Elite Asia Marketing Team, Author at Interpretation Services

25Sep2018

Choosing The Right Interpreter

September 25, 2018

conference, events, forum, interpretation, Interpreter, language, linguist, Linguistics, localisation, over-the-phone, tradeshow, Translation Company Activities, Events, Linguistics

Choosing the Right Interpreter

Localization doesn’t always end with translation. Sometimes, you require some real-time communication, which creates the need for an interpreter. But, how do you know if the interpreter you’re choosing is worth the money you’re going to spend on them?

Well, we have a few tips to help you out.

Consider Their Qualifications

A Language Services Provider can be “judged” based on how good or bad its linguists are. The same principle applies to interpreters. So, you need to look for someone with a perfect grasp of the language. Also, they need to be aware of and in agreement with the interpretation of the code of ethics.

Another factor to focus on is the interpreter’s area of expertise. There are interprets who specialize in various fields such as health care, medicine, and law, etc. if you need someone who can specifically speak for your industry, then an interpreter who’s worked in your area before would be a good option. In other words, it is better to choose a subject matter expert.

Also, make sure your interpreter also possesses the necessary “soft skills,” such as the ability to listen and adhere to cultural expectations.

Reputation

Reputation, at least as far as professions go, can give you a good idea of how good or bad someone is at their job. An interpreter or interpreting service that has a good reputation is obviously doing something right.

In order to check for reputation, you can request your chosen interpreter to provide a reference. You can try asking these references about the interpreter’s work and whether or not they were satisfied.

Do They Use Technology?

Technological solutions aimed at the translation and interpretation industry have developed significantly in the last few years. For instance, we have VRI or Video Remote Interpreting, which is a technology aimed specifically at interpreters.

The technology overcomes the challenges that plague in-person interpretations. For instance, the interpreter isn’t always required to be present at a particular location to help out. With VRI, interpreters can help translate at any time and from anywhere.

Other than that, you also have over-the-phone options.

The key goal is to look for an interpreter or interpretation service that offers all three options – VRI, over-the-phone, and in-person interpretation. That way, you can opt for any of the three or even all three based on your need.

Choosing an interpreter is no different from choosing a translator. The rules are still the same. You need someone with expertise, knowledge, and technological know-how to help you out. So, make sure your chosen interpreter ticks all those boxes.

4Jun2018

Tips on Getting the Most Out of Your Interpreter

June 4, 2018

Elite Asia Marketing Team

Conferences, interpreting, language, tips, Translation Company Activities, Events, Linguistics

Proper etiquette can remove the awkwardness arising from interacting with a business partner or an audience who is unfamiliar with the English language. This is especially true for consecutive interpreting, where the interpreter will be in the room with you. In simultaneous interpreting where translations are received via headphones, you may not be able to view the interpreter. Still, these ideas can help you get your message across more effectively and drive productive conversations.

Should the interpreter face you or your client?

In an ideal scenario, the interpreter should assume a position where he/she can see you and also face your client/audience when he/she speaks. That being said, it is common for the interpreter to sit opposite his/her client (you) while you converse naturally with the other party. This unobtrusive position is the traditional protocol during diplomatic meetings between the heads of state from two different countries.

Placing the interpreter between you and your client is best avoided; your focus must be on your client. You will want to make eye contact with him/her instead of looking toward the interpreter.

The focus is to translate the vocabulary, not the body language

Interpreters’ job is to engage with your message, not your non-verbal cues. They will make eye contact with your audience or even your client, but beyond that, stick to delivering your message. If you start addressing your interpreter, he/she may not initiate eye-contact with you as a passive signal to remind you to continue addressing your client.

It helps to brief the interpreter in advance

Most businesses prefer to keep their language easily comprehensible to eliminate mistakes or misunderstandings in translation. But if your dialogue will include many high-level terms or specialized industry jargon, providing the interpreter with a draft copy of the speech/discussion points will help him/her convey your message better.

An alternative is to go with the flow and allow any issue that crops up during your conversation to ‘fix itself’. For instance, your interpreter can keep translating your sophisticated phrases, and your client can – through your interpreter – request you to clarify something that is not clearly evident. The interpreter may also start taking notes when complications set in.

