Cultural Insights Series: Sri Lanka Cuisine
You may already know what makes Sri Lankan cuisine special – obviously, it is spices! But did you know that Sri Lanka is one of the major importers of cinnamon worldwide?…
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Insights
Cultural Insights Series: Traditions Sri Lanka
All year round, Sri Lanka is packed with many celebrations due to the number of different faiths and beliefs. One of its most prominent celebrations is Vesak Day. Tilak walks us…
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Cultural Insights Series: Etiquette Sri Lanka
Welcome back to our next episode on Sri Lanka! Sri Lanka is home to different cultures, religions and ethnicities – Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians. On top of that, it has been…
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Cultural Insights Series: Travelling Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is a small island, at 65,610 km², yet it is so versatile! Even the most well-travelled tourist may find themselves spoiled for choice and unsure of where to…
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Cultural Insights Series: Introducing Sri Lanka
Welcome back to our Cultural Insights series. Through this series, we’ve escaped lockdown and discovered hidden gems of Afghanistan, gotten to know the unique hospitality of the Greeks, and learned some…
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Marketing Trends 2022
Marketing Trends To Watch in 2022 If we’re honest, 2021 wasn’t too different from 2020 in many ways. For many, remote working continued to be the norm and international travel…
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International Day for Tolerance 2021
“Non-violence is not a garment to be put on and off at will. Its seat is in the heart, and it must be an inseparable part of our being” –…
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Cultural Appropriation or Appreciation? Make sure you know the difference.
Definition Although cultural appropriation itself has been around for centuries, the term was officially recorded in 2017 by the Oxford Dictionary: “the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices,…
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What does Australian Citizenship Day mean to you?
What is Australian Citizenship Day? Every year, Australia welcomes thousands of new residents from all around the world. And this is a sound reason for a celebration. Each year, on…
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Webinar recording: “Mental Health in Multicultural Communities”
Recording of our live webinar held on 06 August, 2pm (AEST) In this webinar, we were joined by friends from ReachOut Australia, headspace and the Centre for Multicultural Youth. We discussed mental…
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Mental health and the unique challenges faced by people from CALD backgrounds
Mental health is an integral part of our overall wellbeing. It affects virtually every aspect of our lives – from our emotional state, to daily activities and socialising with others.…
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Webinar recording “Refugee Stories”
Recording of our live webinar held on 25 June, 3pm (AEST) To mark Refugee Week 2021 we spoke with special guests who have made the journey from Africa to Australia.…
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What does it mean to be a refugee?
Every year, millions of people are forced to leave their homes, their families, flee their countries and seek refuge abroad. And Australia is one of the countries that welcome the…
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Webinar recording “The crucial role of faith leaders in CALD communications”
Recording of our live webinar held on 28 May, 2pm (AEST) This webinar explored a key aspect of the faith leader’s role – to serve as a link between government…
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The role of faith leaders in CALD communications
Is religion important in Australian society? Not only does religion have a historic significance for the world’s cultures, but it remains an indispensable part of human society. Faith and spirituality…
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Webinar, Friday 28 May: “The crucial role of faith leaders in CALD communications”
Live webinar – 28 May, 2pm (AEST) One key aspect of the faith leader’s role is to serve as a link between government and community – a responsibility that was…
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‘Othering’ in media and steps towards a more inclusive society
“Otherness is a fundamental category of human thought. Thus it is that no group ever sets itself up as the One without at once setting up the Other over against…
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A Brief History of Chinese Migration to Australia
Australia is home to more than 1.2 million people of Chinese ancestry, according to the 2016 census. Of these, two in five (41 per cent) are recent migrants who were born…
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The Top 10 Chinese Inventions and Discoveries
Ancient China is known for being an innovative civilisation that has given us some of the most valuable and long-lasting inventions in history. The oldest items found in the territory…
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Cultural Insights Series: Music in China
Music is different across cultures but they all have certain things in common. It’s an important way of celebrating cultural traditions, connecting with its people and even helping to learn…
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Cultural Insights Series: Cuisine in China
“It makes your taste buds dance!” is how our guide Bruce sums up the incredibly diverse Chinese cuisine, and his descriptions will have you Googling recipes (or scrolling UberEats) for…
