The research has been carried out, the tattoo design, colour and subject matter chosen. Next step: check with linguist or native speaker that the text is correct. Wrong! According to an article on CNNGo.com about the Hanzi Smatter blog (a website ‘dedicated to the misuse of Chinese characters in western culture’) often this step is only taken after the visit to the tattoo parlour, at which time proofreading is no longer an option!

This is how translating and tattooing jointly came under the media spotlight in August 2010. Tian is the creator the aforementioned blog and he offers proper translations of tattoos that use Chinese characters. Readers send in their photos of any such tattoos and Tian provides an honest translation – often one which is far from the intended meaning. In an interview with CNNGo, Tian stated that 90 percent of enquiries originate from people when it’s too late, in other words, after the tattoo has already been carried out. There are currently around 400 entries displayed on his blog. For example, a tattoo thought to mean ‘beautiful’ turned out to mean ‘calamity, disaster, catastrophe’. There are also many instances where people have unwittingly used Japanese characters instead of Chinese.

Nobody is immune from the collision of a mistranslation and a tattoo. It is a bad combination resulting in what can only be described as an avoidable linguistic faux pas. Singer Rihanna is the latest celebrity to have fallen into this trap and when photos emerged of her new French language tattoo ‘rebelle fleur’, French speakers and linguists alike commented on the fact that it did not make sense as a phrase. Similarly, back in 2000, the BBC reported that David Beckham’s tattoo of his wife’s name (Victoria) written in Hindi script was misspelt and read ‘Vihctoria’ instead.

Although these articles are treated with an element of light-heartedness, it is in no way a slight on tattoo artists who are certainly masters of their trade. However, not all tattooists are linguists (and vice versa!) and nor should they expected to perform as such. But when a client fails to consult a language professional in the selection and design of a new tattoo, this is one decision that could leave its mark in more ways than one!

Sources: http://hanzismatter.blogspot.com/; www.hollywoodlife.com; BBC; www.cnngo.com

The increasing number of pupils entering the UK education system whose first language is not English can translate into a language barrier in the classroom that is extremely difficult to overcome, both for teachers and children alike. That is why a Birmingham school (whose student population speaks over 30 languages) has employed the services of Talking Tutor – an automatic translation tool that improves teacher-pupil communication and enables children and parents with English as a second language to enjoy better inclusion into school life.

Talking Tutor is just one of the numerous bilingual pedagogical resources that the organization EMAS UK has to offer. According to their website, the device currently supports over 10,000 teachers and 100,000 children in UK schools. Described as a ‘translating, speaking IWB (Interactive White Board) Avatar’, it covers 24 languages*, but openly welcomes requests for the provision of additional languages. The company name itself is linguistically rich: a combination of the Malay words ‘Emas’ and ‘Masuk’ that mean ‘Golden’ and ‘Welcome’ respectively.

Talking Tutor works whereby text typed into a computer is run through an automatic translator and text-to-speech software generates audio output in the form of an on-screen virtual tutor that speaks in the target language. A teacher, for example, would type a message in English, and the pupil would receive this message in their native language (and vice versa). It boasts a 95% accuracy rate and provides contextual rather than literal translations. It can also be used at parents’ evenings, in reception areas, and as a teaching aid in Modern Foreign Languages classes.

EMAS UK provides a host of multilingual teaching aids. There is the Resource Library that covers over 200 languages and which is updated both for content and additional languages on a monthly basis; the award-winning Two-Can-Talk communicator that comprises a bilingual keyboard and real-time multilingual audio output; Text Tutor, that deals with the written word and translates documents such as worksheets and parent letters; and in October 2010, a range of bilingual and multilingual school books is to be launched.

Manor Park Primary School is one of the first schools in Birmingham to use the Talking Tutor technology and the software has already been hailed as ‘invaluable’. The improvements in the quality of life for children who do not speak English as a first language (The Telegraph reports that this figure currently stands at close to one million) cannot be denied. But there are also other long-term advantages: children’s increased knowledge of and interest in other languages and cultures; the positive knock-on effects that this will have for school children throughout the UK in relation to their linguistic ability; and the early exposure to foreign languages in an educational context.

Talking Tutor has certainly gone to the top of the class in Manor Park Primary school and it is a powerful tool that looks set to combat social exclusion through access to language services in schools nationwide. Ten out of ten!

