Modern-day technology allows you to learn a new language without leaving the comfort of your own home. However, is learning a language enough to never experience problems when traveling across the globe? While learning a new language is a great start, it is not quite enough to communicate effectively across cultures. Understanding nuances of languages, cultures, and societal norms will make you a successful cross-cultural ambassador.
One of the most surprising pitfalls of intercultural communication is the way we express our refusal. For example, refusing politely and waiting until the other person insists is a cultural norm in the Middle East, Thailand, and Japan. It is also a norm in those countries to sugarcoat the message before giving any feedback. At the same time, in Germany, for instance, people expect you to be very direct when giving any kind of criticism or feedback.
To make things even more complicated, while a nod of the head in most cultures is an equivalent to saying “yes”, in Balkan countries such as Bulgaria and Albania a single nod of the head up (not down) actually indicates a ‘no’. Furthermore, in Bulgaria shaking your head sideways actually means ‘yes, I agree’.
To summarize, here are some tips to avoid miscommunication across cultures:

• Study your counterpart’s body language carefully.
• Speak slowly, avoid idioms.
• Learn their non-verbal cues.
• Make yourself aware of their communication style before entering negotiations.
• Focus on building your relationship with them.
• Listen without interrupting.

It is undeniable that communicating with business partners and clients in their native language will help you close more deals successfully. However, with over 6,000 languages around the globe, how do you choose the language to focus on? What language will be the best choice for your career?

Companies always value bi-lingual employees. You will receive an estimated 2% return on your investment for learning a foreign language. At the same time, Spanish has a return rate of 1.4 percent while German offers as high of a return as 3.8 percent.  However, that’s not just a bigger salary; knowing another country’s language means you have a better chance of succeeding in business as a whole. You show your partners and clients that you care.  One of the best advice you can get when it comes to language learning is the importance of immersing yourself into the culture as well. Being able to see outside of your cultural limitations will help you to relate to people and make you a better business person.

Here are five languages we think will yield success in your business:

1. German
While Japan and China may have the highest gross domestic product, their languages do not top the list. A high GDP does not correlate to higher earnings necessarily.
Think like a business person. Consider the open economies of the world and which powerhouses have the most open economies. 
Germany makes up one of the three economic European powerhouses. So learning German will benefit an outside more economically than the language of a closed economy.  

2. French
About 300 million people in 29 countries speak French. You can easily see why it ranks second among the languages you need to learn to succeed in business. 

Initially, you may think that only French people in France speak French. However, when you know French, you can work with French companies in France and the many other French-speaking countries. Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, and North and sub-Saharan Africa all boast of this language as one of their main languages. 
Furthermore, France has the fifth-biggest economy. You would do well to partner with a French company. 
At first glance, French may appear to be spoken by only those living in France. But it happens to be the second most widely learned language after English. Knowing how to speak French opens the doors to French companies in France, and other French-speaking countries such as Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, and North and sub-Saharan Africa. As the world’s fifth-biggest economy and number-three destination for foreign investment, France is a key economic partner.
If you’re looking to earn your Master’s degree, learn French. Students who can speak French are eligible for scholarship opportunities at some of Europe’s most renowned universities.  

3. Spanish
One of the easiest languages to learn, Spanish has graced the American school curriculum for decades. Twenty countries have Spanish as their primary language. So knowing Spanish will expand your business opportunities. 

Over 400 million people speak Spanish worldwide. Furthermore, countries like Mexico, Chile, and Columbia heave healthy, growing economies. You will want to have the ability to do business with companies in these healthy economies.  
Courses like Lingvist’s Spanish course will help you master Spanish quickly and thoroughly. 

4. Mandarin
China has the world’s new dominant economy. Plus, it has over a billion people you can work with. Learning even the basics of Mandarin will help you conduct basic communication with Chinese business partners.

Unfortunately, Mandarin is a complicated language to learn. Thus, if you plan on tackling this language, plan on spending some time mastering it.  

5. Arabic
The 2018 gross domestic product of the Arab world was over $2.7 trillion. The Middle East hosts an abundance of market opportunities. Thus Arabic speakers carry a big advantage over those who cannot speak this difficult language.

Like Mandarin, Arabic takes time to learn. It has inflections much different from English which may be why so many English speakers do not tackle it. But from a business perspective, learning Arabic makes sense.

