Global Translation Services at the Olympic Games

The Olympics is one of the most renowned sporting events in history. Although a fierce competition between athletes at their peak, the games provide countries with a forum to set aside their differences and come together through the power of sport.  This requires superior global translation services. There are three official languages for the Olympic Games: French, English, and the language of the host country. Therefore, the Olympic translation team of professional linguists must work hard under a strict schedule to translate documents (such as menus and medical records) and signage (such as train stop signs and on-field screens) related to the Games into all of the official languages; a process which begins roughly one month before the Games begin. Despite its tediousness, this process provides the essential function of allowing the Games to run smoothly by ensuring that athletes receive the correct information in their home language.

Olympic Interpreting

In addition to the efforts of translators, interpretation services play a critical role during the games. Given the fact that the Olympic Games feature athletes from over 200 countries, interpreters are vital to bridging cultural and linguistic barriers between participants. For instance, between the various Olympic venues and the countries’ separate locker rooms, a “mixed zone” exists where participants from different countries travel to their respective venues. Working in this zone can prove difficult for even the most skilled linguist, as interpreters in this zone often help to prevent misunderstandings or confusion that can lead to scuffles between athletes (events which have occurred in the past). Additionally, Olympic interpreters provide video interpretation and conference interpreting services by interpreting press conferences, medal ceremonies, and International Olympic Committee meetings.

A Critical Shortage

In spite of the importance of Olympic interpreters, the size of the event often places strain on the supply of professional interpreters. This strain demands that the Olympic Committee find volunteer interpreters and create new solutions to help fill the void. For the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, over 80,000 volunteers are required for the event. To find potential candidates, Tokyo universities have launched a recruitment program featuring intensive language training classes and crash-courses in sports terminology for qualified students. In order to improve efficiency and compensate for staff shortages, the Olympic Committee has also created a new centralized simultaneous interpretation system for the Tokyo Games to translate all events into the three official languages for T.V. audiences around the globe.

Technological Developments

Finally, Japan plans to debut a new pocket translation device at the Games that provides simultaneous translation from Japanese to English at the touch of a button, reducing the need for interpreters at the event. Although developers are still fine-tuning the technology, the device has significantly improved the speed of Japanese to English translation, which can prove challenging due to their differences in sentence structure. Clearly, while the Tokyo Olympics presents many challenges, these new developments promise a bright future for global translation services and interpretation for the Games.

How a Government Interpreter Helps Keep the Peace in a Chaotic World

Effective communication is critical to diplomacy. However, clear communication becomes even more important to diplomatic affairs when the parties involved do not speak the same language. Enter the conference interpreting services of the U.N. Interpretation Service. Born during the 1946 Nuremberg Trials when the sheer number of Nazi war criminals required efficient legal translation services to quickly move the proceedings forward, the interpretation services of the U.N. play a critical role in the perilous realm of global affairs. In a world dominated by major nuclear powers such as the U.S. and China, translation errors can lead to misunderstandings that increase tensions. One notable error occurred during the Cold War when a line from a speech by Nikita Khrushchev was literally interpreted by Western translators as “we will bury you” rather than the more figurative “we will outlast you”. Thus, the U.N. goes to great lengths to find the best government interpreter candidates for their Interpretation Service.

Becoming a UN Government Interpreter

Becoming a U.N. government interpreter requires calm under pressure, speed, and fluency in at least three of the six official languages of the U.N. (Mandarin, French, Russian, English, Arabic and Spanish). To ensure fast and accurate translation, interpreters use a relay system to quickly transform a speaker’s remarks into each of the official languages of the U.N. Under this system, 12 interpreters in 6 booths (for each official language) work in tandem, taking breaks in 20 minute intervals due to the taxing nature of the job. For instance, if a U.N. delegate is delivering a speech in Arabic, a government interpreter fluent in Arabic will translate the speech into English or French for other interpreters who specialize in the other official languages of the U.N.  These interpreters will then transmit to the delegates on the floor. This task can prove difficult for even the most experienced translators, especially when world leaders fail to speak in one of the official languages.  During one notable meeting of the U.N. General Assembly, Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi spoke for over an hour and a half in a Libyan dialect of Arabic, causing his personal translator to collapse from exhaustion.

