3 Key Reasons Why English Classes for Construction Workers Are Vital

In any business, clear communication between all team members is essential. This is no different in the construction industry. Clear communication and full understanding of all safety materials, work instructions, and employee communications is key to ensure a safe, and inclusive, work environment and to maximize productivity. Even between two people who are native speakers of the same language there tends to be communication issues. When communicating with employees whose native language is not English, these communication barriers can become exacerbated. One way to mitigate this is through offering English classes for construction workers at your company. Read below for three key ways implementing these classes can be beneficial for your company and your employees.

 

1) English Classes For Construction Workers Increase Safety

Construction comes with a lot of associated safety information. In order to operate machinery safely and also remain safe in a construction site, all employees need a full and complete understanding and comprehension of all safety manuals and materials provided by your company. Additionally, clear understanding of all spoken instructions on the job site related to safety is imperative. By providing English training for employees, you are taking active steps towards ensuring their safety while working at your company. For this reason, finding English language training programs for companies, especially those who have experience in the construction industry, needs to be a priority. 

 

2) English Classes For Construction Workers Ensure Inclusivity

Along similar lines of understanding, ensuring that all employees feel comfortable and confident interacting on a day-to-day basis in English is key to fostering an inclusive work environment. English ability should not have to be something that your employees are worried about. This added anxiety is not conducive to a positive work environment. English language training programs for employees are one way to help alleviate any potential employee anxieties. By taking the steps to provide these English classes for employees, you are demonstrating that you are committed to their success and to creating an inclusive workplace.

 

3) English Classes For Construction Workers Boost Productivity

This is a common fact across industries: clear communication makes work more efficient, thus boosting overall productivity. This is seen clearly in the field of construction. In order to ensure that each employee fully understands their job and also feels comfortable fully articulating any questions that they may have as they work, striving to eliminate any potential language barriers needs to be a priority. When everyone understands each other, work can be a lot smoother and there is less need for redoing tasks due to a lack of communication and understanding. By providing these English language training programs for your employees, you are taking another positive step towards ensuring clear communication, thus increasing productivity and efficiency. Clearly, English training for construction workers is key to ensuring a safe, inclusive, and productive work environment.

To get more information or to register for Language Training courses please go to our registration website: languagetrainingpro.com

Why are Arabic Corporate Language Classes Key to Business Success?

Given its centrality to the international economy and foreign affairs, Arabic is one of the most dominant languages in the world. Taking this reality into account, it’s important for companies that regularly conduct business in the Middle East to seriously consider providing corporate language classes in Arabic for their employees

Providing Arabic Corporate Language Classes

The need for employee language training varies dramatically by country and industry. For instance, Arabic fluency is typically not necessary in the Gulf States of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates due to the culture of these countries. This is especially true of the United Arab Emirates, which attracts business from around the world. These regions satisfy the language needs of English business professionals by providing facilities with English-speaking workers. In other words, the UAE has created a culture of openness to English investment and commerce.

However, things are different in North African countries. In North African countries like Algeria, they’ve seen little English investment.  Therefore, they haven’t been exposed to English culture in the same way as the UAE.  In these countries, knowledge of Arabic becomes more important to business success.

The industry involved also plays a key role in determining whether or not companies decide to provide language training courses for business professionals. For example, NGOs who provide critical services for underprivileged communities and work closely with local populations obviously require employees fluent in Arabic.  In these cases, they must provide language training for employees who don’t speak the Arabic.

Benefits of Learning Arabic

Regardless of industry or country, businesses should seek out company language training solutions for to the innumerable benefits language training courses for business can offer. First, the U.S. government has actively tried to promote the learning of Arabic by offering language scholarships to motivated candidates in American universities. With these scholarships, students can travel abroad and immerse themselves in the Arabic language so they can obtain Arabic fluency.  Arabic fluency is a rare skill highly desired by government organizations such as the State Department. Second, learning Arabic can help to build bridges between business professionals from different linguistic backgrounds. Even if the understanding in a particular country is that English is the language of business, using Arabic phrases during a business meeting could demonstrate good will and build trust between parties in an international business deal. Arabic language classes for companies can facilitate career advancement and support better productivity and growth for employers!

