Taal is Business! Over globalisering en toepassingen in de taalkunde

Language is Business! On globalisation and applications in linguisticsHow did Microsoft handle its language policy and the different language versions of its software? Why did Starbucks’ ginger coffee fail in Germany? Why did McDonalds change its menus in Europe? What is the cost of a mistake in a translation? In order to succeed globally, enterprises and organisations have to be able to adapt to local circumstances and deliver top quality, also in their multilingual communication. It involves investing in communication and translation. Language has its price and its value.In this paper, I want to point out the economic value of language. In a globalising world, the language sector has developed into an industry. The importance of language and communication in modern economies and societies and the need for language professionals are very often underestimated. Every company needs to have a language policy and has to invest in multilingualism and active support for translation and localisation. Recent developments in globalisation and localisation show that there is a huge need for professional language experts.