* English, Catalan, Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, Galician, German, Greek, Hindi, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish

Sources: The Birmingham Mail; The Telegraph; www.emasuk.com

As any language learner will tell you, idiomatic phrases are extremely difficult to master and to use in the correct context. And for translators, cultural transposition is often the only way forward as these phrases do not directly translate. In a bid to overcome this language barrier and improve patient care, a hospital in Norfolk is offering foreign nurses the chance to attend language classes about local dialects.

On 31 August 2010, the Guardian reported on this initiative and listed some of the phrases that have come up including, ‘pins and needles’ and ‘feeling under the weather’. It was stressed that the nurses attending the course have excellent skills in English, but need a few pointers when it comes to this particular aspect of the English language. It is hoped that these classes will avoid the situation whereby a patient was escorted to the shop, rather than to a toilet, to ‘spend a penny’.

Classes consist of an induction course and follow-up sessions where staff can discuss any other phrases that they have picked up on the wards and deal with “‘dialect, idiom and colloquialism, covering phrases such as ‘spick and span’, higgledy-piggledy’” and ‘tickled pink’.*

This topic also made an appearance in the Telegraph when it was reported how social media networks have been responsible for a UK-wide revival in regional dialects. It details that the speed of communication on these sites is such that people are ‘more likely to lapse into colloquialisms’, which in turn means higher visibility of these phrases on the Internet and therefore increases the speed at which they are picked up outside of the local community. Language is a constantly changing entity, but with the advent of social media sites such as Twitter and FaceBook, these dialects are spreading at a much higher rate than before.

Some interesting phrases listed in the article from the Independent include ‘dreckly’ meaning ‘directly’ (Cornwall); ‘scran’ meaning ‘food’ (Liverpool); ‘mardy’ meaning ‘moody’ (Manchester); ‘cob’ meaning ‘bread roll’ (Midlands) and ‘taraabit’ meaning ‘goodbye’ (Birmingham).

These idiomatic expressions and words from regional dialects often pose a barrier to fully understanding any foreign language. Directly tackling this problem by offering professional language courses is a step forward for the NHS in a bid to improve service users’ care. Providing linguistic information that may not usually be found in a dictionary, but which is certain to come up in everyday life is certainly a top notch initiative. Mint!

* www.guardian.co.uk/society (August 31 2010)

Sources: The Guardian, The Telegraph

In November 2010, the British Library will showcase an exhibition called Evolving English: One Language, Many Voices, that charts the 1,500-year history of the English language. The exhibition has been a three-year work in progress and will offer such gems as the first English dictionary; received pronunciation guides from the BBC; and ‘listening stations’ demonstrating the development of regional accents along with the Stanley Unwin’s made-up language of ‘Unwinese’. It is this combination of old and new, text and audio, print and new media, which makes it so exciting. Also in the news were reports that the next edition of the Oxford English Dictionary may only be available as an online resource.

The Guardian reported on this new exhibition and starting with print formats, it explained the delights on offer: the oldest copy of the Old English poem ‘Beowulf’ recorded 1,000 years ago; the first printed book in English dating from the 15th Century (Recuyell of the Historyes of Troye); the first English dictionary published in the 17th century; lists of slang words and their etymology; and a letter written by Henry V in the 15th century – significant because it is the first example of the English language being used by an English king.

More recent developments in the languages’ history include a 1920s BBC received pronunciation guide ‘in which broadcasters are told to pronounce combat as cumbat and housewifery as huzzifry’*; a Victorian pronunciation guide entitled ‘Poor Letter H’ in which the readership is advised not to drop their h’s (e.g. “‘house not ‘ouse’”*); and posters and comics throughout the years.

A poem dating from 1867 proves how the language used in text messages today originated from the 19th century: ‘I wrote 2 U B 4’ being one salient example. Here past and present meet, and in the same way, the exhibition also takes advantage of modern technology to present other examples of English language developments. Visitors are invited to read sections from selected texts for inclusion in a ‘sound archive’ that chronicles how regional accents have developed over time; an audio track offers examples of Stanley Unwin’s invented language ‘Unwinese’: an automotakaty (automatic) hit; and interactive workshops for schools aimed at developing skills in ‘language analysis and interpretation’ (www.bl.uk).

