This month's Language Spotlight focuses on Khmer. We've been getting more requests for this language lately, and we thought it would be an interesting language to explore in more detail.

Khmer is the official language of Cambodia. It is the second most widely spoken Austroasiatic language spoken after Vietnamese. Khmer is spoken in Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, the United States, France and Australia. There are a total of about 8 million Khmer speakers worldwide, and in the United States, there are an estimated 190,000 Khmer speakers. The Khmer language is written in Khmer script, using the Khmer alphabet, which closely resembles the Thai and Lao alphabets. There are also influences from Sanskrit, Pali, French and Chinese in the Khmer language. The Khmer script has symbols for 33 consonants, 24 dependent vowels, 12 independent vowels and several diacritic symbols. Many words have more than one accepted spelling. There are no spaces between words in the written language, only at the end of sentences or phrases.

The history of modern Cambodia is a tumultuous one. In 1887 Cambodia became part of French Indochina, but following Japanese occupation during WWII, Cambodia gained full independence from France in 1953. In 1975, Communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh and at least 1.5 million Cambodians died of execution, forced hardships or starvation under the new regime headed by Pol Pot. In 1978, the Vietnamese invaded and drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside. This began a 10-year Vietnamese occupation, and touched off 13 years of civil war. The 1991 Paris Peace Accords sought to establish democratic elections and a ceasefire, but it was not until 1999 that Khmer Rouge forces surrendered. Today, Cambodia's government is a multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy, and national elections are generally peaceful.

Cambodia's two main economic forces are textiles and tourism. This beautiful, lush country is rich with stunning ancient temple ruins, picturesque villages, seaside resorts, architecturally dazzling cities and gorgeous natural beauty. Tourism is growing, and many foreigners have made Cambodia an exciting and unusual travel destination.

Avantpage's Khmer translation experts are fully equipped to provide clients with high-quality, expert translation for a variety of needs - healthcare, government, financial and more.

For information about Khmer/Cambodian translation, click here.

You may have heard us talk about the exceptional quality of our translation work. What does "quality" mean when talking about translation? Don't other companies provide quality as well? What sets Avantpage apart?

Over the years, we've built a stellar industry reputation on maintaining excellence of quality in every translation we provide. Quality of translation means much more than translating words or sentences correctly. High quality translation is intuitive, it is accurate, it seamlessly adjusts for reading levels, and it addresses individual client and language requirements.  

Avantpage translation is always accurate, culturally sensitive and audience-appropriate.

The reading level of the audience being translated for plays a critical part in the quality of the translation. Avantpage translators are extremely sensitive to this, and even when translating difficult medical terminology, complex financial data or legal documentation, they maintain strict adherence to the reading level of their audience. Avantpage translators accommodate reading levels from elementary school  through high school/college, and are well-versed in choosing the proper wording, sentence structure and terminology that will best serve their readers' needs.

Avantpage creates meticulous style guides and glossaries for clients to further enhance the accuracy, consistency and high quality of the translations. Style guides let translators know the linguistic and stylistic preferences of the audience they are translating for, and glossaries provide important terms and their preferred translations for each client.

At Avantpage, our commitment to quality encompasses consistency, accuracy, linguistic excellence, the knowledge and expertise of our translation teams, and the processes and procedures we follow to ensure exceptional service. Providing quality to our clients is our number one priority, day in and day out! 

Localization is the process through which businesses customize their products, services and Internet presence to reflect differences in distinct markets - for example, when branching out to reach non-English-speaking or international markets.

Localization involves much more than just translation. Graphic design, use of color, currency, symbols, writing style and cultural references are just a few examples of elements that come into play when preparing to localize.

Why localize? In today's marketplace, the better question would be "why not?" As global markets grows ever more accessible, and more non-English speakers gain buying power and online acumen, localization represents the future of successful businesses. Localizing your online business presence allows you to tap into previously inaccessible markets, shows that you are culturally and ethically sensitive to customer needs, and gives you a leg up on your competitors. Localization also polishes your corporate image, and increases your visibility as a trusted provider of products and services.

Avantpage specializes in helping businesses develop and execute a localization strategy that reflects their specific needs, markets and products. For more information on how Avantpage can help you localize your website, download our new localization guide, AvantWeb: Essentials of Web Localization. Inside, you'll discover answers to all your questions about the localization process: how it works, what's involved, what you need to provide, and how the workflow will proceed.

