Recently, officials hung two banners in an attempt to congratulate police officers who caught a wanted suspect earlier this month, The New York Times reports. The slogan on one of these banners said, "To shake the great strength and prosperity of the motherland, and to safeguard the stability of the capital." This may seem harmless, but to many Chinese individuals it was not.

The banner spread quickly over the internet, as many people interpreted it as a plan to overthrow the Chinese Community Party. However, the problem with the text was a small Mandarin typo that caused a big headache for officials.

In the Mandarin language, the word for "shake" and the word for "guard" are homophones, meaning that they are pronounced the same. However, they are written using two distinct symbols. Therefore, the creator of the banner meant to say "guard" where he said "shake."

According to the CIA World Factbook, many people probably noticed this gaffe, as Mandarin is the official language of China. A good writing tool might have helped them avoid this mistake.

SME Web recently reported that many companies that have expanded their businesses have seen the devastating affects of incorrect translations. For example, when the American video game Call of Duty was released in Japan, gamers in this Asian nation misunderstood how to play the game due to a translation error. In English, one character says, "Remember, no Russian." However, when this was translated to Japanese it said, "Kill 'em; they're Russians," leaving Japanese players mistakenly killing Russian characters in the game.

The news outlet stated that when companies are preparing to translate their texts, they should focus on more than getting the words right. Culture must also be taken into consideration. For example, when Colgate expanded into France they named their toothpaste Cue. Unfortunately, they did not know enough about French culture to know that this is also the name of a popular pornography magazine.

Corporate professionals who are planning to expand their businesses may want to invest in translation software tools before making an embarrassing grammar or spelling blunder. 

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While the current job seekers are having a hard time because of language barriers outside of Spain, education reforms are being made to ensure that future generations will not encounter such troubles. A third of Madrid’s primary schools are bilingual, and by 2015 they are hoping at least half of the schools will be teaching more languages. In addition,  more and more schools have begun employing English speaking teachers.

Spain has a long way to go because in addition to struggling with vocabulary and pronunciation, even the campaign has poor grammar. The campaign to promote bilingual education boasts the slogan “Yes, we want!”. Richard Vaughan, owner of Vaughn Systems, an English teaching company, estimates that less than five percent of graduates of engineering, law or business have even a working knowledge of English.

A useful tool to help improve one’s English is WhiteSmoke Software. WhiteSmoke 2011+ with the WhiteSmoke Translator is an all-in-one English writing solution. The WhiteSmoke Translator can do full-text and word-to-word translations from nine languages. WhiteSmoke 2011+ corrects grammar, spelling and style mistakes. More than that, WhiteSmoke will offer suggestions and tips for improvement. WhiteSmoke 2011+ with the WhiteSmoke Translator is a fantastic tool for those looking to improve their English. 

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Eva Moskowitz, a former city councilwoman requested the report from the Department of Education. She told the news source that it should not take a student six years to learn a language.

Out of the 1.1 million children who are enrolled in NYC public schools, the newspaper said 14 percent are English language learners. Approximately 20 percent of these students have come to the U.S. in the past two years, while approximately 70 percent have received six or more years of language lessons in the United States.

Nationally, the U.S. Census shows that more Americans arecurrently speaking a language other than English at home. In 1980, a total of 11 percent of the U.S. population reported speaking a foreign language at home. By 2000, that number jumped to 18 percent.

According to the Census, the most common languages spoken at home in 2000 were Chinese, French and German. Individuals who speak these languages but want to improve their English grammar may be interested in translation software tools.

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In particular, managers with Spanish-speaking employees are encouraged to increase their communication with workers. Labor management consultant Felix Soriano, president of Pennsylvania-based APN Consulting, LLC, recently advised farmers who employ Spanish-speaking laborers. He suggested they increase their feedback and be clear about their expectations, the news source reports.

