Merlin: Translation News, Services & Directory

European Union institutions are the world’s biggest employers of language interpreters and also take an active role in interpretation training programs.

Last week, this blog presented an overview of a 10-minute video released on YouTube that focuses on the job of interpreting for the European Parliament and other European Union structures. The video provides a wealth of fascinating information about not only European Union interpreting, but language interpretation in general.

For example, the short film emphasizes the importance of both language skills and technical skills. Interpreters need to master their target and native languages, of course, but also the techniques and technology used in their field. For that reason, specific training and practice is a crucial factor in their professional development.

In the video, we have the opportunity to see new interpreters training on-site and receiving commentary from professors and experienced interpreters. “It was a good performance,” comments one trainer. “I think you rendered the message very well.”

To make sure to have the supply of qualified language interpreters its structures need, the European Union involves itself actively in training programs, such as the “European Master’s in Conference Interpreting.” This Master’s course was designed by the E.U. and is now offered in a number of European universities.

E-learning is also used to reinforce skills and give future European interpreters all of the practice they need.

Language Translation, Inc. in San Diego, California, provides translation and interpretation services in over forty languages, including 24 European languages. “We speak your language – and theirs.”

Betty Carlson

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A major dictionary of regional expression demonstrates that there is not just one form of American English.

The Dictionary of American Regional English, also known as DARE, is much more than a compendium of American idiomatic expressions. The word “Regional” in its title indicates that it also shows where Americans use the words and expressions that are included.

Even language experts (such as English teachers) often contrast “American English” with “British English” or “Australian English.” While differences definitely exist between “national” forms of English, great regional variations can be found even within the same country – and the USA is no exception.

As the DARE website points out, “Americans have many names for the kind of sandwich that includes meats, cheeses, lettuce, tomatoes, etc., served in a long bun. What DARE can tell you… is where the words hero, hoagie, grinder, sub, torpedo, Cuban, etc. are the local terms for this sandwich.”

DARE has been a large-scale and long-term project that is not yet complete. The first volumes — letters A through Sk- were published over a 17 –year-period (1985-2002). The final tome, Volume V – which will finally bring the work to the letter Z — is presently scheduled for publication in 2011.

At Language Translation, Inc., our specialties are business, medical, legal and technical language translation. We enjoy bringing you word-related news through this blog and our monthly newsletter. “Let us show you how good translation should be.”

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Health care staff with language knowledge may be called on to interpret, but this is often not the best solution for the patient.

Hospitals and health care facilities do not use just one type of language interpreter. In this series of posts about different categories of medical interpreters, we will look at health care staff members who sometimes do language interpreting, and who are known as “ad hoc interpreters.”

As far as health care professionals, certain bilinguals with a strong knowledge of medical terminology in both languages and a lot of on-the-job practice may be capable of performing interpreting duties. But that profile is relatively rare, and since these staff members have other duties, it can be difficult for them to jump from their regular medical job to interpreting and back again.

However, many health care professionals would be ill-equipped to carry out precise medical interpreting. Most master medical terminology in the language they studied it in –which may or may not be their first language. Interpreting is also a special skill that requires training in specific techniques, and someone without these competencies may deliver faulty information.

Clearly, the medical field increasingly faces translation and interpreting needs. When medical translators and interpreters are called upon, it is preferable that they have specific training and familiarity with their subject matter as well as excellent language skills. At Language Translation, Inc. in San Diego, medical language services are among our specialties. Don’t hesitate to contact us for more information.

Betty Carlson

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In order to make sure everyone has access to health care, Scotland’s National Health Service has undertaken a major language translation project.

Scotland has just over 5 million inhabitants, but an increasingly diverse population. In a move to assure that no one is left behind in health care, the government has financed a plan to translate a National Health Service guide into 17 languages.

“The online video and DVD aims to put all patients at the ‘heart of the NHS’ and offers advice on GPs, dentists, opticians and pharmacists.

It is hoped that thousands of people, including new migrants, people whose first language is not English and people with low literacy, will benefit from the service…

The advice will be available in Arabic, Bengali, British Sign Language, Cantonese, English, Farsi, French, Gaelic, Korean, Kurdish Sorani, Mandarin, Polish, Punjabi, Somali, Tigrinya, Turkish and Urdu.”

(Extract from Management in Practice, February 25^th, 2010)

It will certainly take quite a team of qualified translators to carry out this major job. Medical translation is a highly specialized field, as translators must possess the requisite language knowledge as well as working knowledge of medicine itself.