To find out more about  localization and how Avantpage can help, call 877-ANY-LANG or email today!

There are approximately 47 million people in the United States who speak a language other than English. Effective communication is critical to safe, quality health care, yet many health care organizations fall short when it comes to caring for Limited English Proficient (LEP) patients.

According to a study conducted by the International Journal for Quality in Health Care, language barriers in hospitals were shown to increase risks to patient safety. Data was collected on adverse events affecting both LEP and English-speaking patients. The study showed that when adverse events were tracked in both groups, 49.1% of those experienced by LEP patients involved physical harm, while only 29.5% of adverse events experienced by English-speaking patients did. Of the patients who experienced physical harm, 46.8 % of LEP patients were rated at levels of "moderate temporary harm to death" while only 24.4% of the English speakers had the same harm ratings. 52.4% of the LEP patients' adverse events were related to communication errors, while 35.9% of the English speakers were communication-related.

To rectify this situation, the Joint Commission has created new communication and language standards for health care organizations that will go into effect in January 2011. Hospitals seeking accreditation will need to comply with these new standards, which include providing proficient in-person or phone interpreters; ensuring that written documentation (forms, instructions, signage, etc.) is properly translated into appropriate languages; and that caregivers and health professionals are trained in culturally sensitive communication among different ethnic groups.

To find out more about  the Joint Commission and the standards, call 877-ANY-LANG or email today!

Next Monday and Tuesday (December 6 and 7), Avantpage will be at the Health Industry Collaboration Effort (ICE) Annual Conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in San Francisco, CA.

ICE a volunteer, multi-disciplinary team of providers, health plans, associations, state and federal agencies and accrediting bodies working collaboratively to improve health care regulatory compliance through education of the public.

Last year's event was an extremely informative and engaging experience, so we're looking forward to participating again.

If you're at this great event, stop by our booth to learn about the translation solutions we offer and get a complete view of Avantpage and the excellent language services we can provide for your company.

We look forward to talking with you!

As educators know, bare-bones budgets and reduced funding mean that California's schools have to do more with less, cut corners where they can, and make every last dollar count. 

As districts across California ready their systems and personnel  to produce this school year's SARCs (School Accountability Report Cards), they must also consider the type of translation solutions they will need to accommodate the State's guidelines on disseminating  information.  When 15% or more of the pupils enrolled in a school speak a primary language other than English, it is required that schools provide the SARC in that primary language.

When you partner with Avantpage, you are working with the best in the translation business. The quality of our translations is second to none, and our cost-effective menu of translation services offers affordable choices well within school budget constraints.  We can translate into Spanish, Hmong, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, and over 150 other languages - swiftly, accurately and affordably.  We understand the education market, and have a proven track record working  with California education clients.

In today's uncertain economic climate, it pays to do business with companies you can trust to do what they say they will, for the price they've quoted, in the time you've agreed upon.  Avantpage has built a stellar reputation on mutual trust, high quality deliverables and exceptional customer service. 

Contact us today to find out how we can work together to  produce the translation materials required to complete your SARC on time and within your budget.

Did you know that from September 15th through October 15th, America celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month? This observation began in 1968 as a celebratory week under President Lyndon B. Johnson, and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period. 

This month-long celebration marks a way for Americans to honor the contributions, culture and history of U.S. citizens whose ancestors hail from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. September 15th was chosen as the start of this celebration because this date is the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico declared its independence on September 16, and Chile on September 17.

Throughout the country, people of Hispanic descent will be celebrating this year's theme:  Heritage, Diversity, Integrity and Honor:  The Renewed Hope of America (Herencia, Diversidad, Integridad y Honor: La Renovada Esperanza de America). Classrooms, museums, art galleries, government programs, and the media will offer a chance to explore Hispanic history, culture, art, literature, humanitarian contributions and more.

The term Hispanic, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, refers to Spanish-speaking people in the United States of any race. On the 2000 Census form, more than 35 million people identified themselves as Hispanic or Latino. Population growth  trends show that by 2050, Latino populations are expected nearly to triple. In California, the Hispanic population is expected to grow by 16.5 million people in the next 40 years.

