LangCommLive. It would have improved the quality of their vacation and they would have enjoyed it even more.

Language barrier scuppers walker

Here's a story from a few months ago which recently came to my attention.

A man who planned to walk from Bristol to India without any money has quit, after getting as far as Calais, France.
Mark Boyle, 28, who set out four weeks ago with only T-shirts, a bandage and sandals, hoped to rely on the kindness of strangers for food and lodging.
But, because he could not speak French, people thought he was free-loading or an asylum seeker.
He now plans to walk around the coast of Britain instead, learning French as he goes, so he can try again next year.
Mr Boyle, a former organic food company boss, belongs to the Freeconomy movement which wants to get rid of money altogether.
Cold and tired
In his online diary at the start of his journey to Porbander, Gandhi's birthplace, he said he was given two free dinners on his first evening away in Glastonbury.
Later, he was joined in Dover by two companions, and the three managed to get to Calais.
But in one of his last entries, he wrote: "...not only did no one not speak the language, they had also seen us as just a bunch of freeloading backpackers, which is the complete opposite of what the pilgrimage is really about.
"That really scared us and given that we now were pretty much out of food, hadn't slept in days and were really cold, we had to reassess the whole situation."
Mr Boyle said he could not explain in words the disappointment he felt at abandoning the journey and he apologised to his supporters.
But he added: "Whilst walking in the UK, I intend to learn French and to hit the continent again as soon as we feel we are ready."
End

I am not quite sure what the moral of the story is here but, depending on his route, I guess Mark would have journeyed through many countries which do not speak English. The French are particularly stubborn when it comes to reaching out to non French speaking "tourists", but they are not alone. With hindsight, perhaps a LangCommLive dialcard would have been just the ticket! Bring in the Telephone Interpreter when the situation arises where understanding across languages is required.

www.langcommlive.com

The Language barrier exists across the world - not just in the UK

Vulnerable Miss Out on Healthcare in Sweden

Language difficulties often affect the quality of health care people receive in Sweden.
Doctors’ surgeries say the lack of interpreters for patients who can’t speak Swedish, leave the most vulnerable in society without treatment.
One example of this was revealed by a study from the Swedish Cancer Society.
They found that a quarter of women living in Sweden’s larger towns do not turn up for their mammography appointments. In comparison nine in ten women from smaller communities showed up to theirs.
A possible reason is believed to be that the cards calling women to their x-ray examinations are in Swedish.
The Society plan to look further into the matter by investigating the number and type of women who miss their mammography examinations.

Whilst LangCommLive understands the issues faced in Sweden, our "on demand" telephone interpreting service interprets from and to English. Our service does not extend, for example, from Swedish to French.

http://www.langcommlive.com/

LangCommLive exhibit at ExploreExport

Peter Brabazon and Andrew Rowley had a great day in Exeter yesterday at the UKTI "ExploreExport" event held at the University. As anticipated the event was well attended by suppliers and delegates alike and we certainly received many good enquiries for both our Telephone Interpreting service as well as the traditional translation service provided by Transatlantic Translations. Exhibitors and delegates who have a presence in overseas markets where language is a potential barrier to entry were very interested in "on demand" telephone interpreting. Every UKTI representative I talked to certainly extolled the importance of "making the effort" with languages generally. If you do not make the effort to overcome the language barrier then, despite English being commonly spoken, it is true to say that an important opportunity is being missed.
As a footnote, one thing I had not expected to see yesterday was Simon Woodroffe - Keynote speaker for the event - singing a song he wrote himself for which the music was composed by The Blockheads of Ian Dury and The Blockheads fame! All about his YO! businesses. Post the following link into your browser to see an earlier recording of the song:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=4xwUf8tckwY&feature=email
It never surprises me as to what you'll see at an exhibition.