Interpreter Shortages

Understandably, the U.N. Interpretation Service is highly selective when it comes to hiring new interpreters; in 2009, only 10 out of 1,800 candidates for Chinese interpretation passed the U.N. language examination. In spite of the Service’s selectivity, in recent years, the U.N. has introduced new hiring initiatives to find interpreters fluent in critical languages such as Arabic, as many long-time U.N. interpreters have reached retirement age. Currently, the U.N. Interpretation Service employs 120 interpreters out of its total staff of 460 people.  This staff also includes professional linguists, who translate documents related to U.N. activities. Clearly, the U.N. Interpretation Service provides a crucial function for humanity by demonstrating the importance of global translation services to maintaining civil international relations between countries.

Language Training in the World of Intelligence

On August 25^th, 2011, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta delivered a landmark speech at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC). Yet instead of extolling the military capabilities of the United States and the virtues of diplomatic action, Panetta praised an important yet unsung aspect of American power: foreign language training. As a former congressman during the Carter administration for the Presidio of Monterey, home to the DLIFLC, Panetta recognized the importance of language and global translation services to national security early on in his career as a public servant and worked hard to secure funds for the DLIFLC, a critical part of the Marine installation at Monterey. As Defense Secretary during the Obama administration, Panetta continued his work in Congress by introducing new language initiatives to increase the number of government interpreter jobs within the State Department and raising salaries for those with language skills. Clearly, the United States has made language training a major priority in recent years.

Inside The DLIFLC

The U.S government offers a variety of language training programs for members of its intelligence community. However, the program at the DLIFLC is perhaps the largest. Founded in 1963, the DLIFLC offers language training services for members of the military and intelligence communities. At the center, students are required to study over 30 hours in the classroom and at home every week in preparation for the Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT). The duration of the program depends on the difficulty of the language. In order to classify languages by difficulty, the center separates languages into groups, with Group I languages being the easiest to learn and Group IV languages being the most difficult. According to the center, Group I languages like Spanish require 780 hours of instruction and practice to master while Group IV languages like Arabic require about 1,950 hours.

A Lucrative Career in Language Training

Despite the rigor of the coursework at DLIFLC, the program provides an indispensable service for the U.S. intelligence community by training language professionals to carry out U.S. foreign policy objectives. Students at the DLIFLC work in virtually every intelligence-related agency from the NSA to the CIA. Yet not all work as clandestine officers; in fact, many students end up working as open source officers who specialize in analyzing public media in foreign countries or as instructors at private language service companies. The NSA also hires many students of the center to provide government translation services, as much of its work involves combing the Internet for suspicious activity on American soil and abroad. Careers in this line of work can be very lucrative. For instance, the CIA offers a bonus of $35,000 for new hires; a figure that any professional translator would envy.

What Salaries can Court Interpreter Training Lead To?

Have you ever considered if you might like to become a court interpreter? You can help individuals with limited English access justice.  You’ll also play an important part in our legal system. Court interpreter training can lead to a career path that’s exciting, impactful, and steady.  Not every job that is exciting and impactful will pay well, though—and in the end, that’s pretty vital. A job that you love, but don’t get paid enough at, is simply not sustainable in the long-run. After all, a job is just as much about paying one’s bills as it is about doing satisfying, purposeful work. Luckily, having a legal interpreter certification can be lucrative as well as rewarding! Read on for more information about the compensation for this profession and how you can become an interpreter.

Court Interpreter Training Can Lead to a Full Bank Account

Court interpreter classes can help you to start a career that pays decently, no matter what experience level is.  The average annual salaries for federal and state staff court interpreters run from $30,000 all the way up to $80,000. Of course, these numbers will vary based on how much experience somebody has, as well as the languages he or she is fluent in. A language that is in high demand or an uncommon language can yield a better rate for an interpreter.  Someone who is fresh out of court interpreter courses will obviously be paid towards the lower end of the scale at first. With less than five years of experience, it’s possible to earn an average of $40,000 a year. Some interpreters with degrees, a command of languages that are unusual or in high demand, and plenty of experience and certifications, earned as much as $90,610 per year in 2017!

What Does Court Interpreter Training Involve? 

