Gerri: I do business in several foreign countries. I want my Internet site to appeal to foreign buyers. I would also like to sharpen my foreign language skills in my correspondence and on the phone. Any suggestions?

ElaineZimmermanNWays to Wealth

Elaine: Many sites that wish to appeal to customers worldwide have added translation capabilities. It is relatively inexpensive to add. It changes the content from one language to another by clicking on the flag icon for which language you wish to view the site.

Some companies buy the dot country designations for their Web sites — for example, “co.uk” for the United Kingdom and “co.cn” for China — thinking this will give them an advantage, but most experts believe this is unnecessary.

The Internet has become a wonderful translation tool. It has also become an any-time classroom to learn or get a refresher lesson in a foreign language.

Freetranslations.com gives individuals and companies access to “on the fly” translations for more than 50 languages. Type in a sentence or two. Choose the language you would like it translated into or from. The translation appears a nanosecond later.

The first 750 words of translation are free. An annual fee of less than $10 allows unlimited access to translations daily of standard letter writing and speech.

Industry-specific translations, such as medical or technical terms, etc., are also available. For a fee, you can have scientific, legal, medical and technical documents translated accurately into an array of languages.

They also provide software services that translate Word documents and e-mails. Once the software is installed, you can immediately translate all documents and correspondence without having to learn the language.

With the explosion of social networking, it was just a matter of time before someone developed a site for people to speak to others around the world in foreign languages. Italki.com has filled that void.

Registrants can select the language they would like to practice and find willing teachers. Via webcams, students and instructors see each other while they talk.

Students pay half-hour or hourly fees to practice with instructors around the world. Headquartered in Shanghai, China, many Chinese students are eager to practice their English with Americans.

Italki.com has courses and instructors fluent in more than 100 languages. Prior to choosing instructors, you can see their faces and where they live. If you plan to travel to a specific foreign city, you can practice the language with someone who lives there and get tips about dining, places to see and stay and transportation that only a “local” would know.

If you chose to be an instructor for someone who wants to practice English, living in the city of Elvis is a conversation-starter worldwide.

Questions? Write Elaine at Elainezimm@aol.com. Her Web site is elainezimmermann.com.

Similar Posts:

Share