At Language Translation, Inc. in San Diego, our translation service works with qualified professionals who understand not only their languages, but also the technical subject matter that they work in. “Let us show you how good translation should be.”

Betty Carlson

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An official video gives a glimpse into the multi-lingual atmosphere of the European Parliament.

A 10-minute video released on YouTube offers an inside look at what it’s like to interpret in the multi-lingual framework of the European Parliament. Language interpreters there work in many different kinds of situations. And it’s not all about government proceedings: they “can find themselves working for their Prime Minister one day, for a group of schoolchildren the next.”

In the video, we are able to see European interpreters at work and hear their opinions about what they do every day. The interpreters interviewed love their jobs, but point out that it can be stressful. Although all of them interpret into their mother tongue, many interpret from two or three languages, so they are constantly switching languages — and mindsets.

One interpreter points out the key importance of perfect mastery of one’s own language – something that many native speakers don’t necessarily possess. Prime Ministers and other speakers at the European Parliament generally master their own language very well, so E.U. interpreters must interpret to a level of eloquence that not every native speaker can achieve.

Language Translation, Inc. in San Diego, California, provides translation and interpretation services in over forty languages, including 24 European languages. “We speak your language – and theirs.”

Betty Carlson

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The Vancouver Olympic Games offered a possibility to get a closer look at the bilingual country we share borders with.

The Vancouver Olympics were a showcase for Canada’s bilingual identity. It also may have helped matters that French and English happen to be the official languages of the International Olympic Committee. Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, was French, and French has remained one of the two official Olympics languages partly to honor him.

Part of the Games’ website was devoted to emphasizing Canada’s bilingual heritage. On Bilingual Experience, organizers explained that “the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) has devoted a great deal of time and resources to ensure these Games reflect our country’s world-renowned diversity, including its linguistic duality.”

Or, as they say in French, « le Comité d’organisation des Jeux olympiques et paralympiques d’hiver de 2010 à Vancouver (COVAN) a consacré beaucoup de temps et de ressources à organiser des Jeux qui offrent une représentation juste de la riche diversité culturelle du Canada, y compris sa dualité linguistique, reconnue mondialement. »

Language Translation, Inc, located in San Diego, California, offers translation and interpretation services in over 40 languages, including French. “Let us show you how good translation should be.”

Betty Carlson

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The Globalization and Localization Association (GALA) will host their second “Language of Business” conference in May 2010.

GALA, an international non-profit association that promotes translation services, language technology and language management solutions, is planning a conference in Prague from May 10th to 12^th, 2010.

The conference will take place at the Intercontinental Praha, and is designed to bring developers of content together with translation and localization providers to debate the future of global content delivery.

The program will present “practical information on building a global content strategy to serve local customers worldwide as well as new ideas for helping language service providers build their businesses,” explains the conference website.

Special events at the conference include a welcome reception, GALA dinner, and the “ever-popular GALA speed networking.”

Localization combines language and technology to guarantee that software and websites can cross cultural and language barriers. Language Translation, Inc. offers localization services, and uses a ten-step process to ensure perfect results. If your company has a localization project in mind, contact us for a free quote. “We speak your language – and theirs.”

Betty Carlson

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New research suggests that students may learn faster when the foreign language studied is taught with their own native accent.

Conventional wisdom holds that foreign languages are best taught by “native speakers.” Intriguing new research suggests that this may not be the case. If the results are confirmed, this new concept could have major ramifications for language teaching and learning throughout the world.

In a study involving oral understanding of Hebrew, researchers from the University of Haifa (Israel) found that: “Arabic and Russian speakers required less phonological information to recognize the Hebrew word when it was pronounced in the accent of their native language than when they heard it in the accent of another language.”

At first glance, I would say that the study sample was relatively small — just 60 young people. And the results are really not that surprising. I have already noticed in my English classes that my students (who all have the same accent) understand each other better than they understand me.

So on the one hand, we can say this study proves what many language teachers know already: foreign words are more understandable when pronounced with a student’s native accent.

On the other hand, if a true connection to language learning — and not just understanding– could be established, the research could change many ideas about listening activities and teacher qualifications.

All over the world, companies, families and students are realizing the importance of language in today’s global environment. Language Translation, Inc. works with many bilingual language professionals, offering translation, interpreting and localization services in over 40 different languages. “We speak your language – and theirs.”

