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Moving to another country is one of the most gratifying and challenging experiences in life. It’s vital for a business considering employee relocation to think about a prospective mover’s well-being in their new home. Using global mobility services can help make a temporary or permanent assignment a rich and positive experience. Our environment has an…

At Global Arena, we strive to help our customers improve their internal communications and interactions across cultures and time zones. As an international company ourselves (with employees in four countries spread across two continents) this subject is personal for us. We’re highly versed in the challenges that international relocations and expansions create. We also understand…

Can A Non-Native Speaker achieve the Proficiency level Of A Native Speaker? There are many reasons to learn a foreign language. You might want to speak a new language in order to be able to communicate with others or navigate a foreign country. Maybe you want to read books or watch movies in their original…

Repatriation Training 12 to 20 percent of employees leave their job within 1 to 2 years of returning home from an international assignment. International assignments represent a huge investment and losing an employee after they return home can turn profit into loss. A well-thought-out and professionally conducted Repatriation Training contributes to loss prevention. It helps…

Global Arena provides personalized intercultural training programs with the goal of alleviating internal diversity concerns. We specialize in connecting cultures and building positive, culturally sensitive work environments. We customize our trainings according to our clients’ needs and unique specifications. Also we work with companies to help each employee address their individual needs and create the…

An interpreter is someone whose primary role is to facilitate communication between people who speak different languages. They aim to fully convey what the original speaker says to another individual who does not share the language. Often this includes interpreting cultural cues to express the speaker’s intent. Therefore, a qualified interpreter is not just someone…

Bridging the Gap As Global Arena LLC knows very well, the interpreting industry is notoriously unstandardized. Trainings differ, skill levels differ, and interpreting styles differ. This leads to client confusion as it is impossible to deliver a standard product without standard training. Many interpreters are little more than bilingual speakers, without the training necessary to…

Coronavirus approach Global Arena takes the health and well-being of its employees and contractors very seriously; as well as the populations we serve. With the increasing number of cases of Covid-19 (also known as Coronavirus) in the USA, we are doing all we can to reduce the risk of infection and the spread of the…

The value of professional translation services is not always easy to calculate, especially for someone unfamiliar with the industry. The return on investment is difficult to define, and we should not measure it based only on cost. It is easy to think that every agency completes translations the same way. When looking for the right…

Healthcare facilities have a responsibility to their patients to provide the best possible care. One way to improve patient satisfaction that may not come to mind at first is to offer quality interpreting services for limited English proficiency patients. After all, how can a patient be satisfied if they cannot fully understand their experience at…

We celebrate International Translator Day annually on September 30th. But what are the reasons to become a professional translator? At a glance, translation is the conversion of written text between the source language and the target language. While this is the definition of translation in its most basic form, it is also much more exciting…

There is an increasing issue in the United States: a lack of qualified medical interpreters. According to the US Census Bureau, around 25 million Americans have limited English proficiency. The groups most affected by the lack of interpreters are immigrants, refugees, and migrant workers. Non-English speakers or those with limited English proficiency sometimes avoid seeking…

Connecting Cultures: America and Japan Global Arena’s intercultural language academy specializes in designing, customizing, and delivering a vast array of intercultural training services. We aim to tackle and overcome our clients’ unique cultural challenges. We tailor our trainings to each client’s requirements, specifications, and goals. An we love working with our clients to create programs…

Finding the Right Translation Partner The challenge a potential customer faces today is no longer how to find a translator, but rather how to find the right translation partner. Nowadays, translation agencies can carry out the entire process online. We scan, email, and translate documents, eliminating the need to find the right translation agency locally.…

What is HIPAA?: A Brief Explanation HIPAA is The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. The Act was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996. The aim of the Act is to ensure that employees who work for American companies can retain their health insurance coverage while moving to different jobs…

Combining the Art of Translation with the Science of Language In the age of Google translate and AI, we must rethink the role of the human translator. Some may even wonder, where do human translation services fit in this modern climate? Why bother with the process of hiring a translator when there are plenty of…

