The increasing adoption of machine translation post-editing (PE) in the language industry underscores the need for effective training to improve PE speed. However, empirical evidence on the effectiveness of PE training remains limited, particularly for the English–Persian language pair. This study investigated the effect of a guideline-based training program on PE speed among undergraduate English Translation students in Iran. Participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 10), which received a structured 16-session PE training program based on the TAUS (2017) PE guidelines, or a control group (n = 10), which received no formal PE instruction. Before the intervention, participants completed a 15-item Likert-scale questionnaire assessing their perceptions of PE speed and efficiency. Following the training period, participants post-edited the same 400-word English–Persian financial text, pre-translated using Google Translate, on the MateCat platform. PE speed was measured using actual task completion time and words per minute (WPM), calculated from the MateCat editing log. The experimental group completed the task significantly faster than the control group (M = 44.20 vs. 68.90 min), Welch's t(15.61) = −7.28, p < .001, d = 3.25, and achieved a significantly higher WPM rate (9.20 vs. 5.89), Welch's t(14.97) = 7.13, p < .001, d = 3.19. Participants in the experimental group also reported significantly more positive perceptions of PE speed and efficiency, controlling for pre-test scores (ANCOVA, p = .002). These findings support the integration of guideline-based PE training into translator education.
The present study investigates foreign language use and needs in the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a government ministry with numerous international contacts and extensive foreign language use. To examine L2 English and L3 language use and needs, we used an online survey that combined multiple choice with open-ended questions. It was answered by 486 of the 1447 respondents in and outside Norway, giving a 35% reply rate. The findings show that while English dominates, the L3 languages are used extensively and considered highly important, but more often in informal or social contexts. The most used L3 languages were French, German and Spanish, while some less frequently taught languages such as Arabic or Chinese were under-used due to the lack of speakers of the language. While English proficiency is considered high, there is still need for improved knowledge of highly specialized vocabulary and advanced oral and written genres according to subject and area of responsibility. For the L3, improving general language proficiency and language maintenance are most needed, in addition to more speakers of several less frequently taught languages. For both English and the L3 it is also necessary to develop the linguistic and cultural awareness needed for rapport building in formal and informal situations. A key implication for higher education is the need to integrate the teaching of occupationally relevant English and L3 language skills into non-language degrees.
Companies taking a stance in terms of purpose marketing, brand activism, or corporate social advocacy has gained more attention in corporate communication in recent years. Although these terms cannot be considered synonymous, it is evident that more and more companies are using LGBT+ symbols in their communications (“rainbow communication”), especially during the so-called “Pride Month”. However, companies that use LGBT+ symbols are not always accepted. Using data from two different European countries, we contribute to the existing literature on the acceptance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) by providing evidence that only part of the population favours companies taking a stance and using LGBT+ symbols. Moreover, we find strong evidence that the vast majority suspect rainbow washing - using LGBT+ symbols by companies without real conviction and LGBT-friendly actions. At the same time, the results show that different target groups have (very) different views on it, so a special communication strategy is necessary. This paper builds on an earlier version presented at an international conference, where initial discussions explored how the Bass model, established in another context, could inspire strategies for addressing these challenges. Here, we present an extended perspective on the topic and its management implications.
This article offers an analysis of the digital communication of Parisian palaces focusing on the textual description of their exceptional suites. Grounded in the framework of cognitive discursive semantics, the study draws on a frame-based approach to examine how discourse transforms material features into a desirable symbolic experience. Based on a corpus of descriptions taken from institutional websites, the analysis highlights a discursive structuring built on the articulation of central and peripheral frames, combining objectification, experiential projection, and social legitimation. The findings show that these discursive dispositives do not merely enhance the value of a hotel offering, but actively contribute to the normative construction of luxury by anchoring it in a specific cultural and urban imaginary, particularly that of Paris. This contribution thus emphasizes the strategic role of discourse in the creation of symbolic value at the core of business communication in the luxury sector.
