The British are known culturally for many things, one of them “reserve”. Reserve relates to the general disinclination to show emotion, feelings or to act in any way that could be viewed as slightly off-centre. The cultural concept heavily correlated with the sense of privacy the British hold. As a result of British reserve you will note that language is heavily tempered and gestures are restrained. Neutrality and diplomacy in communication are seen as necessary components of courtesy. Briti... Read Full Story

Australians are in two minds about multiculturalism, a long-term survey has found. They believe cultural diversity is good for the country but they’re worried that cultural differences will stop everyone from getting along. An 11-year study by a collaboration of Australian universities has found 85 per cent of Australians acknowledge racial prejudice occurs in the nation and one in five has been a victim of racist verbal abuse. The study found that 6.5 per cent of the 16,000 Australian... Read Full Story

Develop content for your Web site with an international clientele in mind. For instance, be sensitive to cultural nuance, use universal images and metaphors, and develop a slogan that reflects your global outreach, says Ayse Oge, president of Ultimate Trade, an international consultancy based in Encino, Calif. “Include testimonials from internationally known prominent people who use your products. If you have been written up in a well-known publication, include a short piece on it on yo... Read Full Story

While universities have been warning of a surge in applications for courses this autumn - some language courses are struggling to attract applicants. The University of the West of England is to stop courses in French, Spanish and Chinese this year because they received only 39 applicants. The university has seen a 14% rise in applications for other subjects. But the university’s vice-chancellor says “there are too few students who wish to study languages”. As such there wil... Read Full Story

The tool will make it easier for web users to understand blogs, websites and messages written in Farsi by Iranians protesting the recent election results. Google Translate can now convert text from Farsi (Persian) in to English, and from English in to Persian. Google said it was working hard to quickly provide Farsi support for the other 40 languages featured in its translation service. “We feel that launching Persian is particularly important now, given ongoing events in Iran,” said Google ... Read Full Story

According to the findings of a survey of 180 managers by London-based consultants Brookfield, more than two thirds of the major multinationals are expecting to post fewer employees abroad this year. Nannette Ritmeester of the Dutch consultancy Expertise in Labour Mobility recognises the picture. She sees two possible responses to the crisis: either send fewer employees [...] Related posts:Expats “get the best of both worlds”The impact of expats in 2008HR costs soaring in Dubai Read Full Story

It is a well-intended initiative which is meant to offer immigrants a helping hand. Yet now an investigation has found that many of the expensively-produced foreign-language leaflets have never been read. Documents which have failed to attract a single reader include a pamphlet for gipsies translated into Polish, and a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender directory [...] Related posts:ISO Language CodesGoogle document translation serviceDiploma in Languages Read Full Story

Kwintessential have today added a new DVD title to their library of cross cultural communication training DVDs. Cross-Cultural Communication and Customer Service In Part 1, service representative Valerie receives a call from Lois, a customer from another culture. Valerie speaks quickly and uses slang, frustrating Lois. Valerie is impatient with Lois’ accent and English, and belittles her, [...] Related posts:The Impact of Culture on Customer ServiceAvoid Cross-Cultural Communication Snafus... Read Full Story

A biennial conference on the intercultural communication between China and the world opened here on Friday. Titled “Intercultural Communication between China and the World: Interpersonal, Organizational and Mediated Perspectives,” the 8th China Association for Intercultural Communication (CAFIC) Intercultural Conference aims to enhance the mutual understanding between China and the world as well as the teaching and [...] Related posts:Intercultural communication in multilingual ... Read Full Story

Manners and attitude speak volumes in Asian countries. When making a new business contact, ensure your intentions aren’t lost in translation. When conducting business in any country, certain customs are assumed: a firm handshake, eye contact, an exchange of business cards followed by friendly conversation. Although Asian countries often have similar customs, it is important to understand that even something as simple as direct eye contact can be misconstrued and cause a business interac... Read Full Story