If the financial growth potential and these salaries sound exciting to you, then here are some tips for how to secure court interpreter jobs. To begin, you’ll need to have earned a BA or BS. Unfortunately, a court will not hire you without one. The next step is to take court interpreter training. Language Connections offers a 7-week course that is fairly priced and will prepare you to succeed in the field. We also prep you for the next step: an entry exam that is administered by the trial court in each state. You can find more information about exam dates and how to register for one on the relevant state government website.

How emotional training can support a business interpreter

In general, interpreters are described as “a bridge” or “intermediary.” Due to this expectation, they must be objective and impassive in order to convey messages precisely. This is one of the most challenging parts of the job due to its intimate nature and unpredictability. A business interpreter specifically is not just subject to a corporate environment. In certain cases, a corporate interpreter and global translators working for international companies may be required to travel to foreign countries that are considered high risk due to war or political instability. For these situations, emotional training can support business interpreters as they navigate difficult situations.  They will do far better when they have the proper tools to remain calm and perform their job to the best of their abilities.

Government interpreters working in dangerous countries

For all the risk they encounter, the reward is high for interpreters in war-torn countries.  In conflict zones, interpreters can save lives! On more than one occasion, local interpreters have been responsible for saving a military unit from landmines and dangerous paths.  They can be the first to identify suspicious behavior due to the cultural familiarity. Interpreting in conflict zones is extremely stressful due to the high-risk factor.  Additionally, it can also be challenging when the message must be withheld or modified due to censorship or strict societal values.

One of the most dangerous civilian jobs is translating Arabic for the U.S. military in Iraq. Not only are these interpreters at risk because of the war-torn environment.  They are also exposed to threats because they are seen as traitors by insurgents. As a result, the U.S. military began hosting these interpreters within military bases like Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone.

Types of interpreting assignments that are high-risk for a business interpreter

Interpreting requires patience, skill and courage in any of its specialties.  Each one has its own level of risk. For example, Court Interpreters must work closely and carefully with criminals—some of whom may be violent.  They are subject to threats just like the business interpreters working in conflict zones. Medical interpreters are exposed to diseases and constant contact with people who come from all over the world.  However, they are also aware of the crucial role they play in these life-or-death scenarios. For interpreters working in high-risk situations, it is important to receive the proper preparation in order to perform adequately. After a certain point, a business interpreter can become so engaged that after working in a stressful or upsetting situation, they are unable to detach from it.  Simply witnessing the trauma of the moment can make them an active, scarred participant. Taking this into account, some employers might provide regular therapy sessions to cope with the array of different situations that might deeply affect a business interpreter on a personal level.

The Correlation Between Music and Language Training

Language service companies have developed a variety of classes and programs for language training over the years. However, few have seized upon the possibility of using music to promote language learning. Although it’s not obvious, a strong relationship exists between music and language. First and foremost, music functions in a similar structural way to a language.  Just as words can be thought of as the building blocks of a language, groups of notes combine to form phrases and, eventually, songs. Additionally, music and language both serve communicational purposes (with music’s main purpose being the conveyance of emotion). Perhaps most interestingly, music and language are processed in the same part of the brain: Broca’s area in the left hemisphere frontal lobe. This region of the brain is critical to the processing of sentences and, according to a recent study, also helps musicians understand musical phrases, as musicians tend to have more brain matter in Broca’s area as compared to those who never studied music.

Language Training in Finland

These connections suggest that music and language are strongly linked neurologically. Yet can music fuel language learning? Take the example of Finland. In this Scandinavian nation, children are exposed to music when they are infants using the Musiikkileikkikoulu method.  This method uses games to teach important musical concepts. Although Finnish children begin language training at the later age of nine, the average Finnish adult speaks a whopping three to five languages; a testament to the power of music’s ability to kick-start language learning.

Language Training in Germany

A 2011 study conducted by researchers from Justus-Liebig University also illustrates the benefits of musical training to language learning. For the study, German preschoolers were split into two groups.  One group received musical training, while the other did not. The results were astounding. The group of preschoolers who received musical training showed a significant improvement in their ability to process language, compared to the group who did not attend music lessons.  These results further demonstrate the neurological linkages between music and language training.

