Meet Brian Palmer, our new Sr. Account Executive!

Today we give a warm welcome to our latest member of the iWL family: Brian Palmer!

Brian was born and raised in Utah.  He grew up in West Jordan until he was 13 years old when his parents uprooted them all to South Jordan.

Brian is youngest of five; three older brothers and one older sister. All four of his siblings and parents still live in Utah and all within 40 minutes of one another.  He loves spending time with them when he can.

He graduated from Bingham High School, and shortly after graduating, the next three years he took on the role of store manager and area manager at Journeys Retail Shoes here in Utah, as well as in Nevada.

After 3+ years in the glitz and glamour of the Nevada Desert, Brian moved home to attend Salt Lake Community College for 2 years, to receive an Associates Degree in Criminal Justice.

After receiving his degree, Brian continued to work with Journeys for a few more years until receiving a promotion to the Genesco Corporate Offices, based in Nashville, Tennessee, to be an Operations Project Coordinator.  Although Brian loves Tennessee, the South and his job, his family was in Utah.  After 5+ years in the Volunteer State, Brian decided to return home to the Beehive State.  Genesco created a Loss Prevention Manager position based in Utah so he could continue to work for them as well as to be closer to his daughter Sayuri.

Shortly after returning to Utah, Brian met the most amazing woman he had ever encountered. Luckily, Brian was able to convince Emma to be his wife and were recently married in May of 2013.

In Brian’s last position, he travelled every week, leaving Monday and returning Thursday or Friday, as a Loss Prevention Manager. The travel got wearing, and he wanted to be home more and expand his knowledge while utilizing skills he already had. Brian was referred to inWhatLanguage through his brother-in-law, and immediately after his first meeting with iWL CEO Cody Broderick, Brian was enticed by the culture and goals he had – and not only by the company, but also by its employees and clients. Brian is pumped to begin and looks forward to his future with inWhatLanguage.

With this new position locally, Brian is also looking forward to spending more time with his wife, daughter, and get back into CrossFit and mountain biking.

We are excited to have you with us, Brian! Welcome!!

Linguists forums: the answer to huge translation projects

Translation projects can come in a wide variety of types, genres and sizes, but nonetheless they must always be equally correct and coherent. While we all pretty much can assume the former, quality from any professional translator, the latter can get tricky when a project reaches a certain size.

For perfect coherence in a translation project, the ideal option is to have one translator do the whole job on his/her own. That, however, can prove to be quite impossible when we are talking about millions of words, especially with a tight deadline. The client can be tolerant and understanding to a point, but a whole project of these dimensions done by one person can take ages, and sometimes that is not possible. The solution, in these cases, is to divide the workload among several translators.

Sure, that sounds logical enough. But then again, let us think about translation for a minute. If we give one single sentence to ten different linguists, the results we obtain after they have translated it can very easily be ten slightly (or sometimes, very) different translated statements. And whereas perhaps none of them is actually wrong, that means that if those ten linguists work on one single project divided in ten parts, each part would differ significantly from the others. The result could be a translation where the divided parts are clearly noticeable, and in the worst case scenario, confusing to the reader. And that, folks, is simply unacceptable.

How to solve this? Word data banks, shared glossaries and thesauri are powerful tools that can help with these issues, but at the end of the day, the only method that could guarantee success is proper communication between the translators involved in the project. That means regular contact, availability, the will to help others, and a dash of humility in order to admit that sometimes we are not the ones in the right.

A hard-to-find combination? Maybe so, but not for inWhatLanguage. We have pointed out many times that we have an awesome working team, and today we give you further proof of this. In one of our latest projects that involves four Spanish translators, one of them, Farid Mazari, came up the brilliant idea of starting a private forum just to discuss matters related to the project: deadlines, doubts, and above all, terminology!

“It is a luxury to be able to collaborate with other translators in joint projects, especially when we are talking about a job that must be undertaken by many people, with its added technical and linguistic difficulties,” Mazari says. “In my personal experience, I’ve come to the conclusion that we have to coordinate our efforts and optimize the knowledge exchange flow, since sometimes deadlines are aggressively tight.”

Mazari suggests other translators to consider private forums with restricted access when they face this kind of projects. “Forums allow us to answer questions about words, unify criteria and other style issues,” he assures.

And, I gotta say, as one of those four translators in the project who actively participates in the forum he created, I completely agree. It has helped me enormously, and it has made this whole project special and fun – which is a nice perk!

iWL: new offices, new faces, new agency

2013 is coming to an end. Quite a great year for inWhatLanguage! However, we are never satisfied: we want more challenges, and we want to reach more people!

This month, a new era begins for inWhatLanguage. We are working on projects that are larger than anything we have ever done before, we are reaching new clients and taking new opportunities, and we have some pretty exciting plans in the pipeline!