Today like never before we  see more and more language immersion schools opening throughout the US.  This year more students than ever will receive instructions in more than one language. There has been a noticeable growth when it comes to the language schools enrollment, particularly schools that have instructions in Spanish, French, Russian, and Mandarin Chinese.

This year more than 3,000 dual-language schools opened their doors to student, which is a significant increase from 2, 000 schools in 2018 and 260 schools in 2000.

Advantages of language immersion schools:

• People who speak two languages often outperform monolinguals  when it comes to attention span.
• Bilingual children demonstrate better social and emotional skills.
• Dual-language students have somewhat higher test scores and also seem to be happier in school.
• Researchers have found that actively using two languages seems to have a protective effect against age-related dementia.
• Bilingual children often gain comfort with diversity and different cultures easier than monolingual children.

Source: 6 Potential Brain Benefits Of Bilingual Education

A notarized translation is a translation signed in front of a public notary. A Notary Public is a public servant appointed by state government to witness the signing of important documents and administer oaths. There are notaries available in every state in the US, and many can also do home signing. In most cases notaries do not verify the accuracy of translation but rather stand as a witness to the work completion. It’s important to know that public notaries are prohibited by law to make any changes to the translation or to give legal advice.
 
There are many reasons you may need to have a document notarized. Documents are notarized to deter fraud and to ensure they are properly executed. An impartial witness (the Notary) identifies signers to screen out impostors and to make sure they have entered into agreements knowingly and willingly.
 
Below are instances when you will need a notarized English translation:

• Family papers such as immigration papers, naturalization papers and adoption papers.
• Documents related to education including diplomas or academic degrees.
• Court orders translation such as wills and judgment translation.
• Translation of legal certification including divorce certificates, marriage certificates and birth certificates.

At Lingo Rocket, we provide both translation and notarization services. Call us today if you need to translate or notarize your documents.

The 4 Top Business Investments Right Now
Katherine Keller
Guest Writer
President of Katherine Keller International LLC

Our world has become the global village. Ideas are being produced rapidly around the world, and most of them have the potential to change life as we know it for future generations. Already, we've witnessed amazing ideas and technologies that have sahped the way we think, interact and build businesses.

You can focus solely on growing your own empire, or you can plan to invest in some of the best business options in 2017. Investments aren't just about becoming a part of something revolutionary. They can give way to opportunities for success for your business idea as well. If a single idea can promote such a positive change, then a combination of them can do multiple wonders -- not only for the business industry but for people around the world.
Here are some of the top business-investment moves you can make in the next 12 to 18 months.

1. Virtual reality.Entrepreneurship has strong roots in the virtual-reality industry. Despite being around for a few years now, virtual reality gained better momentum in 2016. Experts believe the industry most likely will continue this positive trajectory in the near future -- with projected revenue of roughly $4.6 billion in 2017. Virtual reality still is greatly under research, and this provides ample opportunities for new ideas. 
Related: 12 Amazing Uses of Virtual Reality
2. Translation and interpretation.The United States always has been home to multiple cultures and languages. The Census Bureau reports Americans speak more than 350 languages in their homes. On the other hand, businesses have become global. This highly increases the need for both understanding and awareness of more languages. Giants such as Google and Skype have enhanced and expanded their translation capabilities. This allows them to encompass a target market whose customers want a more personalized service. As companies embrace more languages and cultures, employment in areas supporting this industry are projected to increase by 30 percent by 2024.
Related: This New Translation Tech Will Smash the Language Barrier to Doing Business Globally
3. Drone technology.Drone technology is meeting the diverse needs of multiple industries, including infrastructure, mining and transport. The developing drone market is estimated to be valued at $127 billion. If you decide to invest in this sector, consider choosing a publicly traded company. It's worth mentioning that big, public drone companies such as Go Pro recently have experienced difficult times on the stock market. Instead of selecting popular manufacturers, weigh the benefits of putting your dollars in drone technology and components. One such example is Ambarella, which specializes in producing the video chip sets used in drone cameras.
Related: The iPhone of Drones Is Being Built by This Teenager
4. Green energy.       Civilians and big-business names both are becoming increasingly conscious about their carbon footprints. Businesses have a much larger role to play as they set example for green practices. If trends in environmentally friendly business methods are any indication, this is a good place for investment.
Wind power, in particular, is gaining momentum. It's inexpensive, and the amount of electricity generated has increased fourfold since 2000. At present, America is the world's top wind-energy producer.

