ICO White paper translation, and ICO translation for Marketing. Initial Coin Offering, is unchartered territories for many, bringing with it a whole new meaning to the term “digital marketing”. With more than 1,000 cryptocurrencies currently listed on CoinMarketCap and new startups launching daily, we take a look at what successful coin launches have done.

2021 has seen an explosion in interest in blockchain technology worldwide thanks to the NFT boom and the record-setting highs of Bitcoin valuation, compelling projects to heavily localize their documents for different market regions around the world to capture valuable market share.

While blockchain has now entered the media spotlight, it is still a relatively new concept and technology. In addition, with its variety of use cases blockchain documents typically cover a wide range of fields.

This means unlike other more established fields of translation, blockchain translation requires deeper levels of research and expertise to ensure translations are accurate and appropriate.

HI-COM understands the various intricacies involved with translation and localization for blockchain. As a certified translation agency operating in China specialized for digital marketing, we are experts at helping projects reach audiences from around the world.

ICO Marketing – the New Frontiers of Marketing

Marketing for an ICO or Initial Coin Offering, is unchartered territories for many, bringing with it a whole new meaning to the term “digital marketing”. For these new technologies, there are few marketing specialists. There are more than 1,000 cryptocurrencies currently listed on CoinMarketCap with new startups launching daily, so one needs to find their point of difference to stand out from the growing pool of cryptocurrency startups.

Needless to say, marketing to bitcoin investors is not akin to marketing other products or services. The audience is far more nuanced, diverse and skeptical, and the marketing tools and strategies will not be your typical Facebook promotions or billboard advertisements.

Rather, your White Paper, the marketing medium of choice for the bourgeoning cryptocurrency industry, will be the critical marketing tool. It will be the mouthpiece of your company and the central marketing tool that will instantly gain or undermine your credibility. The importance of how you draft your White Paper and how to distribute it to investor bases can determine the success of your ICO.

What Kinds of Blockchain and Crypto Documents We Translate

Websites

In today’s globalized online environment, it’s imperative to offer a multilingual website. With your blockchain project being a digital product, the website it most likely any user’s first interaction with your project. Readers from around the world should feel at home reading through your website, and clearly understand your project’s goal.

HI-COM’s translation and localization professionals have extensive experience in ensuring every language offered on your website is clear and concise, localized for each target market. We understand that for readers, the professionalism displayed on your website is a reflection of your project’s credibility. In addition, we specialize in multi-language SEO optimization for websites, helping your audiences find their way to you no matter what language they speak.

Apps and Software

For any digital product, ease of use is key in retaining users. After dedicating time and effort into crafting intuitive UI and instructions for your app or software, ensure that it translates over in every language you support. Localizing your apps and software is crucial for thriving in foreign markets.

HI-COM’s localization professionals are native speakers of their target regions, providing app and software localization that keeps your project’s user experience intuitive in any cultural or linguistic context.

ICOs

It’s now time to sell your blockchain project to the world. By appealing to investors on a global scale, you will increase the likelihood of success for your project’s ICO. Localizations that resonate in the native language and context of your target demographics will be a key determinant for your ICO’s success.

As experts in digital marketing and localization services, HI-COM’s extensive experience can help you design the perfect multilingual ICO campaign. Utilizing region specific strategies for each localization will allow your investors to feel like you are as invested in them as they are in your project, increasing investor confidence.

Financial Reports

Fintech, as one of blockchain technology’s first use-cases, is a mature market for blockchain projects. As a digitally secured accounting ledger, blockchain technology has revolutionized the industry, with governments to major corporations working on developing their own digital blockchain currencies.

With cross-border trade and finance increasing in scale and volume, the translation of financial reports has become an increasingly important component of fintech blockchain projects. HI-COM’s network of professional financial translators are well experienced in the field and uphold professional values of strict confidentiality around sensitive documents.

Insurance Documents

The insurance industry is another major area where blockchain technology has proven use-cases. Blockchain allows for traceability in record keeping, verification of coverage, and smart contracts for automating claims. With the digital sphere becoming increasingly borderless, there is increasing demand for insurance document translation services by blockchain projects.

As a certified legal translation agency, HI-COM offers professional worry-free legal translation services for documents such as insurance documentation. Our network of professional legal translators from around the world follow stringent protocols for data security and privacy, guaranteeing both quality of services and protection from data leakage.

White Papers

White papers are the key document for any blockchain project. They can be seen as the mission statement or founding paper for the project. They describe not only the technical specifications of the blockchain itself, but they provide the philosophical arguments for the merits of the project itself, delving in depth into the context of the industry the project is aimed for.

As such, they are not only one of the most important documents to translate, but also one of the most challenging. Requiring blockchain technical fluency in both languages and a deep familiarity with the target industry, white paper translation and localization should only be carried out by professionals with extensive experience.

What is a White Paper?

A White Paper is a concise yet highly structured and technical report, that is informative and persuasive in its content. It typically conveys the company’s background, technical model and methodologies, and introduces the personnel behind the company, their credentials: why you should trust them with your money.

A well thought-out and appealing White Paper will be critical to a successful Token Sale and serves as the ‘roadmap’ to what the company will do, once it reaches different phases of funding through its tokens being traded on the coin exchange. There are more and more resources and articles online regarding how to draft an effective White Paper.

Is There a ‘Typical’ ICO White Paper?

From what we have seen, this appears to be the typical structure:

Setting the scene

• A brief history and overview of blockchain
• A brief history and overview of the industry your company is in
• Clear and concise explanation of why your company is needed in the world

Explain your ‘how’

• Clear explanations of how you will achieve your goals
• Diagrams and modelling of your platform architecture, technology used and methodologies
• Introduce yourselves
• After all the diagrams and equations, this is where you get human. The team page is where you prove your credibility based on your team member’s backgrounds, experience and resumes. Your ability to boast about the credentials of supporters and early investors will be the persuasive pull for many investors

Map out before you translate ICO White Paper

• This is where you explain in more micro-terms why you need the funding and what steps you will take using the money invested and how it will be applied (e.g. Legal, Operational, Marketing)
• Set out a roadmap of milestones so investors know the schedule you are working towards

Disclaimers and Risk Warnings

• This probably needs no explanation. Make sure you have consulted with your legal team to ensure this section is sophisticated and accurate in law, but not overly legalistic. A well drafted Risk Warning section will reinforce your credibility and will give confidence to potential investors.

