
Hi, my name is Sharon, and I'd like to welcome you to my expats guide site.
Over the past 14 years I've moved with my family between 5 houses across three continents.
Want to find out how I did it? Read more at my about page.
![]() |
||||||||
|
||||||||
Relocating overseas is like being born again; there are no records about you
in the new country – When were you born? Are you married? Single? What is your profession? etc'.
Of course, it is important to bring all relevant documents – birth certificate, immunization records, marriage certificate, etc' to your destination country
But
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
If people don't speak your language at the new country they won't be able to read and understand your certificates.
Therefore, arranging language translations for these documents is essential. It is the key for a smooth start of your new life abroad.
Treat this task seriously – This is your first impression and you want it to be good. Invest some extra time and make sure that the text translation is accurate and professional.
If you won’t get the translation right you might end up with some awkward sentences like the following examples that were found around the globe:
On the grounds of a private school:
NO TRESPASSING without permission.
Translating text from your own language to a foreign language is not the only situation where you will be using translation tools.
How about understanding e-mails or any other texts that are written in a foreign language? Wouldn't it be great if you could read the local newspaper? I remember how proud I was when I managed to read and understand the newspaper in Spanish.
Moreover, how would you feel attending a very important business meeting, where no one speaks your language?
Sounds complicated? Maybe it's a little scary?
Not necessarily.
If you know what translation tools are available and appropriate for each scenario, you will not get lost in translation.
But first, let's try to understand the difference between…
Many people confuse the notions of interpretation and translation, and refer to both concepts as translation. But there is a distinctive difference between the two:
Translation is the conversion of a written text in one language into an equivalent text in the target language.
Interpretation refers to the spoken language – Interpreting orally a speech, a conference, or a phone conversation into a target language.
So, if you attend a meeting in a foreign language you might need to use an interpreter, but if you need to translate your birth certificate to another language you will look for a translator.
As technology progresses we are presented with more options of translation services and translation tools. This enables us to choose the proper tool which can provide the best solution to our translation needs.
If you want to understand a general idea of an e-mail or a short document written in a foreign language then using an online language converter is a good option.
You probably won't get the most accurate and professional translation, but you would be able to understand the general concept of the written text.
You can find many free translation tools online like -
Babylon Translations, Babelfish translations, or google language translation tools.
Do you need to communicate in the foreign language at a business meeting, in a restaurant, or with the school teacher? Electronic translator is an excellent solution – Enter any word, sentence, or phrase in your native language and the electronic translator will show almost instantly the translation in the language you seek.
Are you in a hurry? Don't have the time or budget to search for professional translation service?Language translation software can be an extremely useful tool to reduce translation costs and improve productivity. You can use it to translate documents, web pages, spread sheets and more.
However, keep in mind that translation software, cannot completely replace professional translation.
Do you need to communicate your message clearly, accurately, and in the adequate cultural context? Do you need to translate a technical documents? Or maybe you need a notarized document translation?
Then using professional translation services would be the best solution for you.
Custom Search
|

Hi, my name is Sharon, and I'd like to welcome you to my expats guide site.
Over the past 14 years I've moved with my family between 5 houses across three continents.
Want to find out how I did it? Read more at my about page.