Global Arena Offers Language Training Programs all Over the World Language training is an integral part of working with international clients; multicultural populations, and expanding or relocating your business and employee base. Language is our common ground, our basis for all human connection; and the quickest way to establish a working relationship. At Global Arena,…

Relocating to a Foreign Country Relocating abroad is one of the most exciting projects that an individual or company can take on. Relocation and international expansion have a number of benefits, including a vast new network, more revenue potential, opportunities for employee advancement and retention, heightened employee morale; and the ability to find new outlets…

Most workers are familiar with the acronym OSHA insofar as they know it has to do with their workplace safety. As a result, it may seem strange to think about how interpreting could connect to any kind of occupational risk. But an interpreter is sometimes needed for a session in an environment where reasonable protections…

In our blog post 10 Translation & Localization Acronyms, we introduced the concept of OPI, or Over-the-Phone Interpreting services. Also known as Telephonic Interpreting, OPI is a service that provides a remote alternative to face-to-face interpreting. Essentially, when you require interpreting services, you simply call a number and you’ll be connected immediately with a native…

The translation industry can be intimidating if you aren’t familiar with it, with a lot of industry-specific terminology. Global Arena is here to serve all your translation needs, but you can become savvy by familiarizing yourself with this translation lingo. Today we are going to introduce ten concepts that, in fact, all translators know… And,…

While all interpreters are expected to maintain professional confidentiality in their work, it is even more crucial in medical contexts. The conversations between a doctor and patient can be sensitive enough even without the presence of a third party. How do interpreters put their clients at ease and guarantee that what is being shared will…

After you’ve finished university – especially if you’ve attended graduate school – it can be tempting to think you’re done with learning. Further Education is for you You might acquire some new skills or take a workshop here and there, but no more homework or exams, right? In truth, learning is a lifelong pursuit, with…

What is Learning and Development? An overview of some new offerings Having skilled interpreters with linguistic expertise and providing workers with cultural education is only part of expanding your company and “going global”. Refining policies, practices, and structures is also an integral part of creating an international operation.   In some industries, such as medical…

As globalization brings speakers of different languages into closer contact; interpreters have become commonplace in a variety of contexts. Medical and legal professionals are especially used to working with linguists in hospitals and courtrooms where mutual understanding is crucial. When a linguist is not readily available in person, options such as telephonic interpreting can help…

What is culture? It seems like a straightforward question, but when talking about a person’s cultural background, the answer is actually quite complex. Culture in this context means a set of learned values, internalized practices, and shared beliefs among a group of people. We often think of it simultaneously as something internal and external, both…

One of the major existential hurdles for a growing company is the challenge to go global. Making this leap opens up all kinds of new possibilities, but with them come challenges you may not have foreseen. Participating in the global marketplace requires a level of understanding and engagement with other cultures, and speakers of other…

Interpreting of any kind can be a challenging profession, even for seasoned professionals with years of experience. In common interpretation settings, like courtrooms and hospitals, they can often get by with consecutive interpreting. This is when the interpreter waits for each other speaker to finish what they’re saying before translating for everyone else. But then…

Chances are, you’ve encountered at least a few examples of poorly-translated websites, signs, or product labels here and there. The localization industry is replete with stories about translation projects gone wrong; with results ranging from offensive to hilarious. You want to ensure that the translations for your globalizing project or company are as accurate and…

Communication is the most important factor in the provision of health care services. Describing symptoms, discussing results and giving informed consent are all essential. A large body of research shows that language barriers cause numerous issues in health care provision. Being unable to communicate clearly with medical professionals can result in misdiagnosis, incorrect treatment plans…

For Deaf students, having an interpreter can make all the difference in their academic careers. One adage (often attributed to Helen Keller) states; “Blindness cuts us off from things; deafness cuts us off from people“. While conventional interpreting deals with facilitating comprehension, educational interpreters for the Deaf also create social connection. Given the stigma these…