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Cultural Insights Series: Family and Society in China
Whether you’re planning to visit China when international travel opens up, you’re looking to enhance your communication skills, or you’re simply curious about other cultures, you’ll definitely want to learn…
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Cultural Insights Series: Traditions in China
China is known for its unique traditions and some of the world’s most spectacular festivals. Just recently, on the 12th of February, we celebrated one of these exciting holidays –…
Read MoreCultural Insights Series: Etiquette in China
Whether you’re planning to visit China when international travel opens up, you’re looking to enhance your communication skills, or you’re simply curious about other cultures, you’ll definitely want to learn…
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Cultural Insights Series: Travelling in China
Yesterday, in the first episode of our Cultural Insights on China, we introduced our guide Bruce. Bruce told us that his home country is so vast, rich and versatile, with a variety…
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Cultural Insights Series: Introducing China
We recently shared the second of our Cultural Insights Series during which we explored the incredible culture of Greece with a friend of LOTE, Dimitri. From this week on, we’ll…
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The Importance of Cultural Sensitivity in Translation
Suppose you’re working on a campaign and preparing communication material. You hire a copywriter who’s carefully picking the words to turn a block of letters into a powerful tool. Whatever…
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Marketing Trends 2021
How 2020 Has Changed Marketing We all know that 2020 brought around some profound changes in virtually all spheres of business, and in life in general. These changes are setting…
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Don’t make a million-dollar mistake: grow the reach of your business with a multicultural comms strategy
All it takes is one misinterpreted word. David Bartlett, CEO of The Lote Agency, implores marketers to consider multiculturalism in their messaging. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there…
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The Importance of Quality Assurance in Translation
Taking the time to perform thorough Quality Assurance on a translation project is crucial. The aim of a translation services project is effective communication – getting your message across to its…
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Cultural Insights Series: Music in Greece
We can learn a lot about a culture through its traditional music. What does it sound like? What do the popular songs speak about? Which instruments have been passed down…
Read MoreCultural Insights Series: Cuisine in Greece
Local cuisine is one of the first things that comes to mind when we think of the word “culture”. In the latest episode of our Cultural Insights Series Greece, we…
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Cultural Insights Series: Family & Society in Greece
Every person’s culture stems from the family. And at the same time, family is one of the core elements that constitute any culture around the world. The Greek society is not…
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Cultural Insights Series: Traditions in Greece
Greece is an orthodox nation that celebrates the same main holidays and celebrations as other European Christian countries. However, Greeks have their own authentic traditions around these days which are…
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As a multicultural nation, Australia’s advertising and marketing should be too.
A nation of diversity There are 278 cultural and ethnic groups in Australia. 21% of Australians speak a language other than English at home. We are, indisputably, a nation of diversity. Yet,…
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Cultural Insights Series: Etiquette in Greece
As Dimitri convinced us, “In Greece, everything is possible”. Naturally, there are some things that bewilder foreign visitors about the Greek culture. To get a deeper understanding of this country,…
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The Federal Budget – What’s in it for Australia’s CALD Community?
The Federal Budget – What’s in it for Australia’s CALD Community? This year’s Federal Budget was always going to be a challenging budget to deliver. In 2020 Australia has seen natural disasters,…
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Cultural Insights Series: Travelling in Greece
Last time, in the first episode of our Cultural Insights on Greece, we introduced Dimitri, our guide to the country of legendary history, stunning nature and incredibly hospitable people. In…
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Cultural Insights Series: Introducing Greece
We recently shared the first of our Cultural Insights Series. With a friend of LOTE, Shamsiya, we explored the incredible culture of Afghanistan. From this week on, we’ll be publishing…
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“Don’t stand so close to me!” How does your culture affect your attitude to personal space?
Top Tip: Different cultures have different attitudes to personal space. It’s important to understand what those attitudes are in order to achieve effective cross-cultural communication! There is one culturally insightful flight…
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How does Focus Group Testing Benefit your Multicultural Campaign?
To effectively reach a multicultural audience, first you need to understand it. Fortunately, you can easily gain this understanding through research, giving you the knowledge to deliver an effective multicultural…
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What Industries Must do Multicultural Marketing?
