Does your company have an interest in the Japanese market? If so, there鈥檚 never been a better time to ally with a professional Japanese language services provider. Granted, the United States has always had a complex relationship with Japan. From a patriotic perspective, the countries are alike in that both consider themselves to be 鈥�ichi ban!,鈥� or 鈥淣umber 1!鈥� 鈥� and the citizens of each country take great pride in their homeland. This national pride is both a blessing and a challenge 鈥� depending on your goals and what your brand is trying to accomplish 鈥� and worth taking into account as you learn to proceed with respect and gentle diligence while pursuing professional ties.

From the geopolitical (think Japan鈥檚 proximity to China and Korea) to the technological and economical (note Japan鈥檚 pioneering and continued innovations in tech and electronics), as well as the cultural (we鈥檒l all soon be turning our attention towards Japan for the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2020), there is a growing demand for Japanese language services.

The question is whether your brand is keeping up with 鈥� or ahead of 鈥� its competitors, and if it鈥檚 time to invest in the right language services provider.

Japan remains an important economic power

Japan may be a small island, but with its 126 million inhabitants, it continues to be an important economic powerhouse. Many Americans only remember Japan鈥檚 great recession of the 80s, and have been seduced by the marketing messages of Silicon Valley, not realizing that Japan鈥檚 economy has more than 鈥渂ounced back.鈥�

According to , Japan ranks #3 as the world鈥檚 richest nation in terms of GDP, only trailing the United States (ranked #1) and China (ranked #2). When considering that the entire country of Japan is roughly the same size as the state of California, that is an impressive ranking.

When you combine the success of the Japanese economy and its younger generations’ affinity with the West (and especially the U.S.), your brand benefits by finding ways to tap into their market.

Note worth pondering: Like in many other countries, most Japanese children do not move out of their parents鈥� home until they get married. And, because the average age of marriage in industrialized continues to creep up, U.S. companies are wise to find their way into the Japanese demographic of 20- to 30-somethings as they have plenty of expendable cash.

In addition to being a continually effective economic funnel for U.S. products (and culture), Japan is still considered a leader in technological innovation, particularly in the realm of automation. According to a recent article in , 鈥淛apan today is now a top global exporter of industrial robots and, according to the International Federation of Robotics, ranks second in the world by sales after China鈥︹��

The need for diplomacy has never been greater

There鈥檚 no denying that U.S. relations with China and North Korea are 鈥� for lack of a better word 鈥� 鈥減rickly.鈥� In a recent post about the growing demand for Chinese interpretation and translations services, we wrote that the relationship between the U.S. and China is under extreme duress, and that statement equally stands as a descriptor for U.S.鈥檚 relations with North Korea. When you consider Japan鈥檚 nearly adjacent location to both China and North Korea (and between them and the U.S.), you can understand how the Japanese can feel as if their island home is smack-dab in the middle of a geopolitical spider web.

As linguistic accuracy experts, the best language professionals facilitate diplomacy. Working with interpreters and translators with exceptional experience and training means they are as able to handle corporate communication in high-pressure situations as they are to facilitate familiar conversations at casual, social events.

A word about Japanese culture and business etiquette

When navigating the business dealings and negotiations in the Asian Triangle (China-Japan-Korea), companies are wise to use language service providers who not only have experience in the realms of medical, legal, international law and/or international arbitration to safeguard your brand鈥檚 reputation, but also who are well-versed in Japanese culture and business etiquette. While it鈥檚 true that the Japanese understand American business culture is less formal than theirs, it鈥檚 also undeniable that your company鈥檚 respect and attentive honoring of their business etiquette will make a notably positive impression on Japanese clients, partners, and prospects.

The website explains some of the tenets of Japanese business culture, such as:

1. The whole takes precedence over the individual 鈥� which is certainly something you can apply to using interpreters and translators;

1. Lower-level employees do not make decisions without running them through the proper channels and getting approval by superiors;
2. Only the highest-quality work is acceptable;
3. The expectation that employees participate in after-hours socializing (aka loyal, company facetime); and
4. The assumption that all employees willingly and cheerfully work long hours, with very few breaks.