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.

Language Connections Inc.
2001 Beacon Street, Suite 105,
Boston, MA 02135
Phone: +1-617-731-3510
Email: service@languageconnections.com

Company Language Training Solutions for French

France is one of the most powerful economies in the European Union. Therefore, it’s no surprise that companies doing business in France should provide superior company language training solutions for their employees. Though language training can offer great benefits for employees, the need for language lessons often varies depending on the industry.

Why French Corporate Language Training Solutions are Key to Business Success

While over 70 million people speak the French language globally, the need for employee language training varies dramatically by industry. For instance, in the burgeoning IT market, many French-based companies provide language training courses for business professionals who work for them in other parts of the world. This move ensures that employees possess language capabilities to supplement their job-specific skills; a combination that can increase the fluidity of business operations. French language skills are also highly sought after in the business world as well. Many American business workers decide to pursue their MBA in France, as it offers a unique opportunity to both advance their career and immerse themselves in a new culture. Additionally, many American companies operating in France provide language lessons for employees.

Nevertheless, finding work in France can be very hard for non-French speaking workers. For example, in order to stay in the country for a long period of time, foreign professionals must apply for a visa through the French embassy; a process that must begin months before arriving in France. Furthermore, it can be difficult to enter into certain industries in France. For example, English teachers in France are incredibly common and obtaining the right certifications can take time, making it challenging to break into the teaching job market.

Benefits of Learning French

Regardless of industry, businesses should provide French corporate language classes due to the innumerable benefits learning a second language can offer. First and foremost, French is a relatively easy language to learn (as opposed to more complicated languages like Russian or Hindi). Second, French is the language of diplomacy and is still a major language used in business, thus making it extremely valuable for many career directions. Finally, learning French doesn’t just open up job opportunities in France. Many African countries, such as Algeria, have high populations of French speakers and, with foreign investment, are positioned to become key players in the regional economy. Clearly, company language training solutions can prove highly beneficial.

Spain’s Linguistic Diversity and the Need for Global Translation Services

 

Diversity has always defined Spain. The Iberian Peninsula is home to many different languages and is comprised of 17 autonomous regions, each with their own distinct culture and heritage. Additionally, Spain is a place of great religious diversity. Although Spain is now a predominantly Catholic country, for a period of over 700 years, Muslims, Jews, and Christians lived in relative peace and harmony in the southern region of Andalusia. However, these cultural differences require superior global translation services provided by language service companies to facilitate communication between different groups.

 

The Languages of Spain

There are four main languages spoken on the Iberian Peninsula. While Castilian Spanish is by far the most common and is spoken in all of Spain’s autonomous regions, many regions speak their own unique languages. For instance, the autonomous communities of Catalonia, Valencia, and the Balearic Islands all speak Catalan in addition to Castilian Spanish. The community of Galicia also possesses its own language: Gallego. Like Catalan, it is considered to be a secondary language to Castilian. Yet, despite its place in Spanish culture, Gallego shares more in common with Portuguese, given the region’s proximity to northern Portugal. Finally, the Basque region, found in the north of Spain, speaks Euskara, a language descended from the prehistoric languages of the mountainous north. Because of the region’s isolation, the Basques were able to develop their own language and society without influence or interference from outside actors, even when the Romans invaded Iberia in the 2^nd century B.C.

 

Language and Nationalism

Despite the fact that Castilian Spanish is spoken in all of autonomous regions has somewhat unified Spain linguistically, this fact stands as a painful reminder for many communities of the loss of language and culture during the reign of Franco. Franco’s regime, which lasted from 1939 to 1975, actively suppressed the speaking of languages other than his native tongue of Castilian Spanish, angering citizens proud of the linguistic traditions in their communities. This campaign of repression sparked the formation of different nationalist groups in certain Spanish region, including ETA, the infamous Basque terrorist organization that killed over 700 people before its dissolution in 2018. Therefore, the use of regional languages often serves as a statement of nationalism for many Spanish communities.

