Tag Archive for 'spanish'

Should Translators Work for Free?

Published on August 26, 2011 in Spanish Translation and Tips for Translators. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Everyone knows you can’t get something for nothing…or can you? These days, it seems that many big name Internet properties, particularly those involved in social media, are trying their darnedest to get users to contribute their knowledge and expertise with no promise of remuneration, a practice commonly referred to as crowdsourcing. But as a professional translator, should you offer your services for free? Are there situations where it’s worthwhile to work without expectation of payment?

Translators devote significant amounts of time and effort to research terms, compile glossaries, and craft the language of their translations, and most are adamant about being paid a fair wage for what they do. Many translation professionals see crowdsourcing and the like as exploitation, preferring to work on personal projects or other endeavors if they have extra time on their hands.

Although not alone in the hunt for unpaid volunteers, the social network LinkedIn really managed to ruffle a few feathers two years ago when it asked members who are professional translators if they’d be willing to translate the site “for fun” or in exchange for nothing more than a profile badge. This move generated a great deal of controversy, with members noting that such requests devalue the translation profession—a vocation that already struggles for recognition.

Others argue that if one is keen on working for free, it’s best to do so for a non-profit. Translating for a non-profit organization can help translation students or recently graduated translators gain experience and build their resumes, all while working for a good cause. Many seasoned translators volunteer their time or charge a reduced rate as a means of giving something back to the community.

There are, however, certain instances in which it may be beneficial for linguists to donate their time and skill to profit-making ventures. For newly minted translators looking to build a name for themselves and get their foot in the door, collaborating with large websites may prove worthwhile.

For example, in May 2010, TermWiki was launched. The site encourages users to contribute translations with the goal of “collecting every single term in every single language, to be made freely available to the world.” In addition, the site’s “My Glossary” feature allows users to build glossaries for sharing with friends and colleagues.

The advantage for translators looking to gain a bit of name recognition is that TermWiki links the users’ names, the companies they represent, and their professional details to each entry submitted to the site. The company promises exposure to participating users as their contributions rise to the top in the search engines.

For experienced translators with limited free time, these types of projects are not terribly sensible from a business standpoint. Whether one enjoys participating on a personal level is another matter altogether; however, it’s wise for professionals of any stripe to think twice before offering their services free of charge.

Lunfardo: The Slang of Buenos Aires

Published on October 6, 2009 in Languages, Latinos, Lunfardo, News, Spanish Language, Spanish Translation, Tips for Translators and Translation Buyers. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Argentine Spanish is peppered with words and phrases from Lunfardo, a vast vocabulary developed on the streets of Buenos Aires in the second half of the 19th century.  Criminals and other shady characters looking to keep their activities under wraps developed Lunfardo by borrowing and twisting words from the melting pot of languages that surrounded them, allowing them to communicate with each other even in the presence of the police or prison guards.  While initially used by the more unsavory element of Argentine society, Lunfardo was later popularized through the tango, literary art forms, and upwardly mobile immigrants and has become a part of everyday, informal speech regardless of social class.  Today, the use of Lunfardo is most prevalent in Argentina (particularly in and around Buenos Aires) and Uruguay, though some elements have been adopted by neighboring countries such as Chile and Paraguay.

Lunfardo was largely a product of the great wave of European immigration to Argentina that took place from the late 1800s through the mid-1900s.  The huge influx of immigrants hailing from Spain, Italy and France, many of whom spoke non-standard regional dialects or languages, greatly influenced the development of Lunfardo.  Certain words also arrived via the gauchos from Argentina’s interior as well as from native groups like the Guaraní, Quechua and Mapuche.

One of the features of Lunfardo is the use of vesre, a form of wordplay that involves reversing the order of syllables in a word.  The term “vesre” is derived from the Spanish word “revés” (in reverse/backwards).  Examples of vesre include café → feca (coffee), pantalones → lompa (a truncated form of the word for pants) and hotel → telo (a pay-by-the-hour love motel).

In addition to vesre, Lunfardo also employs words based on metaphors such as tumbero, a slang term for “convict” that originates from the Spanish word “tumba” meaning grave.  Another example is the word “campana” (Spanish for “bell”), which describes the lookout man ready to sound the alarm should the police suddenly arrive on the scene.