Drawing Conclusions

Finally, music can also help to improve vocabulary and grammar knowledge.  According to a 2010 study, researchers found that those who took music lessons before turning seven years old displayed higher vocabulary comprehension in addition to increased grammatical abilities compared to those who did not study music. Clearly, music and language are highly connected through structural similarities as well as within the brain. Perhaps this could demonstrate the potential of music to help language professionals in industries, such as professional business translation, global translation services, conference interpreting services, or even government translation services.

Current translation trends: Video Translation

Since online content has become 80% of how businesses share content, video translation is now an import service for more multinational companies. In the past, videos became increasingly popular for e-learning material within organizations. As both the staff and the business become more culturally diverse, translation services are a key component for smooth operations. Now, it’s becoming a necessary channel for product visibility and brand awareness. Considering the fact that 70% of Youtube users are not living in the US and most of them do not speak English, professional translation will certainly be in demand for content and video marketing strategies.

Video translation for internal and external business operations

As firms continue to grow and expand their outreach to other regions, e-learning will continue to thrive. As an essential tool for organizations to create online training, there is a growing need for e-learning translation. Additionally, it is extremely common for videos to be played back without sound, which also creates a demand for subtitles. As more countries become connected through the internet, the more languages are required and the main way for language companies to succeed in the evolving industry is to become a steady part within the content delivery loop. Furthermore, as video content grows more sophisticated, the best translation company will be the one that translates the experience as much as the content. Companies will want to adapt content both culturally, as well as linguistically.

Video Localization will help international companies

As companies reach out to other countries, and the U.S. immigrant population increases, companies will face the impact by having staff, partners and customers from many different countries. In other words, in-house resources will require professional business translation services for contract translation among other business documents.  This is all in addition to marketing localization services for video translations and even website localization.

Furthermore, adapting external content will certainly go beyond translating for subtitles, as  videos for marketing purposes must be localized in order to properly accomplish brand awareness as companies target international consumers. Translation companies will become a key component for the international business landscape, since a culturally tailored message will have a stronger impact in any given market. As a result, this will position translation, as well as localization capabilities, at the forefront of business strategy and marketing objectives.

What languages are in high demand for legal and court interpreter jobs?

Across the country, the job outlook for interpreters and translators will see an 18% increase over the next 5 years.  This is largely because there is a diverse population that requires legal representation and the immigrant presence in the US is only increasing.  In fact, court interpreter jobs are so abundant that many untrained professionals are being hired for niche or rare languages, like indigenous languages from Mexico. To become a court interpreter it’s important to have a strong command of English and the target language, as well as a strong understanding of the US legal system and legal terminology.  The high barrier that this expertise, often referred to as “legalese,” poses, explains why some states have a large concentration of speakers of certain language groups and yet still has a shortage of court interpreters for that group. Legal interpreter training is necessary to acquire a legal interpreter certification or a court interpreter certification. Additionally, each state has its own requirements and certification process. For example, a court interpreter in Massachusetts would need a state court interpreter certification to work.  It’s also recommended that they specialize in any of following language pairs: Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian and Haitian Creole (since they are in high demand). These language groups are predominant in the East Coast and the need for competent legal interpreters and translators who have mastered them is growing consistently.

Languages and Court Interpreter Jobs by State

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top states with court interpreter jobs are California, Virginia, New York, Texas and Arizona. Although, there are three main languages that are generally in demand­- Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese- different language groups are growing in each state. For starters, In California and Virginia, there is a growing need for Tagalog and Korean for court interpreters. On the other hand, in Texas, the court interpreter jobs are now seeing an ever-increasing demand for Punjabi, Tagalog and Simplified Chinese. Similarly, in New York, court interpreters are required for Punjabi, Urdu and Bengali. Additionally, there has been an increase in the indigenous languages of Mexico and Central America like Quiche, Mam, Nahuatl, Tlapaneco, and Mixteco.  Considering the fact that most people who speak these languages cannot interpret directly into English, they must resort to relay interpreting: first to Spanish, then English. In Arizona, due to the large population of refugees that have been sent over the past 20 years, the top languages for court interpreter jobs are Arabic for Iraqi, Somali and the Sudanese populations, as well as Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian from Bosnia.  The largest group in Arizona is roughly 10,507 Vietnamese refugees.

