Translation : It’s place in the 21st century

The UK is a society that not only boasts a rich indigenous culture, but also in the last 50  years or so, has seen the continued influx of nationals from all corners of the globe.

This influx has brought with it many diverse cultures and languages, peoples and races, which in turn has made the UK an attractive destination for those seeking to obtain a ‘multicultural’ experience.

The funny thing however is despite this influence of culture and language, the UK lags behind other countries in terms of language acquisition. This in turn has led to a rise in translation services as companies and organisations have to find a way to reach a broader audience through inter cultural communications

Professional translation services are springing up everywhere, as organisations seek to plug the gap created by a UK workforce that lacks linguistic ability. As a result document translation specialists covering niche sectors such as technology, science, medicine etc are being utilised increasingly to improve companies’ chances of competing on a global platform.

The use of a translation agency is crucial to the marketing and commercial strategies of some companies and is frequently used to cross the cultural-linguistic divide that often makes it challenging to conduct business with organisations overseas. Professional translation services in addition to providing a translation service can also provide much needed advice on how to conduct business in far-away lands and the socio-cultural implications of their business interactions.

So where am I going with this? Ultimately, I believe in addition to utilising the services of a translation agency, more should be done in the UK to encourage the acquisition of a second language; promote and understanding of other cultures and encourage socio-linguistic interaction with a view to ensuring the UK remains a key player on the global economic platform. With this in mind, translation services will end up complementing existing linguists and language experts within the society and make an overall better contribution to the economy and society in general.