language technology

Boost your business with interpreting

28.8.2024 by Katja Virtanen

A typical situation in which the business world relies on interpreters is a head-on collision with a language barrier. This can happen when your company receives guests from another culture, such as China, and you simply do not have any common language. It is self-evident that without a professional interpreter, such a business meeting would yield no results.

However, I would venture to say that interpreting is useful in other business-related situations, too. Even when everyone can use English – more or less fluently. Below, you will find some good reasons to arrange interpreting also for other business situations.

1. Remember that someone may genuinely need interpreting

We often assume that everyone can use at least English. However, the truth is that the ability to speak foreign languages varies just as much as the ability to do maths. The threshold for revealing your own insufficient language skills may also be high.

Interpreting gives everyone an equal opportunity to understand and participate in the discussion. What is crucial is expertise, not language skills.

2. Increase the efficiency of communications

Insufficient language skills can lead to misunderstandings. It can be difficult to find the right words or you cannot express yourself as clearly as in your native language. Good language skills alone are not always enough: there are different accents, difficult abbreviations or culture-specific metaphors, which are something that professional interpreters are trained in.

In a Forbes survey, more than half of companies (65%) admitted that insufficient language skills lead to inefficiency and lower productivity in business. Learning languages certainly helps, but it is slow when compared to using interpreting at key events.

3. Create more business

The more languages you use in your business, the wider the audience you invite to participate and the more business opportunities you create.

A webinar in Finnish about your company’s new services will reach only Finnish speakers and perhaps some others who happen to know some Finnish, whereas including interpreting in Swedish will improve your company’s business opportunities in the Swedish market as well. With remote interpreting, it is very easy to add interpreting in almost any language to almost any remote meeting platform.

4. Improve the customer experience

By providing interpreting in different languages, you not only create new business opportunities but also show that you take into account the variety of languages among your customers. This means you can improve both communications and the customer experience.

A brilliant example of recognising the benefits of interpreting in business and putting the customer experience at centre stage is Nordic Business Forum: Although this mega business seminar organised in Helsinki will be held entirely in English, all main stage presentations will be interpreted simultaneously into Finnish, Swedish, Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian. By providing interpreting in these languages, the organiser welcomes participants from these language areas, giving them special consideration among the more than 6,500 participants. The number of participants from these countries will increase and new business opportunities will emerge.

5. Be a pioneer, try AI interpreting

Given the level of hype about AI, a true pioneer will provide AI interpreting in appropriate situations instead of no interpreting at all.

This kind of interpreting is handled entirely with the aid of computers: speech recognition software converts source-language speech into text and the machine translation engine translates the text, which is then converted into target-language speech.

Naturally, the above-mentioned entirely technology-based interpreting is an alternative that does not fully replace a professional human interpreter in all situations. However, it is undeniable that in some language pairs, the output quality is already quite high. Entirely technology-based interpreting is extremely cost-efficient and a good option when the language pair and the interpreting situation allow it and when the alternative would be to not arrange interpreting at all.

We are happy to advise you on what kind of interpreting and technology is best suited for a certain business situation. You can also read more about our interpreting services here.

How to use AI effectively in sales and marketing

27.8.2024 by Delingua

For decades, companies have looked for ways to improve their sales tactics and generate leads quickly through different content strategies. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by using a generative AI content creation tool.

This next-generation AI technology can help businesses craft tailored offers, persuasive landing page content, and engaging call-to-action messages that compel prospects to act. In this article, we will delve deeper into how a generative AI content creation tool can help companies speed lead generation and conversion in sales tactics.

Customising content creation

One of the key benefits of using a generative AI content creation tool is the ability to customise content to fit the brand’s style and tone. By fine-tuning or enhancing the generative AI model on a narrower dataset (content memory) that aligns more closely with the desired application, businesses can make the generated content even more accurate and tailored to specific tasks. This level of customisation ensures that the content is more contextualised, resonates with the target audience and helps to build a closer relationship with them.