 

The Need for Global Translation Services

This divide between Spanish language groups has extended into the classroom in recent years. In order to demonstrate their independence, many Basque schools have vowed to only teach Euskara to their students while cutting back on Castilian Spanish language training programs. This insistence on teaching regional languages over Castilian could have a profound impact on foreign business operations in Spain, especially given the fact that Spain is an emerging global market. Without a professional translator with the ability to translate documents and other business-related materials into Spain’s regional languages, potential markets cannot be accessed in these regions. Therefore, investment in corporate interpretation services for minority languages should become a major priority for businesses operating in Spain in the coming years, particularly given the rise of nationalist sentiments in the country.

La Francophonie: The History of the Famous French Language Training School

French is one of the most widely-spoken languages in the world, with 29 countries having it as their official language and focus of language training. These countries form what is known as la Francophonie, a word invented in 1880 by Onésime Reclus to describe the global, French-speaking community. France is also fiercely protective of its language and has created numerous organizations over the years to accomplish this purpose, one of which is the International Organization of La Francophonie.

 

Roots of French Language Training

The International Organization of La Francophonie has its roots in the Académie française. This organization was created in 1635 in order to officially determine the vocabulary and grammatical conventions of the French language. Although the Académie française somewhat fell by the wayside during the tumultuous era of the French Revolution, starting with the Third Republic during the 1880s, the French language began to take on greater importance in the eyes of the state. Yet this language revival came at the cost of other minority languages in France. For instance, French leaders actively stifled language training in other languages such as Breton and forced non-French speakers to translate documents into standard French. This persecution of non-French languages persists today in France, as many companies are forced to pay a fine if they fail to seek global translation services from language service companies in order to translate official government documents into French.

 

The Organization Today

The International Organization of La Francophonie was created in 1970. 88 states make up the organization, which is run by the Secretary General. The Secretary General serves as the representative of the organization before other international bodies, such as the United Nations, and works to ensure cooperation between different member states of La Francophonie. In order to discuss its priorities, the organization hosts a summit every two years attended by all member states, often requiring conference interpreting. The last summit was held in Armenia in October of 2018. The organization is also comprised of five critical sub-agencies that accomplish different tasks. For example, the Association of Francophone Universities (AUF) deals with French language issues within higher education, with particular emphasis on scientific fields. La Francophonie also oversees French media, as it’s in charge of TV5Monde, one of the largest international French TV outlets in the world.

 

Controversy

Despite its good intentions, La Francophonie and other French language institutions have been met with opposition over the course of their history. For instance, government translation services have caused friction in Brittany due to the fact that many road signs feature directions in the French and Breton languages, angering Bretons who perceive this as an attack on their culture. The International Organization of La Francophonie has also been charged with failing to stand up to the human rights abuses of many of its African members, including Rwanda and Togo. Overall however, the International Organization of La Francophonie provides a valuable service for the international community by promoting the French language and culture worldwide.

Workplace English Language Training for Manufacturers

 

Across the United States, new Americans and permanent residents who speak limited English are working hard at increasingly sophisticated manufacturing facilities.  As their communication skills improve – especially their American English pronunciation, vocabulary and fluency, their employer’s bottom line improves.

 

The Benefits of Language Training for Manufacturers

There are significant benefits when companies with a large LEP population invest in employee English training. Naturally, having a more skilled workforce can even increase the business’ outreach potential. In the past, many studies have been conducted related to how ESL/literacy programs improve employee productivity. In one case, where 5 employees were offered a course, they were initially skeptical about whether or not they would be able to pass the entrance exam. As it turns out, they all passed, resulting in a positive impact on each employee’s morale even before starting corporate English lessons. Essentially, this opportunity allowed them to visualize their career improving.  In turn, this encouraged them to convert what they previously saw as a weakness, the fact that they were non-Native speakers, into a relevant and useful skill. The training was reinvigorating for the employees because they felt supported by the employer and capable of pursuing more meaningful work than what they had been doing up until this point. By the end, even considering that not all office employees would pass the corporate ESL course, their communication improved with their co-workers and their employer. Also, they now had a clearer understanding of their strengths and weaknesses.