Here is a list of White papers to get you inspired:

• Delphi
• Bitcoin (the original crypto White Paper)
• Vestarin

Samples of White Papers:

DeFi

Defi stands for decentralized finance, an umbrella term for fintech blockchain projects.

NFT

NFT stand for Non-fungible token, an application of blockchain technology for tracking ownership of digital property.

In need of blockchain document translation? Contact us for a free quote!

What Languages to Translate Your Blockchain Documents to in 2021?

HI-COM has ranked the top languages to translate your blockchain documents to in 2021:

German

In 2021, Germany passed new legislation to allow investment fund managers to invest up to 20% of their portfolio in crypto.

French

As another EU country friendly to blockchain and crypto, France has a thriving blockchain industry thanks to its open support of the technology since 2016.

Spanish

According business consulting firm IDC Spain, 11% of businesses already use blockchain technology in the country.

Dutch

Home of the Dutch Blockchain Coalition, a collaboration between the Dutch government, and industries and education institutes to grow increase the country’s competitiveness in the blockchain sector.

Portuguese

Not only is crypto tax free in Portugal, but in 2020, the country established Technological Free Zones to directly incentivize blockchain technology development.

Runner Ups:

Russian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Indonesian, Arabic

These are all important languages for blockchain document translation as these are mostly non-English fluent countries with mature and developed crypto and blockchain communities.

Honourable Mention:

Polish, Czech, Romanian, Turkish, Thai, Vietnamese.

Similar to the runner up countries, most residents of these countries are not fluent in English, but they have rapidly developing crypto and blockchain communities.

Where Does China Sit in the Cryptocurrency World?

From an official point of view, China is very against cryptocurrencies and the Chinese government has prohibited its citizens from investing in crypto companies. However, there still remains a significant Chinese population that are native Chinese speakers while holding foreign passports, so one should not overlook the benefit of translating your White Paper to Chinese.

China is a country that is rapidly developing, extremely QR code and mobile payment savvy, and home to a large population of early adopters; if not for the government prohibitions, China would arguably be the ‘perfect’ crypto investor base and the place to market to. We asked BANCA’s CEO Linda Chen why we are seeing more of an uptake in crypto in Asian countries, as opposed to UK or Europe (putting to one side the in-country regulations). Ms. Chen replies with a small smile: “it’s because Asian people are betting people. People are more likely to take risks here”.

Regardless of the region, the world over one will find risk-takers keen to invest. Investing time, creativity and language support to your White Paper is one critical marketing move that crypto or blockchain startups cannot afford to miss.

The author has no affiliations nor investments with any of the companies mentioned in this article. Despite being Asian, she is not a betting person.

HI-COM is a multilingual translation agency dedicated to providing professional translation and interpreting services to companies all over the world. Working in over 40 languages, HI-COM is the localization partner for hundreds of companies and brands. Contact us today for your free consultation!

Why choose a translation agency in the first place? Do you need translations, interpreting or content writing and have a choice between machine translation, a freelance translator or a translation agency?

The Chinese Language and Its Nuances

China has more than 1.3 billion speakers in its country, representing more than one-sixth of the world’s population and making it one of the important languages of international development

Due to this famous development and its history, China has several different dialects in the north, south, east and west of the country.

While some may be similar to dialects and resemble each other, others are totally different in terms of grammar, phonology and terminology. Namely, in the Chinese language, there are more than 50,000 different characters. Discover more on the Chinese language in this article! 

This is why with a translation agency, you need to talk to the client to find out the specific type of language you need in order to find the best translator for you!

Finally, as China is becoming more and more powerful, open to the international market and currently the world’s second largest economy after the United States, it is attracting more and more brands and companies who wish to establish themselves there in order to target the Chinese market, which can seem difficult to access. But these companies often find themselves confronted with the language barrier. In fact, only 25% of Chinese people speak English, which means that mastering the Chinese language is essential. It is, therefore, necessary to use translation services for all your English-Chinese projects.

HI-COM is a translation agency supporting your needs in more than 40 languages. We are present in France and in China, which allows us to be specialized in the European and Asian markets. Moreover, having our head office based in China, Shanghai and 2 other cities in China, we are experts in the Chinese market and language.

English to Chinese Translation: The Importance of Choosing a Good Agency!

When it comes to translating documents, there are several ways to do it.

Machine translation is a free and easy-to-access translation. However, for translations from English to Chinese, machine translation is not the right solution! Chinese is a complex language full of nuances and dialects and there are different ways to write it. Discover in this article the Chinese language and its nuances.

On the other hand, a freelance translator may be native in the Chinese language, but is unable to master all the different nuances and dialects of the north and south.

This is why a translation agency, assigns you a project manager who is present to make sure that you find THE native translator in the desired translation language, who is specialized in the project’s field and sensitive to the nuances and dialects of your desired language. All of our translators have degrees from prestigious universities and at least 5 years of experience!

Another important advantage of a translation agency such as HI-COM is that we do not only offer simple or certified translations, we offer a wide range of services from technical translation to interpreting and content writing.

Discover our wide range of services for your English to Chinese projects:

• Certified Chinese translation
• Writing content for Chinese social networks
• Simultaneous and consecutive interpretation from English to Chinese
• Technical translation
• Localization of brand names in Chinese
• Video subtitles in simplified or traditional Chinese and much more!

Translation Agency English-Chinese: A GUARANTEE OF QUALITY

For more than 4 years, HI-COM ASIA has been evolving and expanding its network of translators over time, which is now made up of the best English-Chinese language translators, who are experts in various dialects and nuances and specialized in multiple fields.  All our translators are selected according to their diplomas, their experience (more than 5 years), their field of specialization and their adaptability. For example, if you want to export your business to China by translating your website but also create a presence on Chinese social networks, we will assign you a website translation specialist and a Chinese social network content editor, which is a specialty in its own right.

Finally, be aware that if you sign a contract in China, the Chinese contract prevails over other possible versions of the document according to Chinese law. Therefore, to avoid misunderstandings and translation distortions, we recommend using a professional translation agency.

HI-COM is a multilingual translation agency dedicated to providing professional translation and interpreting services to companies around the world. Working with more than 40 languages, HI-COM is the localization partner for hundreds of companies and brands.