Betty Carlson

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The café where it is impossible to buy a small drink has an intriguing way of playing on European terms.

If you sip at Starbucks, you are no doubt aware that there’s no such thing as a small coffee. The entry-level beverage is “tall,” and the biggest one is “venti” — which means “twenty” in Italian.  With a “grande” in between the two, the only way to really understand Starbucks sizing is to refer to the volume – or the price.

Not that I let myself get fooled, but to me “venti” sounds, well, more petite than “grande,” and definitely more chic than “tall.”  Starbucks is an example, among many others, of how foreign language can be used to make products “sound” more continental, more elegant or more intriguing.

In an article entitled “Starbucks’ Language Illusion,” a young writer reveals some of these “Starbucksisms”. He points out how Starbucks peppers its menu with “mixtures of mangled Italian, vaguely European-sounding words, and other amalgams which aren’t normally seen on American coffeehouse menus.” Matus concludes that this Euro-lingo is part of what convinces consumers that the Starbucks experience is worth the money.

Living in Europe, I can tell you that the game works both ways. Here, it is definitely fashionable to market products using one foreign language in particular: English.

Language Translation, Inc. is specialized in language translation, interpretation and localization. Based in San Diego, California, we have been working in the language service industry since for over 20 years. “Let us show you how good translation should be.”

Betty Carlson

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Investing in quality language translation is generally worth the money.

Faulty machine translations or handing translation tasks over to workers who “sort of” speak a foreign language can be costly in several ways.

Relying on automatic translation for material that will reach consumers and customers is definitely a no-go. The translation may be free, but it can cost your company in terms of your corporate image. It can even turn out false or negative information about your products. Also, litigation over faulty translation is not unheard of in the business world.

Assuming that employees who speak another language can “do the job” can also lead to inaccurate translations, with the same results cited above. It’s also not a good human resource investment. Asking someone with no experience or training to do any formal translation work will take the employee away from his or her regular job – sometimes for a long time, as translation can be slow going for a novice.

Even truly bilingual staff members may well be unqualified to do professional translations. As American Translators Association president Jiri Stejskal has pointed out, professionals don’t just translate the words — they are also tuned into the cultural context of the language they are translating to. They are also aware of the importance of accurate translation, as well as being top-notch writers.

If you work with a language service provider such as Language Translation, Inc., you can be sure to get the best translator for your specific needs.

Betty Carlson

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Discussion on the topic was opened in a New York Times column called “Room for Debate.”

The New York Times column “Room for Debate” recently invited experts to weigh in on the question “Will Americans Really Learn Chinese?” In the “Featured Discussion,” six writers and educators give their opinion on the subject.

Author Susan Jacoby points out that “Only 9 percent of Americans, compared with 44 percent of Europeans, speak a foreign language. The Web has only reinforced the smug American conviction that everyone worth talking to in the world speaks English.” Needless to say, Jacoby is skeptical about Americans’ willingness to tackle the difficulties of Mandarin.

Other participants in the debate share her point of view, as well as her criticism of foreign language education in the USA. On the other end of the spectrum, Norman Matloff, professor at the University of California, Davis, feels Americans get a “bad rap” as far as their linguistic abilities go. He makes the case that Americans in areas with a high Spanish-speaking population are indeed interested in learning Spanish – because it’s useful.

But without shared borders or an overwhelming immigrant population, how useful will Chinese be to the average American? U.C. Berkeley professor is a radical voice in the debate: “We must learn the language and engage them [Chinese speakers] at a human scale as first steps in appreciating the strengths of East Asian cultures…” he argues. “Rather than bumbling along, government and corporate leaders should advance coherent policies for bilingualism.”

Personally, I don’t see a wave of Mandarin-learning sweeping the USA in the near future. So if you need language translation and interpretation services in Chinese or other Asian languages, turn to Language Translation, Inc. We speak your language – and theirs.

Betty Carlson

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It may sound like a sporting event, but relay interpreting is a way of communicating into several target languages.

Relay language interpretation takes place when there are several target languages that can’t be dealt with through direct interpretation. For that reason, it is also known as “indirect interpreting.” In relay interpretation, a source-language interpreter orally translates to a language that is common to every other interpreter. These “secondary” interpreters then transmit the message to their target language.

The source language for relay interpreting is often a relatively difficult language. The first interpretation is frequently carried out into English, which is a language many interpreters master, although other combinations are of course used depending on the situation. Then the secondary interpreters translate into the number of languages needed.