We are looking forward to strengthening our social commitment and keep helping those who need it the most with the fruits of our work, that which we do best: provide high quality translations at affordable prices.

Not only that: in the next few weeks, we are going to see new faces in the team... And we are moving to a brand new office!

Our new location is:

inWhatLanguage Translation Services

2507 S. 300 W. Salt Lake City,

Utah 84115

Don't hesitate to pay us a visit if you are close by – we’ll be delighted to have a good cup of coffee and get to know you! 

TechLaw Ventures' feedback: thumbs up for iWL!

This week, inWhatLanguage got another nice surprise from a very special client of ours! Another video testimonial, this time from TechLaw Ventures, “a professional limited liability company created by its founders to be a venture and technology law firm”, as described in its official website.

TechLaw Ventures provides “legal counsel to software, computer, biotech, healthcare, chemical, and other technology and innovative companies”, and they are actively working with clients in Taiwan and Japan.

That is where inWhatLanguage comes into play.

I won’t write much more, since I think that, in this case, the video in itself is more than enough content for this week’s blog post. It is incredibly sweet, and we feel proud to have clients say these things about us. But I’ll just point out a couple of things, really quickly.

First of all, the fact that TechLawVentures trusts us to do their translations says a lot. We are talking about a technology law firm, here. They need very, very specific translation services for which they probably wouldn’t risk going to just anyone for. It is amazing that they've asked us to do it – let alone the fact that they actually produced a video to let others know that we are indeed what we promise to be: a trust-worthy, competent translation agency that is there for their every need.

Secondly, I just love how Mr. Smith, spokesperson for TechLaw Ventures, highlights our selection process in the video. What he says about having read many different translated versions of one text made by different linguists in order to make a decision about which professional is best suited for his projects is kind of our trademark. Because, even though we trust and love all of our linguists, it is the client, at the end of the day, the one who really knows how they want their work to be displayed to the world, and who could get closer to that ideal. The fact that our clients recognize that, and choose us for it, really means the world to us.

And lastly, just one more thing…

Thank you, TechLaw Ventures!

Jackpot in Las Vegas: iWL goes to DevLearn!

The translation industry is a competitive world, and we know that better than anyone. As much as we want to provide our clients and potential customers with high-quality translation and interpretation services at the best prices, we know that there are millions of capable professionals out there who can also do a good job and appeal to those whom we are trying to reach.

Ty Palmer and Cody Broderick at DevLearn!

The more reason to keep improving ourselves.

The best thing about inWhatLanguage may be our youth – that means, our energy, and our will to learn new things. We know that we are living in a time where written translations are quickly losing importance in favor of new media, and we are more than willing to be part of this revolution.  eLearning, in particular, is becoming one of our main focuses, as it grows daily in popularity, and its potential for translation is, well, immense!

And so, it should come to no surprise that inWhatLanguage took grasp of the amazing opportunity of being present at the DevLearn Conference 2013, the most cutting-edge training and learning event in North America, that took place last month in Las Vegas.

In the very own words of the event’s official website, “DevLearn 2013 is for training and learning professionals who are leading or engaged in their organizations’ use of learning technologies.” Who should go to Dev Learn? Those who want to “find out what’s next in the world of learning, discover new technologies and approaches and learn side-by-side with colleagues and experts.” No wonder iWL fit like a glove in there!

iWL CEO Cody Broderick leaves little room for doubt when asked what his opinion of the experience was. “DevLearn was fabulous! It was great to be surrounded by the leading creators and providers in the eLearning and training development industry.”

iWL’s booth at the conference was a cozy, well-lit 10x10 space that was quite well received, in Broderick’s words. “Our presence was definitely felt at the conference. We had countless people complimenting the professionalism of our team and the look of our booth.”

Well, you know what they say, right? Nothing like a good first impression to keep the people coming! The iWL team’s  efforts didn’t go to waste, at the end of the day. “We spoke to hundreds of people and walked away with many valuable new relationships,” says Broderick. “And even better, many new projects!”

Now if that isn’t killing two birds with one stone, what is? Three, actually: the opportunity to learn about an interesting topic, a wonderful experience and atmosphere, and new contacts and projects. Really, iWL hit the jackpot in Las Vegas last October!

“Overall, it was a success, and inWhatLanguage will definitely be expanding as a leading provider of expert level translation services for all developers and service providers in this industry,” Cody Broderick assures with a smile.

Transcription: a job for the chosen ones

Isn’t it funny how, when trying to understand a foreign language, it is always easier to read it than to simply listen to it? Take movies, for instance. How many of us have turned on the subtitles option, even just to have the same dialogues that are being recited by the actors, displayed in its written form at the bottom of the screen?