Choose HI-COM as your partner for all your translation and other projects!

Contact us today for a free consultation!

Attracting, selecting and recruiting the best foreign students remains a challenge for business and engineering schools and also universities.

Nevertheless, offering them a 6-month or 1-year university exchange in partnership with their home school is no longer enough to determine the level of attractiveness and global influence of a school. Indeed, instead of the number of traditional exchange students, it is now the number of foreign students following programs over their entire duration (4 to 5 years) that constitutes how attractive an institution is.

To better understand how this attractiveness and is measured, let’s take the example of a Chinese student who chooses to go on an exchange for a semester or a year on one of the partner campuses of his own Chinese university. The approach is different for the student who chooses to complete his or her entire study  in a school in France.

Thus, recruiting foreign students is, above all, a matter of attraction and ‘seduction’. You must therefore make your school attractive, with international programs in English and opportunities to study on several international campuses.

With more than 300,000 students welcomed each year, France continues to be the fourth largest host country. But, its numbers falling by 8.1% between 2010 and 2015.

This is why measures to increase the attractiveness of higher education institutions have been proposed by the major conferences of French higher education and the Campus France Forum.

Here are the six main areas of development:

– Strengthening of host scholarships.

It’s worth noting that foreign students in France generate more than 4.6 million Euros per year.

– Creation of global communication campaigns.

Deployment of a strong marketing strategy to promote French schools.

– Improvement and promotion of support provided by institutions to foreign students.

Which means reinforcement of policies relating to housing, integration, cultural activities, etc.

– Simplification of application processes.

New digital processes at grandes écoles and universities, and online application procedures must be promoted, as well as greater autonomy in recruitment.

– Simplification of the student’s stay – in particular the reduction of administrative formalities.

– Development of outgoing mobility of French students.

Presence of students abroad contributes just as much to enhancing the image of education and the dynamism of the country.

Thus, the processes of simplifying the policy for obtaining visas are all part of a new strategy undertaken by France.

The objective is to welcome 500,000 international students by 2027, compared to 324,000 at present.

As part of this dynamic, the government would like to launch the “welcome to France” label.

The diversity of nationalities of international students remains practically identical to that of the previous year. On the other hand, “the ranking order has changed slightly,” says Campus France. After Morocco (1st), it is Algeria that has moved up to second place, ahead of China (3rd), while Italy has moved up one place (4th) at the expense of Tunisia (5th).

The Chinese are the foreign students that French universities attract the most!

Finally, everyone sees this voluntary exile as an opportunity to discover another culture, develop their skills, and become more mature.

HOW TO ATTRACT CHINESE STUDENTS

It is important to ask yourself several questions to understand your needs in terms of student recruitment.

– How can you meet the needs of Chinese students?

– What distinguishes you as an institution hosting international students?

Chinese student mobility remains the highest in the world and has increased by 40% in the last 5 years.

According to 2017 figures from the Chinese Ministry of Education, out of 4.6 million international students worldwide, more than 600,000 are Chinese. This is an increase of 11.74% compared to 2016.

Thus, knowing the expectations and characteristics of these students is an essential aspect to take into account.

Like the Chinese population, these students are hyper-connected and very well informed. They decide where they want to study after finding out about world rankings and reputation of the schools.

In China, education is the number one expense for families. The government provides about 2,500 scholarships per year for France (according to the Chinese Ministry of Education) and more than 90% of studies are paid for by families.

For the majority of them, France is their first exchange country abroad. Arriving in a new place for the first time can be a real culture shock. The first few months represent a phase of adaptation. They are getting used to the new environment, learning or practicing the French language. They also are familiarizing with new social behaviors, and socializing inside and outside the campus. For some, this adaptation can be complicated and can lead to feelings of loneliness or even depression.

How to attract this Chinese audience in an increasingly competitive environment ?

In the context of open competition, the choice of France as a destination and the educational offer will be challenged. You must therefore make every effort to maintain and strengthen your attractiveness. Thus, schools will have to consolidate their offer: personalised welcome, quality of courses, attractiveness of the destination.

1. CREATE A BRAND IMAGE – THE IMPORTANCE OF REPUTATION.

“Branding” is not a term generally associated with education. However, in China, branding is the key to any reputation. In fact, the Chinese are above all looking for a strong and internationally recognized image.

There are also many forums concerning education that should be taken into account. They make it possible to interact and discuss the various schools and courses available abroad. It is important to create positive feedback from Chinese users as this is 5 times more effective for the current generation of students.

2. PRESENCE ON SEARCH ENGINE

Baidu, the most widely used search engine in China, is considered as the Chinese Google. The Chinese use it for more than 70% of their searches. Therefore, to be as visible as possible, it is important to have good natural referencing – (Natural referencing or SEO refers to all the techniques that consist in favorably positioning a site or a set of pages of a site on the first page(s) of natural results of search engines (Google what) corresponding to the queries / keywords entered by Internet users). – in order to appear in the first search results of Baidu. This will allow you to reach and target these potential students.

In addition, your website must be optimized for local search engines, meaning that it should be hosted on a Chinese server to ensure it loads quickly in China, and have .cn domain name. It is advisable to use a local website for better loading speed rather than creating a translated multilingual version of your original website. The site should be optimized for Mandarin Chinese characters and should include QR codes leading to your official WeChat account page.

As digital is an important part of Chinese people’s daily life, a targeted strategy on these channels will be necessary to reach your target and objectives.

Thus, there is a real angle of attack and prospection for these universities. Having a real strategy on Chinese social networks is the key to target Chinese students. It is therefore necessary for each school or university which has an exchange program with China or is looking to attract Chinese students, to create its own official page on social networks such as WeChat or Weibo. It is important to adopt different, more localized and specialized marketing strategies, given the difference of Chinese social networks compared to Western social networks.

HI-COM is here to help you in this process thanks to our digital marketing experts.

3.PRESENCE ON CHINESE SOCIAL MEDIA

Being present on the main Chinese social media channels is an important step in the prospection of potential students. In a country where more than a billion people use new technologies as a source of information and a means of communication, online visibility is a crucial point for all institutions.

WeChat is a social network with more than one billion active users every month. It is a platform in its own right, where most Chinese people search for information and news. The application is generally called WeChat Moments because a multitude of information is available. Everyone can post and share their feelings and experiences.

