Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, precautionary measures have been placed to ensure the health and safety of our global community. These restrictions have altered the work place across various fields. In the translation and localization industry, our work has predominantly shifted to a digital platform (i.e. virtual meetings, webinars etc.) As a result of the major shift to a cyber workplace, communications become increasingly difficult due to language barriers. For example, an American-based English speaking company and a European-based German speaking company will lack effective communication due to the linguistic divide. Thus, language service providers are an integral component in bridging language barriers and assisting companies with business interactions.
What Does This Look Like?
As our world shifts to a cyber platform, many translation applications will be made available on mobile phones and computers to aid with translation needs. Although machine-based translation apps may seem like an easy solution for bridging the language gap, relying on a digital software is risky as it may not consistently produce accurate results. For example, translating from English to German using a machine-based translator such as Google translate will not generate an exact translation. Other factors besides direct word-for-word translation such as: cultural context and emotion must be taken into consideration when translating from one language to another in order to produce the most precise results.
Wrapping it Up
In conclusion, human translation services and localization specialists are required in a digitalized world to aid businesses in overcoming linguistic barriers and reaching their goals.
Robin Ayoub 
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