LangCommLive - overcoming the language barrier: Mandarin, French, Russian, Spanish, Zulu, Welsh.........156 languages "on demand". No booking required - just dial LangCommLive and bring in an interpreter within seconds.

http://www.langcommlive.com/

The Language Barrier: A Threat to Outsourcing or an opportunity and reason for keeping your call centre in the UK

The Language barrier is a big problem when US and UK based companies attempt to form a partnerships outside their countries. They have presumed that if they were to outsource to other countries like India, the language barrier would cause a problem. India has 29 states and over 17 dialects--most similar to Hindi or Sanskrit. The workforce consists of locales in which English is only a second language. India is the leading outsourcing country worldwide. Most of the companies that outsourced in this country are US based but many have come from the UK.
In outsourcing call center jobs, language plays a major role. Such requires clear understanding of the language, proper enunciation/accent and fluent speaking in formal language.
Many companies have reversed their decisions to outsource "off shore" following the "backlash" from their customers. The question is whether these same companies - having identified that language and culture is as important (if not more so) than cost reduction - will reach out to non-English speakers based in the UK from their "new" UK based call centres. By offering a solution to language difficulties in the UK, new revenue and customer service opportunities will present themselves.
LangCommLive can help companies overcome the language barrier through their on demand telephone interpreting service. Please visit our website http://www.langcommlive.com/ or contact us at enquiries@langcommliev.com

What does London 2012 mean in terms of languages?

With less than 70 days until the Beijing Olympics all eyes will be turning to London 2012 within the UK very soon. How will we cope in Great Britain in terms of handling the millions of tourists and competitors coming to The Games, many of whom will not speak English? How will we manage the numerous projects being undertaken now and in the future in readiness for 2012, many of which will be delivered using workers from a vast number of nationalities?

Some facts for you:

• During the 60 days of the London 2012 Games over 17,000 athletes and millions of people will gather in the Olympic Park to enjoy the sporting and cultural action


• 205 nations are competing at the London 2012 Games


• 7.7 million tickets are available for the London 2012 Olympic Games


• 4,200 Paralympic athletes and officials


• on the busiest days 800,000 people will ride on public transport in London

Clearly The Games will be a fantastic occasion and a great opportunity not only for the competitors but also for Londoners generally. With increased numbers of visitors to the UK, so may of whom do not have English as their first language, the need for translation services and interpreting services will continue to grow. The pressure on public services, hotels, rail and coach operators and a whole host of other services will be exaccerbated by the potential language barriers that exist.

Overcome the language barriers and bridge the cultural divide. Improve your communications with LangCommLive' s Telephone Interpreting service. Telephone interpreting is the cost effective and immediate solution to resolve the language difficulties before, during and after the Olympics. Visit http://www.langcommlive.com/ or contact enquiries@langcommlive.com

LangCommLive joins forces with American Express

LangCommLive has teamed up with American Express to feature on their Small Business Savings Network programme. LangCommLive provides a cost effective solution to help bridge the language gap by providing its "on demand" telephone interpreting service to public and private sector organisations, large and small.
The Small Business Savings Network is a scheme designed to reward Amex card holders with discounts or offers from a select group of companies which provide services commonly of use to a small business. Companies such as Hertz, HP, Holiday Inn, DHL, Crowne Plaza, Nationwide Autocentres, AT&T and now LangCommLive.
Use the link to find LangCommLive on the American Express website: http://ukbo.savvislive.com/savingsnetwork/offers/LangCommLive.html

Overcome the language barrier. Improve your communication. Enhance your customer service levels. Open up new revenue streams. Contact LangCommLive on 0845 055 9756 or visit http://www.langcommlive.com

Not a robbery, just a 'language barrier'

Here's an interesting story from the US for which there was a reasonably "happy ending". However, it is clear that banks on both sides of the Atlantic have difficulties with customer service when the customer does not have an understanding of English:

A language barrier resulted in a bank robbery scare Friday morning.
"There was a lack of communication, but after investigating we determined nothing criminal occurred," Chief Dan Martin said.
Around 8 a.m. an Asian woman came into Harris Bank, 360 W. Maple St., and handed the teller a note with a denomination written on it. The teller asked if she was being robbed and the woman nodded.
Witnesses said it appears the woman did not speak or understand English.
After receiving some money, the woman left and police were notified.
"Like every robbery report, this was taken very seriously," Martin said. "She was stopped and taken into custody."
The woman was brought to the station and interviewed by detectives with help from her family and a translator.
"It turns out (at the bank) there was just miscommunication ... a language barrier," Martin said.
As of Friday afternoon, the incident was still under investigation, but police were not planning to file charges against the woman.
Harris Bank referred comment on the incident to its corporate office.