Australia is such a multicultural nation with migrants from all over the world making up our population. This means that Multicultural Marketing can no longer be overlooked if you are…
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The Language of Silence Across Cultures
Silence is the language of God, all else is poor translation. – Rumi Top Tip: Different cultures have different attitudes to silence. It’s important to understand what those attitudes are when…
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The 10 Must-Visit Places in Afghanistan
In recent weeks, we’ve been publishing videos about Afghanistan in our Cultural Insights Series. In these Zoom videos we speak to a friend of LOTE, Shamsiya Hussainpoor, about the Afghan…
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Suburb Profile: Abbotsford
Council: City of Yarra Council KMs from CBD: 2km Population: 8,184 Top languages spoken other than English: Vietnamese 462 Mandarin 355 Greek 204 Cantonese 173 Spanish 115 Abbotsford is the home of an…
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Cultural Insights Series: Music in Afghanistan
In last week’s chat with Shamsiya, we got our taste buds excited over the delicious Afghan cuisine! In the final instalment of our Afghanistan series we learn how to dance…
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Why Understanding Uncertainty Avoidance is Crucial in Cross-Cultural Communications
“Should we try to control the future or just let it happen?” G. Hofstede Before you read on, let’s start with a few questions. It’s a Friday night. Do you…
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Cultural Insights Series: Cuisine in Afghanistan
Rich, aromatic, colourful…these are three words that sum up Afghan cuisine, as you’ll see from our video as we catch up once again with Shamsiya to get a little taste…
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Cultural Insights Series: Family & Society in Afghanistan
Family is one of the fundamental parts of the Afghan culture. This week Shamsiya discusses the role of family in Afghan society and highlights some key differences between Afghan and…
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Cultural Insights Series: Traditions in Afghanistan
We all love those special days of the year when we get together with our families and friends to cook delicious meals and celebrate with one another. What are these…
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Cultural Insights Series: Etiquette in Afghanistan
Earlier this week, Shamsiya introduced us to Afghanistan, its iconic sights and shared some travel tips. So now you know what to see on your first trip to the country! But…
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Cultural Insights: Travelling in Afghanistan
Over the last few weeks we caught up with friends of LOTE who migrated to Australia in their youth. We learnt about their birth country and its culture, and about some…
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Cultural Insights: Introducing Afghanistan
Social isolation. Lockdown. A challenging situation during which staying connected has never been so important. We took to Zoom to connect with some friends of The LOTE Agency who had…
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How Different Cultures See Colours: Part 2
How your language manipulates your eyes. In last week’s article, we discussed different symbolic meanings that people attach to colours around the world. But the topic of colour goes beyond that. Did…
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How Different Cultures See Colours: Part 1
Symbolic meaning of colours. Is there anything more natural in our lives than colour? Colours are among the first things every child learns.They surround us in the environment and they…
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Suburb Profile: Keysborough
A recent ABC article posed the question, why are we still asking people where they come from? Australia is a multicultural nation, home to the world’s oldest continuous cultures as well as…
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How Different Cultures Understand Time
Even after my fifth month living in Southeast Asia, I still never dared to drive. Many travellers will agree that for someone spoiled by driving on the well-ordered European roads,…
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China – Talking Business and Peeling Onions
1. Introduction Can you recall a moment when a good joke helped you break the ice with a new client, despite a language barrier? Or when a witty one-liner defused…
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Humour Across Cultures
1. Introduction Can you recall a moment when a good joke helped you break the ice with a new client, despite a language barrier? Or when a witty one-liner defused…
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Orthodox Easter 101
From the decorated eggs, fireworks and different dates, Orthodox Easter or ‘Pascha’, is distinctly different from the Easter many Australians know. Why is Orthodox Easter celebrated on a different day?…
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Is it OK to ask people where they’re from?
A recent ABC article posed the question, why are we still asking people where they come from? Australia is a multicultural nation, home to the world’s oldest continuous cultures as well as…
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4 Tips to Ensure Your Communications are Culturally Relevant
Before launching into any communications project, you need to decide what your message is and who it’s targeting. This is particularly important if your targeting a multicultural audience, as using a one-size-fits-all approach to…
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Beware the hidden meaning: There’s no such thing as “Plain English”
Are you confident that your message is reaching your multicultural audience? To effectively translate a message, it’s not enough to just translate the literal word. An understanding of cultural nuances is…
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Who Should Consider Multicultural Marketing?
Australia is a multicultural nation that continues to expand its cultural diversity. In fact, when you look at the population clock, one migrant arrives in Australia every 59 seconds! This…
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Lin Jong – Western Bulldogs Multicultural Interview
Tell us a little about your background and how your family ended up in Australia… My Dad was born in East Timor. He wanted to have a better education so…
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Friend or Faux? The trickery of false friends
Are you learning a new language? Or perhaps going on a holiday overseas and unfamiliar with the local dialect? Maybe you’d like to converse with a friend in their native tongue?…
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Meet Helena Rojas!
Helena Rojas is LOTE’s newest team member. Her whole working career has been shaped by the multicultural industry, and here at LOTE she will take on the role of Sales…
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Chinese New Year 2018
Chinese New Year is fast approaching, so let’s take the opportunity to find out more! Chinese New Year is an important part of the Chinese culture, a time to sweep out…
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Saleem Habibullah: Burmese community leader interview
The role of community leaders in Australian multicultural communities is vital. They assist in helping communities come together and share their culture, whilst learning about a life in a different country. Check…
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Suburb Profile: Dandenong, VICTORIA.