To gain visibility, you will need to create an official account, an identity, through which will be able to reach your target market and interact with prospective students and their parents on a daily basis in order to maximize your results.

In a nutshell:

– Build a presence and a positive image on Chinese search engines

– Create informative and quality content for your publications on WeChat and Weibo (similar to WeChat, often referred to as the Chinese Twitter).

– Open an official account to act as a microsite for your services.

HI-COM can assist you in all the steps for creating and maintaining your page on Chinese networks. From account creation, content creation and planning, our experts can help you on WeChat/Weibo and KOL/Influencers.

How is France an attractive host country for these students?

According to a study published this Wednesday, 20% of Chinese parents who want to send their child abroad consider France as a destination. This is also the case for 15% of Americans.

While many argue that speaking Chinese, English and French is an undeniable asset for their professional future, it is first and foremost the culture that fascinates the students and that has encouraged them to apply for the bilingual class. Indeed, they find the language “so elegant” and “so precise” and generally see France as “so romantic”.

Their choice was also motivated by the reputation of French engineering schools and the fact that France is, in their opinion, a country with a strong industry.

Finally, they all see this voluntary exile as an opportunity to discover another culture, to develop their skills and to become more mature.

The study indicates that French parents report spending an average of 8,800 Euros on a child’s university education. This is almost three times less than in the United States (29,000 Euros) and well below the world average (17,000 Euros). Finally, studies in France are less expensive than in the Anglo-Saxon world (between 4,000 and 8,000 Euros per year for ESIGELEC and about 600 Euros for INSA, which is a public school).

The low cost of higher education in France could also explain another phenomenon: while more than a third of parents in the world go into debt to finance their children’s studies, only 10% do so in France. The study points out that France is “the country where borrowing is least frequent when it comes to financing one’s studies”.

To illustrate the importance of all principles, we have summarized an interesting case study on Accedmia del Lusso and its success in China.

Case Study : ACCADEMIA DEL LUSSO

ACADEMIA DEL LUSSO: A GREAT SUCCESS IN CHINA

Accademia Del Lusso was invisible to Chinese students when it first started in China. Therefore, the school decided to create a digital campaign to develop its reputation and visibility on Baidu.

The renowned fashion and design school in Milan wanted to attract students to its Italian city and attract more Chinese students.

As mentioned earlier in the article, Chinese students tend to search for information on their own search engines and social networks. However, due to the different digital environment in China, they had little presence and visibility in the Chinese market. After winning the Lifetime Achievement and Leading Fashion School awards in 2007, their reputation continued to grow worldwide.

HI-COM ASIA is the ideal partner!

Contact us now!

Tonnes of articles have covered the subject of the most spoken language in each country, but not so many go into more detail and  talk about the second most spoken language in each country. According to reports, almost half the world is bilingual. Colonisation, borders and immigration have been some contributing factors to a second language being spoken in some countries. Unsurprisingly, English is the most spoken second language worldwide with it being spoken in 55 countries. French comes second (14 countries) and Russian third (13 countries).

Colonisation, borders and immigration have been some contributing factors to a second language being spoken in some countries

What languages are spoken in China?

Research shows that there are 297 languages spoken in China. With a population of over 1.3 billion stretching across such a huge land, it’s understandable as to why so many languages are spoken in the country. Cantonese (Yue) takes the trophy for the second most spoken language coming in after the official Chinese Mandarin language. Cantonese is mainly spoken in the south east region of China, with more than 60 million people speaking it.

In other words, it can be heard widely in Guangdong province, Hong Kong and Macau. The Chinese government has been pushing Mandarin to be spoken more in China, and most of those who can speak Cantonese are bilingual. A large part of the overseas Chinese community hail from Guangdong province and Hong Kong. Cantonese can be heard in parts of the UK, USA, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and Cambodia. The Wu language comes closely after Cantonese as the third most spoken language in China. It is heavily spoken in Jiangsu province, Zhejiang province and Shanghai.

What languages are spoken in America?

However, America’s population has increased to 327 million, with 239 million speaking English. The second most spoken language in the states unsurprisingly is Spanish with 41 million speakers, making up 13% of the population. The prominence of Spanish in America can be attributed to a number of factors, the biggest one being the USA’s geographical proximity to a number of Spanish speaking countries; Mexico, Columbia and Cuba to name a few. Immigration has been another contributing factor as to why other languages are spoken in the US. The US holds the world’s fifth largest Spanish speaking population behind Mexico, Columbia, Spain and Argentina. Immigration has played a part in mandarin being the third most spoken language in the States. The fourth most spoken language in the US is Tagalog, which is the national language of the Philippines.

What languages are spoken in Canada?

Canada also has a number of languages spoken in addition to English. French is the second most spoken language in Canada, which can be largely heard in the Quebec province. Mandarin, Cantonese and Punjabi round up the top 5 languages spoken in Canada.

Europe has a number of countries where a varied rage of languages are spoken. Northern and western Europeans are more renowned for being able to speak more than one language.

What languages are spoken in UK?

However, The UK has a population of 66 million, and 31% percent can speak more than one language. Surprisingly, Polish is the second most spoken language. Polish is believed to be spoken by 546,000 people; this could be explained by the arrival of polish people from 2004 onwards following changes to European Union regulations. The UK’s colonial history may explain why Punjabi and Urdu are the third and fourth most spoken languages in the UK. According to reports, 273,000 people speak Punjabi and 269,000 people speak Urdu.

What languages are spoken in Germany?

So, Germans have an impressive language track record with 67% of the population being multilingual. A staggering 27% of Germans can even speak three languages. The second most spoken language in Germany is English, with 57% of the nation being able to speak it.

What languages are spoken in France?

In France, the second most spoken language is Arabic.  Research shows 2.2 million can speak Arabic out of the 66 million population. France borders with Germany, Italy and Spain and therefore its close proximity to other countries has also been an influencing factor as to why other languages are spoken there.

What languages are spoken in Australia?

However, English is still heavily spoken in Australia with 73 % of the 24 million population speaking it as a first language. Mandarin is the second most spoken language in Australia, with it being spoken by 2.5 % of the population. According to statistics, mandarin is spoken by than 596,703 people. In Australia, more than 20% of the population can speak a language outside of English. Arabic and Cantonese are the third and fourth most spoken languages in Australia.

