International Marketing Issues. Проблемы международного маркетинга, страница 13

2. Read the text and be ready for the follow-up activities.

Language, as the primary means of communication between civilized people, is perhaps the most important single cultural input. Language is the medium we all use to make meaning from environmental stimuli. Clumsy or careless language-use may result in inaccurate communication. Translation of ideas from one language to another must be done with great care to insure an ungarbled transmission of ideas. The nuances of meaning for particular words may vary from language to language, and a literal translation may change the entire meaning. For example, the verb love in English can mean a strong preference or actual love. In many languages, only the second meaning applies. So an advertisement in English reading "I love Krispy Krunchy cereals," when literally translated into French or Spanish means "I am in love with Krispy Krunchy cereal."

Marketers who find it necessary to communicate in a foreign language should make use of a truly bilingual interpreter who will make certain that the meaning is not lost in translation. It can be dangerous for people with an elementary knowledge of a foreign language to act as their own interpreter.

Language has a subtle role in our lives. It directs our thinking and constrains us. Linguists emphasize the predominance of action verbs in English (especially American English) as compared to other languages. Far - eastern languages are comparatively rich in terms to describe abstract concepts and philosophies. Spanish-speakers are able to draw from a rich vocabulary of terms to present ideas without revealing the speaker's true feelings. These examples serve to illustrate the difficulty of expressing equivalent ideas in different languages. The more alike languages are (such as the Romance or Chinese families of languages), the more likely are the peoples of those related languages to "think" in similar ways. If our vocabulary does not allow us much latitude in expressing certain concepts, we are not likely to engage in such "thoughts." The point is that language reflects our cultural priorities.

Differences in language usage among cultures do not only apply when the languages are different. The English language has different word usages and subtly different meanings in different English-speaking countries. Words that may be innocuous in Great Britain may have different, even offensive meanings in the United States. The same kinds of misinterpretations take place with French-speaking countries such as France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Canada; or with Spanish-speaking countries such as Spain, Mexico, Argentina, and Peru.

The international marketer should be aware of the obvious differences in language as well as the more subtle influence it has on thinking and cultural identities. A useful tool in ensuring that written messages are equivalent in meaning when translated into another language a back-translation method.

3.Find words in the text that mean the same as the words or expressions below.

1)  a means

2)  not precise

3)  shade of meaning

4)  know the difference

5)  slight

6)  he’ll probably not …

7)  really

8)  similar ideas

9)  thoroughly

10)  causing no harm

4. Explain in your own words the following statements.

1) Language, is perhaps the most important single cultural input.

2) Translation of ideas from one language to another must be done with great care to insure an ungarbled transmission of ideas.

3) It can be dangerous for people with an elementary knowledge of a foreign language to act as their own interpreter.

4) The English language has different word usages and subtly different meanings in different English-speaking countries