Chinese companies are lacking the adequate translation and other language services they need to operate and expand overseas, a survey released Saturday by the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) shows.

According to the survey, part of an UIBE blue paper on the language services market, companies are spending more on outsourced translators, language training and other related services in their overseas operations while quality in those fields continues to lag.

Most companies do not have in-house translation and do not properly budget for language services when mapping their overseas strategies, the survey found.

“Many people think that if they learn the language, they can do translation and provide proper language services. This is a misunderstanding,” Meng Yongye, one of the authors of the paper, told the Global Times on Saturday.

The survey of about 213 firms covering industries such as IT, construction, finance and consultancy found that about 32 percent lack a dedicated language services department, while 41 percent are without a single translator.

Meng urged for universities to produce graduates with skill sets including language, specialized knowledge and IT that are tailor-made for the market.