Doing business in another language

English is the international language of business. This helps UK businesses that want to expand into the European Economic Area (EEA). Even so, you may lose opportunities if you lack skills in the language of the EEA country you intend to do business in.

Without a working knowledge of the country’s language, you may find it difficult to understand its market and culture. And you need to understand these things in order to find out if your product or service will sell.

Your ability to communicate in the national language will also affect customer service, relations with suppliers, and communications with colleagues and employees.

This guide shows how foreign language skills can benefit your business. It also explains that when you do business in another EEA country, you will need to consider cultural issues, staff training, and how to market your goods and services.

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Overview of language use in Europe

Many businesses across the European Economic Area (EEA) can communicate very well in English, particularly at management level.

However, a 2006 Eurobarometer poll found that almost half of all European Union (EU) citizens only speak one language. For example, 59 per cent of Italians, 58 per cent of Portuguese, and 56 per cent of Spaniards speak only their mother tongue. This makes communication with those markets more difficult for English-speaking companies, so having language skills could help your business compete in EEA countries.

You can download the Eurobarometer poll [opens in a new window].

The EU’s Business Forum for Multilingualism offers recommendations for businesses seeking to improve their language skills. You can download Business Forum for Multilingualism language recommendations [opens in a new window].

The free movement of people within the EEA has made it easier for workers with good language skills to travel to other member states to find employment. This provides employers with a larger number of prospective employees with language skills which can help businesses operate more successfully in other EEA countries.

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The role of translators and interpreters in business

To help you communicate and do business with other European Economic Area (EEA) countries in another language, you can employ a translator or interpreter – either a freelancer, or from an agency.

Translators work on written texts and you can employ them to translate legal documents, user guides for products, technical information, tender specifications, letters and marketing material.

You can also employ interpreters to help with face-to-face or telephone meetings, factory visits and interviews.

Rates vary according to the language and the complexity of the translation required. Translators usually charge by the word (or character for Far Eastern languages), while interpreters charge by the day or half day.

The following organisations can help you to find a translator or interpreter:

• The Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) offers an online searchable directory of its members. You can search the translator and interpreter database on the ITI website- Opens in a new window.
• The Chartered Institute of Linguists (IoL) offers a Find-A-Linguist service online. Find a language specialist on the IoL website- Opens in a new window.
• Regional language networks can put you in touch with translators or interpreters in your region. Find your local network on the National Centre for Languages website- Opens in a new window.

In addition, there are many websites where linguists post their CVs:

• TranslatorsCafé offers a job board where you can get a very fast response to adverts for language professionals. You can register as a Job Poster if you have work for a translator. See the job board on the TranslatorsCafé website- Opens in a new window. You can also find out how to register a translating or interpreting job on the TranslatorsCafé website- Opens in a new window.
• Proz allows users to invite bids for translation and interpretation work. Find out about Proz on the Proz website- Opens in a new window.

The Directorate-General for Translation (DG Translation) is the European Commission’s in-house translation service. Find out about DG Translation services on the European Commission website- Opens in a new window.

Find free translation and drafting aids on the European Commission website- Opens in a new window.

The Interactive Terminology for Europe (IATE) database houses all of the European Union’s terminology resources in one place, containing around 1.4 million words and phrases. Find the IATE database on the European Commission website- Opens in a new window.

You could also do translation work yourself. If you find online research information in a different language, you could use free online translation services, such as Google language tools, to get a rough translation into English. You can find free language tools on the Google website- Opens in a new window. If you simply want to translate a few terms, you can post your question on the TranslatorsCafé Terms Questions website- Opens in a new window.

You can also buy translation software for Macintosh and PCs. A wide variety of software is available to purchase on the internet or from bookshops and software retailers.

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Researching European Economic Area markets

If you are planning to start operating in another European Economic Area (EEA) market, you will need to carefully research the individual country in question, identify its official language and specific social, cultural and business practices. This can help you to decide if there is a market for your product and whether you can successfully do business in that country.

You can research the markets of other EEA countries in different ways including:

• using the internet
• doing a telephone survey
• sending out email questionnaires
• buying off-the-shelf reports on your market sector
• commissioning a market research agency in your chosen country to identify potential business opportunities in your sector
• reading published marketing information about competitors in your chosen country
• reading newspapers and trade magazines

You can read more about carrying out and commissioning research on overseas markets in our guide to researching and entering overseas markets.

However, the EEA has 25 official languages so you may find the research information you discover on your chosen country is not in your native tongue. To be able to understand and communicate with markets in other EEA countries, you will need to find people who speak the local language and know the market.

You can find out about doing basic translation yourself and using translators or interpreters on the page in this guide about the role of translators and interpreters in business.

Find out about the diversity of language in the EEA on the European Commission website- Opens in a new window.

You will also find information about training your staff to speak another language on the page in this guide about language training.

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Independent evaluation – the Export Communications Review

Marketing to foreign-language customers needs careful planning. When you have identified a demand, you will need to work out how you are going to market your products or services abroad. This planning process is called ‘localisation’. You will need to consider:

• translating brochures, instruction manuals, advertising materials, product packaging and online communications
• local technical standards, which may differ from those in force in the UK
• local laws which may restrict the sale of your goods or services, or determine the type of packaging you can use
• the translation of legal materials, including contracts with agents, wholesalers, and the terms and conditions of sale
• cultural differences, which can cause unexpected complications for businesses unfamiliar with local customs and conditions

Find out more about what you will need to consider in our guide on trading in the European Union.

Export Communications Review

You may want to consider undertaking an Export Communications Review (ECR). An ECR provides UK-based businesses with impartial and objective advice on language and cultural issues in order to help them develop an effective communications strategy. It offers businesses an on-site review of the way they currently communicate with their export markets. It typically includes a review of the business’ website, written materials and personal meetings with customers or agents/distributors, as well as highlighting general administrative issues that may arise when exporting.

Financial support for the ECR

If you are already exporting, have been trading for at least two years and employ fewer than 250 staff, your business may be eligible to benefit from up to three UK Trade & Investment-subsidised reviews. The cost of each review is £500 plus VAT. Eligible companies can receive a subsidy of £250 from UK Trade & Investment towards the cost of each of the reviews.

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Language training

If you want to do business in or with a particular European Economic Area (EEA) country regularly, you may want to train your staff to speak the language. Business language training can range from traditional classroom teaching to personal tutoring, multimedia exercises, and simulations for sales purposes and presentations.

Training can be tailored specifically for your business needs, or designed to take learners towards a recognised qualification.

Even if English is widely used in your chosen market, staff training can result in considerable benefits:

• improved customer service
• a deeper knowledge of the market in the EEA country you want to do business in
• the ability to compete for business outside the UK
• better communication with suppliers, colleagues and employees working abroad

To identify the most effective kind of language skills training for your business, you will need to think about:

• the language or languages that will be most useful
• the types of skills your business needs – should staff be able to read, write and speak in the target language, be confident on the phone, know technical vocabulary, or translate for colleagues?
• the level of ability you want your staff to reach
• the cost of lessons and additional materials, and the time staff will spend away from their work

However, language training can take some time and employees you train may not reach sufficient fluency to successfully create export opportunities. For the smaller business, it may make more sense to recruit native speakers of the target language who live in the UK to get you exporting more quickly. Larger companies may be able to employ local employees in the target countries.

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