A school in South Dakota has turned to automatic text-to-speech translation to deliver messages to parents who do not speak English as a first language. Due to rolled out in the 2010–2011 school year, AlertNow is a multilingual service that looks set to become an indispensable communication aid for parents and teachers alike.

AlertNow provides audio services in 20 different languages and an email communication facility powered by automatic translation in five languages. The school currently uses a monolingual messaging system in English and in the past, translators and interpreters had been used to provide selected messages in Spanish. However, with a student population that includes more than 50 languages other than English that are spoken in the family home, the time had come to improve the school’s linguistic services.

The new system covers 20 languages, including Chinese, Russian and Spanish, and new languages are added on a yearly basis. Households choose a language preference from the list available and there is also a ‘multilingual automated attendance’ feature.

However, The Argus Leader website reports that not all language barriers will be overcome: three of the five most popular languages (Arabic, Somali and Swahili) will not be available; and as the system generates alerts using automatic translation, the school has readily admitted that these messages will be ‘literal’ and may not ‘make perfect sense’ to the recipient.

The pitfalls of automatic translation are well documented, but in emergency situations (the article cites the example of when a school lockdown was necessary following reports of a person carrying a gun outside a local school) machine translation is often the only option and ultimately better than no translation at all. And in a sector where funds are tight and interpreters are not always readily available, any improvements in multilingual communication are sure to be a welcome addition to the school community.

AlertNow allows schools to increase their language provisions, and enables parents whose first language is not English to be further included in their child’s education. The accuracy of the translations will improve with prolonged use and feedback, and with additional languages being added in the future, this is certainly a step in the right direction for multilingual communication in the education sector.

Sources: www.argusleader.com ; www.alertnow.com

While politicians in Britain have been pounding the pavement up and down the UK over the last month, key players in the translation technology industry have been presenting a manifesto of a different sort as they try to secure their part in the future of the European Commission’s translation strategy. As decision makers in the “Language Resources” department debate where to mark X on the ballot paper, we examine some of the contenders and what their products could mean for the future of the Commission.

March this year saw the second Language Technology Day take place and was attended by delegates representing different initiatives under consideration by the Language Resources team. The Commission, like the rest of industry, is focussed on one hot topic: machine translation versus computer aided human translation. Some stakeholders argued in favour of harnessing the billions of words already translated in one central TM, other extolled the cost savings that machine translation could generate. However, both sides seem to be in favour of developing one central translation resource for every translator working for the European Union. The benefits are clear, principally in the form of cost savings and increased efficiency, but with the knock on effect that thousands of words that may previously have been considered too expensive or time consuming to translate could then be translated due to improved access to resources. This is particularly significant for less widely spoken languages such as Irish and Maltese, for which the Commission has less translation data.

Key players such as TAUS Data Agency, ELRA (European Language Resource Association), CLARIN (Common Language Resources and Technology Infrastructure) and META-NET presented their experiences of sharing language resources across borders. As these projects move on from the pilot phases, national governments will consider whether to share their own language resources with EU translation departments, and if so, how much information to make available. Supported by EU funding, the principal aim of the project run by CLARIN is not to develop new technology, but to maximise the amount of centrally held information in order to increase efficiency. Other bodies, such as META-NET are involved in developing an infrastructure to support such an enormous amount of data and establishing a standard format to facilitate consolidation of the information.

With 100 million Euros earmarked for the project, the decision is not one that the EC Information Society and Media Directorate will be taking lightly. As the campaign for support draws to a close, the winner has yet to be announced, but it is certain that the outcome will have a considerable impact on the future of the EU’s translation strategy.

The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Translation employs over 1700 translators spread across 23 different language departments and covering all the official languages of the EU. These translation departments play a vital role in ensuring successful communication both internally and externally, between various governmental organisations as well as with any member of the public needing their help. The EC’s translation departments exist in order to allow any person in Europe to understand and participate in correspondence, legislation and ongoing European debates in whatever language they choose. As a result of this desire to provide any documentation or communication in each official language the EC are currently planning to take on more English translators, but how many people will actually make the grade in this challenging environment?

In a busy year the EC’s translation department can be responsible for translating some 2 million pages of copy. Approximately 75% of the documentation printed by the EC is written in English, and as a result the English translation department generally work with a whole variety of different documents. According to in-house translator, Rosie Morfey these documents can be anything from in-house random facts on French cheese specialities one week to greenhouse gas emissions the next .

In spite of this interesting work it is seemingly difficult to recruit new translators whose skills match those required by the EC translation departments. In general, there has been a significant reduction in the numbers of students electing to study foreign languages and pursue a career in translation. Combine this with the ill conceived attitude that knowing English is enough and the result is a severe shortage of highly qualified English translators at the EC’s disposal. Along with the need for translators to be highly proficient in their source and target language, their role demands much more. There is also the need for editors, speechwriters and web writers. It has been reported that in the next 5 years around 20% of the current English translators are due to retire; this leaves a large gap in the EC’s English translation department which needs to be filled. According to the EC being a translator in one of their departments will ensure you enjoy ‘well-paid, interesting, varied work’ hopefully this will encourage students to study languages and consider a career in translation.

The EU has moved closer to providing full and proper access to language services for citizens involved in criminal proceedings in Member States. A draft Directive to improve and standardise the provision of translation and interpreting services was advanced yesterday when it was announced that the initiative put forward by 13 Member States in 2009 had received the backing of the EP Civil Liberties Committee and that talks could now take place with the Council.

