The Linguist

FEATURES @CIOL_Linguists AUTUMN 2024 The Linguist 27 código en la aplicación). However, when you use technical terms every day you quickly pick them up. Most of the time I am talking to clients from Latin America, so I adapt the Spanish I learnt, which is spoken in Spain, by using different words, pronunciation and phonetic alphabet. The same can be said when I speak to French-speaking Canadian clients compared to those located in France. I sometimes have to translate too, and occasionally interpret for other internal teams who are investigating issues we haven't been able to resolve straightaway. In such cases, we organise a call with the client and I join to facilitate communication. I also contact overseas colleagues in their languages if I require assistance, or they may contact me when a client is chasing a ticket. As I work frequently with consultants abroad, we form strong relationships. They trust me to contact clients and find prompt solutions. Resolving issues in different languages is rewarding. Some of our clients have never spoken to a British person before and really appreciate the effort made to speak their language. It's a gentle reminder of how far I've come with my languages, and that the hours of study have all been worth it. Fortunately, my languages cover a fair number of countries across the world, but there are occasions where I don't speak a client's language. In these scenarios, the conversation is usually held in simplified English and I speak as clearly as possible. I find that linguists can speak a simplified version of their own language more easily than non-linguists as we are used to speaking to people from all over the world and have first-hand experience of the difficulties faced by non-native speakers. I use synonyms if the client can't understand a particular word and avoid using colloquial phrases. Even so, I'm not always understood. This can result in clients feeling frustrated, hanging up calls or refraining from calling back; wasted time for clients, as calls take up to four times longer; poor relationships; and a complete misunderstanding of a technical issue. Language barriers are also cultural barriers: something which may be polite in one culture may come across as very harsh in another, so you may end up accidentally upsetting a client or colleague without even knowing. Every company I've worked for has hired linguists, but it is next to impossible to cover every language spoken across the globe. GOOD FOR BUSINESS It's clear that 'everyone speaks English' is a complete myth, and even more so in sectors such as IT. Most clients will opt to speak in their own language and that has been the case since I started my career ten years ago. This applies to all nationalities, all ages and all industries. The small percentage of people who speak a high level of English still opt to speak in their language, as they are unaware of the technical terminology in English. By speaking foreign languages, you can save time and money by gathering the correct information the first time. This can vary from understanding an issue a client may be facing to noting down phone numbers, addresses to send hardware parts to or serial numbers. Speaking the language avoids mistakes and reassures clients that we have the correct details. When companies don't hire linguists it can cost time and money, weaken client relationships and give the company a bad reputation. Speaking the language of the client automatically increases client satisfaction. I have seen this result in extended contracts, and even in new contracts, as word gets around. A company may use a tech service provider at their HQ and want to roll it out to their branches around the world. Having the language capacity to do that can allow a business to grow. There is no better feeling than seeing the positive impact your language skills can have on others and on the company you are working for. POOR RELATIONS Clients can get frustrated when IT support workers don't speak their language or can't fully understand their problem IMAGES © PEXELS

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