Council: City of Greater Dandenong Kms from the CBD: 30km Population: 29,906 Top languages spoken other than English: Hazaraghi 2,359 Dari 1,926 Albanian 1,516 Tamil 1,384 Punjabi 1,211 If you’re…
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Chef Profile: Poh Ling Yeow
Many of us know Poh Ling Yeow as the loveable runner up of the first season of MasterChef in 2009. Her bubbly personality and knack for turning basic ingredients into masterpieces made…
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A Snapshot of SA
This year, LOTE is expanding and opening a South Australian Office. We are pleased that we will now be able to service our South Australian clients more directly, whilst exploring what the…
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Sudhir Shakya – Nepali community leader interview
The role of community leaders in Australian multicultural communities is vital. They assist in helping communities come together and share their culture, whilst learning about a life in a different country. Check…
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Where to find the best gelato in your city
Whether you’re a fruity fan or prefer a creamy creation, there’s no doubt that gelato is a delicious summer (or any time of year) treat. What most people don’t know…
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4 smart ways to spend your leftover budget
The year is nearly over, and it’s usually around now that we all scratch our heads and ask what to do with the leftover budget up our sleeves. Sometimes that…
Read MoreHow to provide high quality images of hand written documents to your translation provider
Providing documents for translation is easy if you have a word or PDF file, you just attach and send. However, getting a handwritten document translated can be a little trickier…
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Benefits of Animation for Multicultural Campaigns
Any message can be delivered, but no matter how important, exciting or relevant your message is, an audience will only take action if it’s delivered effectively. That’s where animation comes…
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Coffee Culture Around the World
From the famous Italian espresso to the Japanese coffee in a can, let’s see how our favourite wakeup drink is served around the world. Ethiopia The birthplace of coffee is often…
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The Importance of Colour Choice In Multicultural Marketing
In different cultures around the world, colours evoke emotions and symbolise events. They can have both positive and negative associations and when communicating with CALD audiences, it’s important that we consider…
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NAATI announces changes to the testing process
NAATI, Australia’s standard body for translators and interpreters offers national accreditation through testing. NAATI accreditation recognises translators and interpreters as able to work to professional standards required by the T&I industry. In the past, NAATI has…
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Top tips to refresh your multicultural strategy
It’s no secret that multicultural marketing can often be left as an after thought, but like all marketing strategies, multicultural marketing needs to be fresh and updated to be effective. Check out…
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The Evolution of Fusion Cuisine
Fusion cuisine celebrates the coming together of two cultures to create new-world dishes, and whilst it’s easy to get caught up in today’s hype around fusion cuisine, let’s bypass the…
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Chef Profile: Tetsuya Wakudas
LOTE Loves Tetsuya’s in Sydney! The award-wining restaurant is famous for it’s unique mix of Japanese and French cuisines. Tetsuya’s distinct flavour launched the restaurant as a Sydney icon. The owner and Head Chef, Tetsuya Wakudas…
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Happy Chinese New Year!
Chinese New Year is just around the corner (beginning February 8) and this year we’re celebrating the year of the Monkey! Let’s take a look at some much-loved traditions. Chinese…
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How to set multicultural goals for 2016!
2016 is already flying by and hopefully you’re off to a great start. When forecasting your plans for 2016, don’t forget to consider your multicultural audience. Here are some simple steps…
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Transcreation, what is it?
Haven’t heard of transcreation? Don’t worry, it’s a relatively new concept in Australia but one that can help your message reach multicultural audiences more authentically. Essentially, transcreation is the process of…
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Christmas Around the World
We can’t believe that Christmas is almost here! Where has 2015 gone? To celebrate, let’s take a look at these snap shots of different Christmas traditions across cultures around the world.…
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LOTE Loves Food!
Food and culture, what a mix! Let’s be honest, you can’t have one without the other. At LOTE, we live and breathe culture. We dedicate ourselves to communicating with CALD communities…
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New Humans of Australia
New Humans of Australia is a Facebook photography project inspiring Australians to challenge common misconceptions of refugees and migrants who now call Australia home. For the creator Nicola Gray, New Humans of Australia started…
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Tips for Social Marketing with CALD communities
Social marketing is essentially online networking – connecting with people in order to share information and ideas, is what makes us the social beings we are. Imagine going to a…
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NAATI Exam Requirements
If you’re a regular reader of the LOTE Blog, you’ll know why using NAATI accredited translators is important for any multicultural marketing campaign (if not, click here to find out why!) But how do…
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3 reasons accredited translators are a necessity for your next campaign
In a world where ‘time is money’ it’s true that we want everything as quick and economical as possible. But, when it comes to relaying your message or campaign to…
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Chinese Investment in Australia
It’s no secret that Chinese investment in Australia is hugely popular and a recent wave of investment sees Australia as China’s second largest international portfolio. So, what sectors are being invested in?…
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What makes LOTE stand out?