 

Language Connections’ Courses

The language training for manufacturers program that we’ve developed at Language Connections focuses on on-site workplace English training.  This training improves employees’ English Language proficiency, concentrates on workplace language training, on cross-cultural training, on pronunciation training, and on accent reduction.  Classes are generally held face-to-face, because it tends to be more effective to learn from a native-speaking instructor in-person. ESL language courses for employees not only improve their language capability, but their overall communication. Corporate ESL training for manufacturers outside of the US is essential to have a dynamic workforce, it provides them with the opportunity for foreign-born professionals to be capable of moving between their company offices abroad and advancing their careers.

These training courses are ideally held in small groups with content tailored to language training for manufacturers’ needs. Our teachers provide real-life scenarios and complete progress tracking to accelerate learning and deliver the best results. Additionally, it’s worth noting that learning a new language always benefits adults’ capacity to communicate and think. In fact, it is like exercising the brain, enhancing brain plasticity and strengthening neural networks. Basically, ESL training for employees can help slow down the aging process through cognitive recognition and enhanced memory.  Additionally, language training for manufacturers’ will surely help to create new relationships between LEP and non-LEP employees that will lead to a stronger workforce and more efficient communication between employees.

Interpretation Services in Early America

Narratives of early American history often focus on the exploits of great heroes such as George Washington and Lewis and Clark. However, few historians have explored the role that interpretation services played in the creation and development of the American continent. Interpreters helped bridge linguistic divides and served as key facilitators of negotiations between different cultures. Despite this fact, interpreters also participated in many unsavory episodes of American history. Here are the stories of just some of the many characters who, despite their flaws, helped forge a nation.

Backwoods Translators

Being a professional translator in the American wilderness was an incredibly important job. Given the language differences between colonists and natives, professional translators were instrumental to establishing harmonious relations with native groups– an essential aspect to building an empire. France was perhaps the first colonial power to realize this fact. In contrast to other great powers during the 16 – 17^th centuries that used conquest as a means of imperial expansion, the French colonial system relied upon a system of agreements and trade relations with Native American groups to form their empire. This system required exemplary global translation services. Therefore, French colonizers made a point to provide language training in native languages to colonists (usually by sending them to live amongst the natives) in order to create a corps of professional interpreters who were often stationed at French trading posts to facilitate the trading of beaver pelts. The British also recognized the importance of interpretation to the building of their own empire. As brilliantly acknowledged by Yasuhide Kawashima in his article, “Forest Diplomats: The Role of Interpreters in Indian-White Relations on the Early American Frontier,” in contrast to the French, the British used translators to provide conference interpretation services during negotiations of mutual defense agreements with native tribes. As a result, the British were able to create a system of alliances with powerful native groups such as the Iroquois Confederacy that proved especially useful during both the French and Indian Wars and the American Revolution.

Interpretation Services and Slavery

Yet interpreters also played a role in the terrible practice of slavery. The African slave trade began in the 15^th century during the Portuguese exploration and conquest of the West African coast. After spending time in Portugal, some slaves were able to learn Portuguese and become professional translators, a position which often found them participating in the enslavement of their own people. Britain merchants also employed a number of interpreters as the slave trade continued into the 18^th century. These interpreters were so valuable that numerous letters of recommendation were required in order to be hired as an interpreter. African tribes also employed interpreters, who provided conference interpreting for meetings with European merchants in order to negotiate the sale of slaves. Clearly, although professional interpreters often participated in some of the most terrible events in American history, they nevertheless played a key role in the development of the North American continent.