Pare down long chunks of text

Line-by-line interpretations consume a lot of time; as a practical measure, consider skimming your content. Time efficiency apart, excessive verbiage can be overwhelming for your client – and after an hour of back and forth – you may start feeling weary. If you are not discussing legality and expect to converse more casually with your client, a condensed version works best.

What do you think of our tips? Have the experience to share? Start a conversation now!

9Apr2018

5 Tips to a Successful Global Event

April 9, 2018

Elite Asia Marketing Team

Conferences, Elite Interpreters Asia, Event Management, Event Organiser, Global Event, International, Interpreter, Trade Event, Translator, Travel Industry Company Activities, Globalisation and Internationalisation, Uncategorized

Hosting events can be very challenging, even if they are just local ones. An international or global event can be downright scary. There are so many things that you, as the event organizer, need to take into consideration.

But, the good news is that, no matter how scary things might seem, there are always solutions that you can implement to make sure everything goes well. It’s all about making careful and thoughtful decisions.

So, if you’re planning to host a global event in the near future, here are 5 tips that might come in handy.

Choose a Proper Date

This is one of the most basic things you need to know before hosting events. Always choose an event data that isn’t going to be a problem. In other words, don’t choose a date that clashes with other important or key events.

For instance, is there a local festival coming up? If yes, make sure your event is held before or after that. Now, you could tie in your event with such local festivities, but that would depend on the context of your event.

As a general rule, it’s always better to choose a distraction-free date.

Consider Communication Needs

Since this is a global event, you’re obviously going to have attendees coming in from various parts of the globe. Needless to say, communication becomes of critical importance in such scenarios, especially in the literal linguistic sense.

What we are trying to say is, not everybody is going to be able to understand English. So, make sure you determine the requirement for interpreters.

Send out instructions asking attendees and delegates to mention whether they will be needing an interpreter to help them communicate.

Apart from interpreters, you can also leverage visual cues in the form of signboards for simpler needs such as directions, warnings, or instructions etc.

Travel and Accommodation

Travel and accommodation also come into focus when dealing with global events. You have people traveling to the host town or city from far away locations. So, make sure their travel and accommodation needs are met. Even if you can’t actually offer these conveniences, make sure you have a team on call that can at least assist your guests in such matters.

Be Culturally Sensitive

Of course, you need to be sensitive to other cultures. However, this can be a little difficult to determine sense cultural sensitivity is quite subjective. However, it is better to err on the side of political correctness in these matters.

To be culturally sensitive, the first thing you need to do is to stop assuming that everybody is just like you. People are different and have different needs and perceptions.

So, make sure your event considers all of this. For instance, consider dietary needs. If food is part of the event, make sure you’ve planned a diverse menu so that everybody is able to find something that matches their preference.

Or, consider gestures of greeting. Not all cultures greet by shaking hands.

It is better to avoid things that might seem “racist”; safer to keep things neutral.

Be Thoughtful About Introductions

When introducing guests/delegates, make sure you find out what their preferences are. Not everybody is okay with Mr., Miss, or Mrs.

Get Started!

There you have it – a few basic rules that are sure to make your global event work. Of course, there’s a lot more to be covered, but these are enough to put you on the right track. Plus, there are event specific aspects that you might have to take into consideration as well.

So, sit down, research, and brainstorm.

7Dec2017

How Does An Interpreter Juggle With Two Languages

December 7, 2017

Elite Asia Marketing Team

communications, elite interpreters, freelance, interpretation, interpreting, Languages, Linguistics, multilingual Culture & Intercultural Comms, Linguistics

Have you tried interpreting between two different languages for others? If you haven’t, what do you think of becoming an interpreter?

What Does An Interpreter Do

The interpreter’s job is to convert messages from one language into another language. A vocation like this is known to be a challenging job as it requires an extreme level of concentration and responsiveness. Being able to speak multiple languages does not qualify someone to be an interpreter. It can take years of experience to be able to adapt to a stressful fast-paced environment and yet do a remarkable job.