For those of you looking to add a splash of color to your Spanish, the following websites have compiled an extensive list of Lunfardo words and phrases: Argentine Spanish Slang Dictionary, Wally’s Dictionary of Argentine Colloquialism and Culture and Diccionario de Lunfardo.

Some Lunfardo words added to our blog:

Meaning of “guita“

Lunfardo: Money Talk

Meaning of Atorrante

See also: Linguistic Features of Rioplatense (River Plate) Spanish

Credit union staff learning to speak Spanish

Published on June 4, 2009 in Latinos, News and Spanish Language. 7 Comments Tags: , , , , .

In the basement below United Educational Credit Union’s lobby on Riverside Drive, nine employees commit to memory the phrases, “This is a deposit slip,” and, “How can I help you?” in Spanish.

Some of its credit union tellers, asset managers and maintenance staff were learning a few banking-related phrases to help bridge language and cultural barriers for potential clients who do not speak English fluently.

“It won’t be perfect, but we are definitely making an effort,” said Joan Miller, an executive assistant who presented the 2009 marketing plan to her employers. “We think it will be a mutual benefit to both.”

Most Spanish-speaking residents in Battle Creek are from Mexico, where personal banking is not as common or accessible as it is in the United States, said Yolanda Campos, who is leading the eight-week language course.

Instead of opening a savings account where their money can earn interest, many people chose to carry their money with them or keep it at home. They tend to turn to predatory lenders offering high-interest-rate loans and check service centers that charge exorbitant fees, said Kate Kennedy, Latino/Hispanic Community Project director.

“They are very unbanked for the most part and use a cash economy,” Kennedy said. “They’ll pay $30,000 down for a house — in cash.”

About five or six years ago, local banks started to realize the potential for new business in the Mexican-American community and began hiring bilingual staff who could help people apply for tax identification numbers. The nine-digit number acts like a social security number for non-citizens who want to open a savings account, Kennedy explained.

“Still a lot of people are tending to use cash,” she said.

Kennedy said United Educational has done more than any other credit union in Battle Creek to reach out to the Spanish-speaking community. It is promoting a bilingual staff member, Elizabeth Hurtado, from part-time to full-time and it is planning to hire another part-time, bilingual staff member as well, Miller said.

“Quite honestly that’s what’s going to attract people,” said Kennedy, who has worked with Hurtado on the Latino/Hispanic Community Project. “They’ll seek Elizabeth out.”

But often the first contact potential clients have is with a teller, so it is prudent that the member services representative at least know how to say in Spanish, “Wait, I’ll get a translator.”

The students joke that after six classes the only phrases they know by heart are “nada” and “no comprendo,” but they say learning about Mexican culture has proven to be an enlightening experience. They won’t make the mistake of forming an “OK” symbol with their thumb and forefinger touching with fingers extended, they said, because they learned that the gesture can be offensive.

They also have learned that the husband typically handles finances for the family. They have become familiar with geographic names of states in Mexico and their proper pronunciation.

“You’re eventually going to see people from all of these states,” Campos told the class.

They certainly hope so.

Source: http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/article/20090604/NEWS01/906040320/1002/NEWS01/Credit+union+staff+learning+to+speak+Spanish

Without Columbus, Spanish wouldn’t be a global language

Published on April 8, 2009 in News and Spanish Language. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Santiago, Apr 3, 2009 (EFE via COMTEX) — If not for the discovery of America, Spanish today would be just another European language ranking 27th worldwide in terms of number of speakers, just ahead of Ukrainian, according to the director of the Chilean Academy of Language.
“But in addition to the huge number of speakers (in the) Americas, (the Spanish language’s cultural influence) is rising as a force,” Alfredo Matus said Friday during the presentation of the first two volumes of the study “El Valor Economico del Español: una empresa multinacional” (The Economic Value of Spanish: A Multinational Enterprise).

Matus referred to the 5th International Congress of the Spanish Language, which will be held in the Chilean port city of Valparaiso next March to coincide with bicentennial independence celebrations in Chile and several other Latin American countries and will have the slogan “The Americas in the Spanish Language.” “This is not just another congress about Spanish in the Americas.

