Tag Archive for interpreters

Anthony | January 26, 2012
No comments

What does the Year of the Dragon mean for Chinese interpreters?

The Chinese are celebrating their New Year festival

 

This week the world celebrates Chinese New Year. 2012 is the year of the Dragon, when it is said in Chinese astrology, that big things and great fortune come to pass. For many Chinese interpreters working throughout the developed world, we predict that their services are set to become more valuable than ever, as the global community increases its reliance on China.

Despite a recent wobble in Chinese market performance, sustained by the persisting Eurozone crisis, there is little doubt that the tide of international prominence is turning towards China. European countries including the UK are desperately looking to court the Chinese, with most recently George Osborne offering the UK as an offshore platform from which the Chinese can trade their Renminbi currency.

The property boom in China may also be over, but the country remains the World’s factory, at a time when the developed and First World continues to readjust itself from the hangover of the 2008 financial crisis, with the economy growing at a rate of 8.9% per year. Other factors including strong company balance sheets, high levels of savings, favourable demographics, and ongoing urbanisation mean that international investors will continue to look at China as an ideal prospect, and business owners will still use the region as an offshore manufacturing base.

This of course offers great opportunities for linguists with Chinese as a language, based in the developed world. Not only can they facilitate smooth communication, they can act as a vital prism through which our differing cultures can be understood. The suspicion with which China views the rest of the world within diplomatic circles, and the wariness that Western governments show in their dealings with the Chinese leadership means that interpreters and translators have an invaluable role in keeping the channels of communication open and messages clear, especially as Chinese culture is increasingly embraced throughout the world.

The 20th Century is often referred to as The American Century, as the World’s first superpower emerged from the rubble of the European and Asian empires. It is beginning to look likely that the 21st Century will be dominated by the rising health and wealth of China. As the developed world comes to terms with this power shift, demand for Chinese speaking experts will only grow, offering a new avenue of work for the many Chinese people who have moved to the West to improve their knowledge and skills.

The importance of a good Chinese interpreter will only increase in the years to come, and 2012 could be the year when it all began.

 

 

 

Category: Cultures, Interpreting, Languages | Tags: , , , ,
Emma | September 27, 2011
One comment

Required skills for translators and interpreters

Interpreting

There's more to interpreting and translation than you think.

This is a guest post from Sarah, a blogger for Pimsleur Approach who provides language learning programs such as Pimsleur French and Pimsleur German.

Interpreting is easy, right? All you have to do is translate the words from one language into another. If you were born into a bilingual home, this should be a breeze!

Wrong. Both interpreting and translating require not only fluency in two languages but a deep grasp of concepts, tones, and intention as well. A good interpreter is an artist, retaining the feel of a message as it moves from one language to another. Employers will pay well for virtuoso performances.

Interpreting and translating are a little different. Interpreters work mainly with spoken words while translators work with written texts. They rely on very different skill sets and lead down diverging career paths. Simultaneous interpreters must be good at listening, thinking fast, and anticipating the end of a speaker’s sentence while consecutive interpreters translate after a block of text has been completed, often taking notes as they go. The former might sit in a booth at the UN, speaking to diplomats directly, while the latter might work on the set of Law and Order. Or, you know, as a legal interpreter for a client who doesn’t speak English.

Translators often work from home and must have a firm grasp of the written word in both languages. Translating work is subtler, requiring the translator to capture an author’s voice and flow while also keeping abreast of any cultural references that will need explaining. Think, for a moment, how many different synonyms there are for the word “hungry.” An interpreter must draw on the first that comes to mind, while a translator can take more time to carefully choose the most fitting word.

Both careers generally require a bachelor’s degree to rise to the top of the profession, and those who specialize will have the best opportunities for career growth. This might mean going for a dual degree in another subject like, for instance, law, in order to become a judiciary interpreter. Medical interpreters likewise do best when also trained in that field, and can fill a variety of roles from bedside interpreter to translator of brochures, and pharmaceutical labels.

Perhaps the most coveted and competitive kind of interpreting work takes place at conferences put on by anyone from the United Nations to a corporation.  Conference interpreters can work both behind the scenes to prepare materials for the event and the day of. For interpreters looking to travel, being a guide accompanying US visitors abroad can also be exciting work. Localization translators are currently high in demand, as many global companies need help translating the documents for their products into English. Here again knowledge of the local culture is key to avoiding internet memes like Engrish.com.