It is evident that, if you want to convey a message and you don’t want to risk having to deal with misunderstandings, misinterpretations or misspellings, you have to have this message written down. When words are transformed into written text, they become timeless, eternal, and they are never lost.

But, of course, writing down a speech, or more accurately, the act of transcription, is one of the most mind-, patience- and time-consuming exercises I can think of.

The Canadian novelist and playwright Ann-Marie MacDonald said it once: “Writing is a hellish task; best snuck up on, whacked on the head, robbed, and left for dead”. Transcribers could easily add to this: “And transcribing is the epitome of this definition”.

Most people are just not made to be transcribers: it requires a great short-term memory and unbelievable typing speed. And you just have to like it, otherwise it can feel like a punishment. Transcription is simply one of those jobs that one has to leave to professionals: those who are born with the gift to do it, and to do it well.

inWhatLanguage not only provides superior quality transcription services, but it also offers a huge array of languages in which our expert translators and transcribers can deliver perfectly transcribed texts out of any audio and video file you might need. From recorded meetings and telephone calls to video surveillance and legal recordings, you can rest assured knowing that whatever your transcription translation project might consist of, we have the translation experience and expertise to deliver excellent results at our translation firm. Our transcription translation firm handles all file types and we work with over 160 different languages at our office while tailoring solutions to your unique transcription requirements.

Our trick is to combine expert in-country translators, exceptional word-processing skills, detailed quality reviews, and unmatched client support throughout the entire process. In actuality, nothing that we don’t already provide with any of the other services iWL has to offer – but of course, we have the big advantage of a large network of linguist all over the world, some of whom specialized in this particular field of the translation industry.

Need a long, important speech transcribed? Don’t sweat it. Just entrust it to us, and get a load off your shoulders!

Happy Halloween and All Saints' Day!

October 31st and November 1st are special dates in several countries where many different languages are spoken. As an international translation agency with professional translators and clients from all over the word, inWhatLanguage didn’t want to miss the opportunity to wish you all a happy celebration… And to share some general language-related trivia about these holidays.

For example: it is generally known that Halloween is a abbreviation of “All Hallows Evening”. “Hallow” is, in fact, Old English for “holy”. But how exactly did it transform into “Halloween”?

Well, first of all, “Evening” was shortened to “Eve”, same as in many other celebration names.

However, in the Scots language, “Eve” is pronounced “Even”, and this form got shortened to “E’en”. So first take All Hallows Eve, then take off the “All”, the “s” in the middle, and give it a Scots touch… And voilá. We got ourselves a Halloween.

In the same spirit of shortening words, the popular Jack-o-lanterns is in fact a shortened version of “Jack of the lantern” a fictional character whose origins date back to old folk tales. According to the information on Wikipedia, “an old Irish folk tale from the mid-19th Century tells of Stingy Jack, a lazy yet shrewd farmer who uses a cross to trap the Devil in order for him not to take his soul”. 

Unfortunately, this meant that, when Jack died, even though his life had been too sinful for him to be allowed into heaven, he could not go to hell, either. Jack had nowhere to go. He asked about how would he see where to go, as he had no light to guide his path, and the Devil mockingly tossed him an ember from the flames of hell that would never burn out. Jack carved out one of his turnips (which were his favorite food), put the ember inside it, and began endlessly wandering the Earth for a resting place. He became known as "Jack of the Lantern", or Jack-o'-lantern.

Nowadays, the popular form of Jack-o’-lantern is in the shape of a pumpkin, but in some parts of Great Britain, turnips are still the preferred option for Halloween!

As for today, All Saints’ Day –or All Hallows-, it is interesting to see the different celebrations –and it’s names in different languages- from around the world. Again, quoting Wikipedia, “In Mexico, Portugal and Spain, offerings (Portuguese: oferendas, Spanish: ofrendas) are made on this day.” Furthermore, in Mexico, this day “coincides with the first day of the Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) celebration. Known as "Día de los Inocentes" (Day of the Innocents), it honours deceased children and infants.”

“Portuguese children celebrate the Pão-por-Deus tradition (also called santorinho, bolinho or fiéis de Deus), going door-to-door, where they receive cakes, nuts and pomegranates. Hallowmas in the Philippines is variously called "Undas" (based on the word for "[the] first"), "Todos los Santos" (literally "All Saints"), and sometimes "Áraw ng mga Patáy" (lit. "Day of the Dead"), which refers to the following day of All Souls' Day but includes it.”

“In English-speaking countries, the festival is traditionally celebrated with the hymn "For All the Saints" by Walsham How.”

So as a conclusion to this blog post, here is a video with this hymn. Enjoy!