The English language was also in the news in August 2010 when it was announced that the next edition of the Oxford English Dictionary may only be available online. According to an article published in the Independent, the decline in demand for printed dictionaries combined with the increased demand for e-books is the reason behind this possible development. However, all is not lost for those who prefer the printed versions, as it is thought that it will be over a decade until a decision is made as the third edition is less than 30% completed.

The exhibition is the first of its kind and as Victorians and 20th century texters alike would say, it looks set to be a G8 experience!

* The Guardian

Sources: The Guardian; The Independent; British Library; Wikipedia (Stanley Unwin)

The increasing number of pupils entering the UK education system whose first language is not English can translate into a language barrier in the classroom that is extremely difficult to overcome, both for teachers and children alike. That is why a Birmingham school (whose student population speaks over 30 languages) has employed the services of Talking Tutor – an automatic translation tool that improves teacher-pupil communication and enables children and parents with English as a second language to enjoy better inclusion into school life.

Talking Tutor is just one of the numerous bilingual pedagogical resources that the organization EMAS UK has to offer. According to their website, the device currently supports over 10,000 teachers and 100,000 children in UK schools. Described as a ‘translating, speaking IWB (Interactive White Board) Avatar’, it covers 24 languages*, but openly welcomes requests for the provision of additional languages. The company name itself is linguistically rich: a combination of the Malay words ‘Emas’ and ‘Masuk’ that mean ‘Golden’ and ‘Welcome’ respectively.

Talking Tutor works whereby text typed into a computer is run through an automatic translator and text-to-speech software generates audio output in the form of an on-screen virtual tutor that speaks in the target language. A teacher, for example, would type a message in English, and the pupil would receive this message in their native language (and vice versa). It boasts a 95% accuracy rate and provides contextual rather than literal translations. It can also be used at parents’ evenings, in reception areas, and as a teaching aid in Modern Foreign Languages classes.

EMAS UK provides a host of multilingual teaching aids. There is the Resource Library that covers over 200 languages and which is updated both for content and additional languages on a monthly basis; the award-winning Two-Can-Talk communicator that comprises a bilingual keyboard and real-time multilingual audio output; Text Tutor, that deals with the written word and translates documents such as worksheets and parent letters; and in October 2010, a range of bilingual and multilingual school books is to be launched.

Manor Park Primary School is one of the first schools in Birmingham to use the Talking Tutor technology and the software has already been hailed as ‘invaluable’. The improvements in the quality of life for children who do not speak English as a first language (The Telegraph reports that this figure currently stands at close to one million) cannot be denied. But there are also other long-term advantages: children’s increased knowledge of and interest in other languages and cultures; the positive knock-on effects that this will have for school children throughout the UK in relation to their linguistic ability; and the early exposure to foreign languages in an educational context.

Talking Tutor has certainly gone to the top of the class in Manor Park Primary school and it is a powerful tool that looks set to combat social exclusion through access to language services in schools nationwide. Ten out of ten!

* English, Catalan, Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, Galician, German, Greek, Hindi, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish

Sources: The Birmingham Mail; The Telegraph; www.emasuk.com

Increased mobility in Europe has led the European Commission to launch a multilingual awareness-raising campaign informing passengers about their rights when travelling by air or rail. Covering 23 languages and unveiled on 29 June 2010 to coincide with the holiday season, the two-year scheme shall enable passengers throughout Europe to access this legal information in their native language and ultimately become better informed about their rights when abroad.

The European Commission press release states that even though legislation is already in place to ensure the same standard of customer care throughout the European Union, many passengers are unaware of their entitlements in this regard. Hence this recent campaign which involves 23 different languages, multilingual leaflets and posters at train stations and airports, and a new website that is available in every official EU language. Rights regarding lost or damaged luggage, delays and cancellations are dealt with and in the near future, it is anticipated that similar campaigns will be rolled out for other forms of transport.

Another service that suffers from a lack of awareness is the European-wide emergency telephone number, 112 – a number which can be called anywhere in the EU from both landlines and mobiles, with multilingual operators in place to take calls. According to a recent Eurobarometer survey, only 25% of EU citizens are able to identify this number and 10% of callers experience language problems when using the 112 service. This prompted the creation of European 112 Day which takes place every year on 11 February. The language initiatives involved in promoting this service include a website available in English, French, German, Italian, Polish and Spanish; and a website for children that is accessible in 23 languages and which includes a multilingual interactive quiz.