Content quality

The quality of content is another critical factor that can make or break a company’s sales tactics. Generative AI content creation tools are designed to produce high-quality content that meets the specific needs of the business. The tool can create content that is grammatically correct, written in a tone, length and format that resonates with the target audience. This level of quality ensures that the content is adequate to the media format, engaging, informative, and compelling, which can help to speed up lead generation and conversion.

Building on success

Another significant advantage of using a generative AI content creation tool is its ability to harness your past content and generate new content based on it. The tool can use past content to generate new content that is similar in style and tone, ensuring consistency in the brand’s messaging. This level of content memory helps businesses to create a unified brand message that resonates with their target audience.

Termbases

Termbases are a critical component of any content creation process. They help to ensure consistency in terminology, style, and tone across all content. Generative AI content creation tools can leverage existing termbases, ensuring that all generated content aligns with the brand’s unique terminology. This level of consistency can help to build trust with the target audience and speed up lead generation and conversion.

LanguageWire Generate is our generative AI content creation tool that can help businesses speed up lead generation and conversion in sales tactics. The tool is designed to create high-quality content that meets the specific needs of the business. By incorporating various parameters to tailor distinct content pieces, and by leveraging company’s content memory and termbases, our generative AI content creation tool can produce and customise content that resonates with their target audience.

Interested in revolutionising your content production processes with LanguageWire Generate? Contact us and let’s talk more!

This article was originally published by LanguageWire Company (Verity Hartley).

8 reading tips for summer holidays

17.6.2024 by Delingua

“We are going on a summer holiday…” For some, the summer holidays have already started or are fast approaching. In this article, you will find a list of interesting things to read concerning the language service industry. Get comfortable, enjoy the sun and dive into the world of language services.

And don’t forget we are open all summer! We have arranged our holidays so that we can take care of your translation and interpreting assignments even during the summer while you take some well-earned time off.

1. LanguageWire Translate – AI-based machine translation service

Machine translation engines are used daily in both professional and private contexts – often without putting too much thought into how the translation itself is produced. Our AI-based machine translation service, LanguageWire Translate, is our vision of what kind of requirements a machine translation system for corporate use should meet. Read our article and learn more about the features of LanguageWire Translate.

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2. Five reasons why integration is a good idea

LanguageWire’s APIs and connectors are a time- and effort-saving solution, helping you avoid copying text unnecessarily from one place to another and allowing you to import any changes, no matter how big or small, to all language versions of your website in almost real time. A connector is a kind of system integration that allows the customer to order a translation of the content through an existing publishing system. We have listed five key reasons why integration is a good idea.

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3. Boost your efficiency with generative AI

Growing awareness of the potential of generative AI and the availability of newer and more powerful GPT models have given everyone a chance to benefit from new AI technology. But what exactly are these benefits? Read our article and learn more about how AI can help you work smarter and faster than before.

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4. Simultaneous interpreting – what is it?

What is simultaneous interpreting and why should it be offered? Simultaneous interpreting is an interpreting method in which the interpreter interprets into another language at the same time as the speaker is speaking. When participants have the opportunity to follow a meeting or a conference in their own language, they get the feeling that they and their language needs have been taken into account.

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5. Validation – high-quality translations are a joint effort

In the translation process, in addition to the translator, the best possible result requires the input of other employees of the translation agency as well as the customer. One of the most important tools for assessing the linguistic quality of translations is validation. Validation means a review by the customer after the translation has been completed, in which the terminology and style of the text are evaluated in particular. Read our article to learn more about validation and the related technology.

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6. Large language models – what are they?

Over the past year, it has been difficult not to come across content created by generative AI. Generative AI is developing at a tremendous pace and language technology is also benefiting from these breakthroughs. From the perspective of language technology, the most important role is played by Large Language Models (LLMs). Read our article to learn how large language models are revolutionizing the language services industry.

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7. What are the differences between a termbase and a translation memory?

