“Language is the key to the world.” (Wilhelm von Humboldt)

“Language is the key to the world.” – Yes, of course, we think. As relevant and true two centuries ago as it is today. No, it is actually even more relevant and important today. Modern means of communication and the sheer endless mobility of goods, people and services make individual places meaningless on their own. Instead, it is the network of processes, procedures, goods and financial flows that counts. But wait a minute: where is the language in all this? Well, strictly speaking, there is no such thing as one language. And no, the English language as a lingua franca is not THE one language. Why? Quite simply. When learning a foreign language, students learn to make themselves understood. “Which way to the main station?” is … on … As long as language remains at this simple level, everything is still fine. However, if it becomes more complex, for example in a negotiation, things look different. “In larger groups, suddenly only the people who speak good English are talking and not the ones who know their stuff,” says Reiner Pogarell, business linguist and management consultant1.

“In larger groups, suddenly only those who speak English well are still talking

and not the ones who know their stuff. (Reiner Pogarell)”

Now you may be asking yourself: Wait, but what’s different about an interpreter? Quite simply, well-trained interpreters have lived abroad, absorbed, analyzed and internalized the culture (or often cultures) of the other country during their studies or internships. As language purists, they are also very sensitive to what the speaker may not say, but what resonates between the lines. At the end of the day, it is precisely these subtleties that make transactions or negotiations successful. Why do so many takeovers or mergers fail? Because of different approaches, talking past each other, a lack of or poor communication and – yes – a lack of sensitivity and understanding for the many cultural levels on the other side, those of the country, the company, the department, the industry, the individual. Following extensive company surveys in more than 40 nations, the Dutch researcher Geert Hofstede2 defined the so-called cultural dimensions, which include power distance, individualism vs. collectivism, masculinity vs. femininity, uncertainty avoidance and a long-term vs. short-term orientation. If you look at the Figures³ If you take a closer look, it quickly becomes clear that no two cultures are the same. Geographical proximity means anything but comparability. This blog is not about “stories from the sewing box” of an interpreter, but rather about the tense relationship between language, culture and communication in business. 1 Pogarell, R. in Gentner, Stefanie (2010): “Schlechtes Deutsch ist besser als gutes Englisch”, Süddeutsche Zeitung. (http://www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/beispiel-porsche-sprache-in-firmen-schlechtes-deutsch-besser-als-gutes-englisch-1.292633, accessed February 15, 2015) 2 Hofstede, G.(2001) in Center for Intercultural Management (http://www.interkulturelles-management.com/nationale-kultur/kulturdimension/hofstede.html, accessed February 15, 2015). 3 Clearly Cultural, http://www.clearlycultural.com/geert-hofstede-cultural-dimensions/power-distance-index/, accessed February 15, 2015. Business plan canvas as a source of innovation for SMEs and interpreters and translators