The languages available for the 112 service vary from country to country, along with awareness levels of the service itself. For example, the percentage of citizens aware of the 112 number range from 8% in the UK to 61% in the Czech Republic. In respect of languages offered (in addition to a country’s national languages) the UK and Sweden provide an interpreting service covering 170 languages and all major European languages respectively; operators in Finland speak Swedish and English, with French and German languages covered by interpreters; and in Romania, English and French is offered, with the additional facility to transfer a call to other emergency services that cover German, Hungarian, Italian, Russian and Spanish.

There is no doubt that hundreds of thousands of travellers across Europe will benefit from the awareness-raising campaigns of both initiatives. And taking into account the chaos caused by the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano in Iceland when volcanic ash brought Europe to a standstill earlier this year, the importance of proper translating and interpreting services, and easily accessible multilingual information cannot be stressed enough.

Sources: httpp://europa.eu

Improving access to language services is a vital component in tackling social exclusion and two new linguistic initiatives in the field of education are proving just how important a factor this is. Bilingual school children in the US are volunteering to translate and interpret in order to bridge the language gap between parents and teachers. Whilst for the many foreign national marriage migrants in South Korea who do not speak Korean as a first language, multilingual programmes in kindergartens involving mothers and children have managed to strengthen the bond between these women and their children.

In the United States, pupils from a high school in North Carolina are involved in voluntary language activities aiming to overcome the language barrier between parents whose first language is not English and the teachers from the school. According to a report by news site WCNC, 37% of the school’s children are Hispanic and many of these children’s parents do not speak fluent English. To tackle this problem, a Translation Club was set up, headed by the Spanish teacher, whereby students volunteer to translate parent notices, brochures and school announcements. Apparently, before the club was founded, many children had to translate these documents at home for their parents who do not speak fluent English.

WCNC do not report on the confidentiality issues involved in this type of volunteer translating, but it does state that the scheme has become extremely popular and has enabled some parents to become more involved in their child’s education. For the pupils involved in the Translation Club, it also adds an extra element to their bilingual skills through learning the processes involved in the art of translation.

Meanwhile in Seoul, South Korea, a scheme has been launched by Library Modoo. It involves migrant mothers and aims to strengthen the bond with their children and improve their integration into South Korean society. Korea.net estimate that the growing number of marriage migrants rose to 167,000 in 2009, and many of these women are hampered by a language barrier. However, Joongang Daily report that due to the difficulty in accessing language courses, and relatives’ reluctance to allow the children to learn their mother’s native language, many mothers are unable to use their mother tongue to communicate with their children. This has a knock on effect as the children are often ashamed of their mother’s lack of proficiency in the Korean language, and the mother’s themselves become further excluded from society.

Library Modoo offers a library with over 16,000 books written in the various languages spoken by the women known as marriage migrants and a space to pass on this language and cultural knowledge to their children through reading sessions and cultural activities. It is hoped that through these schemes, children will become more interested in learning their mother’s native language and the mothers themselves shall enjoy a better integration into Korean society. The library now contains books from eleven different countries, and the library rules are written in a minimum of five different languages including Arabic, Chinese, English, Korean and Vietnamese.

Furthermore, the library also offers the marriage migrants the chance to write and direct weekly puppet shows that deal with cultural stories from their native country. The language composition of these performances is 80% Korean and 20% of the mother’s native language. The women are responsible for writing and directing the shows, and also selling tickets – an aspect which enables them to carry out income-generating activities and rebuild their self-esteem.

Both schemes have proved popular, and in the case of Modoo library, (Modoo meaning “everybody” in Korean) its popularity is such that a further two schemes have been implemented.

Tackling social exclusion is a process involving more than merely addressing language issues. But building these linguistic bridges is often the first, and vital step in improving the quality of life for all concerned.

Sources: www.wcnc.com; www.joongangdaily.joins.com; www.korea.net

Speak Dating is a new method of language learning that has proved a hit in the United Arab Emirates. It is a similar event to speed dating, but languages are the main pull as opposed to romance. The first event took place in May in Dubai, and boasted an impressive eleven different language combinations including Arabic, Russian, Turkish and Urdu.*

Arabic is the official language of the United Arab Emirates, but with over 140 different nationalities living there, English has emerged as the lingua franca between members of this international community, which unfortunately means that there is not much scope for practising languages other than English. This was a stumbling block for Bénédicte Hennebo (the founder of Speak Dating, herself fluent in Dutch, English, French and Italian, and with a background in linguistics) when she moved to Dubai and wanted to learn Arabic. However, this situation prompted her to create Speak Dating – not only to improve efficiency in a foreign language, but also to promote a deeper understanding of other cultures.