Effective managers must make the time to communicate well with their employees, Soriano added. Managers may be surprised at how much a bit of effort to learn a single Spanish word each day can benefit their workers. Moreover, encouraging their employees to learn a single English word each day can facilitate mutual understanding, according to the paper.

As of July of 2009, there were 34.5 million Spanish-speakers in the U.S., according to U.S. Census data.

Employers can also choose to use automated translators and online translation tools to translate their workers' Spanish to English communications.

The run-on sentence is one of the most common mistakes made in business communications, according to a report in the Financial Post. When businesses or clients send reports and e-mails filled with these unclear, grammatically flawed sentences, they risk being seen as careless and potentially unprofessional.

Run-on sentences express two or more thoughts, and are often cobbled together using incorrect punctuation, according to the news outlet. Misplaced or missing punctuation can change the entire meaning of a sentence. The inevitable result is confusion - and frustration - for the reader.

Basic grammar rules can be incorporated to correct run-on sentences and improve one's English writing overall, the Post reports. They should remember that complete sentences always have a subject and a verb. They may also try using a semi-colon to separate two thoughts, or parse the run-on into two or more sentences. They can also use a subordinating conjunction, such as "in order that" or "unless," to pair a subordinate clause with a main thought.  

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One famous project, which was conducted by Maxine Hairston in 1981, surveyed which grammatical errors professionals found to be most egregious.

Her findings concluded that status marking errors - as demonstrated in the sentence "I didn't do nothing" - disturbed respondents the most, along with faulty parallelism and the use of "would of" instead of "would have." The responses indicated, moreover, that teachers and business managers have very different ideas of what essential grammar constitutes, according to the website.

Another study, which was completed in 2008 by Andrew and Karen Lunsford, combed through 3,000 collegiate papers. The researchers created a list of frequently made errors.

Their study suggested that digital communication may cause "new error patterns." For instance, bizarrely constructed sentences seem to be made when "students cut and paste passages from one sentence to another." Incorrect capitalizations are possibly caused by automated capitalizing tools, Chronicle.com reports.

Professionals may draw on the error lists offered by these studies as they revise their written work. They can also utilize grammar and spelling checks to improve their writing.  

The letter, which was overflowing with grammatical errors and inflated rhetoric, immediately alerted officials to its suspicious origins. Moreover, it was addressed to Human Services Commissioner Kevin Goodno, who left his position in 2006, according to the Star Tribune.

In it, Goodno is accused of of civil rights violations. The letter claimed that "the working poor are being homeless, because of you, this need to come to an end...If you don't obey, I will have the Sheriff's deputy put you in handcuffs and throw you in jail," the news source reported.

The letter is signed as written by a county district judge. According to court administrator Mark Thompson, impersonating a public official can result in felony charges.

There are processes in place for filing a formal complaint against a government official or agency. The letter writer would have done well to contact the Office for Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action and Civil Rights to file a proper discrimination complaint, as outlined on the website of Minnesota's Department of Human Services.

Moreover, running a grammar and spelling check of official complaint letters may be imperative for those who want to be taken seriously by public authorities.

University of Alabama researcher William Hart and colleagues asked volunteers to put themselves in the perspective of a judge as they read variations on case reports of a crime.

The reports, describing how one man shot another, were written with varying verb forms. In one write-up using the imperfective form of verb, the defendant in question "was pulling out his gun." In another, using the perfective form, he "pulled out his gun."

The volunteers, after reading the description that used imperfective verbs, reported that they perceived the defendant as more dangerous. When described in the perfective, the offender seemed less deliberate to readers.

Speaking on the findings, Hart noted that "when you describe somebody's actions in terms of what they're 'doing,' that action is way more vivid in [a reader's] mind." Research has found that clearly imagining an action may help a person think the act was intentional.

A grammar and spelling check of briefs and official communications may prove essential in shaping how people perceive intentionality and motivation. 

In the coming months, job candidates must be vigilant about their self-presentation through text. A bit of extra thought and attention can ensure that a jobseeker's hard work does not go to waste.

