Language can be a bridge or a barrier. It influences decisions. It creates trust or stirs up distrust. Surveys have shown that more than half of consumers value information about a product in their native language more than its price. Given the choice, 90 percent of Internet users preferred to visit a website in their mother tongue. Almost a fifth have never visited a foreign language site. And almost half of Internet users have not yet made a purchase in a foreign language. Anyone who wants to sell information, products or services internationally today should know these facts and have their international content translated online and offline into the language(s) of their target groups, if necessary also into the technical language(s).

What is a technical language and who speaks it?

A technical language is a part of the overall language. It differs from the common language thanks to its technical terms, dialects and regionally varying forms of it. The knowledge of mankind can be divided into innumerable subject areas, each of which has its specific terminology as the sum of its terms (technical terms and technical terms). Experts belonging to the respective subject communicate on technical topics in their technical language, which on the one hand makes mutual understanding more efficient and on the other hand the common technical language creates a feeling of belonging. Technical language often requires explanation for non-specialists. Whereby “explanation” means a “legal aid translation” into a generally understandable language.

Why does technical language have to be translated at all?

It goes without saying that experts speak their specialist language in one of the world’s languages. Because there is no single, practical technical language. Rather, the words between the technical terms and technical expressions are always taken from the vocabulary of one of the more than 6,500 common languages ​​in the world. Physicians, lawyers or engineers, to name just three examples of specialist areas with technical language, do not therefore converse in “ medical ”, “legal” or “engineering”, but in English, German or Arabic, for example. Even their technical terms sound locally colored – depending on the language in which they are pronounced and which “mother tongue” shines through tonally.

It follows that technical texts, i.e. content in technical language, have to be translated if they are to be consumed internationally, i.e. read, heard and understood. In the course of the dynamics with which globalization is progressing, the international publication and discussion of specialist knowledge is unavoidable. Best example: Scientific communication on the SARS-Covid19 pandemic. However, a translation of specialist texts requires more than best certified translators who is experienced in the source language and target language.

Why does a specialist translation need a specialist translator?

At best, a translator has excellent language skills in his/her mother tongue(s) and foreign language(s). Ideally, he combines this knowledge with comprehensive language knowledge, i.e. knowledge of language culture, language use and language development. In order to produce high-quality specialist translations as a specialist translator, he also needs the necessary specialist knowledge of his client’s subject area. It is sufficient for a professional specialist translation not to quickly read up on a subject. Rather, a specialist translator must be specialized in the subject area in order to rule out the possibility of the specialist translation becoming incorrect. You should be aware that this can permanently damage your image as a provider and your positioning on the market. In the worst case, you have to reckon with production downtime and enormous follow-up costs. Make absolutely sure that the technical translation is carried out by a professional translation agency that works according to the industry’s only applicable quality standard, ISO 17100.

Are you looking for a professional translation agency for a technical translation? The specialist translators who translate for Lingua-World are highly qualified and, of course, native speakers.

A specialization of the technical translator also makes it necessary for him to continuously expand his knowledge of the subject. For example, by reading specialist articles in specialist journals and on the Internet. This is the only way he can keep up with scientific progress in his field and take this into account, at least linguistically, in his specialist translation. After all, technical terms are subject to constant language change just like the vocabulary of common language. There are many specialist translators who have professional roots in their specialist field and have also trained as translators. As a specialist translator, you combine two professions and the two associated areas of expertise.

Why are there specialist translators who have specialized in their field?

Subject is not the same subject. While the technical language of hunters has a comparatively clear terminology, that of doctors, lawyers or engineers is often very extensive. It is therefore hardly to be expected from a legal translator that he is able to express himself excellently in all the associated subjects within the major legal sciences. Rather, if you need a professional legal translation, you should look for specialized specialists, i.e. a specialist translator for family law, a specialist translator for criminal law, a specialist translator for contract law, a specialist translator for commercial law or a specialist translator for international law.

What are the advantages of a specialist translation?

The facts and figures we described at the beginning make one thing clear: Consumers of information, products and services also make their consumption, i.e. their purchasing decision, dependent on the language in which it is “served” to them. The survey results speak strongly for the validity of the adage “What the farmer doesn’t know, he doesn’t eat”. Everything that you as a provider of information, products and services do not offer your target group in their native language runs the risk of not being noticed, no matter how good the offer itself is.

For you as a provider, this means that you have to communicate with your target group in their native language in order to convert them into paying customers. Starting with the packaging, the promise of effectiveness and the ingredients mentioned, the package insert with application or operating instructions to the additional content on your website – everything has to be translated and, if necessary, also translated from a specialist perspective. In this way you generate understanding for your offer and gain the consumers’ trust in you as a provider and in your offer.

With the technical translation of your offer, you are providing a preliminary service that is part of the service that your customer, if you believe the above facts, is quite willing to buy. Finding out about what you have to offer thanks to a specialist translation in your own mother tongue creates a feeling of closeness, regardless of whether you produce on the other side of the world. You increase your credibility with such a localized and technically translated offer – a fundamental prerequisite for the purchase decision for your information, products or services. Studies have shown that investing in the technical translation of your content is worthwhile, because you recoup the expenses many times over.

In which languages ​​are specialist translations worthwhile?

According to marketing experts, you should offer specialist translations of your content in the languages ​​of the most important markets – on the Internet (e-commerce markets) these are: German, French, Italian, Spanish and Chinese. Revenue Wire analysts recommend that companies offer international shopping carts in the following 13 languages ​​and thus use up to 90 percent of their potential business potential:

• Specialist translation Arabic ,
• Chinese,
• German,
• english ,
• polish translation services,
• Italian,
• Japanese,
• Korean,
• Dutch,
• Portuguese,
• Russian,
• Swedish,
• and spanish .

As a professional translation agency Lingua-World, we offer you specialist translations in all languages ​​and technical languages. We are of course ISO 17100 audited and certified.