(Educator: Ewandro Magalhaes, By TED-Ed)

How Simultaneous Interpretation Works

Simultaneous interpreting requires one who has extraordinary listening capabilities – to be able to process and
memorize the words that the source speaker is saying. Thereby, an experienced interpreter usually translates
the words into the target language in 5-10 seconds after the speaker says them.

Challenges of an Interpreter

One key skill of an interpreter lies in the ability to translate on the spot, sometimes without using dictionaries or
other supplemental reference materials. Due to cultural differences, one has to know when the speaker uses local slang and idioms. Jokes and sarcasm are also challenges when a speaker uses them throughout a conversation. In order to keep the integrity of the message intact, the statement has to be accurately interpreted and transformed instantly for the target audience to understand.

In the above TED-Ed video, the statement was inaccurately translated from the source language into English,
heightening the tension between the Soviet Union and the United States. It could have led to a catastrophic conflict.

The role of a good interpreter is paramount to many conversations and discussions happening in our globalized
world. The challenges of being a good one go beyond just knowing the language. They include an acute appreciation of cultural differences, proficiency with lingos and idioms, and sensitivity to the political climate.

28Oct2016

Most Spoken Languages in the World – Infographic

October 28, 2016

Elite Asia Marketing Team

Elite Interpreters Asia, Languages, Linguistics Linguistics

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly how many languages there are in the world. But however, we can find out which are the top few languages in the world. Being able to speak in these languages can prove to help your business prospects go further and venture into a wider market.

9Sep2016

Most Spoken Languages in the World

September 9, 2016

Elite Asia Marketing Team

Elite Interpreters Asia, Languages, Linguistics Linguistics

The method by which people communicate has vastly changed over the past century. Advancement in technology enabled us to talk to people who are miles away from us and the difficulty in interacting with other people has diminished immensely. The problem in communicating with others who are far from us is no longer an issue because we are now living in a world of interconnectivity.

Nevertheless, amidst the advancement that we are achieving, the system by which we communicate with others has not changed. We speak of the most fundamental method of communication – Language. Whether in spoken or written form, language has always been the key to an effective communication.

Though the ranks of the most spoken language may interchange slightly, we can safely assume that these languages are constant on top tier of spoken languages. According to Ethnologue’s 19^th Edition, here is the list of top 10 most spoken languages in the world:

Rank	Language	Primary Country	Total Countries	Speakers(millions)
1	Chinese [zho]	China	35	1,302
2	Spanish [spa]	Spain	31	427
3	English [eng]	United Kingdom	106	339
4	Arabic [ara]	Saudi Arabia	58	267
5	Hindi [hin]	India	4	260
6	Portuguese [por]	Portugal	12	202
7	Bengali [ben]	Bangladesh	4	189
8	Russian [rus]	Russian Federation	17	171
9	Japanese [jpn]	Japan	2	128
10	Lahnda [lah]	Pakistan	8	117

Did it come to you as a surprise? While English might be the most common international spoken language, it was not the most spoken language in the world. It only comes into 3^rd place next to Spanish and Chinese (Mandarin). Do note that this graph is a rough estimation as we cannot quantify it with 100% accuracy.

Nevertheless, being able to speak and understand from any of the most spoken languages in the world will give you an advancement in effective communication. Having the capability to communicate with a secondary language allows you to express yourself better to other people and it helps you gain confidence in conveying yourself as well.

Source:

Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig (eds.). 2016. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Nineteenth edition. Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com

23Aug2016

Languages On the Verge of Extinction

Language has been in existence for a very long time. It is like a living entity on its own. It can either evolve, or it can also diminish to a point of oblivion. But why does language disappear? And when a language disappears, what is the impact to us as communicative beings?

Language does not only allow us to know a person’s land of origin. It is also relevant in knowing and understanding one’s culture, heritage and history. Without comprehending language, we will not be able to discover the amusing antiquity of diverse human civilisation. Take for example Egypt, their rich and astonishing history could have been lost and forgotten forever, but thanks to the discovery of Rosetta Stone, scholars were able to understand and translate the hieroglyphics. This paved way to better appreciation and understanding of Egyptian culture and their way of living during the ancient time.