What are the differences between a termbase and a translation memory, and how do they work together? And how can they benefit your company? If your company translates texts regularly into several languages, you have probably already heard about termbases and translation memories. Both are important tools for the translator, but they are used for different purposes.

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8. Tips for linguistic accessibility

Accessibility means that everyone has equal access to services. Although the Digital Services Act mainly applies to public online services, accessibility is also beneficial for other digital service providers. Read our tips on how you can create linguistically accessible content and how a translation agency can help you.

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Paris 2024: How translation technology is shaping the event

14.6.2024 by Delingua

With the 2024 Olympics on the horizon, the world is gearing up for a global sporting spectacle that transcends borders and languages. While the spotlight often falls on the athletes and the host city, there’s also another unsung hero working behind the scenes: translation technology.

In this blog post, we’ll explore how translation technology is quietly revolutionizing the Olympics, fostering inclusivity at Paris 2024, and breaking down linguistic barriers.

The unseen role of translation technology

Behind the grandeur of the Olympic Games lies a complex web of communications that often goes unnoticed. Traditionally, the games have heavily relied on the expertise of human interpreters and translators to bridge the gap between languages. These dedicated professionals have ensured that multilingual athletes, coaches, and officials can interact and understand one another. And of course, so that spectators from every corner of the globe can fully enjoy the event.

However, the landscape of communication at the Olympics is rapidly evolving, thanks to translation technology. In the past, the success of the games hinged solely on the formidable skill, speed and precision of human translators. While their skills remain indispensable, they now have a powerful ally in technology, which is quietly but fundamentally altering the way we experience the Olympics.

Real-time translation: bridging the gap

Picture this: an athlete from Japan competing in a high-pressure event, communicating effortlessly with their French official despite not speaking a word of French. This seamless communication is made possible through real-time translation devices. Whilst still in the early days of development and varying in quality, these compact gadgets aim at turning language barriers into mere speed bumps.

Real-time translation devices instantly convert spoken words into multiple languages, allowing athletes and their teams to communicate fluidly. It’s a game-changer that ensures language differences no longer stand in the way of achieving Olympic excellence.

AI and machine translation: handling the vast volume

Beyond the field of play, the Olympics generate an immense volume of text, from official documents and press releases to news updates. This is where AI and machine translation step in. These technologies excel in processing vast amounts of content swiftly and efficiently.

While the debate over machine translation’s accuracy versus human translation persists, there’s no denying the efficiency of AI-powered tools in the context of the Olympics where speed trumps accuracy in a high-pressured environment. They play a vital role in ensuring that information is disseminated rapidly and accurately, keeping everyone informed, regardless of their language.

Accessibility and inclusivity: making the Olympics for all

Olympic translations aim to make the event accessible to a global audience. Beyond the athletes and their teams, spectators from around the world converge at the games, all with different linguistic backgrounds and needs. Translation technology plays a pivotal role in achieving this inclusivity.

In addition to spoken and written translation, efforts are underway to cater to individuals with disabilities. Services such as sign language interpretation and captioning are becoming more accessible, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their language or hearing impairment, can immerse themselves in the Olympic experience.

Challenges and the road ahead

Of course, no technological advancement comes without its challenges. Machine translation, though efficient, can sometimes falter in capturing nuances that only a human translator can grasp. Striking the right balance between technology and human expertise remains an ongoing endeavour.

Nevertheless, the future of Olympic translations looks promising. Advancements in natural language processing and AI continue to push the boundaries of what’s achievable. As these technologies become more sophisticated, we can expect even smoother and more accurate translations at future Olympic Games.

Translation technology’s role in uniting the world at the Olympics

As we anticipate the Paris 2024 Olympics, it’s vital to recognize the role of translation technology in making the games a truly global and inclusive event.

While we celebrate the athletes’ achievements and the host city’s hospitality, let’s also applaud the unsung heroes: the translators working tirelessly behind the scenes and the technology that enables us to share in this international celebration. The true beauty of the Olympics lies not just in the competition, but in the unity, it fosters and the power of language to bridge our differences.

