English is an important Indo-European language family member. Also known as anglophone it is the world’s most popular and one of the most spoken languages. This is mainly due to the impact of the British Empire all across the world. Also, it’s the third most spoken native language. English is also a popular language among new language learners and stands second in the world in terms of the most widely learned language. The old variant of this language has four dialects.
These are
- Mercian
- Northumbrian
- Kentish
- West Saxon.
The West Saxon happened to become the standard written variety later.
There are up to 400 million native speakers of the English language. This itself tells the demand for the English language. Modern English has two main variants which are British and US English. Also, due to the significant influence of both regions on the rest of the world, English is considered to be a universal language. They also call it the language of the internet. Businesses, especially from Asian and African countries have to translate their content to tap foreign markets. An English translation agency never fails to get work, as different businesses and companies are always translating to and from the English language.
The English language being popular and common can be a tough and challenging language for speakers of other languages, such as Thai. English to Thai translation is significant for English businesses to launch their products in Thailand, which is known for its exotic beaches, ancient rules, and royal places. This is a successful economy, and many Western and English-speaking countries look to expand their businesses in this country with the help of translation services.
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Here are a few of the misconceptions about English to Thai translation services.
Any Bilingual can be a Translator
People often take the fact of being a translator lightly and feel that anyone can be a translator. This is one big misconception of all times. Knowing English or Thai is not enough to be a translator. Rather, real talent and creativity are needed in both languages, with a fair knowledge of the cultures of both countries which are quite different from each other. The subject matter expertise for the technical fields is also a must. Moreover, the main crux of translation lies in translating the content while reserving the original intent and considering the context.
Machine Translation has Replaced Human Expertise
Machine translation despite its advancements and massive progress, can not be considered safe for the English to Thai translation services. There are frequent grammatical errors. In addition, translators and companies often have to struggle with the cultural nuances and complex sentence structures, which are often translated poorly by machines. Relying on machine translation solely poses great risks and leads to mistranslations, awkward phrasing with the cultural misunderstanding that can offend the target masses. Therefore, it is important to always consult a human translator to ensure that the translation is accurate, consistent, and error-free.
English to Thai Translation is Expensive
English though is a popular and common language, but translating it to other languages can come with certain expenses. The Thai language belongs to the Kra Dai language family, and both languages are poles apart. The cost also depends on the project, text volume, subject matter, and turnaround time mainly. The experience and qualifications of the translators can also affect the budget. Investment in professional translation benefits you in the long run. Falling for average translation vendors can lead to risks, and can also damage your reputation. A culturally insensitive translation can also be a threat to your business and brand recognition.
A Thai Translator can Handle any Content
A Thai or English speaker based on his proficiency in languages can not handle all types of content. It is important to be mindful of the fact that not every translator can handle every type of content. For professional and specialized fields, you need to look for a translator with relevant expertise. For instance, if you intend to launch your pharmaceutical products in Thailand, you need a translator that has experience in pharmaceutical translation, as this is a sensitive domain. Likewise, for transcreation, legal or technical translation you need to hire translators who are subject matter experts. An ordinary translator can barely navigate through the challenges of specialized translation, and businesses need to understand this. The translation agencies also understand these facts and allocate their resources accordingly. Translators can nail in both directions, i.e. English-Thai and Thai-English
Another misconception that has been believed as reality. A translator good at translating from English to Thai can not be necessarily good at Thai to English. There can be equally good translators but this is not the case always. A translator can only be a native speaker of one language. Native speakers come with a better and deeper understanding of the idioms, nuances, and cultural phrases in their language, and this helps them create culturally accurate translations. An English native speaker can hardly be a native speaker of the Thai language, so the businesses should be mindful of this fact and get consultancy from expert LSPs. An English translation agency, for instance, would understand the expertise of their translators who have proficiency in English and Thai and assign the tasks accordingly.
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Conclusion
People have different misconceptions about different languages and translation services. English and Thai languages are no different. There are certain myths and misconceptions found among people. These are all myths, and the reality is otherwise. Knowing about these and preparing a counter-response in advance can help businesses produce more accurate translations.