When it comes to learning languages there are some countries that are far behind others in their abilities. According to a review of language teaching in the UK, undertaken by the British Council in 2016, only 34% of pupils achieve a good grade in their GCSE in a language. European children are far outranking their English counterparts when it comes to learning languages, even though it is frequently said that English is a difficult language to learn.
There are many unique reasons why English can be challenging to those learning it as a second language, and these problems with comprehension, language ability and translation don’t only apply to students. Businesses also require specific language skills when it comes to moving into new trading arenas, especially if they wish to avoid the many pitfalls associated with translating into English.
Potential issues surrounding English translations are highlighted here to help you understand some of the complexities involved:
English Phonetics
In the UK, young school children are taught phonetics, and then have to learn the rest of the language that doesn’t fit into this model!
This problem arises due to the creole nature of the English language – it is a mix of Latin, German, French, Anglo-Saxon and Celtic. Invaders to the Island brought their language too, adding to the blend and changing any rules that may once have aided translation.
There are certain groups of words that cause a phonetic nightmare for students learning English, with the ‘ough’ words being a particular nuisance;
Tough – pronounced – tuf (the ‘u’ sounding as in ‘cup’)
Through – pronounced – throo
Dough – pronounced – doe (long ‘o’)
Bought – pronounced – bawt
As you can see pronunciation varies widely among words that appear to be surprisingly similar.
Homonyms, Homophones & Homographs
There is a distinct possibility that even native English speakers couldn’t tell you exactly what homophones, homonyms, or homographs are, however, they would all immediately recognise when they were used incorrectly, or which word should be used in a specific context.
For those who are not sure of the difference between the above terms, including any native English speakers, they are as follows:
Homonym – a word that is spelled and pronounced like another word but is different in meaning. For example: bark (the noise a dog makes) and bark (the rough external layer of a tree)
Homophone – a word that is pronounced like another word but is different in meaning, origin, or spelling. For example: right (correct) and write (to scribe)
Homograph – a word that is spelled like another word but is different in origin, meaning, or pronunciation. For example: minute (60 seconds of time) and minute (tiny, small).
As you can see from the above examples, context is crucially important to inferring the correct meaning, or to using the right word to put your meaning across.
The British Council have published the poem below to highlight the difficulties connected to these types of words:
Eye Halve a Spelling Chequer
Eye halve a spelling chequer
It came with my pea sea
It plainly marques four my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.
Eye strike a quay and type a word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait a weigh.
As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite
Its really ever wrong.
Eye have run this poem threw it
I am shore your pleased two no
Its letter perfect in it’s weigh
My chequer tolled me sew.
Translation Challenges
As stated above, the challenges associated with the English language aren’t limited to students, but can also affect businesses who may wish to translate websites, content, products, and so on, into English from another language when targeting an English speaking market.
The complex nature of the language means many businesses could easily make mistakes that result in a failure to reach their full potential due to either, a misunderstanding in communicating their message, or even an unintentional insult. This threat can be intensified by use of translation technology that is limited in its ability to comprehend context.
Guaranteeing successful English translations for your business requires the use of professional translation companies who use native speakers for their translations, copywriters, and proof-readers.
Irregular verbs
Problems with learning the English language aren’t confined to confusing word pairs that may, or may not, have the same meanings. Instead there are more rules, and then exceptions to those rules!
Irregular verbs are an example of this. For many English verbs, the past tense is fairly straightforward;
Tick = ticked
Suck = sucked
Walk = walked
In these examples adding ‘ed’ after the base word forms the past tense. However, there are words that don’t fit this rule such as, saw, hear, or feel. These become, seen, heard, or felt.
These variations to the norm must be learnt individually, there is not always a strict procedure to follow.
Who and Whom
There are certain terms that have become infrequently used in daily speech, and as such are not always understood, even by native English speakers.
Knowing when to use ‘who’ or ‘whom’ is an example of a slightly archaic term that is generally only used in formal instances, or by those for whom correct grammar is non-negotiable.
The rule for appropriate use of ‘who’ or ‘whom’ is as follows:
Who – should be used to refer to the subject of a sentence.
Whom – should be used to refer to the object of a verb or preposition.
You can tell when to use the correct term by substituting ‘he’ or ‘she’ in a sentence for ‘him’ or ‘her’. For example,
‘Who/whom should I talk to about my problems?’ = the answer would be ‘I should talk to he’ or ‘I should talk to him’. “Him” works best, so the word you need is whom.
The Value of Correct Translations
With all these rules and exceptions to the English language, it can be tempting to forget it all and choose a different language to learn.
For businesses though that can become a little trickier, especially when significant amounts of money are involved. Knowing when to use ‘who’ or ‘whom’ can make the difference between winning a contract, or losing one. Reputations are at stake, and you only get one chance to make a good first impression.
Using a professional translation team for your business dealings will make all the difference when applying English translations within your work. Native English translators will instinctively know what context is applicable, which term of address is required for certain situations, and how to ensure your business is perceived in the correct manner.
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