In conclusion, HI-COM is a professional translation and communication agency that serves a range of companies from start-ups to fortune 500. Our team of professionals are always ready to provide a free consultation. If you have any questions about translation and localization then please contact us!

HI-COM is proud to have provided the English and Chinese consecutive interpreting for the two recent Fonroche electronics experiences. The first event took place in Qingdao on 23rd October 2019, and the second in Shenzhen on 29th October 2019.

HI-COM is proud to have provided the English and Chinese consecutive interpreting for the two recent Fonroche electronics experiences. The first event took place in Qingdao on 23rd October 2019, and the second in Shenzhen on 29th October 2019.

Founded in 2008 by Yann Maus, the Fonroche Group has become a major player in the renewable energy industry, specialising in three main areas: off-grid solar lighting, biogas, and deep geothermal energy.

Fonroche manages all aspects of projects for business and local authorities in each core market, from manufacture to installation, operation, maintenance and support.

HI-COM provided two interpreters for each event.

As a result of HI-COM’s successful interpreting, Thomas Gonzalez, Purchasing Manager of Fonroche Lighting, said, “We really appreciated the translation service, as it allowed us to facilitate more communication with our suppliers.”

At HI-COM, we believe that effective interpretation goes beyond just language fluency, and is about understanding cultural nuances, speaking idiomatically and being experienced in the field that is being translated.

HI-COM provides reliable and cost-effective Interpreting services, with a network of highly skilled, qualified and experienced multi-linguists.  For more information, please get in touch.

HI-COM is proud to have provided English & Chinese simultaneous interpreting for the 8th VDMA Mechanical Engineering Summit in China.

HI-COM is proud to have provided English & Chinese simultaneous interpreting for the eighth VDMA (Verband Deutscher Maschinen und Anlagenbau/ German Mechanical Engineering Association) Mechanical Engineering Summit in China.

The 2019 edition of the Mechanical Engineering Summit was held at the beautiful Intercontinental Hotel, located in Shanghai’s Songjiang District on 30th October (from 9am-6pm), to implement the development and changes in the Mechanical Engineering industry in China.

HI-COM managed the whole project and provided expert interpreting services and equipment for 150 attendees at the summit. The project included two of our best interpreters, a transmitter, central control unit, interpreting machine, radiant plate and receiver, interpreting cabins, and a team to set up and take down the equipment.

With years of interpreting experience in the fields of economy and technology, HI-COM successfully completed the interpreting project, which was greatly appreciated by VDMA.

Here at HI-COM, we continue to provide a language platform for the communication and development of the mechanical engineering industry, especially in China.  We believe that effective interpretation goes beyond just language fluency, and is about understanding cultural nuances, speaking idiomatically and being experienced in the field being translated.

If you require professional interpreting for an upcoming event, HI-COM would be delighted to hear from you. Contact us today!

Please find more information about conference interpreting here.

Today, the gaming industry shares a community of over 2 billion people and it’s only expected to grow.

According to figures in 2018, the gaming industry made over $134 billion and predictions show that those figures are expected double yet again, by 2025.  The gaming industry has now become bigger than both the film and music industries combined, which could be responsible for the rapid growth in online gaming languages and explain how they have become so globally recognized. 

Today, the gaming industry shares a community of over 2 billion people and it’s only expected to grow.

According to figures in 2018, the gaming industry made over $134 billion and predictions show that those figures are expected double yet again, by 2025.  The gaming industry has now become bigger than both the film and music industries combined, which could be responsible for the rapid growth in online gaming languages and explain how they have become so globally recognized.  

Global gaming revenue

There are over 7.6 billion people in the world and just under a third of those are gamers, playing from either their PC, tablets, consoles or mobile phones. Research has shown that on a global scale, 54% of video game players are male, whilst 46% are female.

Unsurprisingly, China and the USA are at the top of the list of countries that bring in the most revenue from game sales. According to Newzoo, here are the top 14 countries and territories with regards to online gaming presence:

What languages should you translate your game into?

As mentioned above, a wide variety of countries have an increasingly popular gaming culture which brings in millions of dollars in revenue per year.  With this is in mind, translation and communication in a variety of spoken languages are an integral factor when hoping to target consumers within those markets.

Mandarin is the most widely spoken language, with over 1 billion speakers worldwide. After the console ban was recently lifted, China now has the largest global internet user-ship and brings in the biggest gaming revenue in the world. Another successful language choice would be English, as it is spoken in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, who all respectively contribute to the top 15 global gaming countries list.

Below is a list of the top 10 languages that we recommend localizing your game into:

• English
• Mandarin (Simplified Chinese)
• Japanese
• Korean
• French
• German
• European Spanish
• Italian
• Russian
• Latin American Spanish

Research has also shown that the following languages have the highest three-year growth rate for gaming revenue:

• Turkish
• Malay
• Hindi
• Thai
• Polish

Why is it important to localize a game?

Localizing games is more than just translating text. It involves quality assurances, testing the integration of the translated text and adapting the right text to the requirements of the specific region. This can vary from country to culture.  For example, in Australia alcohol and drugs cannot be shown in video games, whilst countries such as China don’t allow blood, skulls or any religious symbolism.

Comedian Kumail Najiani, revealed Call of Duty’s recent mishap, where the famous video game used the wrong national language for its location in Karachi, Pakistan, as it showed Arabic signs rather than Urdu signs. For a video game that took 3 years to make, this highlights the importance of research and localizing effectively.

Click here to find Kumail’s stand up piece regarding the Call of Duty game.

Gaming language dictionary

Darassian, Wenja, Simlish, Dovahzul and Al Bhed are all popular fictional languages in the gaming world. Here’s our mini-language dictionary for the top gaming languages:

The language of the game Darnassian

Darnassian is the primary language of the night elves in world of warcraft. Here are some Darnassian phrases:

An’da = father

Min’da = mother

Ande’thoras-ethil = May your troubles be diminished

Bandu Thoribas! = Prepare to fight!

Ishnu-alah = Good fortune to you

The language of the game Far Cry Primal

Far Cry Primal, literally brought back the stone age languages. Ubisoft worked with linguistics to try to recreate features of a language that had actually been spoken thousands of years ago. It is called Porto-Indo-European language. Wenja is one of the tribes in the Far Cry Primal world. They speak the Wenja language. Here are some Wenja phrases:

Smarka = hello

Ku-ta su? = how are you?