 The event has already attracted a lot of media attention, including articles published on the Time Out and Gulf News websites, in which the format of the sessions is explained: The Shelter workspace centre in Dubai hosts the monthly meetings, where tables are set out with designated languages and teachers. Participants register by language interest and also state whether they will act as a teacher or a learner. Each teacher has a specific table, the learners move between them, and after a certain amount of time they swap roles. Partners are matched on suitable levels of language proficiency and meet up after the event to continue the language exchange and also to deepen their cultural knowledge.

One participant stated that he was already able to converse with more people in his workplace; another language couple realised they lived in the same block of flats which made it more convenient to arrange meetings; and a further couple have spent evenings at each other’s homes, speaking each other’s languages and experiencing each other’s cultures.

The organisers have stated that this event is not suitable for absolute beginners, as the focus is on “language practice” and furthering a person’s language skills. “A language exchange is also a wonderful way to learn the real spoken language and the foreign culture. Therefore, it is a great way to bridge the gap between the language classroom and the full immersion” states Speak Dating’s Facebook page.

Let’s hope that Speak Dating will be making its way over to the UK in the very near future!

*Time Out Dubai

Sources: www.timeoutdubai.com; www.gulfnews.com; www.shelter.ae; www.thenational.ae

The British Museum was the place to be this weekend for the live translation event. The format was simple, but nonetheless exciting: one text, two languages (French into English), two different translations, and two translators justifying the linguistic decisions behind their translation choices. And if this wasn’t enough, joining them on the stage was the author of the text himself! This is a luxury rarely afforded to translators and we are sure it provided for some passionate exchanges!

The event formed part of the World Literature Weekend organized by the London Review of Books. The live translation debate involved Sarah Ardizzone, Frank Wynne and was chaired by Daniel Hahn – all renowned translators. The author in question is Alain Mabanckou, a French-speaking Congolese author of international acclaim, who provided the short story. The London Review of Books website promised discussions on “How to balance spirit and accuracy?”; dealing with slang, puns and the dreaded “untranslatable words”; and cultural transposition was also on the agenda.

In her Guardian blog prior to the event, participating translator Sarah Ardizzone provided further background: out of the texts 56 sentences, the sole instance where both translations are identical is the following one-word phrase: “’Really?’”. The translators involved had not seen each others’ versions, as opposed to the Chair who had a copy of both texts – an element which surely added an extra spark to the proceedings! The audience were also provided with a copy of the source text and the two translated texts.

The Translation People eagerly await the post-event reports and will most definitely be signing up for next year’s event. But for translators, linguists, or book lovers, then Saturday afternoon at the British Museum was certainly the place to be this weekend!

Sources: “Walking the tightrope between translation and interpretation”; Sarah Ardizzone; www.guardian.co.uk

London Review Bookshop: www.lrbshop.co.uk

The profession of translating came under an unexpected spotlight when the film ‘Letters to Juliet’ was released earlier this month. Verona, Italy, (the setting of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’) provides the backdrop of the film and it is the city which is also home to The Juliet Club – a group of 15 volunteer translators that every year translate and respond to the thousands of letters addressed to ‘Juliet’, hailing from the broken-hearted from all corners of the world.

People have been leaving such letters at ‘Juliet’s supposed tomb’ since 1890’* and for over seventy years, The Juliet Group has been replying to these letters, which currently amount to some 6,000 per year. A variety of languages are covered internally including Arabic, French, Japanese, Russian and Spanish, but due to the popularity of their work, the group can rely on a vast network of volunteers ready to translate into any world language, as well as Braille.

Other linguistic initiatives in the city of Verona centred around the themes of love and romance include the ‘Writing for Love’ award which is an international prize awarded on a yearly basis for any written text dealing with the subject of love; and the ‘Cara Giulietta’ or ‘Dear Juliet’ prize which is the club’s own award for the ‘most compelling letter’ of the year, regardless of the letter’s source language.

‘Letters To Juliet’ is a film that looks set to warm the hearts of the romantically inclined the world over, whatever the language involved. And it has also provided an unexpected window into a profession where anonymity is usually key.

*The Times
Sources: The Times; Odeon Cinemas; The Juliet Club