Even among native speakers of a language, assurance that the intended meaning of a word or phrase has been understood can sometimes be elusive. Winston Churchill, a noted historian and linguist in his own right, wryly commented that Britain and the United States were “two great countries separated by a … Continue reading
Besides the very high cost of maintaining an expat and family overseas, there are two other developments that have contributed to the reduction of expat roles in recent times: communication technology and the quality of local talent. As little as twenty years ago, the telex and fax were the most … Continue reading
Remember those old adventure movies that have a Western family living in luxury in some exotic location? Gorgeous house in beautiful surroundings. Private nannies for the kids. Car and driver at Madame’s disposal. Leisurely power lunches with the movers and shakers of the local business and political communities. White jacket and … Continue reading
Forrest Gump’s communication style was simple and direct, with nearly universal references to which everybody could relate: mother, food, friendship, and of course, those famous boxes of chocolates. Communication with your international audience should be in a similar fashion to Forrest’s. Oral comprehension is heavily dependent on the speaker’s international … Continue reading
Forrest Gump or The Wolf of Wall Street? Which one would you pick for your international sales and marketing team? Over the years, Hollywood has provided us with some interesting models that could be used in developing successful training techniques for use overseas in non-English speaking countries. In the hit … Continue reading
InternationalPerspective.org is “a site for insight” from an international business perspective. After over a quarter-century in international business in the medical industry, I have learned that besides a good product and good general business skills, the real key to success in the international marketplace is an understanding of the language, … Continue reading