The Medical Interpreter’s Official Role… The best thing for any doctor is to ensure that patients understand their questions; so that the best treatment is applied. For helping patients with limited English ability, having medical interpreters on call is crucial, especially for rarer languages. But interpreting unfolds between active participants in a communicative moment, drawing…

Whether it’s smoothing out a regional accent such as the well-known Philadelphia twang, or speaking another language like a native, accent reduction training polishes speech patterns and enhances diction. Accents can vary greatly from one end of a country to another. In a country as large as the United States; the origins of the population…

Companies cannot afford to take the risk of cutting corners with confidentiality. Whether for a business contract, legal document or personal papers; they should always use professional language services to translate confidential documents securely. Trusting a friend or acquaintance with sensitive information, even if he or she speaks the language fluently, could have unwanted legal…

Machine translation is software that automatically translates languages on websites. Do not confuse it with online translation tools or applications for smartphones; they are tools designed for the rapid translation of words; and also short phrases. Machine Translation is designed for large volumes of text. It uses pre-programmed computer coding to switch automatically between languages.…

Each May, we celebrate some important holidays that often go overlooked. Of course, you might not have heard of these special days, but they are quite important within the language and cultural industry. Teachers and interpreters are important parts of our daily life. Without them, we would not be able to communicate across borders. There…

Translation or Interpreting? Clients of language service providers often make the mistake of thinking translation and interpreting services are more or less synonymous. Shouldn’t a certified translator be just as good at handling an interpreting task? But remember, translation is the careful transfer of a crafted document, its style and tone, from one language to…

Creating Connections with Expert Translators The benefits of certified translation for a business or organization may not seem apparent at first glance. Why go the extra mile when you just can search for cheap freelancers; or use one of the ever-increasing number of software and web translation tools? But the truth is that without a…

Business English training online provides a time-efficient and cost-effective way to develop the English-language skills that your company needs. It offers a flexible, from-anywhere solution that works for everyone from entry-level managers to C-suite executives. And it puts the emphasis where it’s needed: on English vocabulary and conversation skills that match the learner’s role, sector…

In marketing and advertising, concepts and messages matter. Communicating them in different languages and cultures is often more important than simply translating them as closely as possible. Although professional document translation will deliver clear, correct text in your target language, the result may lack the character, style or effectiveness of the original. The transcreation process…

Benefits of Language Training Effective communication is essential for doing business. That requires recognizing and respecting cultural differences and having the ability to adapt accordingly. Communicating in the language of your client takes effective networking to the next level. Executive language training (ELT) programs allow executives and managers to develop language skills quickly; conveniently and…

You may be familiar with interpreting, or the act of facilitating communication between two or more people who do not speak the same language. Did you know it is possible to have interpreting services without an interpreter being physically present? Video Remote Interpreting, or VRI, refers to an interpreting session conducted over a video call.…

Methods to enhance language skills Language training methods may be taught as general school subjects, through specialized training schools, or even through rich proprietary methods online. Many different methods are used to teach languages. Some have fallen into relative obscurity while others are widely used; yet even those that have a small following offer useful…

Early Intervention services provide support to families with young children who have developmental delays, disabilities, or specific health conditions. Limited English proficiency (LEP) families require the assistance of professional interpreters to understand the concerns expressed and discussed in Early Intervention appointments. Global Arena published a blog titled “The Role of the Interpreter in Early Intervention”…

In any relocation program, people come first Businesses commonly cite five main reasons for relocating operations to a new location. These are: labor and work force issues, the desire to reach new markets, the need to upgrade facilities or equipment, the aspiration to lower costs or increase cash flow, and the consideration of quality of…

How to choose your ideal translation partner? Discover 5 tips for the perfect choice The success of a company depends on many factors: innovation, leadership, financial management, a clear vision, quality in service, team work, team management, and efficiency, to name a few. Companies with global objectives strive to excel in both qualitative and, quantitative…

A freelance translator or a translation company. What’s the better option? The inner workings of a translation agency can seem quite opaque to an outsider. Do you know what goes on behind the walls of a translation agency? What about working with a translation freelancer? Translation Companies work like a talent agency, because they need…