LangCommLive can help overcome the language barrier with their telephone interpreting service. Visit LangCommLive and see how your organisation can enhance its customer service through good communication across languages.

Polish jet almost crashed after pilot failed to understand English instructions

A Polish jet weaved across the skies above the outskirts of London because its pilot's spoken English was not good enough to communicate with air traffic control.
The Air Accident Investigations Branch said a Boeing 737 with 95 passengers and crew on board meandered helplessly after the pilot first entered the wrong co-ordinates and was later unable to understand the instructions which he was given by controllers.
At one point the 55-year-old pilot came dangerously close to colliding with another aircraft, investigators said.
The incident took place in June last year when the Lot aircraft set off for Warsaw from Heathrow.
According to the report, the difficulties began when the pilot told air traffic control he was flying east of the Greenwich Meridian, rather than west.
Shortly after take off, the pilot reported that he had encountered 'navigational problems' and was told to turn sharp right.
Within minutes it became clear that the pilot had failed to act on the instruction he had been given by flight controllers.
The exchanges between the control tower and pilot - before the flight was eventually brought back to Heathrow - revealed that there were occasions when neither could understand each other.
According to the investigators' report the situation was worsened as the pilot became more stressed by the situation.
The report noted: "A number of exchanges were misunderstood probably because of language difficulties."
It added: "The commander had difficulty comprehending and communicating with air traffic control."
The incident took place nine months before new international rules came into force making it compulsory for pilots and to speak reasonable English for the first time in aviation history, in a bid to improve safety standards.
Despite being the language used throughout the industry for decades, until now no minimum standards have been set. This was changed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation in March.
It is believed that hundreds of lives have been lost in crashes caused by communication problems, such as when 349 passengers died following a mid-air collision between a Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747 and an Air Kazakhstan Ilyushin, because they could not understand each other.
It was agreed by ICAO and the industry trade body, the International Air Transport Association, that English would be the standard language at all major airports.
This is considered essential not only to enable pilots to communicate with controllers, but also as they approach airports so they can understand what other pilots are saying in the area.
According to the AAIB report, Poland has yet to confirm a date when all its pilots will meet the maximum level of proficiency required by ICAO

Everyday we read news items which highlight the potential problems associated with language or cultural barriers.

http://www.langcommlive.com/

LangCommLive at the ACPO-APA2008 show in Liverpool

See LangCommLive at the ACPO show on Stand R17
The show is the biggest and most influential event for policing in the UK
At the show you will find new suppliers, products and services
See the latest products for Security, IT & Communications, Special Operations, Forensics, Drug Detection, Vehicles, Surveillance, Uniforms, Mobile Data Management and much more. Find out about career development and training opportunities
Expert advice on the use, implementation and management of equipment and technologies
Learn about the key functions and objectives of lead policing organisations
Network and discuss best practice, face to face with your peers
Free to all Police Officers, Staff Associates and Colleagues.
http://www.acpo-apa.co.uk/
http://www.langcommlive.com/

Web conferencing with telephone interpreting services - a sustainable alternative to international travel

Fact for the day: Did you know that driving 230 miles a week, 12,000 miles a year, YOU produce 4.2 tonnes of C02 a year?

LangCommLive and DigitalMeeting have recently agreed to work together to provide a service which allows companies across the world to hold meetings without the need for travel - whichever parties are involved and where ever in the world they are based. DigitalMeeting provide the solution which allows businesses to hold their meetings "on line" whilst LangCommLive can provide the Telephone Interpreting capabilities via their network of interpreters. Why travel to Beijing, India or Honk Kong anymore?