Take a look into the world of The LOTE Agency through the experiences of the owners Geoff Meakin and Peter Horton and General Manager Adrienne Meakin. Can you tell me…
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Mandarin vs. Cantonese
Mandarin vs. Cantonese, what’s the difference? Despite the fact that Mandarin and Cantonese use the same standard Chinese script, they are mutually unintelligible. Watch this video for a simple explanation!
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Chinese Social Media
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram. These social media platforms are part of everyday life for many people living in Australia and around the world. But what about Weibo, Tencent Qzone and Ren Ren, do…
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Why computers suck at translation!
A great explanation on why professional translation services should be used over Google Translate.
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How Indian Influences Helped Create a Vibrant Australia
Did you know that more than 110,000 people born in India now call Australia home? With a vibrant culture influenced by traditional cuisine, spirituality, architecture and art, Indian born Australians…
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Benefits of Focus Group Testing
To effectively reach a multicultural audience, you need to understand it first. Thankfully through research this understanding is easily attainable, allowing you to deliver an efficient multicultural communication campaign. Focus groups…
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What are the Top 10 Spoken Languages in Australia?
It’s no secret that Australia is linguistically and culturally diverse and with influences from over 160 spoken languages, the Australian identity is continually evolving. Throughout history, immigration patterns have determined…
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Human vs. Machine
Not long ago, the idea of computers translating languages was something of the very distant future. Yet now, with the development of programs like Google Translate, Bing Translator and Skype…
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Easter Around the World
Yes you better believe it, it’s that time of year again! The Christmas decorations have come and gone and we’re now bombarded with chocolate eggs and fluffy toy bunnies wherever…
Read MoreWhy use NAATI translators?
If someone can speak another language, they can surely translate it, right? A common misconception is that a bilingual person can be a translator, but in fact, translation requires much…
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Cultural Diversity Week
Australia is a multicultural country, so why not celebrate our diversity? Even though we communicate primarily through language, we love that there are other ways to experience, engage with and…
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AALC Board Members attend GALA Conference in Instanbul
General Manager Adrienne Meakin, at the annual GALA Language of Business Conference in Istanbul last week with AALC board members Tea Dietterich and George Bisas as well as GALA Chairman…
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A fresh take on translation
This month LOTE’s General Manager Adrienne Meakin features in Virgin Australia’s Voyeur magazine. Adrienne shares her tips on success and the important role that communication plays in the path to accomplishing your…
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The world calls!
This month LOTE’s General Manager Adrienne Meakin is representing both LOTE and the Australian language service industry at GALA’s annual conference in Istanbul. GALA – The Globalization and Localization Association…
Read MoreVictoria leads the country with 4500 new citizens
As millions of Aussies celebrated Australia day by firing up barbecues or spending the day with family and friends, pockets of the nation were taking part in another rite of…
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Victor Fan and Life Saving Victoria Promote Water Safety within the Chinese Community
In 2012 Victor Fan nearly drowned while rock fishing at Pyramid Rock, near Phillip Island.Victor spent time in intensive care at the Alfred Hospital before making a complete recovery. Now…
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Local graphic design talent on show
LOTE is delighted to sponsor Box Hill Institute’s ALT of CTRL end of year graphic design exhibition.This December, the graduating class from the Advanced Diploma of Graphic Design are showcasing…
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Breastscreen Victoria assists women from non-english speaking backgrounds to access free breast screens
Breast cancer touches the lives of so many in our community. Breast cancer survivor, Rosemary Kelade, CEO of the Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre, has an Italian-Egyptian background and now carries…
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Stopping all stations to cultural diversity
On Sunday November 17, the Frankston train line took a stand against racism through the power of dance, music and song.The Multicultural Express celebrated Melbourne’s cultural diversity with community entertainment and food…
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New industry association formed for companies providing language services
On 1-3 August, ten of Australia and New Zealand's leading language service providers gathered in Brisbane to become founding members of the new industry association, the Australasian Association of Language…
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Continence Foundation of Australia launches Audio Visual information in 20 languages
Incontinence is difficult enough to talk about at the best of times, but when your first language isn’t English, it’s even harder to talk about.Following world Continence week, the Continence…
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