There’s a 180-degree shift: the Americas in the Spanish language,” said Matus, who noted that in his study he maintains that “Spanish is a language of the Americas and it is here where it’s future is being played out.” The study was presented at the Americas hall of Chile’s National Library in a ceremony also attended by that institution’s director, Ana Tironi; and the president of the Chilean subsidiary of Spanish telecommunications giant Telefonica, Emilio Gilolmo.

The three-volume project is sponsored by the Telefonica Foundation in collaboration with the Spanish government’s Cervantes Institute and the Elcano Royal Institute for International and Strategic Studies, a private Spanish foundation.

The first two books of the study – “Atlas of the Spanish Language in the World” and “Economics of Spanish: An Introduction” – reflect Spanish’s status as the world’s No. 2 language in terms of international communication over the next decade and one that could surpass English in terms of number of speakers.

The study notes that a total of roughly 438 million people speak Spanish worldwide, including native speakers and those who use the language with varying degrees of competency as a second language.

Over the past eight years, the number of people who speak Spanish has grown by 9.8 percent, the second-largest increase – after Arabic – among the six official languages of the United Nations.

The study predicts that Spanish will continue to be one of the five most widely spoken languages in the world in 2050. EFE mf/mc

Source: http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2009/04/03/4105561.htm

Should Americans Learn Spanish?

Published on December 17, 2008 in Latinos and Spanish Language. 8 Comments Tags: , , , .

If you visit any of the scores of language immersion programs in Latin America, you’d think that Americans are thrilled to learn Spanish.  And anyone who attended a four year college or university probably had a least a few friends who spent a semester in Spain, Guatemala, or Argentina. 

But set foot in the United States and you’ll find a different sentiment about learning another language, especially if it’s Spanish.  For every newspaper article about the need to hire more bilingual police officers or court interpreters providing their services, you’ll find a litany of the same complaints.  These include: my grandma came from Italy and she learned English so Hispanics better too; why are my tax dollars paying police a salary differential for speaking the language of the illegals?; and if you don’t learn English, go back to your country?

Why is going abroad and learning some Spanish celebrated as a way to expand your mind, learn about a new culture, put some “Latin flavor” in your life, and add a new experience to your resume but the moment you reward someone for speaking Spanish in the States you are pandering to the “illegals” and eroding the fabric of America?  Do the benefits of flexing your linguistic muscles disappear once you’re Stateside? 

There will always be people who become enraged if the cashier at McDonald’s has a thick accent or immediately assumes that if your English is flawed or you speak Spanish to your partner you are an illegal alien.  And people will continue to battle against bilingual education even as their little American child holds hands with another child from Mexico, singing and chattering in English and in Spanish.

But for those who are intrigued about learning Spanish, even as you worry that the face of America is changing into something you don’t recognize, take some small steps toward learning about the varied facets of Latino culture and see if it still scares you.  Download some Marco Antonio Solis.  Learn to make chimichurri.  Watch the actors on a telenovela and see if you can follow the story through their gestures. 

Next time you’re in line behind a Spanish-speaking family in Walmart, maybe you won’t think to yourself: “Why don’t they just go back to their country if they don’t speak English?”

Translations for U.S. Immigration Done Right

Published on October 29, 2008 in English Language, Spanish Language and Translation Buyers. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

Whether you are an individual applying for a family-based visa or an employee bringing over foreign-born workers, you will need some official documents translated into English for the immigration petition.  The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) requires that you provide a “certified translation” of important Spanish documents.  This Transpanish post talks more about what exactly a certified translation is.

The paperwork you need to fill out when petitioning for a visa for a loved one or worker can be overwhelming and seemingly endless.  But having a translation agency translate your documents from Spanish to English can take some of the pressure off. 

Here is a list of some documents USCIS may ask for that you will need to have translated:

  • Birth certificate
  • Marriage certificate
  • Divorce decree
  • Police records
  • Diplomas
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Change of name documents

You will need to include a copy of the Spanish language original, the English translation, and a separate page certifying that the translation was done by someone proficient in both Spanish and English.  While you may speak some Spanish, if it’s not your native language, having a professional translation agency take care of translating these critical documents will ease your mind.  A good translation agency will be able to provide an English translation of your Spanish documents that uses accurate terminology.  And spending a little extra money for your translations will save you the stress of fiddling with document formatting.