For one, checking for grammar or spelling errors on resumes and cover letters is essential, according to the Times of Northwest Indiana. A spell-check may even save one's missives from the trash bin. Employers might feel that a job candidate who does not take time to ensure that his or her grammar and spelling are perfect can't be taken seriously.

Next, while revising cover letters, one should carefully examine that address portion. Hiring managers note that many candidates use a single template for their cover letters, and may forget to switch the company name altogether, according to the news source.

The Times also notes that job candidates need to read a hiring manager's specific directions for applications. A careful perusal of instructions, along with a grammar check of one's work, will help jobseekers maintain their candidacy.  

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that businesses and corporations who actively seek quality translators and translation services, both human or automated. Recently, a number of entrepreneurs have begun founding translation businesses to help a range of small to large corporate organizations. They may demand a range of services, from completing government grant applications to better communication with their clients in other countries.

Linda Richardson, for instance, built a new translation business, which hires freelance translators and web designers on contract. They then help businesses join the international market. Her company also creates multilingual websites to facilitate and improve company communications in other languages, according to the Post-Gazette.

Richardson herself does not speak fluent Spanish. She told the paper, "I speak English and business development."

Businesses may contract out their translating work or use translation programs to facilitate their moves into global markets. Of the translators available in the U.S., 26 percent are freelance and hired on a case by case basis, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. They may depend on a combination of dictionaries, online translation tools and linguistic research to support their work.

According to the Press-Enterprise, the written protests of a vocal critic of a local councilwoman have been repeatedly rejected because of his grammatical errors. Retiree John Smelser will need submit a third version of his forms for the recall of Menifee city councilwoman Darcy Kuenzi after his first two submissions were rejected. He also failed to include Kuenzi's council title in his forms, the news source notes.

Speaking to the paper, city registrar Rebecca Spencer noted that a citizen's written notice of intention for a recall must have flawless grammar to be able to enter the public record as a petition. Kuenzi will be able to submit her rebuttal to the recall notice - that is, if Smelser's grammar proves passable.

Written recalls of local public officials are common. Last November, the residents of Bell City, California, served notices to council members which explained the reasons for their recall, according to a report on CBSnews.com. After a necessary number of registered voters signed the petition, the city mayor, vice mayor and one councilman were ousted.

Individuals who plan to submit text that may be widely read might find grammar and spelling checks to be extremely useful. 

In fact, some of these problems could result in embarrassing spelling and grammar issues if the sender is not paying attention to what they are typing. For example, damnyouautocorrect.com points out several instances of unintentionally nonsensical messages that resulted from the use of the iPhone's autocorrect tool.

David Pogue, a technology columnist for The New York Times, recently told the newspaper that running a quick check for grammar is essential for individuals who use electronic devices to communicate.

"Especially when your boss, your parents or your love interest is the recipient of your e-mail or text message, it’s worth taking an extra moment to proofread."

Individuals who often work or send professional messages on their cell phones or other handheld tools may want to consider running a grammar check before they press "send," as this small step could save them a great deal of humiliation.  

For instance, American business professionals may want to decide against communicating in beginner's Japanese with their clients. Such attempts may risk one's looking less than capable, particularly if he or she is not fluent or in grasp of the nuances of the language, according to the news source.

An automated translator or online translation tool would be handy in such a situation, as it could facilitate easy communication between parties. English-speaking professionals can shield themselves linguistic missteps, the Deseret News adds.

However, not all cultures perceive beginning speakers as incompetent. They may even appreciate the attempt of an English-speaker who tries out non-fluent language skills.

Language errors can be incredibly costly to a company. In his book Blunders in International Business, David A. Ricks notes that translation mistakes are some of the most common in professional communication. Ignorance of multiple meanings of a word, for instance, can potentially lead to gaffes, insults and broken deals.