Wisya = poison

Kala = beautiful

Pracham = please

The language of the game Simlish

Simlish is the language from the popular game, The Sims. Will Wright who created The Sims, created a ‘nonsense language’ so that the meaning could be more imaginative to the players. Here are some Simlish phrases:

Sul sul = Hello/Goodbye

Ongie: Selfie!

Litzergam / Vadish = Thank You

Jadosi = I love this

Wut sa dib: What’s up dude

The language of the game Dovahzul

Dovahzul is the dragon language used in the popular game, The Elder scrolls vs Skyrim. It is spoken by the dragons and ancient Nords. Here are some Dovahzul phrases:

Bo paaz? = how are you?

Zu’u pruzah = I am good

Zu’u piraak bahlok = I am hungry

Krosis = excuse me

Tinvaak hi Dovahzul? = Do you speak Dovahzul?

The language of the game Al Bhed

Al Bhed is the language spoken by the Al bhed tribe in the Final Fantasy game. The Al Bhed language is a cypher of the Japanese and English languages. Here are some Al Bhed phrases:

Rammu = hello

ruf yna oui? = how are you?

Hela do saad oui = Nice to meet you

Kuutpoa = Goodbye

Vyhmuna ec yfacusa = Fanlore is awesome

Now you’re all set to immerse yourself in the gaming world. Feel free to share this gaming knowledge with your family, friends and co-workers!

For more information on translation or localization please feel free to get in touch.

Have you ever wondered what to do if you find yourself among the Dothraki people? Don’t panic! HI-COM has prepared a short survival guide for you to help you learn the basics of the language of this nomadic people from Game of Thrones!

Have you ever wondered what to do if you find yourself among the Dothraki people? Don’t panic! HI-COM has prepared a short survival guide for you to help you learn the basics of the language of this nomadic people from Game of Thrones!

Find out where they come from:

What is Dothraki?

The Dothraki language was created by David J. Peterson for HBO’s Game of Thrones (an adaptation of George RR Martin’s “The Iron Throne”), and is spoken by the Dothraki people. In Martin’s world, the Dothraki are a nomadic warrior people who travel around on horseback, and who live on the other side of the Strait (sea separating the two continents known as the “Narrow Sea”), on a large steppe shaped grassy plain called the Dothrak Sea, in the centre of the continent of Essos, east of Westeros.

Now that you know about the origins of the people and their language, let’s have a go at it!

Introducing yourself:

• Hello: M’athchomaroon !
• Hello everyone: Athchomar chomakea !
• Hi: M’ath ! ou M’ach !

A Dothoraki will no doubt answer you by saying” Athchomar chomakaan” (this translates as “all my respect to the one who respects me”). It’s an expression reserved especially for non-Dothraki.

• How are you today? Hash yer dothrae chek asshekh ? (Literally, “did you ride well today?”)

And when they return the question, you can then answer by saying:

• I feel good today: Anha dothrak chek asshekh (Literally, “I rode well today”)
• Thank you: San athchomari yeraan ! (Literally, “Great honor to you”)

If you do not know the person, you can introduce yourself and say:

• My name is… : Anha hake …

And to finish in style, it is important to end your conversation in Dothraki in the following way.

• Goodbye: Hajas! (Literally “Be strong!”) OR Dothras chek! (“Ride well!)

A few more things:

• You honor me: Yer chomoe anna.
• I wish you a happy birthday: Anha zalak asshekhqoyi vezhvena yeraan !
• Happy Birthday! (Literally “Have a good blood day”): Asshekhqoyi vezhvena!
• You are (really) beautiful: Yer zheanae (sekke).
• I will let you live: Anha vazhak yeraan thirat.

If you disturb someone:

• Stranger, your smell is disturbing my horse: Achrakh yeroon zireyesee hrazef anni, zhey ifak !

If you’re trying to impress someone:

• You are my beloved: Yer shekh ma shieraki anni/ Yer Jalan atthirari anni

Add compliments such as:

• You are amazing: Yer zheanae
• I like you: Yer allayafi 
• Your horse is fast: Yeri hrazef dik!

Useful phrases:

• I’m thirsty, I want to drink: Anha fevelat, anha zalat indelat
• I’m hungry: Anha garvolat 
• I’m lost, where is the nearest farm? Anha lei, finish ezat zen qisi?
• Do you want to make raclette Cheese tonight? Yer zalat adakhat at jelli asshekh?
• I love you: Anha Zhilat yer
• The stars are watching over you: Shieraki gori ha yeraan!
  To tell someone who is off to fight.

How to assert oneself:

• Grab it! (Literally “hold onto his braid”) Fichas jahakes moon!
  It’s an expression used to encourage people who are fighting.

• What the f***! (Literally “By what failure”) Ki late yeni!
• What is it ? Hazi finish?
• You are wrong: Yer ojila!
• I do not agree! Anha efichisak haz yeroon!
• I will kill you and spit on your body: Anha vaddrivak yera m’asikthtek khadokh! 

Swear words:

• Locust: chiftik (used as an insult)
• Get out ! / Go away! (Literally (“Go to the sea! »): Es havazhaan!
• Graddakh!
  Refers to waste or garbage. If you are really upset about something, and you just want to express it but not necessarily insult someone else you can use this expression .
• Stranger (literally (“one who walks”, “walker”): ifak It’s a pejorative term for anyone who is not Dothraki.
• You make me itchy: Yer affesi anni Used to say that you do not like someone or that they make you feel uncomfortable.
• Go walk with your mother: Ifas buti yeri! 
• Find another hole to dig: Ezas eshna gech ahilee!

Things not to do if you meet a Dothraki:

• Touch a dead person when you did not kill that person. Touching a dead person brings bad luck, except for the one who actually killed the person.
• Talking about the number 13: it brings bad luck
• Falling from the saddle: this is the sign of weakness so be careful if you do not know how to ride a horse
• Invite a Dothraki for a cruise: since the Dothraki are very attached to their horses, they fear all water that is not consumed by their horses. As a result, they have a cultural phobia of seas that they refuse to cross.

With all this information you should now be able to survive among the Dothraki. Feel free to share this article so that your friends and family can also make a good impression on the Khal (king)!