Earnings are generally middle class, though top earners can bring in nearly $80,000 per year. Hours are flexible for freelancers, and the demand for both interpreters and translators is sure to grow as the world becomes ever more connected. If you’re currently learning your second language, you can better your career prospects by paying close attention to the interpretation needs in the country of your choice. For instance, the United States will see increases in the need for Spanish language interpreters as the population continues to grow. Gaelic, not so much.

A career in this industry can be both stimulating and rewarding. And, hey, if Ikea ever decides to put words in their instruction manuals, you’ll be golden!

Category: Interpreting, Languages, Translation | Tags: ,
nick_weir | July 19, 2010
2 comments

The many impacts of “Interpreter Did Not Attend” (DNA).

We are often asked by potential customers, and  users of our services, how we assess the cost and impact of an interpreter not attending an assignment (for whatever reason).

Unfortunately, such occurrences (we call them “Did Not Attend” or DNA for short), however rare, go hand in hand with any work associated with travelling to and from various places of work.  With face to face interpreting, even an unavoidable “no-show” will carry a direct cost, however there are also numerous, and less obvious indirect costs – for all parties concerned.

Interpreter did not attend

Waiting Game: The costs of interpreter no-shows go beyond initial, more obvious inconveniences

The cost to the non-English speaker

The primary purpose of face to face interpreting is to enable communication for non-English speakers in order for them to easily access front-line services, such as a doctor’s appointment.  A patient may have been waiting to see a specialist for a long period of time and if the Interpreter does not attend for any reason, the patient may miss out on their appointment completely, which they will have to then reschedule.

On a more serious note, a DNA occurrence might mean that a patient’s illness may go undiagnosed.

To put this in perspective for a Police assignment, a victim of a crime may not be able to provide a witness statement, which could result in a criminal not being convicted.  If you consider the cost of language services to the taxpayer, this would be one cost that simply couldn’t be quantified.

The cost to the customer

There will be a clinical cost to the NHS, for example, if a nuclear medicine appointment cannot go ahead there are huge costs involved.

The NHS also has national targets to hit, and missed appointments will contribute negatively to their results, showing the respective trust or hospital as under-performing.  It is worth pointing out that other patients could be seen at this point, which adds to these ‘inefficiencies’.

A DNA for an assignment at a Police station would mean that a potentially dangerous suspect may have to be released.  The Police only have 24 hours to interview suspects before being legally obliged to release detainees without charge in most instances, so this cost has a societal impact which again is not quantifiable.

The cost to the Interpreter

An Interpreter’s reputation is built on reliability, both in terms of their language proficiency as well as their record of fulfilling assignments.  A DNA can damage an Interpreter’s reputation and should they require references in future, this could be restricted depending on the circumstances of their DNA.

Even before requiring a reference, the customer may request that the interpreter who did not attend their assignment is not used again for the same contract.  Additionally, the service provider may choose stop working with the Interpreter.  These instances can severely affect an Interpreter’s income.

The Interpreting Service Provider

The old adage is that a language service provider’s name is only as good as the quality of its linguists which, means more often than not, a DNA will damage a service provider’s reputation.

The service provider may also face financial penalties if these are pre-agreed with the customer and, depending on the severity of the DNA from the customer’s perspective, they may also lose a contract due to service level agreements and key performance indicators not being met.

Category: Business Management, Interpreting | Tags: , , , , ,
samp | November 5, 2009
No comments

Free Translations for Trade Shows

Trade show phrasebook

Trade show phrasebook

Download our free trade show phrasebooks

If you’ve ever been at an international trade show or exhibition and found your language skills weren’t as good as you’d like, we thought we’d help you out.

We’ve gathered a series of questions, introductions and greetings you’ll find useful at your next event and translated them in to eight different languages. We’ve even included a pronunciation guide to help you out.

The phrasebooks come in two flavors for you to download and print out:

Chinese, French, Korean and Portuguese
German, Japanese, Spanish and Italian

So the next time you want to give a German speaker your business card – Hier ist meine Visitenkarte, or ask an Italian speaker which company they are from – Per quale azienda lavora? Remember we can help!

If you think you’re going to need more than a few basic phrases we can also supply you with a professional Interpreter. Our trade show Interpreters are available around the globe in any language you require.

Drop our Interpreting Team an email to interpreting@appliedlanguage.com if you’d like more information.

Category: Free Translation, Translation | Tags: , ,