Read more about how Spanish translation can help you reach these prospective buyers in their own language, on their own terms, or call 877-ANY-LANG or email today!

Where do different languages come from? Who speaks them? How are they unique? How do they change and evolve over time, becoming the "modern" languages spoken and written today? These are just some of the ideas we'll explore in our new blog topic: Language Spotlight.  We've chosen Hmong as our first language, and if you have any suggestions for subsequent languages you'd like to see in the spotlight, please let us know!

The Hmong ("mung") are an Asian tribal culture who have lived primarily in the countries of Laos, China, Vietnam and Thailand. After fighting for the United States in the Vietnam War, many Hmong were forced to flee their Southeast Asian homeland, and chose to settle in America to avoid oppression and persecution in Asia. There are approximately 200,000 Hmong living in the United States, and their numbers are concentrated in Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin and California. The total number of Hmong speakers worldwide is estimated to be about four million, including those in America.

Did you know that for generations the Hmong had no written language? There were no written texts, no alphabet, and knowledge and culture were passed from generation to generation through spoken language only, often in the form of folktales and song. In the 1950s, Western missionaries worked with Hmong advisors to develop a way to write Hmong words using the letters from the French, English and German languages. This was called the Romanized Popular Alphabet, or RMA. The idea behind this was to be able to create a written Hmong language that used common Western letters, without having to rely on a lot of elaborate characters. Today, the RMA is the most widely used writing system for Hmong. 

The two major dialects spoken by Hmong Americans are known as White Hmong and Green Hmong. While mutually understandable, these two dialects differ somewhat in both lexicon and phonology. The Hmong language is monosyllabic, tonal, with a variety of dialects. Hmong shares some characteristics with several other Asian languages, including Chinese and Vietnamese.

For information about Hmong translation, click here.

Did you know that there is a vast pool of prospective buyers out there who you may be overlooking? According to research presented by The Hispanic Center,* the number of foreign-born United States citizens has increased significantly between the years 2000 and 2007. During this time, the number of foreign-born U.S. residents increased by 22.2%. In actual numbers, this translates to an increase of 6.9 million foreign-born individuals now residing in the United States. In total, there are over 38 million foreign-born residents, and 80 percent of these people were born in Latin America or Asia.**

What does this type of demographic change mean for your business, your marketing strategies, and your ability to tap into lucrative new markets? The truth is, these folks have the purchasing power and the need for what you're selling. They're interested in your products and they're eager to buy ... but have you done everything you can to reach out and connect with them? 

Translating your product information, your advertising message and your marketing strategies into language these prospective buyers can understand and respond to gives you a clear-cut advantage over your competition. Although many of these individuals are proficient in English, reaching out to them in their native tongue shows that you are sensitive to their needs and respect their cultural differences. When you make the effort to translate information about your products and your business, you are taking the first step towards building powerful, long-term relationships with new foreign-born prospects. 

To find out more about how translation can help you reach these prospective buyers in their own languages, on their own terms, call 877-ANY-LANG or email today! We'll be happy to outline our translation services, offer suggestions for creating and maintaining a multicultural marketing presence, and help you take your marketing efforts to the next level.

* Pew Hispanic Center tabulations of 2000 Census (5% IPUMS) and 2007 American Community Survey (1% IPUMS)

**Race and Hispanic Origin of the Foreign-Born Population in the United States: 2007, a report by Elizabeth M. Grieco, United States Census Bureau

At Avantpage, we use glossaries and translation memory to save time in the long run, saving our clients money, as well as provide consistency within a translated document and among all your translated documents.

Custom glossaries are built for each client, so that their preferences are recorded for future use. For example, if a client prefers the word "team member" instead of "employee," that's the word that will always be used. Using glossaries, any of our translators will be able to pick up material related to the same client, and have fewer questions about the way certain terms are to be translated.

Working along the same lines, translation memory (TM) software helps us build on the previous work of our translators to save time in the future. Once a document has been completed and reviewed for quality assurance, it is converted to a TM file. When it's time to complete a new translation for the same client, we can analyze the new document against previously translated documents. The application helps decipher which words and phrases have been repeated and indicates how they were previously translated.

Even though these technologies do not rely on computers to make the translation, they do make the translation process much more efficient by building on existing work. In the end, it's always an educated human translator that makes the final decision, as we strongly believe it should be.