If your employees plan to work in Japan for any length of time, they should be prepared for these in-house differences and adjust their expectations/scheduling accordingly.

Also, when it comes to doing business or forming partnerships with Japanese companies, lists 10 expectations worth knowing to make a good impression and enjoy a loyal alliance. Examples include:

• Being prepared for a long-term alliance and commitment;
• Assigning a single point of contact to maintain clear, streamlined communication/information;
• Being highly accessible (it鈥檚 very common for Japanese business cards 鈥� meishi 鈥� to include personal cell phone and/or home numbers);
• Immediately returning, replying-to, and/or acknowledging phone calls, emails, texts, faxes, etc.;
• Always taking responsibility/accountability and work towards a solution, never making excuses or explaining away a problem or issue; and
• Planning to spend more time in person with Japanese clients than you would with their American counterparts (i.e. hand-delivering reports, and enjoying a cup of tea, rather than emailing them over).

Lighter-hearted ways to get familiar with Japanese culture

There are two popularly recommended resources for Americans who are currently doing business in Japan or who would like to branch into the Japanese market using translators and interpreters. The first is the movie Lost in Translation, starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson, and set in Tokyo. The film has caused some controversy in the years since it came out, often being accused of racism via American stereotypes of Japanese culture. However, it is still an interesting watch and many of the places featured in the film 鈥� from the hotel to the karaoke bar and shabu shabu restaurant 鈥� are authentic and still in business.

The second resource is the Netflix series, . While geared towards organization and decluttering, Marie Kondo鈥檚 approach, mannerisms, and quips are steeped in Japanese culture and etiquette. Familiarizing yourself with her show 鈥� and personal practice 鈥� is an entertaining way to soak up Japanese culture via media osmosis and see real, quality Japanese interpretation in action.

Is your company looking for top-level Japanese translators and interpreters to meet your growing demand for Japanese language services? Contact us online at 成人动漫, or give us a call directly at +1 (877) 708-0005.

The post Meet Your Company鈥檚 Growing Demand for Japanese Language Services appeared first on 成人动漫.

Want to become a successful simultaneous conference interpreter? Or, perhaps you鈥檙e ready to hire a conference interpreter and want to know more about what it takes 鈥� or what to look for 鈥� before hiring a qualified candidate?

In this post, we鈥檒l outline the steps required to enjoy a career working in one of the most exciting and high-pressure linguistic arenas. We also recommend reading our recent interview with CCA鈥檚 Julien Brasseur, who has enjoyed decades of experience providing simultaneous conference interpretation all around the world.

Conference Interpretation 101

First, let鈥檚 do a quick review of the various capacities held by professional interpreters. Some of them work across the spectrum, while others specialize in one or two areas.

• Escort interpreters. Also called liaison or traveling interpreters, these linguists accompany their clients domestically and across borders to facilitate spoken communication while en route and at meetings or tradeshows. Escort interpreters interpret short sentences, and also take on the role of cultural liaison. They sometimes also translate and interpret written forms and documents. In many ways, an escort interpreter is like a high-level personal multilingual assistant while working and traveling in foreign countries.
• Consecutive interpreter. Consecutive interpreters are conference interpreters who take notes for several minutes, then relay spoken language back and forth between the speakers. This mode is used most often in a smaller, more intimate setting, such as between two heads of state, as well as social gatherings. Click here to read more about consecutive interpretation.
• Simultaneous interpreter. These conference interpreters usually work in a team of two or three, and relay real-time, spoken communication to their client(s). This is the type of interpreting you see on TV if you鈥檝e ever watched UN summits. Simultaneous interpretation utilizes soundproof booths and other equipment to keep the communication flowing without any breaks or gaps. Within this category, there are 鈥減ure鈥� interpreters 鈥� who work only into their native language 鈥� as well as 鈥渂idirectional鈥� interpreters, who translate into multiple working languages.

Conference interpreters can do all of the above. This is very different from community interpreters, who work exclusively as consecutive interpreters in community settings. Read, The Difference Between Community Interpreters and Conference Interpreters, to learn more about that.