While the success story of uncovering the Egyptian hieroglyphics was celebrated widely, it is melancholic to know that there are also languages on the verge of extinction. There are languages that have continuously declined to a point of endangerment and ultimately, may lead to their extinction. According to endangeredlanguages.com, they have listed as much as 3,000 endangered languages across 179 countries. This is a rough estimation of the known languages at the time of compilation and does not provide us the accurate number. Nonetheless, the number of languages on the verge of extinction are continuously increasing.

A language may become extinct due to the dying out of speakers or the changing of language preference to another. Due to changes such as globalisation and industrialisation, the rate by which a language becomes extinct rapidly increases. As per UNESCO, “It is estimated that, if nothing is done, half of 6000 plus languages spoken today will disappear by the end of this century. With the disappearance of unwritten and undocumented languages, humanity would lose not only a cultural wealth but also important ancestral knowledge embedded, in particular, in indigenous languages.”

While language extinction is definitely inevitable, their lifespan can be lengthened by enabling younger generations to learn and understand the respective languages. Dissemination of information and community engagement can also help in preserving languages on the verge of extinction.

25Jul2016

Asia’s Linguistic Challenges

July 25, 2016

Elite Asia Marketing Team

Elite Interpreters Asia, Languages, Linguistics Linguistics

With globalisation and the rapid advancement of technology, we are undoubtedly living in an era of a world without borders. Whether it is the economic, social or political aspect, linguistics is the one thing that links us to the rest of the world. Especially in Asia, where it is a melting pot of an amazing multitude of spoken and written codes. Yet, it is precisely this continent that faces one of the biggest challenges in linguistics.

Regardless of the number of national or indigenous languages a country has, the English Language is the global language that transcends all borders and cultures. Thanks to the influx of Western movies, pop music and fast food, English has pervaded countries where it is not a national language. There is no denying that for effective communication today, English is the key.

What is the future of minority languages in Asia then? National languages aside, many indigenous languages are facing the danger of being eroded by globalisation. With so much emphasis being placed on English as a global language, it will inevitably cast doubt on the younger generation as to whether their primary language is useful and worth speaking.

In Singapore, for example, we are home to four national languages – English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil – and Chinese dialects like Hokkien and Teochew. English is the first language and the medium of instruction in schools. With the use of English language becoming more dominant over the years, other languages have somewhat taken a back seat. The erosion of dialects is evident with the younger generation being barely able to speak their own dialect.

Will Asia be able to overcome this challenge and protect its minority languages? Only time will tell.

11Jun2016

The History of Languages

June 11, 2016

Elite Asia Marketing Team

Elite Interpreters Asia, Languages, Linguistics Linguistics

Every living being in this planet who interacts with another being uses some form of communication. This method of interaction allows us to converse better with others. Some animals use gesture or sound to communicate, but humans have developed the most advance method of communication, language.

The human language is so complex that the origin of it has been disputed by many scholars around the world for a very long time. There have been various hypotheses and speculations where it has begun. However, due to lack of archaeological evidence and diversity of human language, the study of its origin has been deemed unfitting for a serious study.

Nonetheless, we will try to discuss the history of the common languages used today so that we may have better understanding of our method of communication. One of the common international language used today is English. So what is English and where did it originate? We will try to find out.

According to Wikipedia, “English is a West Germanic language that originated from Anglo-Frisian dialects brought to Britain in the 5th to 7th centuries AD by Germanic invaders and settlers from what is now northwest Germany, west Denmark and the Netherlands.” From there, the English language has spread and evolved. Starting with the Old English, it has turned into Middle English and then transformed into what we use today, the Modern English. We can safely say that the English language is here to stay for a very long time due to the vast number of speakers internationally.

However, English is not the only language that has flourished. On the eastern side of the globe, the Chinese language may not have spread the way English did, but it was vastly spoken by native speakers. And like any other language, Chinese has also undergone transformation. Though the development of the spoken Chinese has been complex, the spread of Mandarin was prevalent. And now, due to China’s modernisation, Chinese (Mandarin) is steadily sidling its way to the western territory.

We do not know what the future holds. But like how humans have evolved, language will definitely continue to transform and be a part of our daily lives.

