Language is incredibly important when it comes to business, and something that we pay particular attention to with our podcasts. But for any business, it is what we use to do deals, to cultivate new sales, to communicate a brand message, to engage with new clients and customers. Are colours and images important in branding? Absolutely. But in business, language is the key to creating deeper impact and more meaningful connections.
When we delve deeper into language and business, we cannot ignore the importance of dialect as a factor. Whilst some very basic business needs can be serviced by a basic language translation, in reality, dialects have to come into the picture, and below, we look at why that is, as well as providing a useful insight into the different nuances of language and dialect:
What Is Language?
Language is something that most of us widely understand as the words spoken by people from a certain country, or people who are part of a certain group. Delving a little deeper, it tends to be the words, the way they are pronounced, the way they are combined and the way they are understood by their speakers. Additionally, grammatical rules, symbols and meanings all come under the umbrella of language.
Interestingly, language can be spoken and written, but it does not have to be both. Some official languages spoken today are only spoken, and some dead languages (no living speakers) are only written.
What Is Dialect?
If language is the tree, dialect is a branch on the tree, and one language can have many different dialects (one tree can have many different branches). Essentially, it is a type of any one language that tends to be spoken in a certain area, or by a certain group of people. The dialect will sound different to the ‘official’ language in some way, often using different words, pronunciations and fluid use of the Mother language.
It differs from accent because accent is more about the sound of the words, whereas dialect has phrases, vocabulary, slang and other nuances. A person is also able to use a dialect without the local accent, and vice versa.
Why Is the Difference Between Dialect and Language So Important in Business?
Below, we talk about dialect and business and how it is important to consider dialect in various ways when doing business. However, first, it is important to understand that dialects stem from language and some main business languages are very important globally. Those languages are:
English
Mandarin
Spanish
German
Portuguese
Arabic
French
Japanese
Russian
Hindi
These languages are predominant in the global business network, and whilst they may be irrelevant to any single marketing campaign, they are of high importance when it comes to ‘doing business’. Which leads us to our first dialect-related point.
The act of doing business with people who speak a specific language has to encompass knowledge of the different dialects spoken by that language. You simply cannot do business with a simple understanding of a certain language. For example, audio translation might be something you use for a PR video or podcast for an important client. If that translation is not considerate of the local dialect, you could find it is less impactful, less relevant, and even insulting to the recipients. This is especially true if you opt for a Japanese voice over. Japanese has different dialects and very specific nuances relating to how a person is positioned in society, how old they are, how they relate to another person, and the situation in which something is spoken. If those things are not taken into consideration, any communication will fall short, and business will not be done.
Dialects are also highly important when it comes to a business and the marketing they may do overseas. Dialects can be a way to truly connect with an audience, particularly in an areawhere the official version of the language is not received particularly well. Sometimes, there is no point in offering a generic translation of a language where everybody speaks different dialects and very few actively connect with the official version of the spoken language. This isn’t always the case, though.
So, it makes a lot of sense to use a voice over agency with this much needed experience if you are producing podcasts or videos for your business that target a different language. You need to ensure that you get this absolutely right, so that people engaging with that content are happy with that they are hearing.
In England, received pronunciation (RP) is something that would be considered the ‘main’ version of the language, and generally, few people connect with it. However, if you wanted to do an advert that connects with the whole population you’d likely use RP because dialect use may well alienate the entire country bar one specific area. In general, if the campaign is very local and targeted in any country then the localisation needs to include dialect-specific translation. If the campaign is nationwide, it is usually better to stick with an official version of the language as not to alienate any potential customers or clients. The only way to check this, though, is with a language expert who knows the country and the dialects within it, so you don’t get the choice of language and dialect wrong for your campaign.
Dialects can also be used to create engagement and to connect with customers. For example: the name for a bread roll is a common dialect difference across the UK. Is it a cob? A barmcake? A roll? A bap? Being aware of these differences and using them to engage customers with social media campaigns and exchanges is really clever, and ensures customers know you’re mindful of dialects and various parts of the country, rather than only being a robotic and generic single-tone brand.
Lastly, businesses have to be aware of dialect when it comes to staff training. With a generic training video, you can effectively help staff understand health and safety and other things they need to know, but if you are too specific to the area you could alienate people who do not speak the dialect, or those who have English as a second language. You could be specific with the audio translation/ subtitling of your learning materials, but with such a multicultural community it makes sense to ensure that everybody can understand, which means being accurate but mostly generic with dialect and language.
Are You Ready to Use Dialect to Elevate Your Business Plans?
With professional help and a lot of detailed research you can use dialect to your advantage as a business. Mostly, the very fact you’re considering it is a great sign you understand its importance. Businesses who don’t can make some major mistakes, ruining important deals and ruining brand image in new target locations. By considering language and dialect whenever you seek to use a different language as part of brand expansion or development, you’re one step ahead of the competition and much more likely to see success. So, the best solution is to contact a quality voice-over agency, who can really help you get this right.
The post Dialect vs Language: Why the Difference Is Important in Business appeared first on Enterprise Podcast Network – EPN.
Leave a Reply