April 3, 2010
Not everyone can be a good writer. However, anyone can write decent enough so as not to be terrible, even for an unaccomplished second-language English writer. So what things should you avoid to make your writing, at the least, tolerably readable?
1. Type carefully. Many second language writers worry about their language so much that their writing ends up filled with too many typing errors.
2. All English sentences have a subject and a verb. Keep that in mind and make sure every sentence you create has them.
3. Vary sentence lengths. Most second-language writers tend to fall back on simple sentences too much. There’s nothing wrong with it. If you fall into the same trap, just combine two or more sentences every few lines and you should be fine.
4. Use active verbs. This is simpler than it sounds. Instead of using verb forms of “to be,” such as “is,” “are,” “have” and other similar words, use actual action words for the verbs in your sentences. The maturity they lend your writing is worth every extra minute you take to rewrite erstwhile passive sentences.
5. Use a spellchecker and a grammar software at bare minimum. There’s nothing uglier than material rendered unreadable by bad grammar and misspellings. These automated English language tools can fix those problems on the fly, so that you need not add to your worries.
January 14, 2010
If you’re going to learn English, you’ll have to understand one of the main characteristics that complicate it – it’s not a phonetic language. That means, we do not always pronounce words the way they are spelled.
Some words bear the same spelling, but need to be pronounced differently. For example, the word “read” is mouthed off differently in these two sentences:
- Read the paper from yesterday.
- I have read yesterday’s paper.
Some words are pronounced the exact same way, yet are spelled differently. For example, the words “way” and “weigh” are complete separate things, yet are mouthed off in exactly the same manner.
- Show me the way.
- How much do you weigh?
Unless you’ve specifically studied both uses of the word, there’s no way you could have known how to differentiate one from the other. Most likely, you will make mistakes with such words during the course of your study with your language software. Just know that it’s nothing to be embarrassed about – those phonetic differences are things you will need to recognize and remember whenever you encounter them.
There are a total of 52 different sounds in the English language, each of which you will likely encounter during your attempts at mastering it. You should learn all these different pronunciations if you want to both speak and listen more capably.
November 29, 2009
“Language translation software don’t work,” my friend Rodney said. I found the statement odd, given that I am an avid user of numerous language services software, including learning materials and translation applications. So, I inquired, “Why do you say that?”
As it turns out, my friend had this very old but surprisingly common misconception that machine translators still relied on word-per-word conversions. While he’s right – those kinds of algorithms are terrible for translation – it’s far from the truth.
The reality is, many modern translation software involve processes that are much more complex than a basic database dictionary lookup. If you thought these software-based tools still left out language components such as sentences, paragraph, idioms, syntax and context out of the equation, you’re sadly mistaken.
“But I checked out online translators and they all suck,” you say? Here’s a little secret: online translation tools are usually very different from desktop-based clients. Going web-based has compelled those services to maintain a balance between speed, performance and the sheer number of people accessing their servers. The result are stripped-down algorithms that’s more intent on running fast, rather than providing a complete translation experience.
Offline, however, where the majority of desktop-based translators usually operate, it’s a different story. With solo access to a powerful computer, no sharing processes with multiple users and no bandwidth issues, results you get can vary greatly.
Don’t believe me? Tons of downloadable commercial translators are easily accessible from the web. While most of them will only give you access to a trial version, it’s an avenue worth pursuing. Let’s see how wildly your mind changes once you realize these tools do a lot more than translate single words from one language to another.
November 23, 2009
Need to brush up on English marketing terms for a project, meeting or an upcoming trip? Here’s a list of common marketing vocabulary that every ESL speaker should have learned from their business language software and are keeping in their arsenal.
Brand. A noun that denotes a type of product made by a particular company (e.g. “Our brand of soap was first in sales last year.”)
Brand Identity. A noun that encapsulates how a company wants consumers to see their products. Are you a luxury item, a product for technical types, a bargain or something intended for women?
Brand Image. In contrast, with “brand identity,” this refers to how consumers actually perceive your products (e.g. “We need to change our brand image.”).
Launch. A verb that’s used to refer to the introduction of a new product, along with a complete advertising and marketing effort (e.g. “During the launch of our new product next month..”).
Consumer. A noun that refers to a person who buys the company’s products (good and services)both in retail and wholesale (e.g.”Our consumers were unhappy with the price hike.”).
End User. A noun that refers to a consumer who uses a product, instead of selling it (e.g. “The end user feedback was very positive.”).
Market Research. A noun that describes the process of collecting and processing information about customers, primarily concerning their feelings and attitudes about a particular product (e.g. “Market research indicates that consumers want more of the old version.”)
Public Relations. A noun that refers to the act of creating and maintaining a positive image for your company in the eyes of both customers and the general public.
November 20, 2009
Need to write a document in English, but your second language skills may not be up to par? Don’t worry all that much about it. There’s probably an editing service that can help you.
Editing services, especially those geared towards students and ESL speakers, are seeing increasing growth online. With English establishing itself as the international language for business and many other endeavors, it’s not surprising to see a rise in the number of people requiring editing services in the vernacular.
Fees typically range from $20 to $30 for minimal editing (basic proofreading for short documents) all the way to several hundred dollars for longer, more involved work. As you can see, it’s not cheap, making it less of an option for regular day-to-day correspondences and similarly mundane tasks.
For more important documents,such as when you’re a foreign national applying for a position in an American company, the price is absolutely warranted and we highly recommend you take advantage of them. After all, a well-written application essay really could make the difference in your application process.
With less-significant items, though, such as regular correspondences with American friends, you may want to hold on to that cash and invest in a language software for writing instead. These all-in-one English writing software can take your badly-worded, low-level English text and fashion it into something better. Sure, it won’t make you sound like a professional writer the way some editing services can, but it should iron out many of your mistakes.
Of course, you can always just call upon an editing service every time you need text run over. Prepare to spend a good amount of cash, though.
August 3, 2009
Looking to start a career in doing translations of marketing documents? It’s a very lucrative field, and one that may prove to be right up your alley.
If you enjoy working between two languages, are interested in marketing and enjoy the process of writing, you are probably a good candidate for building a career in marketing translation. Of course, you’ll need to have the necessary skills for it before you can even consider getting your start.
What kinds of things should you find yourself doing in order to get to that level?
Be a wide reader. Most professional translators, especially those in more open fields like marketing, need to be wide readers, in both the languages where they intend to work. The platform is simply fodder to a wide range of writing styles, which will require plenty of flexibility on your end.
Hone your writing skills. Regardless of how good of a speaker and reader you are in both languages, if you’re a poor writer, then that’s the quality your translations will reflect. As such, document translators will often have to be competent writers too.
Learn your tools. Both writers and translators have a bevy of tools at their disposal. From language software to grammar checkers to translation programs, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with what’s available and find out which ones work best for you.
Find mentors. No one ever reach high levels of greatness on their own. While you will probably gain many demonstrable skills studying marketing translation on your own, your overall skill set will receive huge boosts from being around experienced individuals in all areas related to your work, from writers to marketers to translators.
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