The Unbelievable Story of Stalin’s Professional Interpreter

No one could have foreseen Valentin Berezhkov’s rise to prominence as Stalin’s professional interpreter. Born in 1916 to an aristocratic family, Berezhkov began his life on the periphery of the newly-founded Soviet Union in Kiev, Ukraine. Turmoil defined the region during this period. During the early 1930s, Stalin introduced a policy of forced agricultural collectivization, which required Ukrainian farmers to work on collective farms under penalty of death. When Ukrainian peasants resisted, Stalin cut off food supplies to the region, resulting in a famine that killed over 4 million people. Despite the scope of Stalin’s brutality, as the son of wealthy Ukrainian parents, Berezhkov grew up relatively insulated from the events of the day. Thanks to his privileged background, he was able to receive language training in German and English, and eventually went on to serve in Soviet Navy. However, fate had bigger plans for Berezhkov. In 1940, recognizing Berezhkov’s talent for languages, the Kremlin hired him to become the first secretary to the Soviet ambassador in Berlin.  This was an event which would forever change his life.

Career Origins

The hiring of Berezhkov was a necessity for the Soviet regime. Following Stalin’s purging of top officials in the mid-1930s, the Kremlin needed to rebuild its core staff with young professionals who were skilled in foreign languages. The developing political situation in Europe during the early 1940s forced Berezhkov to learn at an exceedingly fast pace. During his time in this position, Berezhkov learned the critical skill of stenography (a fundamental skill for conference interpreting) and made an effort to improve his diplomatic vocabulary. These skills quickly came in handy. On June 22, 1941, Germany declared war on the Soviet Union. As first secretary to the Soviet ambassador in Berlin, Berezkhov sat in on meetings with German foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, who openly admitted his displeasure with Hitler’s decision to invade and, according to Berezhkov, appeared distraught and defeated. Despite the fact that diplomatic relations between the two nations soured, this episode proved to be a formative experience for Berezhkov, as it represented his first foray into the world of conference interpretation services.

Professional Interpreter to Stalin

The outbreak of war forced Berezhkov’s return to Moscow, where he eventually became an assistant to Vyacheslav Molotov, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Being part of Molotov’s staff afforded Berezhkov many career advancement opportunities. Over the course of World War II, Berezhkov served as Stalin’s interpreter for meetings, such as the Tehran and Yalta Conferences. These conferences served as key opportunities for Allied leaders to articulate and reconcile their respective visions of the postwar world, requiring effective interpretation services. In a memoir describing his experiences, Berezhkov noted Stalin’s nervousness during the Tehran Conference and described how Stalin would often act as if he wasn’t in the room. Despite Stalin’s eccentricities and temperamental behavior, Berezhkov maintained his faith in the Soviet leader and served admirably over the course of the meetings, even playing a key role in determining the location of Tehran Conference.

Life After Stalin

Unfortunately, Berezkhov’s career as an interpreter for conference meetings was cut short when an allegation of espionage forced him to step down as a member of Molotov’s staff. Following his career as Stalin’s interpreter, Berezkhov worked in Washington, D.C. at the Soviet Embassy during the 1970s and later published his memoirs recounting his experiences. Berezkhov also taught extensively within the California higher education system. In spite of his death in 1998, Berezkhov lives on as a key witness to some of the most important events of the 20^th century.

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.

Language Connections Inc.
2001 Beacon Street, Suite 105,
Boston, MA 02135
Phone: +1-617-731-3510
Email: service@languageconnections.com

 

Constance Garnett: The Most Influential Professional Translator in History

Strange Origins for a Professional Translator

Based on her background, few could tell that Constance Garnett would go on to become the most accomplished professional translator of her time. Born to a coroner and the daughter of a famous mathematician in 1861, Garnett grew up in the seaside resort town of Brighton, England. Despite being educated at the prestigious Newnham College, a subsidiary women’s college of Cambridge University, Garnett didn’t learn Russian until the age of 29.  This is when her husband introduced her to a Russian immigrant named Feliks Volkhovsky at a party held at the Garnett estate. An exiled revolutionary, Volkhovsky was an editor for the Free Russian Press, a socialist journal, and encouraged Garnett to take on the difficult task of learning his native tongue. Garnett eventually found the time to learn during her first pregnancy with the help of another Russian dissident named Sergei Stepnyak and began translating Leo Tolstoy’s famous philosophical essay, “The Kingdom of God is Within You.”  Garnett’s translation of this dense text effectively began her journey into the world of translation services and paved the way for her future translation of other classics of Russian literature such as Anna Karenina and Crime and Punishment.