Putting together a packet for an immigrant petition is a headache in and of itself.  By contracting out your Spanish to English translations, you can concentrate on making sure that the rest of your paperwork is perfect and accurate. Professional translators will ensure that your Spanish to English immigration translations are accurate.  They take pride in knowing that their translations will be a perfect addition to your immigration petition. Let your translation agency help you make sure that your loved one or potential employee has the best chance possible for being granted a visa.

Nearing Election Day, Latino Vote Becomes Critical

Published on October 22, 2008 in Latinos, Spanish Language, Spanish Translation and Translation Buyers. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , .

In the spring and summer of 2007, organizations working with immigrants made a huge campaign to encourage people to apply for citizenship for two reason: to beat the monumental fee increase in the end of July 2007 and to get America’s newest citizens ready in time for November 4th.  More than a million applied for naturalization in 2007 and another 480,000 in 2008 (Source: Cox News Service article), making this the most multicultural election in history.

And despite the English Only proponents, states are beefing up the ranks of poll workers with language skills because of the Voting Rights Act.  This act requires that certain states and jurisdictions translate ballot materials into other languages and provide interpretation services in some cases.  To read a recent article about the push to hire bilingual poll workers, click on this link.

Latinos typically lean toward blue, and judging from a survey by El Tiempo Latino, this year will be no different.  The survey found that of the 502 interviewed, 85.2% said they’d vote for Obama and the remaining 14.8% for McCain (Source in Spanish: El Tiempo Latino).  The National Post also found that Latinos are overwhelmingly in support of Obama, but with a ratio of 2 to 1.  To read this article in English, click here. This article also states that Latinos have an affinity for Obama because his top three issues are those most important to Hispanics: the economy, the war in Iraq, and immigration reform.

But many asked after the debates: where is the dialogue on immigration?  Why aren’t they talking about it since it’s such a hot issue for those across the spectrum, especially when the Latino vote is so critical?

According to an article in the Houston Chronicle, the candidates indeed are talking about immigration.  Just not in English.  Both candidates have been airing Spanish-language ads speaking to the immigration issue so as to gain the crucial Latino vote without alienating the general public (i.e. non-Spanish speakers) about this highly contested topic.  While the article has a decidedly McCain slant to it, the overall question of why both candidates remain tight-lipped about immigration in English but are spending campaign ad dollars to sway the Latino vote is an interesting one.

Certifying Spanish Language Proficiency

Published on September 17, 2008 in Spanish Language. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

If you take a look at job postings, you’ll see that speaking Spanish is a huge asset to many companies and organizations.  In fact, companies hiring for certain positions will require that applicants be bilingual English/Spanish speakers.  But if you are a non-native speaker of Spanish, how do you prove that you speak the language?  This is an especially important question when you realize that people with all different levels of Spanish claim to be fluent in the language on their resume, even if they only took a few semesters in college. 

When looking for positions that require that you speak Spanish, make sure that you include the following in your resume if they are applicable:

Extensive travel experience in Spanish-speaking countries

  • Periods of time living abroad
  • Periods of time working or volunteering abroad
  • Previous positions in which you worked directly with Spanish-speakers and in what capacity
  • Any formal language instruction that you received

You might be familiar with the TOEFL exam (Test of English as a Foreign Language), which is a standardized exam for English proficiency.  Employers and schools look for scores that certify a certain level of English.  The closest equivalent to this exam for Spanish speakers is the Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera (D.E.L.E.), which offers official accreditation of mastery of the Spanish language from Spain’s Ministry of Education.

The DELEs are given throughout the world in various major cities.  While it may be logistically difficult to take the exam, the accreditation is broadly recognized.  If you are committed to finding a job that’ll utilize your language skills and feel more comfortable touting your Spanish-language skills with an accreditation to back you up, look into getting a D.E.L.E. 