14May2016

Top 10 Most Difficult Languages to Learn

May 14, 2016

Elite Asia Marketing Team

Elite Interpreters Asia, Languages, Linguistics Linguistics

In today’s globalised society, knowing more than one language is more of a necessity than a bonus. It may not be a bad thing – being multilingual comes with a host of benefits including better analytical and social skills.

The main challenge that lies in learning is new language is adapting to the syntax as well as learning about the culture behind it, which surprisingly contributes a lot to how the language is yielded.

Here’s a list of the top ten most difficult languages to learn!

Japanese
Japanese is considered one of the toughest languages to learn. Because of its close relationship to Chinese, people looking to learn Japanese will have to memorise thousands of different characters. Adding on to this is how Japanese features three different writing systems and two syllabaries. The cultural aspect also makes Japanese difficult as it has a complex system of honorifics.

Arabic
If you think the Arabic alphabet looks difficult to muster, you might want to think twice about it as that’s the easiest part. As compared to European languages, Arabic uses very little vowels. Words are formed by adding a series of sounds to a base root (commonly consisting of three consonants). The pattern of sounds then determines the grammatical case, number, gender and syntax, which combine into its actual meaning. Spoken Arabic is a tad more challenging as it is spoken by millions of people across an impressive span of countries, leading to many different dialects, which are vastly different.

Thai
The Thai language is fundamentally tough to learn. It has 44 consonants, 15 vowels and four diacritics marking tones. It also has different registers that are used based on the social context, which makes Thai tricky to pick up culturally. Thai is also tonal, which makes pronunciation very important. Its orthography and markers are also known for being complex.

Polish
Although it’s spoken by 40 million people globally, Polish is seldom picked up as a second language and much of this has to do with its difficulty. Its pronunciation is already a daunting prospect with words like “czesc (hello)” already causing difficulty to most speakers. And that’s just the beginning. To put how complex Polish grammar is into perspective, consider how English only has a single case. Polish has seven cases, each of which is affected by gender, of which the Polish language has seven (compared to English’s two). If you’re still undeterred, you might want to check out more information about this language, as this is only a truncated explanation of how difficult it is.

Hungarian
Hungarian is a widely spoken European Union language. It’s not only used in Hungary, but also in various communities within Slovakia, Ukraine, Serbia and Romania. Hungarian is agglutinative and entire phrases (in other languages) are combined into a single Hungarian word. Remember how we said English has one case? Hungarian has 35 cases or noun forms. Hungarian also has a lot of vowels and deep throaty sounds that make it hard to speak verbally.

Urdu
Urdu is the official language of Pakistan. Urdu is an amalgam of a few languages including Old Hindi, Farsi and Arabic. This makes its grammar hard to grasp as there are a few different grammatical rules based on what language the word is derived from.

Icelandic
Icelandic is a rather archaic language. It kept its old noun declension (arguably the hardest part) and verb conjugations. Its archaic vocabulary and complex grammar make it a very difficult language to learn. Icelandic also has four different cases that make it challenging for an English-speaker to learn.

Russian
The main challenge of picking Russian up is how similar the alphabets look as compared to English alphabets, yet they do not represent the same thing. This makes it a little confusing for people within the first few weeks of learning it. Russian has six cases and memorizing them will be difficult for people new to the case system.

Greek
One of the oldest languages in the world, Greek is a language that’s popular amongst college students. The most difficult part about learning Greek is getting used to its alphabet and its tone. Learning where to place the stress on every word is difficult as if you change it, the meaning of the word can be entirely different.

Chinese
Spoken by a fifth of the world’s total population, Chinese is frequently voted as the most useful yet most difficult language to pick up. Chinese is a tonal language: changing the tone of the same sound produces two different words. It also has a complex writing system with characters instead of alphabets, requiring you to learn thousands of different characters. Chinese verbs do not have tenses, and the differences in time are put across using markers like “tomorrow” or “next year”.

Feeling slightly daunted? Don’t be! Being fluent in more than one language builds adaptability and flexibility, and makes you feel more comfortable and confident in different environments. Perhaps most importantly, your career prospects will grow immensely, especially in MNCs or startups that have bases in more than one country. Your effort will definitely pay off and you might find out you’re a natural linguist!

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