If you really want to maximise your time and the time of your employees whilst making a profound but positive effect on the environment, then take a look at what these combined services can do for your business.

Visit DigitalMeeting at http://www.digitalmeeting.co.uk/
Vist LangCommLive at http://www.langcommlive.com/

Talking Could Make or Break Businesses

Don't just take our word for it. Please see a commentary from Sue Clarke who owns her own language centre in Warwickshire called PromoLingua:

Talking Could Make or Break Businesses

Birmingham, United Kingdom, June 04, 2008 --(PR.com)-- On-the-ball companies need to take advantage of a fair wind to avoid missing a ‘staggering’ export opportunity, according to a West Midlands business linguistics business.The weak Sterling against the Euro has made British prices competitive: but more businesses need to use the bridge of language to make the most of these opportunities, warns Sue Clarke, of PromoLingua, a Warwick-based language consultancy.One in five Midlands exporting businesses admit they have lost business contracts abroad because of difficulties with language, according to figures recently released by the National Centre for Languages.But small and medium-sized firms are waking up to the value of using linguists to give them better prices, deliveries and profits.She said: “It is worrying that 20 per cent of companies in the Midlands have lost orders because of export contracts not using the right language skills.“Solving this problem could make the difference to companies’ survival. It’s clear that there are financial benefits and sales opportunities that can be created abroad, so companies are screaming out for language skills.”Sue worked for years using her language skills to benefit businesses, including the national Richard Austin (Alloys) at their Coventry base, before launching her language consultancy.Tim Kelly, director at Richard Austin (Alloys) said: “Use of language skills cut the chains holding back our business, by freeing up our position on suppliers.“Locating different suppliers meant we enjoyed better costs and a wider availability of materials, which lifted and improved our business.”Sue said: “I helped to build relationships so that we had four suppliers rather than one, bring better prices and deliveries."People in business are also encouraging schools to promote the learning of languages. Using these skills in business is increasingly a benefit.”A recent British Chambers of Commerce survey found that 80 per cent of English exporters could not competently conduct business dealings overseas in even one foreign language.The National Centre for Languages recently ranked Britain 27th out of 28 European countries in foreign language skills, and chambers of commerce here have welcomed moves to provide more language study in primary schools, break down cultural barriers, and develop vocational business language courses.
End

If you want to learn more about how Telephone Interpreting can overcome the language barrier then take a look at http://www.langcommlive.co.uk/ or email us at enquiries@langcommlive.com

See LangCommLive on stand R17 at the ACPO-APA Exhibition - the exhibition for the UK Police

LangCommLive is pleased to be exhibiting at the ACPO-APA 2008 Exhibition - the Exhibition for the Police forces across the UK. Interpreting and Translation services are becoming more and more of a necessity due to the high levels of immigration in the UK. On average, every minute of the day an immigrant enters the UK. Many of these immigrants do not have English as their first language, indeed many do not speak English at all. This situation is putting huge strain on the resources and budgets of many public sector services, particularly the Police.

ACPO-APA 2008 will be held at the Liverpool Arena and Convention Centre (ACC). The exhibition will take place from 25-26 June with the ACPO-APA Summer Conference taking place alongside it from 24-26 June at the same venue. The ACPO-APA Summer Conference (24-26 June) is a paid closed session for members of the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Association of Police Authorities.
The International Policing Exhibition (25-26 June) is FREE to all Police Officers, Staff, Associates and Colleagues
What’s in it for you?
Find new suppliers and products
See the latest products for Security, IT & Communications, Special Operations, Forensics, Drug Detection, Vehicles, Surveillance, Uniforms, Mobile Data Management and much more
Find out about career development and training opportunities
Learn about the key functions and objectives of lead policing organizations
Network and discuss best practice, face to face with your peers
Product areas include services for command and control, state of the art surveillance, forensics, intelligence analysis, data protection, fraud investigation, crime prevention and detection, uniforms, protective clothing, IT security, telecommunications, mobile data solutions, vehicles, fleet management and policing organisations.
There will also be a complimentary knowledge-building programme open to all visitors and delegates. These presentations will be from leading policing organisations and provide an opportunity to learn from case studies by suppliers working on current projects with police forces and authorities.
Register FREE now or call 0844 557 2330

