Chinese translation services are consistently in high demand. The language has a wide reach as the mother tongue of around 1.3 billion individuals worldwide, making the demographic one of the largest markets in the world. Be it from or into Chinese, a professionally rendered Chinese translation helps to accomplish a wide range of goals- from helping Chinese immigrants settle in a new country, to fostering international business success.
A key to unlocking these opportunities is building effective communication with the Chinese demographic through skillful Chinese translation. In this blog, we’ll take a look at a few ways in which Chinese translation services can give Chinese immigrants an assuring start to settling down in a whole new culture.
Chinese immigrants are currently the third largest Non-U.S. born population in the states. This demographic consists of family-oriented people, many of whom immigrated in pursuit of greater education and opportunities for their children. Communities of friendship are frequently formed within Chinese immigrant groups residing in the U.S. This sense of ‘belonging’ can be further developed with the help of translation, to make their transition into a new culture a less daunting one.
Chinese translation and the power of familiarity
In a study conducted among elderly Chinese immigrants in Philadelphia, it was found that placement of Chinese cultural symbols in places they inhabit increases immigrants’ sense of belonging
Availability of resources (including places of worship, stores) directly targeted towards Chinese people, can serve as a significant boost to the social well-being of Chinese immigrants. In Rochester, NY where our translation company is headquartered, there are a few churches and Asia food markets that serve Chinese people in their native language and culture. These places have helped bring the local Chinese community together and created an active social network that enriches their lives.
How does this tie in with the impact of Chinese translation on Chinese immigrants?
When living in a new country where both the culture and language are completely foreign to you, the presence of your native language in public places can be a welcoming sight. Translations of signs, labels, forms, and other informational sources can serve a role in easing immigrants into navigating life in a new country.
Even if an organization’s primary target audience isn’t the Chinese community, it’s still likely that it offers critical services and products that native Chinese speakers need.
Facilitating Open Dialogue in Healthcare Settings through Medical Translation
If there’s a place where the sense of trust and belonging is needed most- it’s in the healthcare setting. Openness in communication between patient and doctor must start even before an in-person appointment takes place. This means, a patient’s Chinese medical records must be fully and accurately translated from Chinese to English so their provider has knowledge of their complete medical history to help determine the most effective treatment plan tailored to the patient’s needs. Chinese to English translations of vaccination records, lab reports, test results and doctor’s notes all need to be completed to provide the doctor with this vital information.
Once in the doctor’s office, the patient will be requested to complete several pre-appointment forms asking for more critical information pertaining to the patient’s health. To ensure Chinese patients are able to provide all the necessary information, these patient intake forms need to be fully translated from English to Chinese. One of our team members who was born to Chinese immigrant parents recalls the frustration of attempting to help her mother complete such forms prior to an appointment- “She was getting more stressed out as we tried to explain the forms to her the best we could, in spite of our own limited medical knowledge. By the time she was received by her doctor, she was extremely frustrated – which set the tone for the entirety of the appointment.”
Complete understanding is vital in interactions between healthcare provider and patient. The only way to ensure nothing gets lost in communication- be it on paper or in person- is by using a qualified Chinese medical translator and interpreter. Doing so accomplishes two important goals- it facilitates exchange of accurate information pertaining to patient health and treatment, and sets up a supportive atmosphere that allows for an open dialogue.
Translation and interpretation services are important tools to support multilingual patients in Chinese and in any language.
Involving & Engaging Parents through Education Translation
When a parent becomes involved in their child’s academic progress, the likelihood of success increases. Education is highly valued by many Chinese immigrant families and being able to actively support their children in their academic success is incredibly meaningful and important to them. Educational translation services are necessary to bring teachers and Chinese parents together, to work towards the common goal of a child’s academic growth.
One of the best places to start is by offering English to Chinese translations of school handbooks that are distributed to students and their families. Handbooks contain information regarding policies and procedures which guide academic and student life at school. When their children spend a majority of their days attending school, it’s in the parents’ best interest to become familiar with their school policies and routines. By providing Chinese immigrant parents with handbook translations in Chinese, they will have access to information they need to become involved in their children’s education. They will become familiar with their child’s school calendar, be able to set up a parent-teacher conference, know who to contact to report school absences, and learn about all the programs and services available to their child.
Once the parents understand the school’s policies, they’ll need to be kept up to date regarding their child’s progress. Report card translations into Chinese, translations of student evaluations into Chinese, are necessary to keeping Chinese parents informed and ready to make effective decisions to support their child’s academic endeavors.
Zoom interpretations is another way to support parents teachers conferences giving the parents the opportunity to interact ask questions and maintain a real communication with the teacher.
Giving Chinese Immigrants a Sense of Belonging
We have the responsibility of ensuring that new immigrants have access to the resources necessary to settle down successfully in a new country. Their ability to thrive in a different culture and environment largely depends on whether they’re able to interact effectively in spite of language barriers. When immigrants get access to content translated into their native language, and the option to use a qualified interpreter at appointments- we help set the stage for open communication to take place.
JR Language is a translation agency dedicated to delivering top quality Chinese translations to help businesses reach the Chinese community effectively. As Chinese immigrants continue to take residence across the U.S and Canada, we’re prepared to meet the demand for English to Chinese translations and interpretation in multiple cities including New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, Vancouver and Toronto.
