Learning A Second Language Boosts Toddlers’ Brain Function

A recent article by FYI Living looked at a study that tracked the affects of a toddler learning a second language.  The study found that the bilingual toddlers outperformed their peers in an area known as “executive functioning”.   In toddlers, executive functioning influences sorting shapes but as adults, this skill influences mental tasks such as planning, strategizing, organizing and goal-setting.  This is especially interesting because executive functioning has often been found deficient in children with ADHD and autism.

 

As noted in ..read more

Selecting a Quality Translation Company

When you hire a professional translation firm, you want to build a long-term relationship that will ensure accuracy, consistency and timely translations.   As Executive Director of Rapport International, a full-service translation and interpretation company, I have compiled a list of tips for assessing the skills of a translation company.

Make sure the company has a selective screening process for their translators.  You want to be sure that the translators are qualified and have the appropriate background.  Learn about the company’s quality ..read more

Chinglish – my review

Last week I posted a blog about the very successful Broadway show called Chinglish.  I was lucky enough to see this show which hysterically captures the differences between Chinese and American culture without making one culture look superior.

The show opens with a business man presenting to an audience on how to do business in China.  He’s using some of the very same slides that I use when presenting about language translation pitfalls.  Immediately, I was hooked.  Between seeing “my” slides ..read more

Obama’s Superpower

President Obama told Barbara Walters that if he could have any superpower he would want to be able to speak all the languages in the world.

President Obama doesn’t need a superpower – he just needs Rapport International!  We can provide all his foreign language communication needs in over 100 languages.

New Americans Agenda

Rapport International, LLC works hard at keeping informed about all foreign language related issues.  Many of these issues arise due to the significant immigrant population in the state of Massachusetts.  The New Americans Agenda does a wonderful job at explaining the reasons and benefits of immigrant integration into our society.   “Integration, the combining of separate components into a harmonious whole, is fundamental to the success of the Commonwealth and the nation. Our society’s ability to peacefully absorb newcomers and to ..read more

Apostrophe “s”

Did you know . . . . in English, we use the apostrophe s to show ownership or possession.  In Spanish, the apostrophe s does not exist so instead they use the word de, meaning of to show possession. 

Example: 

English:  My sister’s son is my nephew.

Spanish: The son of my sister is my nephew.

Translator – Best Career for 2011

Being a translator may seem like an obscure job but it made the list for one of the Best Careers for 2011 (US News and World Report).   Companies are going global and documents needs to be translated into a multitude of languages.  Pharmaceutical inserts, toy instruction manuals, and healthcare forms are just a few of the many items that translators are working on.   Translators are needed in a number of fields including business, medical, and judicial.   To be a translator ..read more

Spanish Language Call Center

Comcast announced that it plans to open a new Spanish-language call center in Miramar, Florida creating 300 jobs by year-end.

“Employees at the new center will be taking calls from Spanish-speaking consumers across the country who are responding to Comcast’s marketing efforts. The expansion reflects the growth in demand for Spanish-language TV and other programming from the growing Hispanic population in the nation,” said Filemon Lopez, senior vice president of Comcast’s Florida East Coast Region.

How to Write a Translation Agreement

When you hire a professional translation firm, you want to build a long-term relationship that will ensure accuracy, consistency and timely translations.  There are several ways that you can ensure the best service and highest quality translations.   Adapted from an article written by Wendy Pease of Rapport International, here is a list of items that should always be included in a translation agreement.

Specify the source language and the target language.  The source language is the original language and the target ..read more

Greetings Protocols

The following items are taken from the article Ten Useful Things for Small Businesses to Know about China written by David L. Woronov.  According to David, these helpful suggestions are considered “greetings protocols,” and relate to meetings with individuals or representatives from China and other Asian countries:

 1. There should be brief but direct eye contact with the leader or senior person of the delegation. This should be long enough to show respect, but short enough that it does not create ..read more

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