Closer wor(l)ds – a blog for linguists

04 May 2016

Challenges in translating surveys

The art of translation is never more under a microscope than when attempting to convey the contents of a survey in a target language. Notwithstanding the […]
13 April 2016

Challenges with translating animal metaphors

In every civilisation in history, animals have played a significant role. Stories of talking animals, moral lessons using animals as the main characters and a huge […]
10 June 2015

Challenges in translating legal documentation

Legalese, or legal-speak, is a language commonly understood by members of the fraternity; but what happens when cross-cultural elements get in the mix and make things […]
15 May 2015

Native or non-native… this is the question

When it comes to the translation industry (I know some of you are not fond of the term ­industry, but since the dictionary definition also includes […]
09 April 2015

A few words on the Translation and Localization Conference 2015

  I can’t believe the TLC is over. 🙁 Even harder to believe is that it’s been more than 6 months since I was invited to submit […]
19 November 2014

Which hotel signs need to be translated

All hotels that want to be really competitive in today’s troublesome economy are well aware of the fact that they need to translate important documents, such […]
24 October 2014

7 Good reasons for translating menus in hotel restaurants

With globalisation, a higher standard of living across the world, low-cost airfares, highly competitive hotel prices and tourist agencies that are prepared to organise all aspects […]
25 April 2014

Challenges in translating literature

It’s been a while, I know, but here we are with a new post in our ‘Challenges’ series. The other articles deal with challenges in translating […]
28 January 2014

Challenges in translating for the advertising industry

Advertising is a world of compelling imagery and deftly wielded wordplay, and writing captivating copy for an advertisement is probably one of the hardest things to […]