Come and visit LangCommLive on stand R17 and find out more about "on demand" Telephone Interpreting and how this service will help you to overcome the language barrier

Tel +44 (0)845 055 9756, email enquiries@langcommlive.com or visit www.langcommlive.com

ExploreExport - helping your business discover exciting new overseas markets

LangCommLive is pleased to be exhibiting at the forthcoming ExploreExport event at Exeter University on Monday 30th June 2008.

Never exported?
And feel you’ve been missing a great opportunity?
Just started trading overseas?
But looking for further assistance and direction?
An established exporter?
And want to maximise new developing markets?
Register now to book your place at ExploreExport, the one-day export seminar, exhibition and discussion forum for businesses looking to grow their overseas markets.
ExploreExport will see the highest number of Commercial Officers from Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates across the globe ever assembled at an event in the South West. Representatives for China, Hong Kong, Brazil, South Africa, Norway, Oman, Austria, France, Spain, Italy, Serbia, Dublin, Russia, Turkey and SE Asia will be on hand to answer your questions about accessing their market.
Learn how to overcome barriers to reaching new overseas markets
Discover what services are available to help you grow internationally
Investigate which new markets are emerging at a high rate of growth
Examine what opportunities are opening up within your industry sector
Find out who else can help your business make a success of international trade
We are delighted to announce Simon Woodroffe as keynote speaker.
Simon Woodroffe OBE, one of the formidable panellists on BBC 2 Dragon's Den, has built his Yo brand beyond the domestic hospitality sector into food and hotel operations over 50 sites in 6 countries. Simon will lead some case studies and share with attendees his learned personal and business wisdom for using innovation to win new markets.

LangCommLive is excited about ExploreExport as part of the UKTI "International month of June". For further details please contact the event organiser, Anne Carragher, on 01453 833668 or visit the website http://www.keystone-group.co.uk/explore-export/

If you would like to learn more about LangCommLive and how Telephone Interpreting can help you to overcome the language barrier and make international easier, please contact Andrew Rowley on 0845 055 9756/ ar@langcommlive.co.uk
www.langcommlive.com

The Tourism and Travel sector can benefit from the use of Telephone Interpreting with LangCommLive

Overcoming language barriers. A new service has been launched for tour operators, business travellers and hoteliers who can now benefit from improved cross-language communications, at costs that are considerably lower than those offered by traditional interpreting routes, with the launch in the UK of LangCommLive’s professional telephone interpreting service. Unlike face to face interpreting, where it can take several hours, sometimes days, to bring an interpreter to site in person, access to LangCommLive’s service is immediate, ideal for complex business negotiations, day to day travel itineraries or in the event of an emergency. A dial card with a unique access code provides quick, easy and flexible access over a landline, mobile phone or VOIP; crucially charges apply only after connection to the interpreter and then by the second. This compares favourably with traditional interpreting fees, which can start at around £60 for a short single face to face consultation. There are two different contract options allow for both regular and ad hoc or emergency usage as well as a simple pay-as-you-go contract option – which costs £1.80 per minute once connected. Information - enquiries@langcommlive.com or contact Andrew Rowley, UK Sales Director, on +44(0)845 055 9756
www.langcommlive.com

Language barriers in the USA

The USA's market for traditional and telephone interpreting is far more developed than that of the UK. However, examples abound detailing current issues across the length and breadth of the USA. Daily you will find news articles covering the language barrier issue:

Los Angeles Times 25th May 2008 -
MATTAWA, WASH -- . -- Nearly everyone in this small farming community in eastern Washington speaks Spanish -- nearly everyone except those in city government and the Police Department, where English is spoken.And almost everyone who speaks one language does not speak the other.That language barrier has engulfed the community, which has grown over the last 20 years from 300 to about 3,200 year-round residents. Nine out of 10 Mattawa residents speak Spanish at home, and 8 out of 10 adults speak English "less than very well," according to the 2000 U.S. Census.The Columbia River basin community, surrounded by miles of fruit orchards and vineyards, has tried to deal with its language barrier informally.From the first gas station to the last retail shop, signs advertise goods and services in Spanish and English. The tiny library offers bilingual story time for families.For years, police often relied on bystanders to translate at crime scenes. City administrators grabbed bilingual speakers as ad hoc interpreters.But the gap between an English-speaking city government and an overwhelmingly Spanish-speaking population has grown so wide that the federal government has stepped in to mandate that the city bridge the divide.

