SANTIUM LANGUAGE SERIES
Learn About Languages spoken around the world
SCIENTIFIC
One Version or More? When to Ask for a Harmonized Translation
Not every set of “related” languages can be harmonized. Harmonization only makes sense under certain conditions, and it should never be simply a shortcut for reducing translation costs. Understanding when harmonization makes sense will help you make better operational decisions for your high-stakes projects.
American vs. British English: Same Language in Different Voices
In the context of clinical outcome assessments, why is adaptation between British English and American English harder than we expect it to be?
MEDICAL
Hindi in Clinical Trials: Making Hindi Patient-Friendly
Hindi is recorded as the mother tongue of more than 43% of India’s population. Yet, there appears to be a steady decline in Hindi translations of COAs while other major Indian languages keep going strong. What does that tell us about Hindi translations that have reached clinical trial sites?
Cultural Difference: The Interpretive Lens of Language and Behaviour
The greater the geographic distance between two countries, the greater their cultural differences. The greater the cultural differences, the higher the risk of misinterpretation of language and behaviour. Cultural distance governs the complexity of linguistic adaptation of materials destined to be used in other countries.
One Version or More? When to Ask for a Harmonized Translation
Not every set of “related” languages can be harmonized. Harmonization only makes sense under certain conditions, and it should never be simply a shortcut for reducing translation costs. Understanding when harmonization makes sense will help you make better operational decisions for your high-stakes projects.
American vs. British English: Same Language in Different Voices
In the context of clinical outcome assessments, why is adaptation between British English and American English harder than we expect it to be?
Beyond English: Why Instructional Language Matters in Rater Training
Most clinicians learned medicine in their national instructional language and can speak or read English, but conversational fluency is not the same as instructional fluency for complex diagnostic constructs.
One Version or More? When to Ask for a Harmonized Translation
Not every set of “related” languages can be harmonized. Harmonization only makes sense under certain conditions, and it should never be simply a shortcut for reducing translation costs. Understanding when harmonization makes sense will help you make better operational decisions for your high-stakes projects.
American vs. British English: Same Language in Different Voices
In the context of clinical outcome assessments, why is adaptation between British English and American English harder than we expect it to be?
How Linguistic Validation Interacts with Measurement Science and AI Translation Models
Linguistic validation is the localization process behind translating clinical outcome assessments. It is a discipline of its own. Clinical outcome measures are not texts. They are sensitive scientific instruments. Every word and phrase are high stakes content.
Translating COAs: TransCreation vs. TransAdaptation
Some content cannot be translated word for word. Sometimes not at all. Here, I define transadaptation and transcreation and how they are used in translating content for marketing, aerospace and clinical practice and research.
WORLD'S LANGUAGES
The World’s Whistled Languages
Most languages are spoken, some are signed, and over 80 of the world’s languages have formally recognized whistled versions. Many sound like bird songs. Human speech contains far more acoustic detail than is actually necessary for comprehension. Even with minimal signal, trained listeners can interpret entire sentences.
The Korean Language and Its Scientifically Designed Alphabet
What if an alphabet were designed the way engineers design engines? In the Korean writing system, the shapes of the letters actually reflect how the human mouth produces each sound. In the 15th century, King Sejong introduced an alphabet that linguists consider one of the most logical in the world, and so simple that any person can learn it in just one day.
The German Language: Its Precise Structure Beneath the Dialects
German is one of Europe’s most influential languages. It can squeeze an entire idea into one super-long word. This efficiency comes from a highly disciplined structure that doesn’t map well to that of its cousin, English. German’s über-high precision makes a high-quality translation of complex technical content a work of art.
Ice Hockey and Football (Soccer): Pronouncing Foreign Players’ Names Like a Pro
Every language has its own phonological map. Its sound system differs from every other. And the pronunciation of foreign names is mapped onto the native sound system of the person pronouncing them. Some of the most famous names in professional sports today get routinely mangled by broadcasters and fans for so long that they become the athletes’ adopted names.
Xhosa: The Melodic Click Language That Reads Like Poetry
Most languages borrow words from their neighbors. Xhosa borrowed something far stranger: an entirely different way of using the human mouth.
Hindi in Clinical Trials: Making Hindi Patient-Friendly
Hindi is recorded as the mother tongue of more than 43% of India’s population. Yet, there appears to be a steady decline in Hindi translations of COAs while other major Indian languages keep going strong. What does that tell us about Hindi translations that have reached clinical trial sites?
English: The World’s Lingua Franca
English is so common that we tend to take it for granted. From a foreigner’s perspective, it is a very “cool” language: incredibly rich, exceptionally adaptable, and effortlessly flexible. It gained power through everyday use across the British Empire, enabling conversations among people from distant parts of the globe.
CLINICAL OUTCOMES
Cultural Difference: The Interpretive Lens of Language and Behaviour
The greater the geographic distance between two countries, the greater their cultural differences. The greater the cultural differences, the higher the risk of misinterpretation of language and behaviour. Cultural distance governs the complexity of linguistic adaptation of materials destined to be used in other countries.
Translating COAs: TransCreation vs. TransAdaptation
Some content cannot be translated word for word. Sometimes not at all. Here, I define transadaptation and transcreation and how they are used in translating content for marketing, aerospace and clinical practice and research.
Adaptive Behavior Is Universal. The Behaviors Used to Measure It Are Not.
Adaptive behavior instruments measure how individuals function in daily life. The domains are universal, but the behaviors used to assess them vary across cultures.
A Brief History of Psychiatric Measurement
Clinical outcomes assessments are routinely used across clinical settings. Learn about their developmental history in clinical practice and what to consider before using them in new settings.
LINGUISTIC VALIDATION
Cultural Difference: The Interpretive Lens of Language and Behaviour
The greater the geographic distance between two countries, the greater their cultural differences. The greater the cultural differences, the higher the risk of misinterpretation of language and behaviour. Cultural distance governs the complexity of linguistic adaptation of materials destined to be used in other countries.
One Version or More? When to Ask for a Harmonized Translation
Not every set of “related” languages can be harmonized. Harmonization only makes sense under certain conditions, and it should never be simply a shortcut for reducing translation costs. Understanding when harmonization makes sense will help you make better operational decisions for your high-stakes projects.
TECHNICAL
One Version or More? When to Ask for a Harmonized Translation
Not every set of “related” languages can be harmonized. Harmonization only makes sense under certain conditions, and it should never be simply a shortcut for reducing translation costs. Understanding when harmonization makes sense will help you make better operational decisions for your high-stakes projects.
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special series for clinical research
mastering coa Copyright licensing
Instrumenting meaningful outcomes.