Rise to Prominence of a Professional Translator

In spite of her amateur language training, Garnett’s translations gained a considerable following due to their incredible readability. Previous English editions of Russian novels, such as Clare Bell’s translation of Tolstoy’s War and Peace, were based on earlier French translations and thus deprived readers of the true spirit of Russian literature. By contrast, Garnett’s translations came from the original Russian text and attempted to convey the Russian authors’ desired meaning. Garnett also derived her success from having access to the publishing industry through her husband’s job as a publisher’s reader for Jonathon Cape.  This allowed her translations to be published cheaply and to become readily available to the masses.  Perhaps the greatest factor that aided Garnett’s rise to prominence in the professional translating world was her ability to translate documents with great speed. Despite the many ailments she suffered from, which included blindness in the twilight of her life, Garnett was able to translate over 70 works of Russian fiction during her relatively short translation career.

A Controversial, Yet Important Legacy

Nevertheless, Garnett’s translation work has provoked a great deal of controversy within the global translation services community. Particularly in her translations of Dostoevsky, Garnett often skipped over Russian phrases that were difficult to translate into English, essentially eliminating the unique voices of Russian authors. Famous Russian authors, such as Vladimir Nabokov and Joseph Brodsky, have also decried the fact her translations often dampen the vitality of the original works. Regardless of these critiques, it’s hard to ignore the fact that without Garnett’s work, most of the English-speaking world would never have been exposed to Russian literature.

Global Translation Services at the Olympic Games

The Olympics is one of the most renowned sporting events in history. Although a fierce competition between athletes at their peak, the games provide countries with a forum to set aside their differences and come together through the power of sport.  This requires superior global translation services. There are three official languages for the Olympic Games: French, English, and the language of the host country. Therefore, the Olympic translation team of professional linguists must work hard under a strict schedule to translate documents (such as menus and medical records) and signage (such as train stop signs and on-field screens) related to the Games into all of the official languages; a process which begins roughly one month before the Games begin. Despite its tediousness, this process provides the essential function of allowing the Games to run smoothly by ensuring that athletes receive the correct information in their home language.

 

Olympic Interpreting

 

In addition to the efforts of translators, interpretation services play a critical role during the games. Given the fact that the Olympic Games feature athletes from over 200 countries, interpreters are vital to bridging cultural and linguistic barriers between participants. For instance, between the various Olympic venues and the countries’ separate locker rooms, a “mixed zone” exists where participants from different countries travel to their respective venues. Working in this zone can prove difficult for even the most skilled linguist, as interpreters in this zone often help to prevent misunderstandings or confusion that can lead to scuffles between athletes (events which have occurred in the past). Additionally, Olympic interpreters provide video interpretation and conference interpreting services by interpreting press conferences, medal ceremonies, and International Olympic Committee meetings.

 

A Critical Shortage

 

In spite of the importance of Olympic interpreters, the size of the event often places strain on the supply of professional interpreters. This strain demands that the Olympic Committee find volunteer interpreters and create new solutions to help fill the void. For the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, over 80,000 volunteers are required for the event. To find potential candidates, Tokyo universities have launched a recruitment program featuring intensive language training classes and crash-courses in sports terminology for qualified students. In order to improve efficiency and compensate for staff shortages, the Olympic Committee has also created a new centralized simultaneous interpretation system for the Tokyo Games to translate all events into the three official languages for T.V. audiences around the globe.

 

Technological Developments

 

Finally, Japan plans to debut a new pocket translation device at the Games that provides simultaneous translation from Japanese to English at the touch of a button, reducing the need for interpreters at the event. Although developers are still fine-tuning the technology, the device has significantly improved the speed of Japanese to English translation, which can prove challenging due to their differences in sentence structure. Clearly, while the Tokyo Olympics presents many challenges, these new developments promise a bright future for global translation services and interpretation for the Games.