The example of a banner that a resident assistant at a California-based college hung in a dorm, which was posted on passiveaggressivenotes.com, highlights the importance of spell checking one's writing. The hanging read, "Let's Make This Qaurter The Best!" The effect on students, understandably, may have been less than inspiring.

In another example of egregious misspelling, which was recently submitted to spellingfails.com, a roadside billboard for a school features a photo of smiling, enthusiastic children. The large letters of the "ABC Chilren's Academy" frame them, possibly turning away parents looking, ostensibly, for a school that teaches proper spelling. Elsewhere on the site one can find a photo of a handwritten sign at a store, which announces the advent of a new material altogether - "Suramic Cookware."

Professionals, business owners and entrepreneurs should perform a spelling and grammar check before they create a sign or billboard. Even if their banner is handmade, they can ensure that they don't offer up their carelessness for public consumption with a quick, painless entry of their text into a word processor.

The WSJ article, which has since been corrected, was based on a transcript of a company conference call, which was rendered by a third-party documenter.

Though the executive was speaking in English, there is a possibility that, being a non-native English speaker, her words were prone to misinterpretation. When one listens to the audio transcript, the potential for hearing "small" over "smooth" becomes more apparent.

When announcing the iPad 2 last week, Apple CEO Steve Jobs repeated the misquote of Young-hee, according to Engadget.com. Given the fierce competition and debate over the virtues of the Apple OS versus Android's, the repeated mistranslation of one executive's report of current sales in the media could be damaging to a company's bottom line.

If the syntax, grammar and idioms of a corporate representative are difficult to understand, there is a risk for miscommunication. Automated translators may prove useful in similar business exchanges.  

For example, a recently released book by Jersey Shore star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, A Shore Thing, has resulted in disappointing sales figures. According to The Hollywood Reporter, fewer than 9,000 copies of the novel have been bought since its release on January 4.

Although members of the publishing industry suggest that the book did not fare well because it was not marketed as a tell-all, its lack of popularity could be attributed to the instances of poor writing that are present in the copy.

In a review of the novel, The Tufts Daily, points out a line that describes the main character's "red crotched bikini top." Similarly embarrassing typos could have been avoided if the writer and editor had conducted a spelling and grammar check before the book was sent to press.  

Five decades ago, English teachers taught the subject as a set of rules to be memorized. Sentence diagramming and drill exercises were the norm in this "prescriptive" education.

Today, schools emphasize "descriptive," or transformational, grammar, which is a user-oriented teaching style, as glencoe.com notes. Students' self-expression and actual speaking styles are emphasized over correct, proper English usage.

A piece in the New York Daily News describes a few of the grammatical errors that have become acceptable in daily speech due to the changing educational philosophy of the last 40 years. For example, split infinitives have become common. Moreover, adults often speak ambiguously without realizing their sentence errors. As the Daily News notes, one might easily instruct someone, "tell X to be here on Wednesday," without adequately conveying, as they intended, when X needs to be "here." The sentence, as structured, merely expresses that X needs to be spoken to on Wednesday.

Regardless of trends in classroom writing instruction, businesses and higher education institutions will still expect young adults to be able to utilize correct English. Spelling and grammar checks will become all the more imperative for professionals who wish to communicate effectively. 

Recently, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper used one such acronym on his show. He reported on a recent incident in which Southern rapper B.O.B. used the public announcement system on a Delta flight to Los Angeles to perform, impromptu, for passengers, according to CNN.com.

Adding the rapper to the show's "RidicuList," Cooper remarked, "now, I'm no expert on B.O.B.'s oeuvre, and I have nothing against him personally. I'm sure he's very talented." However, he noted that the musician's choice of performance space was irresponsible. Cooper concluded, "WTF, B.O.B.," according to the website.

The anchor cleverly sidestepped being overtly offensive and injected humor into his broadcast by using an electronic acronym.

Innovation in language, an ever-evolving form, is common. As new expressions enter written and spoken English, spelling and grammar checks may be even more essential for professionals reviewing their communications.