COVID-19 has radically changed society. From social distancing in restaurants to economic hardship, the pandemic has impacted virtually all facets of life. Yet perhaps most importantly, the outbreak of the novel coronavirus has highlighted the importance of pandemic preparation. Without developing a coherent strategy to stave off future global catastrophe, the United States could find itself unable to fight off an even more deadly pandemic in the future. However, a strategy is useless if governments and public health organizations fail to articulate their plans to the public. Therefore, it is important for these entities to seek the help of public health localization services in order to convey a polished message that can be understood by all people, regardless of language.
Public Health Localization Services Help Articulate the Problem
Perhaps the most important part of pandemic preparation is articulating the seriousness of the threat to the public. If people fail to comprehend the danger posed by an emergent pandemic, they are unlikely to take public health measures seriously. Therefore, when drafting policy documents and public safety documents, it is essential to seek localization services. It is not enough to simply translate documents; important documents must be adapted to be understood by people who speak specific regional dialects. For instance, Cuban Spanish is much different from Castilian Spanish. As a result, international development translation projects must be accompanied by localization in order to ensure that speakers from different sub-groups within a language family are able to understand what government and NGOs are planning to do to fight a global pandemic.
Public Health Localization Convey Cultural Sensitivity
However, clear communication between public health organizations and the public-at-large is not enough. Organizations must ensure that their message obeys cultural norms. Failure to abide by these cultural conventions can damage an organization’s reputation and cause the public to distrust what an organization is trying to convey. When it comes to fighting a global pandemic, this can have disastrous effects and lead to the spread of disease. Therefore, it’s essential for organizations to abide by these unspoken rules by consulting language professionals who understand the cultural nuances of certain languages.
Public Health Localization Help Organizations Reach Out to All People
Finally, translation for international agencies must be done in conjunction with localization in order to ensure that all people, regardless of their education level, are able to understand an organization’s message. Public health ordinances must be translated into simple and clear language that carefully articulates an organization’s mission. Using complex language can easily confuse people and discourage them from reading important documents or listening to public health guidelines contained in a PSA. Therefore, localization plays a key role in making sure that the public is properly informed in a concise manner.
About Language Connections:
Language Connections is one of the top language service companies in the US. Over the last 30 years, we’ve focused on providing the best business translation services, interpreting services, as well as interpreter training and customized language training programs. In addition to top-tier corporate language training, we offer certified corporate interpreters and professional business translation services in 200+ languages. Our network includes linguists with backgrounds in all major industries. They’re ready to meet your needs, whether they’re for technical translation services, legal translation, government translation services, international development translation services, education translation services, life sciences translation, or something else. Reach out to us today for a free quote on our cost-efficient and timely translation services, interpreters, or other linguistic services.
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