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Writer's pictureMaría Palomares Tarí

THE ROLE OF TRANSLATION IN CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION





Have you ever heard of the term cross-cultural communication? It is basically a form of global communication which describes how people of different culture communicate and interact with each other in different ways among themselves.


In today’s increasingly global business landscape, the ability to connect with people from various cultures is key to creating strong business relationships. Here, language and culture, together, play a vital role. Why? Because language is socially constructed and therefore embedded in the culture.


Besides, cultures have visible and hidden elements. Visible cultural features include elements from artifacts, symbols, and practices to social etiquette and traditions. But these are only ten percent of our cultural identities -- hidden cultural differences (such as values, assumptions, and beliefs) represent the remaining ninety percent of our cultural identity!


CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN THE BUSINESS WORLD


There are often more problems in cross-cultural communication which happens between people of different cultural backgrounds because each participant may interpret the other's speech according to his/her own cultural conventions and expectations.


Now, translation is not only a linguistic act; it's also a cultural one, an act of communication across cultures. Translation always involves both language and culture simply because the two cannot be separated.

For that reason, working with professional translators can be especially important in building trust and establishing relationships with customers and clients from different cultural backgrounds. It also plays a crucial role in the localization process, which involves adapting products and marketing materials to meet the specific cultural and linguistic requirements of a target market.

On the other hand, let’s no forget that maintaining a professional image and building a positive brand reputation is essential in cross-border trade and communication. Inaccurate or poorly translated materials can create confusion and lead to misunderstandings, which can damage a company’s reputation and undermine its credibility.


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