Language Demand and Immigration Patterns

Some groups are more predominant in specific areas due to historical immigration trends. In Massachusetts, the largest population of Portuguese Americans is on the East Coast, since they originally settled in Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. New York and Chicago hold the largest population of Indians in the US. As of 2013, the largest immigrant populations are from India or China, supplanting Mexico as the top source of newly arriving immigrants. This has a direct effect on court interpreter jobs, considering the “top languages” will be constantly shifting depending on immigrant concentration and education.

Professional translating for the top 3 fictional languages

Over the years, the scope for language service companies has broadened in an unexpected way because of the outreach of entertainment and the ability of linguists to create and develop fictional languages. Considering a fictional language is often equally as standardized and complex as any official language, it reminds us that languages are nothing but an improvisation. Fictional languages are generally created by writers, professors of philology, linguistics, and lexicographers. Dating back to the 1800’s with the creation of Esperanto, language creation has become increasingly popular. Nowadays, many fictional languages can be learned and there are even global translation services working in these languages. The 3 most popular fictional languages are:

1. Elvish

A language created by JRR Tolkien, the author of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Tolkien was a philologist, lexicographer and an author who spent decades developing Quenya, Sindarin, and a variety of languages for a fictional place of his creation called Middle Earth. According to Tolkien, the languages were a precursor to the story. He wanted to create a world that would fit a form of language that was appealing to his personal aesthetic. Nowadays, there are numerous video translation lessons that teach people how to learn the language. Although the instructor is not a professional translator, many fans have a deep understanding of the language.  Additionally, there are online services offering professional translating services in Elvish, Dwarvish and Entish. They are loosely based on Finnish and Welsh, according to Tolkien.

2. Klingon

Among the top well-known fictional languages, Klingon is the language of the warrior Klingon race from Star Trek. Originally created by Marc Okrand, the language is now the topic of a quarterly journal by an organization known as the Klingon Language Institute. This particular language actually undergoes professional translating and is used for conference interpreting services pretty frequently.  There have been cases of marriage ceremonies conducted in Klingon, song translations and even an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet was produced in this language. In this case, professional translating is also necessary to transliterate into English since the language also has its own alphabet.

3. Dothraki

This language originally appeared in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, a novel fantasy series that led to the popular HBO series, Game of Thrones. Dothraki was developed in full for the series by David J. Peterson, who also created the Valyrian languages for the show. The language is a mixture of Spanish and Arabic sounds. The popularity of the language and the show has become a pop culture phenomenon.  Over 140 baby girls were names ‘Khaleesi’ in 2012, which is the Dothraki term for the wife of the ruler (‘Khal’).

Working with untranslatable words

Most of us have used the expression “lost in translation” at one point or another to describe a misunderstanding. For language service companies, this is unacceptable. Generally, a translation services company believes there is always a way to translate an idea, even when there is no equivalent for a word in a different language.  A word that cannot be translated should be described or substituted with the appropriate interpretation of the meaning behind it. One common example is “Kummerspeck” (grief bacon), which a professional translator would simply describe as “emotional eating” or “emotion-related overeating.” Naturally, the best translation company will carefully hire a professional translator capable of navigating unique terminology without having to create a paragraph worth of explanation to translate documents. However, this becomes increasingly challenging when the language pairs are uncommon. The following list of words are known as “untranslatable” terminology by most professional translators:

1. Merak

Is a Serbian word that describes a kind of bliss, it means that one feels connected with the universe due to the simplest of pleasures. In English, the expression “It’s the little things” would likely describe this feeling.

2. Trepverter

A Yiddish word meaning a witty comeback that comes to mind after it’s too late to use.

3. Tsundoku

Is a Japanese word that describes the act of buying a book and leaving it unread, typically putting it together with other unread books.

4. Hanyauku

A Rukwangali or Kwangali word, which is a Bantu language spoken in Namibia and Angola. The word means the act of walking on tiptoes across warm sand.

5. Dapjeongneo

Is a Korean word that describes someone who has already decided the answer they want to hear and asks a question, expecting to hear that answer.

Certainly, international languages have many unique terms given the change in climate, food and objects or places that might pertain to a specific region. Naturally, English is no exception. For a professional translator, English words such as, “insight,” “shallow,” “flabbergasted,” and “crush” (as in a desire or strong liking towards someone) are some of the terms found to be a challenge.  For a professional translator, these one of a kind expressions are a chance to showcase their creativity and linguistic sensitivity.