"Getting Started" Guides by MultiLingual
Jinfo Blog

24th October 2007

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On the operational front of business globalization a lot has to do with adapting products and services to local languages, cultures, and infrastructure. MultiLingual is an interesting publication I recently discovered in this context. It publishes eight issues a year and a free annual resource directory for those interested in the role of language, technology and translation in doing business globally. Its “Getting Started” guides on hot topics are published four times a year and freely downloadable. The 2007 guides offer multi-dimensional discussions on internationalization, localization, South America and China. Here are some of the articles appeared in the guides: " Thinking internationalization in everyday design " Getting started in localization " Moving beyond the ad hocracy of localization " Technical challenges and localization tools " Five steps from local to global " Business and management practices in China " Globalization strategies for China " The China market: Orderly chaos " East meets west: Communications styles in China " Localization outsourcing and export in Brazil " Doing business in Argentina " The tricky business of Spanish translation The Going to China guide puts together some practical information useful for getting started in taking a business to China. Recognizing cultural differences and some of the common practices for dealing with the differences are good starting points. A few quick impressions are thought-provoking: New York seems aggressive but with sophisticated self-confidence; Tokyo promotes harmony but encourages a sense of indifference. And China? There is a sense of awakening in the air and a strong drive to work hard and accomplish, while it may also seem very materialistic to the outsider. Learning how to navigate the seemingly chaotic Chinese market also has a lot to do with understanding the Chinese language systems. And good marketing communications require more than simply translating words and sentences. While Americans value conciseness and clarity, the Chinese value correctness, courtesy, consideration and completeness. Documentation for Chinese products is often indirect and imprecise, mirroring the culture norms. Rich visual illustrations in a refrigerator manual in China may indicate the local preference for visuals to text, reflecting the pictorial nature of Chinese characters.
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