It Starts with a Hefty Dose of Natural Ability

Simultaneous interpretation is the most demanding, high-level, high-pressure job in the world of linguistics, especially when you鈥檙e on the front lines of international arbitration, in the midst of a war, or negotiating at the top levels of corporate and political organizations.

In that way, top-level simultaneous conference interpreters are like the professional athletes of our industry. While practice can certainly make perfect in terms of general language fluency, we鈥檝e yet to meet a successful conference interpreter whose story begins with, 鈥淚 always struggled in Spanish, but I just kept at it 鈥� and now I work for the UN!鈥�

Instead, most of them start out with the same story: they had an early fascination with language, reading, and semantics, and they soaked up foreign language(s) like a sponge. That鈥檚 not to say that they don鈥檛 work hard at their trade and that they haven鈥檛 spent thousands of hours learning, practicing and gaining experience 鈥� but, odds are, any conference interpreter worth his/her salt had multiple working languages up their sleeve before university.

Next Comes Graduate-Level Education (and Travel)

Not all interpreters come from multilingual households, but it鈥檚 certainly a common thread for many of them. If they didn鈥檛 come from multilingual homes, they often lived in foreign countries when they were younger, giving them an edge when it comes to native accents and depth of cultural/geopolitical standing.

Either way, conference interpreters attend prestigious universities and/or accredited linguist programs that are recognized worldwide.

Some of these include:

• The Middlebury Institute of International Studies () at Monterey, in California. This is the alma mater of CCA鈥檚 co-founders.
• The聽University of Maryland ()鈥檚 Graduate Studies in Interpreting and Translation
• The Institute of Intercultural Management & Education (), in Paris, France. This is the alma mater of CCA鈥檚 translation services manager.
• 脡cole Sup茅rieure d鈥橧nterpr猫tes et de Traducteurs (), in Paris, France
• University of Geneva (), in Geneva, Switzerland.
• The University of , in Belgium
• The University of , in England

Although these are the most esteemed graduate programs, there are others out there. Holding a degree and/or certification from one of these universities earns industry respect from around the globe. Graduating from one of the above programs is also a solid step to becoming a member of peer-reviewed organizations, such as the International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC) and The American Association of Conference Interpreters (TAALS).

Visit our post, What Qualifications Should I Look For in an Interpreter, to learn more about the educational path required to become a conference interpreter, or to help select the most qualified conference interpreter for your needs.

Finally, Comes Loads of Experience

We鈥檝e mentioned before that simultaneous interpretation requires high-level skills, and that includes exceptional multitasking and the ability to remain calm in the face of high-tension environments or adversity. Our article on The Roots & History of Simultaneous Interpretation, which grew out of WWII and the Nuremberg trials (talk about high pressure!), frames the importance of training, experience and the exceptional skill sets required by simultaneous interpreters.

Here at CCA, we only work with interpreters with a minimum of five years of conference interpretation experience 鈥� the equivalent of 200 working hours. Attending the right school(s), as referenced above, is a major step in the right direction as graduate degree programs offer real work experience. Once you鈥檝e graduated, having drive and tenacity helps take a junior conference interpreter into the big leagues of conference interpretation.

This includes:

• Keeping in touch with your alma mater, its professors, and your colleagues so you鈥檙e in their referral networks.
• Joining AIIC and TAALS, and connecting with their colleagues near you.
• Participating in conferences, continuing education courses, and anything pertaining to simultaneous conference interpretation 鈥� networking, networking, networking!
• Considering pro bono work as this puts your skills/ability at the forefront and exposes you to the right people who hire you for pay down the road.
• Always adhere to the interpreters’ code, so you present yourself professionally at every level.

We wish you luck as you pursue the path to becoming a simultaneous interpreter, one of our industry鈥檚 careers of a lifetime. Looking for a qualified interpreter to support your business, organization, or mission? Contact us here at 成人动漫 to obtain a competitive estimate for our language service solutions.

The post The Path to Becoming a Conference Interpreter appeared first on 成人动漫.