Language and cultural insight

See the bigger picture.

Capability in over 40 languages

Ridgeway draws on a highly capable specialist researcher and linguist pool that can provide fluent language capability in over 40 languages. This expands the scope of research and analysis we can undertake for clients, and provides the ability to find, consider and overlay sources in multiple languages.

Although English is the most widely-spoken language internationally, our experience has proven that parallel native language research that draws on geographic and culturally-specific sources often yields new and crucial insights. Our researchers and linguists can uncover diverse contemporary and historic sources, which can play a pivotal role in interpreting and explaining differences that arise when considered alongside English sources.

Operating beyond English, the most revealing insights are often uncovered in the careful examination of contrasting or contradictory information.

Cultural understanding and insight

Our researchers and linguists go beyond translation. Our team can understand, identify and clarify different dialects, slang and jargon, which can prove invaluable when working on specific sources and geographies.

Another strength our researchers and linguists bring to their work is their deep cultural understanding. Their lived experience and insights into mechanisms of commerce and business practices, cultural dynamics, social etiquette and history can be highly valuable. Crucially, they also know where to look for information, how to place that information in context and methods for verification and validation.

These rich cultural perspectives and strong language proficiency often illuminate the bigger picture, helping clients to fully understand the sources Ridgeway has identified and seeing them in their wider context.