So, as you tune in to watch the games from the comfort of your home, remember the remarkable behind-the-scenes efforts that ensure you can understand and appreciate every moment, regardless of the language it’s spoken in. The language of inclusivity will speak volumes at Paris 2024, and hopefully it’s here to stay.

This article was originally published by LanguageWire Company (Verity Hartley).

11th year of interpreting at Nordic Business Forum

30.4.2024 by Delingua

How generative AI can help elevate your work and boost efficiency

26.4.2024 by Delingua

In the last year, awareness of Generative AI has skyrocketed. The availability of newer and more powerful GPT models has given everyone a chance to benefit from this new technology.

But what exactly are those benefits? How is generative AI really going to change the way you work and why should we be investing our time in understanding these new, powerful tools.

Let’s look at some ways you can use AI to help you work smarter and faster than ever.

Kickstart Creativity

Generative AI is a great starting point for getting your ideas on the page. When working creatively, nothing can be worse than blank page syndrome, where the cursor blinks at you incessantly while you wait for inspiration to strike.

From creating article outlines, to writing first drafts of content, Generative AI can help you jump start your creativity and speed up your workflows. Use it to create first draft outlines or give you heading ideas to get you started. If you’re really stuck it can even create a first draft from scratch to fill that first page.

You can use the new wave of AI tools to help break this cycle and start getting new ideas on the page for you to then finesse with your own style, voice and creativity.

Maintain Consistency & Quality

When working on multilingual content, you want to always maintain a consistent tone of voice and use the right business language. This can be tricky when you have content creators or translators working all around the world and often across different languages.

By interlinking your Generative AI tool with your company termbase and other linguistic assets like translation memories, you can ensure that any content your AI tool generates for you will maintain the correct business tone and language to ensure consistency.

You can train your AI model on your linguistic assets to ensure that it knows your tone of voice, what terms you use and how to spell and write them correctly. This will save you time and effort when validating and boost the overall quality of your content.

Personalise Customer Experiences

It can be difficult to provide always-on multilingual customer service, especially on a global scale. However, AI chatbots can help provide a customer service presence even when your employees are off the clock.

With the latest versions of AI models, these chatbots can be programmed to provide a huge amount of personalised interaction with your customers, in their own language.

Always-on AI chatbots can provide friendly, helpful support to your customers at any time of the day and respond in a conversational manner that seems natural. They can pull data directly from customer databases to personalise the experience and make answering customer queries simple in any language.

Boost Productivity

Data analysis is one of the key areas where AI can help make our lives much easier. AI models are trained on large datasets, and they can easily absorb, review and analyse data in a second before returning the results in an easy-to-read format.

One powerful way this can be used is to summarise long texts. AI can quickly read and create a summary of a longer document by identifying the key points and adding them to a bulleted list. It can also create short-form copy from long-form documents, for example it could build social media posts based on blog articles.

You can input large data sets of any variety into your AI tool and asking them to identify trends, format the content in a variety of ways or to extract key information quickly and easily, cutting down on the manual effort required.

Additionally, you can use an AI tool to help you be more productive in other tools such as Excel by asking you to write a formula that will analyse your data for you in that application.

You do need to be careful about where and what data you upload to open and public AI tools as there is no protection on who can see your data once it is uploaded. Make sure you only upload sensitive data to a company you trust who can provide assurances that nothing will be kept or shared after the task is completed.

Make Generative AI work for you

Generative AI is a powerful tool that you can use to enhance your daily workflows. From creativity to communication, the possibilities are endless. Getting the most out of AI includes understanding how to input the right prompt. If you would like to learn more about AI prompting, read our detailed guide.

Interested to learn more about what LanguageWire AI tools can do for you and your business? Contact us and let’s talk more!

This article was originally published by LanguageWire Company (Verity Hartley).