The move is supported by Human Rights organisations and language professionals across Europe. Not only does it provide for unhindered access to linguistic services for suspects, it also requires Member States to adopt systems for training, qualification and accreditation for translators and interpreters. A database of qualified professionals will be created – a resource which will be made available to the relevant legal personnel on a ‘cross-border’ basis.

The Directive will also bring about changes in the implementation of the controversial European Arrest Warrant (EAW) and hopefully put an end to the miscarriages of justice which prevail when citizens are stripped of their language rights (e.g. the Polish suspect denied access to written translations of evidence against him in French court). The press release also listed further welcome changes: ‘video links, telephone or internet access may be employed as a “last resort”’ when translators / interpreters are not immediately to hand (such as in emergency situations, but not suitable for court proceedings); language services will be provided along the entire timeline of criminal proceedings; and those with physical or learning disabilities will receive proper assistance. Finally, the cost will be borne by the Member State rather than the individual – giving all citizens, regardless of wealth, equal access to the justice system.

An article published in Spanish newspaper El País on 6 April 2010 also raises similar concerns for Spain’s legal system. It was reported that Basque lawyer and Ombudsman, Mr Iñigo Lamarca, called for a network of translators and interpreters to be created which would give the Basque Administration the ability to provide proper language services to immigrants who cannot speak Spanish or Euskara. It is said that these services are often ‘improvised’ and therefore compromise ‘confidentiality, linguistic accuracy and cultural sensitivities’ and impair a person’s right to free speech.

With a decision on the EU Directive expected in June, it would appear that the fundamental right to full and proper access to language services will soon become a reality for every citizen, in every Member State.

Sources: www.europarl.europa.eu/ ; www.elpais.com

There are a lot of global and international companies which operate in many countries and although a company’s philosophy may focus on creating consistency throughout the company, sometimes certain adaptations will need to be made for a product or translation to be acceptable locally.

Glocalisation is often the key to the success of global acceptance. Glocalisation is a combination of ‘globalisation’ and ‘localisation’ and means to think globally, whilst also acting locally. Glocalisation means taking a global product or service and delivering it to anywhere in the world by adapting it to suit the specific local target area.

There are a number of ‘global’ companies that have adapted their products to suit a local market. McDonalds is famous throughout the world and is a truly global company. When McDonalds penetrated the Indian market they did so by changing their ‘standard’ menu to include items such as the McAloo Tikki Burger, to ensure they were locally recognised whilst they continued to maintain their standard global menu.

McAloo Tikki Burger

Failures in glocalisation normally arise because the item/service isn’t either needed or locally accepted, it’s normally the latter. Maybe the item/service caused offence or wasn’t to the local taste.

Here at The Translation People we offer much more than a standard translation service. We work closely with our client to ensure that their translations allow global coverage, whilst still respecting the local market. For advice on glocalisation or translation services, please contact us today.

Two very different dictionaries have been in the spotlight this month both in Spain and the UK. Compiled by an ex-prisoner and available online, the popularity of a prison slang dictionary has soared to such an extent that it is being used as a training resource by the government in Valencia. Whilst in the UK, an online glossary of educational terminology has been published in a bid to increase understanding of the specialised language used in the field of education.

The author of the prison slang dictionary is Jorge de la Hidalga – former business man, ex-prisoner and writer of a blog dealing with prison life. Through daily instalments, the blog provides an insight into serving time in a penal institution. The dictionary is a work in progress which started 18 months ago. Recording the slang which is commonly used by prisoners, it was created in order to enable online followers to understand the blog’s text.

Some of the words included in the glossary include ‘pecera’ (goldfish bowl/fish tank) and ‘perrera’ (kennel) which are used to describe the glass-fronted isolated rooms where prison officials work in the units. In an article published by Spanish website 20minutos.es, De la Hidalga explains the etymology of the vocabulary: ‘Some of the words originate from the Romany language; others are derived specifically from old prison vocabulary. There are other examples such as ‘guachimán’ (watchman) which come from South American Spanish and are phonetically similar to other English words’.

The popularity of this language guide has led to its inclusion on a government-backed training course in Valencia for volunteers who teach inmates the necessary skills for reintegration into the workplace. Twenty such volunteers from firms such as KPMG and BBVA have just finished training and are now qualified to assist with CV writing, how to succeed at job interviews, job seeking strategies and setting up a business.

De la Hidalga also offers advice to the volunteers to facilitate their confident integration into the prison community and improve relations with their new students. Alicante and Castellón prisons will also benefit from the programme in the future and the prison slang dictionary plays a vital part in this process.

Another dictionary which has been in headlines is the online resource ‘A Brief Critical Dictionary of Education’ created by Dr Donald Gillies from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. The press release dated 4 March details how it comprises more than 1,000 words and phrases for vocabulary in an educational context and is thought to be the first of its kind. ‘Making these terms clear and accessible can help to increase understanding of educational theory and practice. The key here is ease of use – for this reason, the definitions have been kept brief’ states Dr Gillies. Some salient examples as reported by The Times include the following: Liminality – ‘a term for the experience of transition where one is on the threshold of a new experience or environment and encounters uncertainty, disorientation and a loss of identity’; and Acculturation – ‘the process of acquisition of values and customs of the social group into which an individual enters.’ It also deals with the distinctions between the terms ‘pupil’ and ‘student’.

These two resources are extremely interesting to linguists, translators and interpreters alike as they offer expert views on specialist language areas in accessible formats. It is true that both works differ in both style and content, but ultimately, their aims remain the same: communication, understanding and inclusion.