HT Localization Language Translators With Boots On The Ground

Segment 65 – Boots On The Ground

As I shuffled the kids off to school this morning, I felt a damp morning chill in the air...” You’ll need your jacket… and maybe your boots,” I mused.

Where have your boots been?

My boots have been busy.  Spending time with other cultures in other countries first-hand is not only a professional requirement for translators and localization professionals, but can also be an enriching personal experience. 

Translators may work with translation technology to be more efficient with their words, but high-caliber localization professionals bring insights gleamed from cultural “boots on the ground” immersion.

In-country translators, who are native and actually live or spend significant time within the local culture, are by far the better partner in delivering high quality translated collateral and materials.

These boots were made for walking. 

Isn’t there a saying about walking a mile in the other person’s boots or shoes or sandals, or something like that? International marketing managers depend on their translation and localization partners’ understanding of the local target audience.

My boots have definitely been on the ground:

• Koh Samui, Gulf of Thailand
• Eastern Thailand & Northern Thailand
• Siem Reap, Cambodia
• Hoh Chi Min City, Vietnam
• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• New York, USA
• Southern France
• Catalonia Spain

Trampling over various grounds with enriching experiences and warm smiles over the course of several months, has not only allowed me to connect with local cultures but has also deepen my soul.

Now imagine, just as the seasons are changing here at home in Europe or North America, imagine the soothing feeling of a warm humid tropical breeze of a southeast Asian island washing over you. It is at that moment that you will quickly realize that it is time to remove those boots for local sandals…

Welcome to Koh Samui, Thailand! 

ยินดีต้อนรับสู่เกาะสมุยประเทศไทย. สวัสดีค่ะ 

… Stay tuned for the next Segment of HT Localization Presents Language Translations for Real Life Series, where we’ll continue … 

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This article was written by Rachanee Thevenet, Co-Founder of HT Localization.  Rachanee is an Asian-American expat living in Spain with her family.  She loves all things international including food, art, literature, culture, languages and people.  She has years of professional product marketing expertise and global expansion experience.

HT Localization, LLC. is a worldwide translation & localization agency providing a full range of professional language translation services, including social media localization, marketing translations, website translations, software localization, eLearning materials, documentation translations, etc.  With locations in the US, Spain, France, Zambia & Thailand, and coverage across all languages and most industries, HT Localization is well positioned to provide around the globe services for all translation needs.  

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