Keep in mind that having a diploma is no substitute for real life experience.  While you may score at an advanced level on a proficiency exam, you also must be confident in your ability to communicate with Spanish speakers as they speak in real life.  This is where you can use your previous work experience, time as an expat, or travel experience to highlight your language skills for an employer.

A Client’s Guide to Making Translations Go Smoothly

Published on September 15, 2008 in Spanish Translation and Translation Buyers. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

When choosing a translator or translation agency to work with, you’re essentially starting a relationship with a business partner.  If your company launches itself into the international market or has constituents who don’t speak English, the quality of translations your business disseminates could make or break your business.  Below are some tips to get you started thinking about how to make your relationship with your translator more fluid and productive.

Determine Why You Need a Translation

Do you need a translation for information purposes or for publication purposes?  Have a conversation with your translator about why you need the translation: is it to sell your product abroad to millions or to inform 5 staff people in a foreign office of a policy change?  Of course, a great translator will make sure that any translation is suitable for its audience, but for-publication translations demand only the highest level of polish and accuracy while for-information translations transmit information.

Pay Attention to the Details in the Source Document

Make sure that your source document is clearly written and finalized before passing it along to your translator.  This will save both you and the translator time as she/he won’t need to contact you repeatedly for clarification of the message or wording of what you provided.  Also, be careful to send only source documents that are ready to be disseminated or published as sending draft copies will hold up translation of the document.  If there are significant changes to the source document that the translator already worked on, you might be asked to pay extra fees for the extra work. 

Keep in mind the cultural references and linguistic choices that you make in the source document, as they might not translate well into the target language.  Also, be aware of the target audience for your translation and make sure that your translator knows what you expect.  This will head off any misunderstanding that might occur if the translator wasn’t sure whether the document was meant for all of Latin America or only one country. 

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate!

Most misunderstandings between client and translator can be avoided if the client is forthcoming about the project and the translator asks questions when necessary.  It’s important to remember that some translations are more time intensive than others and that you need to communicate the details of a project ahead of time so that the translator can return quality work to you by the established deadline. 

For more tips, please read A Primer for Translation Buyers: Part One and A Primer for Translation Buyers: Part Two

Spanglish in the United States

Published on July 30, 2008 in Spanish Language, Tips for Translators and Translation Buyers. 3 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

There’s language as it appears in grammar books and there’s language as it’s truly spoken every day. The way that bilingual Spanish and English speakers in the United States combine the two languages is a perfect example of this phenomenon. In every day vernacular, people use the term Spanglish to describe the mixing of the two languages. But from a linguistic perspective, the term Spanglish lumps together several different ways of using the two languages under this umbrella.

Below are brief descriptions of a few terms linguists use to describe the linguistic phenomena many understand to be hallmarks of Spanglish:

1. Code-switching: when bilinguals use elements of both languages in conversation, either between sentences or within a single sentence.
2. Loanword: a word directly taken from another language with little or no translation.
3. Language contact: borrowing vocabulary and other language features from another language.

While Spanglish is not yet considered a separate language as Haitian Creole or Cape Verdean Creole is, scholars are beginning to take its use more seriously as the number of bilingual Latinos in the U.S. grows. Many continue to distrust Spanglish because of its status of not quite English and not quite Spanish.

But Ilan Stevens, author of Spanglish: The Making of a New American Language, speaks to the value of Spanglish:

“Latinos are learning English,” he says. “That doesn’t mean that they should sacrifice their original language or that they should give up this in-betweeness that is Spanglish. Spanglish is a creative way also of saying, ‘I am an American and I have my own style, my own taste, my own tongue.’”
(from: Spanglish, A New American Language : NPR)

For more online resources about Spanglish:

• Don Quixote de La Mancha: Spanglish version
• Wikipedia entry
• NPR interview with Ilan Stevens

Examples of Spanglish

Spanglish Spanish English
breaka frenos brakes
carpeta alfombra carpet
chequear verificar to check
glasso vaso glass
ganga pandilla gang
likear gotear to leak
mailear enviar coreo to mail
marketa mercado market
norsa enfermera nurse
puchar empujar to push
ruffo techo roof
signear firmar to sign

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