Did you know that Chinese isn’t actually a language?? When we talk about ‘Chinese’, and how there are more than one billion Chinese speakers in the world, one might imagine one monolithic universally understood language.  However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.  ‘Chinese’ in fact refers to a family of languages that comprises at least seven different linguistic groups, each with various dialects and sub-dialects sitting under them. Languages of China, learn all about them!

TABLE OF CONTENTS :
I – Did you know that Chinese isn’t actually a language??
II – Languages of China
III – What Is Happening To Chinese Dialects Today In 2018?

Did you know that Chinese isn’t actually a language??

When we talk about ‘Chinese’, and how there are more than one billion Chinese speakers in the world, one might imagine one monolithic universally understood language.  However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.  ‘Chinese’ in fact refers to a family of languages that comprises at least seven different linguistic groups, each with various dialects and sub-dialects sitting under them.

The generally accepted classification of Chinese language groups is:

• Guan (including Beijing and Nanjing variants; Mandarin falls under this dialect)
• Wu (including the Shanghainese and Suzhounese variants)
• Yue (including the Cantonese and Taishanese variants)
• Min (including the Hokkien and Fuzhounese variants)
• Hakka (Kejia)
• Xiang (Hunanese)
• Gan (Jiangxinese)

 

Pu’tong’hua普通话is a standard form of 官话Guan’hua, and is the language sponsored and supported by the government, taught in schools and universities throughout China, and is considered the lingua franca of China.

The two most well-known forms of Chinese languages are Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese. Mandarin Chinese or Pu’tong’hua普通话, the official language of China, is actually just one dialect – a very widely spoken dialect at that – derived from one of northern dialects called Guan’hua 官话. Pu’tong’hua普通话is a standard form of 官话Guan’hua, and is the language sponsored and supported by the government, taught in schools and universities throughout China, and is considered the lingua franca of China.  Within Mandarin Chinese itself there are even more varieties of sub-dialects.

Cantonese, which belongs to the Yue dialect, is the main language spoken in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, and Macau, which are all located in Southern China.  Xiang is also a southern dialect with its speakers concentrated in Hunan province.  Also derived in Southern China is Kejia, or Hakka, the language of Hakka people who are spread out across pockets in Taiwan, Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guizhou, and other Southern regions of China.  The Min dialect is spoken in China’s southern coastal province—Fujian. It is the most diverse dialect, meaning within the dialect group there are still many different variations on word pronunciation.  Hokkien is one such sub-dialect under the Min dialect, and Hokkien speakers can be tracked across Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, reflecting the Chinese diaspora over the past few decades.

With so many dialects and sub-dialects found in China, it is difficult to precisely determine how many dialects actually exist. Any province, district, town or city can potentially have a hua 话(speech, language). For example, Shanghai’hua 上海话is the local dialect of Shanghainese which shares some similar words to Pu’tong’hua普通话but is still very much its own standalone dialect and sounds very different to Standard Mandarin.

Languages of China

China’s diversity of spoken dialects is truly unique when comparing it to countries of a comparable or larger geographical size such as USA, Canada and Russia. These countries cover the same kind of land mass, but do not share the same breadth and diversity of dialects that are found within China’s regions.

So why are there so many different dialects found in China?  It is understood that China’s linguistic diversity is attributable to its history and culture.  China’s expansive mountain ranges, rivers and deserts have acted as natural regional boundaries, and this is evident in the regional spread of dialects.  The Chinese word for dialect fang’yan方言, translates literally to ‘place speech’, reflecting how dialects are strongly related to the geography of its speakers. It has been said that China as we know it today is in fact the sum of thousands of small nations that, before the days of transport or rail providing connections between the valleys, mountain ranges, rivers and deserts, each ran like their own mini-empires with their unique cultures, traditions and, of course, languages.

1. Number of tones: Chinese dialects are tonal languages. In Mandarin, there are 4 basic tones and a fifth neutral tone. Cantonese is often said to have 9 tones, including the so-called “checked tones”. However, there are generally understood to be 6 (by speakers in Hong Kong) or 7 (by speakers in Guangzhou).
2. Initial consonants: Cantonese has far fewer initial consonants than Mandarin.
3. Vowel length: Cantonese has a much longer vowel length.

In terms of numbers, Cantonese has around 66 million speakers worldwide. As previously noted, Mandarin has over 1 billion.

A case in point is Wenzhou’hua温州话, the dialect of people from Wenzhou, a prefecture-level city in Zhejiang province.  Due to its geographical location, situated in a mountainous region, Wenzhou remained isolated from the rest of the country and neighbouring areas for many centuries.  This has made Wenzhou’s local culture and language very distinct to other Chinese dialects.  It makes sense that we will find the greatest linguistic diversity in southern China, looking at the vast mountain ranges that acted as natural barriers between regions and villages, allowing indigenous dialects to thrive and continue.

Understanding this history, it makes sense that there is little crossover between these dialects.  To non-Chinese, the concept of ‘dialects’ may be something new.  We are familiar with the idea of accents; for example, we know about English with an American accent, a British accent or an Australian accent.  Each of these accents are very distinct from each other, yet they are mutually understandable.  However, in China, you could come across two places within a few miles of each other, where the locals from each village or county speak different dialects and cannot understand each other at all.

Outside of these languages there are still more languages spoken by a huge population. For example, Jinyǔ, spoken mainly in Shaanxi and Henan provinces, while not deemed a ‘main language’ in China, is still spoken by about 46 million people.  There are also many non-Chinese languages spoken in China by the many ethnic minorities, such as Tibetan, Mongolian and Miao, and their subsequent dialects.

Chinese alphabet

A fun fact about learning Simplified Chinese language: students start with learning English alphabet, which will be construct phonetical spellings or “Pingying” (拼音), and those will be locating the sounds of Chinese characters. That is why computer keyboard of Chinese laptops and desktops is “QWERTY”.

In earlier times (before cultural revolution), Chinese alphabet did not exist. The character where memorised with the strokes. So if you were to look a chinese character up in a dictionary, even if you don’t know how to pronounce it, you can calculate how many strokes it has, and what are the semantic components or “keys” of the characters.

Interpretation & Translation Issues

Over the last several decades, the Northwest of USA has seen large immigrant influxes from China, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia. The primary language of these multiple ethnic groups is a Chinese dialect. Therefore, interpretation and translation services are necessary in every field ranging from government officiating, law enforcement, and court activities, to medical encounters, insurance affairs, and industrial business and so forth.