Relay interpreting can be a practical choice when many language pairs, including some rare or difficult languages, are involved. For example, if a conference speaker is going to speak in Korean, it may be much easier to find one Korean-English interpreter plus one English-French, one English-Spanish and one English-Chinese interpreter than to find four interpreters capable of working directly from Korean.

However, relay interpreting has a few pitfalls and is only advisable when it is truly necessary. Obviously, it is slower than regular language interpreting, and “passing” the message through another language on the way leaves more possibilities for errors.

Language Translation, Inc. in San Diego has been in the language service business for over 20 years. We can help your company with all its interpreting needs, from choosing the appropriate form of interpretation to providing the necessary equipment. Don’t hesitate to contact us for a free quote.

Betty Carlson

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Both buyers and suppliers appeared more optimistic in the 4th quarter of 2009, according to Common Sense Advisory.

Common Sense Advisory, a Massachusetts-based market research company specialized in the language service industry, has released a brief presenting the results of its Q4 2009 business confidence survey.

The results show a general optimism about the language industry, both on the part of buyers and service providers. According to Common Sense Advisory’s new Global Business Confidence Index, or GBCI, buyer confidence marked an overall increase in 2009, although some indices were down over one or two of the years’ quarters.

Supplier confidence, however, was up practically all over the map, showing gains from 2009 Q3 to Q4 in all factors. “Statistically significant changes” cropped up in the areas of “demand over the past 3 months” and “present business situation.”

Worry about product/service demand still preoccupies both buyers and sellers, however. “44 percent of buyers listed insufficient demand for their products as their topmost concern, paralleled by nearly 40.5 percent of suppliers who deemed demand to be insufficient,” explains the report.

Nevertheless, the general outlook is positive, with nearly 80% of corporate and government buyers reporting an increasing or steady demand for language services in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Calling on an experienced language service provider such as Language Translation, Inc. will help your company run successful international marketing and communication campaigns. Don’t hesitate to contact us for all of your translation and localization needs.

Betty Carlson

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Every type of language interpreting has its particularities, and court interpreting Is no exception.

Interpreters often have specialties, such as medical, legal or technical interpreting. In fact, one could practically consider legal interpretation and medical interpretation, for example, as two different jobs, because the prerequisite subject-matter knowledge is so complex in each field.

The stressful arena of the courtroom can be too much to handle for some interpreters. Courtroom proceedings move fast, and legal interpreters must keep up with the language flow, all the while knowing that justice could hinge on their interpretation.

Of course, court interpreting also involves totally mastering legal terms – and a lot more. “Translating for a court means understanding a veritable cornucopia of languages within languages — everything from national to regional slang, Spanish equivalents of legal terms, and everything else from weapons and drug terminology to the tiniest parts on an automobile,” writes Peter Baumann for the Laramie Boomerang.

So, it’s not all about legalese. Baumann cites an interpreter who finds her knowledge of gun terminology extremely useful in the courtroom, and who also admits to having to study up hard on the details of car parts for automobile theft cases. The list must go on and on…

At Language Translation, Inc. in San Diego, we provide certified language interpreters who can work in the courtroom as well as in administrative hearings. Medical, business and conference interpreting are among our other specialties. “We speak your language – and theirs.”

Betty Carlson

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Although automatic translation systems are far from ideal, they are helping relief workers communicate with victims of the Haiti earthquake.

French is the official language of Haiti, but most residents speak Haitian Creole, which has some links to French — but can still be difficult even for French-speakers to understand. Because of this problem, universities rushed to develop software to aid in communication efforts.

“The relief effort in Haiti has now extended to the Internet with the development of software designed to erase the language barrier between foreign aid workers and Haitian Creole speakers…

Since last week [late January], when the Pittsburgh university {Carnegie Mellon] released spoken and textual data it compiled on Haitian Creole, other institutions have begun developing translation tools desperately needed by doctors, nurses and other relief workers in the earthquake-ravaged country.

A team at Microsoft Research has used it to help develop a web-based system for translating between two dozen or so languages — such as English, Russian, Chinese and others — and Haitian Creole.”

(Extract from the Montreal Gazette, January 28 2010)

Language Translation, Inc. salutes all of the translators and interpreters working for the Haiti relief effort, as well as language technology experts who have developed this software which, as the article points out, is not a for-profit venture.

Betty Carlson

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