Representing one of the largest markets on earth, Australia enjoys a booming economy, and with 24 million inhabitants, it offers immense opportunities for businesses seeking to expand abroad. But did you know that you need professional business translation services to reach this unique target audience?
That’s right! It’s important to understand that Australia has a very individualistic version of the English language, which means you’ll need to localize your offerings to establish a foothold in the Aussie market. Australians understand all English dialects, but when it comes to certain aspects, only Australian English will do.
The Origins of Australian English
Australian English developed due to the history of Australian settlement by Westerners along with the country’s geographical isolation from other English-speaking societies. In the 18th century, the British used the continent as a penal colony for convicts. Still, along with the increasing number of free settlers, a new dialect of the English language quickly developed. Once the language became subjected to American influencers, the dialect became even more individualized, starting in 1851 with the gold rushes.
Modern Aussie English and Doing Business in Australia
Today, Australian English represents an idiomatic version of the English language that’s filled with interesting expressions and a unique vocabulary. Here’s a look at the main differentiators:
The Art of Conversation
English is spoken during business conferences. Stay in your usual language and try not to be too influenced by the Australian language. Popular welcome topics include sports, weather conditions, and Victoria. The Australian Football Association is an affiliated association. Everything positive about Australian culture can be very interesting. Topics to avoid include religious and political themes unless the Australian counterpart explains. Avoid immigration or aboriginal issues regardless of your curiosity. A comment on accents is not welcome, because they often divide the social class.
Business Meetings and Meals
According to the Dress Code, men should wear black, conservative suits to business meetings. Likewise, women can wear smart clothes and business suits. Depending on job function and company culture, a man could be wearing a shirt tied or Bermuda short sleeves. Punctualities are very important for successful business meetings. It is not an Australian business practice, but if you are interested in bringing an international gift, it is okay. It must be opened at the time of receipt.
Business Mentality
Australian business is very easy to do and the business is very easy. They’re open to ideas. They love being modest and so try to sell your business and avoid any aggressive sales strategies. Keep facts to yourself and avoid being selfish or unreliable in your opinions and actions. Australians are very modest and appreciate their humility. It is possible that they will minimize themselves to avoid making impulsive conclusions.
Grammar Used in Speech and Legal Documents
Although there aren’t a lot of striking differences between Australian and American or British English, there are a few to take note of. Australian English sides with the U.K. version of the language in using -ise instead of -ize suffixes for turning nouns or adjectives into verbs. They also generally use the him pronoun for fauna and flora. They use the ‘her’ pronoun for food and drink.
Lexicon in Aussie Business Culture
Linguistic differences are what really sets Australian English apart from American English and why it’s so important to use business translation services to ensure you’re optimizing your content for this target demographic.
The Aussies stick to a lot of British influence, like using aluminium instead of aluminum, petrol instead of gas, bonnet instead of hood. But they also like using some American words like truck instead of lorry, pants rather than trousers, and fries instead of chips.
Australian English gets particularly interesting when it comes to colloquialism though. The outback is Australia’s wilderness, and a barbie is what they call a barbeque. But did you know that “a dog’s breakfast” refers to a mess? And how about calling a ballpoint pen a biro?
If you’re marketing to Australian consumers, it’s essential to ensure reliability, and these colloquialisms can mean make or break when it comes to business communication.
Phonetics
If you’ve ever been in an Aussie conversation, you’ll know that they have a unique pronunciation style and accent. They use diphthongized long i vowels and short a vowel that sounds more like an e vowel. They also omit the final g’s in words that end in -ing.
Business Translation Services Shouldn’t Even be a Question for Doing Business in Australia
Although all English speakers around the world understand each other, it’s still important to localize when you’re targeting a different English dialect. The reason for this is because there are many differences in spelling, grammar, and vocabulary across dialects.
Failing to localize content with translation services creates a clear separation. You can avoid it entirely with localized content that bridges the gap between cultures and showcases flexibility and adaptability.
If you use content created for an American audience, Aussies might think you’re unprofessional sporting spelling errors in your content. And the ripple effect can have disastrous outcomes on brand reputation. Localization and translation services remove the language barriers and ensures that your brand shines like a “dinky-di Aussie” (a true Australian)!
Invest in Business Translation Services from a Leading Translation Company When Doing Business in Australia
If you plan on doing business in Australia, it’s essential to use business translation services to localize content like your website, service and user materials, product reviews, videos, and marketing materials to ensure the success of your global expansion plan. Additionally, obtaining an Australian Business Number (ABN) is crucial for compliance with local regulations and establishing a strong presence in the Australian market.
With so many linguistic features unique to Australian English, you need translation services from a language services provider that has expert knowledge of the Aussie market, and that’s exactly where Day Translations comes in. Our business interpreting professionals have in-depth knowledge of the Australian market. They are experienced in everything required to ensure the success of your translation project. Get in touch with us right now to explore our full suite of language services. We can help you transcend the dialect barrier!