What Is Happening To Chinese Dialects Today In 2018?

China’s rapid urbanization means that millions of people now live far from their hometowns. The World Bank reports that by 2030, up to 70% of China’s population – around 1 billion – will be living in cities.  This shift alongside the strong promotion of Mandarin Chinese usage in schools from an early age, potentially puts homegrown dialects at risk.  However, all is not lost.  With technological devices such as WeChat voice messaging and the connectivity of the internet, spoken local dialects, idioms and expressions stand a chance of survival – as long as its speakers continue to engage with each other. Zhu Zhenmiao, who holds a PhD in Linguistics from Shanghai University has stated: “There are around 6,500 languages in the world. Each and every one is a lens for us to look into the thoughts, ideologies and cultures of the people who speak it. China’s dialects are a crucial part of our national heritage”.

Indeed, China is home to a plethora of languages and dialects, reflective of its diverse culture and historical provincial and regional segregation.

It is a known fact that a language may vary, especially how it is spoken, depending on the region where the language is used. But have you ever heard of two languages that are written in the same way but have nothing in common in terms pronunciation? Today we will look into some differences between Taiwan language and Hongkong language: Taiwanese Mandarin and Cantonese and see how they can influence communication and interpersonal relationships if one is looking to negotiate or do business in these 2 Chinese-speaking regions.

It is a known fact that a language may vary, especially how it is spoken, depending on the region where the language is used. But have you ever heard of two languages that are written in a same way but have nothing in-common in terms pronunciation? Today we will look into some differences between Taiwanese Mandarin and Cantonese and see how it can influence communication and interpersonal relationships if one is looking to negotiate or do business in these 2 Chinese-speaking regions.

Effective communication is the key to success in today’s business world. Due to the increasing demand for native resources to help you successfully target the Chinese market, it is now crucial to be aware of the differences in how users of the two main Traditional Chinese character groups speak and write.

Is Taiwanese and Mandarin the same?

In Taiwan, people mostly speak and write in Taiwan language – Taiwanese Mandarin (“台灣正體” / “國字” literally “Taiwanese Standard Mandarin”). It is a language spoken and written at different levels among the social classes based on the situation of the speakers.

In formal situations, it is known by native speakers as “Guo-yu” (國語). This is Standard Mandarin, the official language used in both writing and speaking. Bilingual speakers often alternate between Mandarin and Taiwanese, even when writing.

How many languages are spoken in Taiwan?

Except for a few elderly people who were educated under Japanese rule, most people use Mandarin to communicate, especially in Taipei, where most residents are Mainlanders who cannot understand Taiwanese, a local dialect known as Taiwanese Hokkien. Note that apart from Simplified Chinese used in Mainland China, Taiwanese Mandarin is the well-preserved version of Standard Mandarin.

How many languages are spoken in Hongkong?

In Hong Kong however, people mostly speak Cantonese. Despite the fact that Cantonese shares some vocabulary with written Mandarin, the two languages are completely different when spoken due to differences in accent and vocabulary. English is a second language in Hongkong.

Difference between Taiwan language and Hongkong language

One observable difference between Mandarin and Cantonese is how the spoken word is written. Whilst a text may look almost the same, it’s pronounced quite differently, as you may discover in a business meeting with a Chinese-speaking negotiator representing the other party. Negotiations between Hong Kong and Taiwanese businessmen are sometimes made in English, since most of Hong Kong citizens can not speak Mandarin, and most Taiwanese people cannot speak Cantonese.

Vocabulary

Taiwanese: Did you get here by bus? 
Hong Kongese: No, I came here on my little lamb* (“綿羊仔”)

As you can see from the small talk, the “little lamb” actually means “a scooter” and is a popular word used among younger generations. It may sound natural to bilingual speakers in Taiwan because most young people have access to videos, YouTube or films made by Hong Kong companies. However, the larger populations from different social classes may feel awkward about hearing such a novel idea coming out of nowhere. Here are a few examples of the differences between the two languages in terms of word usage in formal business writing or marketing campaigns.

Difference in Grammar between Taiwan and Hongkong Chinese languages

Grammar can affect the way people write business letters when two parties from different cultural backgrounds try to talk business and settle things clearly. During the early years of British colonization, the Hongkongese became much familiar with the English structure and therefore changed the original sentence structure of Mandarin, which is a paratactic language focusing on its meaning and deep structure in formal writing. For example, a “weak verb” is sometimes applied to a Chinese sentence or phrase and changes the way people write in formal letters. Here’s an example.

English Sentence: The expert carries out an experiment to study the formula.

• In Mandarin, it can be structured as “專家做實驗來研究配方”.
• In Cantonese, the sentence can be written as “專家藉由實驗對配方進行研究”.

Note that the two languages preserve and use the Traditional Chinese characters quite differently due to the historical background of a split Chinese language tree. The language system of Traditional Chinese in Taiwan adopts the mother system of Standard Chinese. This standard can now be spoken and written intelligibly by business people in Taiwan. In Hong Kong, because of its colonial and linguistic history, the sole language of education, the media, formal speech and everyday life remains the local Cantonese, with the use of the same Traditional Chinese characters.

However, the majority of Traditional Chinese users (Hong Kongese, older generation of Mainland China, Taiwanese) can read Taiwanese Mandarin. Therefore, if anyone wishes to create a website targeting the Traditional Chinese-speaking market, you can use Taiwanese Mandarin for the best search results to improve user experience.

Internet Language or Net Slang of Taiwan and Hongkong

Another great idea to consider is to look into the network language commonly used by online users today. Since the internet now seems to prevail over older media, there’s no reason one should not be aware of the new burst of fashionable language spread across most networks for marketing use. Here are some examples of what you may find in advertising campaigns.

When entering Chinese speaking markets, it is important to remember that Hong Kong and Taiwan are quite different when it comes to life habits as well as speaking habits. They understand the written languages of each other, yet do not fully agree with the choice of grammar used, and are completely lost in verbal communication, unless one side makes an effort and learns the language of the other (Mandarin is an optional second language in public schools in Hong Kong). And of course, other factors such as population, size of your target market and wage levels must be considered before translating your web site or marketing materials.

Do not hesitate to share this article with your friends or colleagues and stay tuned for the latest updates!

Want to translate your documents from or to one of those languages? Shoot us an email!