Ever wonder about the difference between a translator and an interpreter? If the answer is yes, you are definitely not alone.  “What is the difference between Translation and Interpreting?” - is perhaps one of the most frequently asked questions in the field of language solutions. Translation is rendering text from a source language into a target language while preserving meaning. Translation is always written.
Interpretation, on the other hand, is an oral form of translation. Interpretation enables  real-time cross-linguistic communication either face-to-face, in a conference setting or over the phone.

In October, Lingo Rocket had an honor to attend The 70th Virginia Conference on World Trade. During the conference, speakers like Erik Miller (VP of Foreign Exchange Services, Wells Fargo), Barry DuVal (President & CEO VA Chamber of Commerce), John Reinhart (CEO, Port of Virginia), Marguerite Bates-Frier (Intermodal/Regional VP, XPO Logistics), Bob McDonnell (71st VA Governor), and Terry McAuliffe (72nd VA Governor) elaborated on why Virginia is the state for promoting global business and export/import relationships.
Looking into Virginia’s business portfolio you would find Facebook, CarMax, Mars, Nestle, and Cannon among other companies that have operations or headquarters in the state. The companies are drawn to Virginia’s successful business climate thanks to top-notch talent, taxes, infrastructure, geographic location, and quality of life.
Virginia plans to focus on tourism, transportation, and manufacturing, including wine and craft beer production, to strengthen and promote the state’s national and global business development. Travelers would easily fall in love with Virginia’s historic sites, coastal getaways, and world-class breweries and wineries. As for manufacturing and transportation, Virginia-based companies can benefit from great shipping facilities of The Port of Virginia, fourteen commercial airports, two international airports, and highly ranked business climate.
Considering the above information, Virginia offers many opportunities for foreign language instructors, interpreters, translators, and cross-cultural professionals. Language and inter-cultural professionals can use their skills and professional background in global logistics, export/import industries, cyber security, and tourism sectors. We can easily say - Virginia is for business lovers!

France is one of the most visited countries around the world. Eiffel Tower, Champs-Elysées, Louvre, Panthéon, and Notre-Dame are some of the spectacular attractions the country has to offer. Paris, the capital of France, has been often called “the city of lights,” ‘the city of Romance,” and ‘the culinary capital of the world.” The city definitely stands to its standards: Parisian air is filled with affection, beautiful buildings sparkle in the limelight, and then there is French food… Paris is famous for its incredible cheeses, chocolates, pastries and gateaux; the center is known for its hearty peasant fare, pâté and clafoutis (a kirsch-laden dark cherry pie); Burgundy is home to coq au vin, Dijon mustard and escargots; coastal Brittany has abundant fresh seafood, such as moules marinières (mussels in white wine) and moules frites (mussels with French fries); and Bordeaux is synonymous with many of the most decadent of French foods – foie gras, truffles, duck confit, and fine wines and cognac.

France is also one of the world’s largest economies. Today, France is home to more than 20,000 foreign companies running under many different legal forms. According to the World Bank and International Finance Corporation (IFC), France is ranked 27th in the world for starting a new business. Regardless if the purpose of your trip to France is strictly tourism or more business related, below are some useful facts to make your visit more enjoyable:

• The French are very proud of their independence, culture, and language. Take some time to learn basic French phrases and historic facts before your trip. Don’t start a conversation in English, try to speak French even if your language knowledge is limited.

• There is a lot of passion for good food and wine in France. It might be a good idea to study different types of cheeses and wine before you go there.

• Avoid the following cultural taboos at any time:
• Chewing gum in public is considered vulgar.
• Do not criticize Napoleon, since he represents a part of the French spirit.
• Keep your hands out of your pockets when in public.

Finally, here are some essential French phrases we think travelers should know:

•     S’il vous plaît (see-voo-play) - Please
•     Je ne parle pas français. (zheu neu parl par fron-say)  - I don’t speak French
•     Pouvez-vous répéter, s’il vous plaît.  (poo-vay-voo ray-pay-tay, see-voo-play)  - Could you repeat that please?
•     Combien ça coûte ?  (kom-bjanne sar coot)   - How much is it ?
•     L’addition, s’il vous plaît. (lad-eesi-on see-voo-play)   Could I have the check, please?

Whether you want a fast-paced city break or a relaxing country vacation, you will find plenty to do throughout France. So, pack your bags and bon voyage!