Article in partnership with Day Translations.

Language translation is everwhere if you look close enough as it applies to so many industry sectors. Even those companies and organisations that may not have an international growth strategy may require translation services. In Europe, especially, thanks to the freedom of movement of persons, European citizens have been able to live and work in countries that are either members of the European Union or have agreements with it, such as Switzerland. This means that, for example, providers of public services such as health and transport may need to translate their communications including leaflets and newsletters in multiple languages to reflect the demographics of the local area they serve.

Industries with Multilingual Users Requiring Language Traslation

Many industry sectors need translation and it is not just the most obvious ones such as the technology industry that rely on translated content; from tourism to finance and from legal to fashion, a large number of sectors needs written materials such as instructions and brochures in different languages.

Manufacturing

Instruction leaflets and booklets are certainly the typical example of a piece of text that is available in multiple languages to guide a new user through set up, installation, assembly or first cycle.

Electrical goods tend to come with an instruction booklet explaining their functions and some care advice, for example to prevent faults, overheating or errors.

The manufacturing sector deploys translators from the supply chain to the users. In this particular industry, German is one of the most requested languages for translation. Similarly, Mandarin is a sought-after language for translations.

Finance

The banking and financial industry deals with multiple currencies, international agents, trading partners and customers. Making information available in several languages is the industry’s standard.

Professional translations to and from Arabic and Russian, for example, are essential in international deals and foreign currency transations.

Fashion

There are also industry sectors such as fashion that regularly use translations to make their products accessible to foreign customers. Regardless of whether it’s high fashion or high street fashion, items of clothing have an international appeal. This is particularly likely for retail chains and luxury brands. For example, fashion shows introducing new lines to the market may attract various international buyers and media representatives from around the world. The demand for translation is important for the fashion industry. If we just think about the major fashion capitals of the world such as Milan and Paris, it is evident how much translations to and from Italian and French have strategic significance.

Travel

Travel is probably one of the sectors that relies heavily on translations: travel booking and airline websites are available in multiple languages, as well as foreign office governmental websites and any other travel advisory site that passengers may need to consult. Visas require translation into the destination country’s language and tourist information in airports, bus and train stations are offered in multiple language to cater for the needs of international travellers.

Education and Research

Across the European Union there are many opportunities to collaborate across countries thanks to cross-border initiatives and generous funding. Academia is a great catalyst for international projects with teams comprised of researchers from different countries. While the working language is English and most of the publications are in English, local projects also require translations into various languages. This is particularly important for projects that affect local communities, either by enhancing services or changing people’s behaviours (for example, encouraging people to recycle more). Communication and engagement with local communities must be translated into the language they use in order to achieve better buy-in and to boost the chances of a project’s success.

Of course this list is not comprehensive but it is just a starting point for discussion and a way to highlight the importance of language translation in many areas of our lives.