Original version: https://www.mcislanguages.com/blog-post/battling-covid-19-and-filling-the-language-gap-reflections-on-language-advocacy-day/ Another year when humans coexisted with COVID-19 has gone by. In the second year of the pandemic, Canada has seen the Delta variant, vaccinated most of its population, introduced a booster shot, and is now dealing with the new Omicron variant, which is said to be more aggressive and infectious. It’s not yet the time to let our guards down though. The work on raising awareness, educating people and encouraging action among…
Original Version: https://www.mcislanguages.com/blog-post/multilingual-content-strategy-for-e-commerce/ This holiday season is fast approaching, and Holiday e-commerce sales are increasing exponentially. This year, holiday e-commerce sales are projected to reach a record for $207 billion just in the U.S alone. With online stores being more accessible to customers around the world, having a multilingual content can truly benefit e-commerce businesses. In this increasingly globalized world, it comes as no shock that people are relying more and more on e-commerce to…
By: Ashley Tulio, Communication Specialist With machine translation and artificial intelligence (AI) improving day by day, we wonder what place human translators and interpreters will have in the future as digital alternatives grow more robust and more efficient. While tools like Google Translate and equivalent software allow for a rapid job, there will always be challenges for AI to become perfectly accurate. In-person Interpretation There will always be a need for humans to interpret a…
By: Ashley Tulio, Communication Specialist Last week marks the first anniversary that I have been working at MCIS Language Solutions. A lot has changed since my first day working at this company, including all the knowledge I have gained. Before applying to this job, I never knew the language service industry or its essential role in today’s society. I had never been exposed to the imperative work that language professionals do that changes and supports…
By: Cheryl Lu, Social Media Coordinator It’s said that language learning starts from curse words. In various exchange programs and language learning classes, when people from different countries meet and talk about their own languages and cultures, some of the most popular expressions they learn from each other might be “hello,” “I love you,” and swearing. Just like gratitude and affection, it’s human nature to want to express anger, frustration and resentment in explicit and…
In 2020, MCIS allocated funds from its Social Benefits Initiative (SBI) to assist community organizations experiencing challenges related to the pandemic. The purpose of this was so these organizations could provide critical information that they would otherwise not have been able to without funding. MCIS’ SBI fund supports free/subsidized interpretation and translation services, such as a direct telephone line for COVID-19 related conversations and the translation of COVID-19 related information. We also interviewed these community…
Original blog: https://www.mcislanguages.com/blog-post/language-access-and-covid-19-information-how-is-the-world-doing/ As we approach 2022, we have yet to overcome COVID-19 globally. The world without the pandemic seems like such a long time ago. And although vaccines are now available in most countries, vaccinations are not mandatory, and many choose not to get vaccinated for various reasons. Furthermore, some individuals are not able to get their dose safely or in a timely manner. With the Delta variant now becoming more widespread and creating…
By: Ashley Tulio, Communication Specialist Over the last ten years, streaming services have completely taken over the entertainment industry and become the new norm. Industry giants like Netflix have dominated the domestic streaming market for nearly a decade and have recently been challenged by other streaming services. Now, Netflix’s domestic revenues have been declining, and the only way to grow their existing subscriber base is to go global. Many streaming services in other countries though…
In 2020, MCIS allocated funds from its Social Benefits Initiative (SBI) to assist community organizations experiencing challenges related to the pandemic. The purpose of this was so these organizations could provide critical information that they would otherwise not have been able to without funding. MCIS’ SBI fund supports free/subsidized interpretation and translation services, such as a direct telephone line for COVID-19 related conversations and the translation of COVID-19 related information. We also interviewed these community…
By: Cheryl Lu, Social Media Coordinator In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to long-tail languages worldwide. Apps and games are being localized into them, and critical information and government announcements have been translated. Although international travelling has been limited during the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns over the past year, information exchanges across borders have never stopped, making languages that were once maybe considered non-essential decades ago now not only paid more…