Daily news items point towards the need for telephone interpreting services

Not a day goes by where "language" does not appear in some guise or other on the news or in the papers. Immigration, international trade, emergency services, customer service "opportunities", culture, education etc - and this is happening every day in the UK and across the world. Take a look at some of the news items which have appeared over the past few weeks:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2008/05/funds_sought_to.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1953589/Cambridge-drops-foreign-language-rule-for-applicants.html
http://www.kspr.com/news/local/18872609.html
http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/localheadlines/display.var.2143245.0.fire_service_interpreters_could_save_lives.php

There is no doubt that the need for improved communication across languages is a necessity which is set to continue to grow.

LangCommLive is a company base in the UK and the Benelux who offer a solution via their "on demand" telephone interpreting service.

Visit www.langcommlive.com or contact the Company at enquiries@langcommlive.com

Public Sector vs the Private Sector

Why is that the public sector has embraced the need for interpreting services - face to face and telephone interpreting, sign language or braille - and yet much of the private sector have not? NHS patients or UK citizens who use other government services and agencies, such as Job Centre Plus, are all consumers of goods and services within the private sector. Gas, electricity, water, telephones, banks, insurance, road side assistance - the list goes on and on. And yet in the majority of cases, companies in these markets make only a limited effort to reach out to this potentially huge number of potential clients. If at all. Last year, for instance, a small survey was conducted across nine of the major banking and six of the major insurance companies in the UK. All were approached by potential customers who did not speak English but wished to open up a bank account or receive an insurance quote. Twelve commonly spoken languages in the UK were employed. The results were unsurprising but, with less than 2% of these potential customers enjoying a successful outcome from their request, it is clear to see that revenue and customer service opportunities are being squandered.
There are perhaps a few potential reasons for why the public sector does and the private sector does not reach out to all potential UK "consumers":

The public sector is mandated to provide a service for its "customers" irrespective of colour, creed, ethnic origin, disability or language.
The private sector does not see the opportunity at the moment, or sees a greater opportunity elsewhere
There may be perceived or actual barriers to entry for some private sector enterprise, for example their attitude to risk or confidentiality
The private sector is clearly not aware that telephone interpreting is a readily available and cost effective service
A lack of cultural sensitivity
Perhaps companies are waiting for others within their industry to make the first move.

LangCommLive provides the solution for overcoming the language barrier. Its 24/7 service gives all companies the ability to reach out for new clients or to enhance their existing customer experience. The service is on demand with no booking required, and offers interpreting services across more than 150 of the primary languages spoken in the world today. Visit us at www.langcommlive.com or contact us at enquiries@langcommlive.com

Overcoming the language barrier improves service to clients

Law firms across the UK can now benefit from improved cross-language communications, at costs that are considerably lower than those offered by traditional interpreting routes, with the launch of LangCommLive’s professional telephone interpreting service. The LangCommLive service enables solicitors anywhere to communicate instantly with a person who does not have nor share a working knowledge of the English language. The service eradicates potential misunderstandings between the solicitor and the client and could, additionally, open up new revenue streams for the practice.

The benefits of the service extend beyond firms specialising in commercial and international law or immigration matters. LangCommLive services can bridge the language gap with private clients across a wide range of legal services such as births, marriages, deaths, probate and other family law issues, immigration disputes, personal injury claims, conveyancing, both home and abroad, and even criminal prosecutions.

Immigration specialists will find particular benefits in using the service as it reduces the need to use local speakers of sometimes obscure languages who may not be qualified as interpreters and, crucially, may not have an understanding of complex legal terminology.

All of LangCommLive’s interpreters possess native-level mastery of English and their working language, have a minimum of three years consecutive interpreting experience, and are thoroughly screened prior to recruitment. The company frequently deals with highly sensitive client information and, as such, all interpreters are bound by a strict code of conduct and sign a binding non-disclosure agreement.

The continued rise in UK immigration is expected to see an increased demand for legal services from non-English speaking migrants. This will either put a strain on legal services in terms of time, cost and customer service or, on the positive side, offer up new business opportunities. Fees for traditional face to face interpreting methods, where costs can start at around £60 for a short single consultation, can be prohibitive. And while it can take several hours, sometimes days, to bring an interpreter to the office in person, it takes only a few seconds to communicate with a LangCommLive interpreter, improving the consultation in terms of speed and accuracy. Law firms which offer this billable service will be able to attract more business from the migrant non-English speaking population around the UK.

Costs for using LangCommLive’s service are affordable and cost effective, starting only after connection to the interpreter and thereafter (being) charged by the second. Larger firms can take advantage of monthly contracts with reduced interpreting costs and bespoke invoicing options with cost centre charging, ensuring that charges are coded and allocated accurately in accordance with client requirements. For smaller practices with a limited requirement for interpreting services, LangCommLive provides a simple “pay-as-you-go” contract option.

More than 150 languages are available on demand via landline, mobile phone, or VOIP, and access is straightforward, cost-effective and flexible using LangCommLive’s unique personal dial card system. The card, complete with contact telephone number, individual user access and language codes, enables the user to connect to a qualified interpreter within seconds, 24 hours a day, 365 days per year - a fraction of the time it would take through conventional interpreting methods, and, most important, at a fraction of the cost.

Peter Brabazon, International Sales Director, explains: “Following an extensive period of research we believe we have introduced a number of unique and exciting ideas to the market place, including the pricing scheme. By charging by the second rather than by the minute, and then only after the user is connected to the interpreter, LangCommLive offers the lowest quoted pricing structure available in the UK.

“We have developed an exceptional product, at the right price and the right route to market. We believe the benefits of our product are second to none, and we see demand growing fast, not least because LangCommLive is a dedicated interpretation service, not just an add-on to a conventional translation service. This makes it probably the UK’s most comprehensive and cost-effective telephone interpreting service available.”

More information on LangCommLive’s telephone interpreting service, which extends to nearly every conceivable market sector, public or private, is available from Andrew Rowley on 0845 055 9756 / 07976 735954, email: ar@langcommlive.co.uk or from the website at www.langcommlive.com.

Telephone Translation Service

Doing business globally is not as easy as it sounds, especially when you are not well acquainted about the different languages of the world. The very basis of successful business is communication- discussing project proposals, discussing funds, business strategies and maintaining long term communication on various aspects. One word gone wrong or misunderstood can bring in loss in terms of deals, finances and relationships. So it becomes extremely vital that language does not become a barrier in global business situations.

In spite of the above we also have to accept the fact it is not practically viable that a business person know the language of global business partners, moreover in times of emergency or crisis our second language competency may not come in very handy.

The telephone translation service comes in handy to beat this crisis. The operators who work as your language translators are highly trained in business communication in various native languages. They ensure accurate communication among parties who speak different languages, and establish a clear understanding of situations.

When you register with a telephone translation service provider you are given a dial card which ensures services24/7. You need to choose your preferred language and follow specific instructions to carry on the process of communication. Your dial card will work for you in different time zones, across nations, all through the day.
Many of these telephone translation services are used by government agencies, financial organizations, industrial concerns, individuals etc, and all of them need to keep their communication confidential and secured. These services provide high security and confidentiality in their processes so clients can rest assured.

The telephone translation services have cost plans customized to suit your needs. You are generally billed by seconds and there are supposed to be no hidden costs. Thus the exasperating language barriers that have been worrying you for long will no longer be a matter of concern with the telephone translation services.