December 2016 Language, Cultural & Festive Events

1 December 1.30-5pm

Information Commissioner & Tribunal Decisions: What do they mean in practice?

Campaign for Freedom of Information 

Free Word Centre

London

1 December 6pm

Lighting of Norwegian Christmas Tree

Trafalgar Square

London

1 December-2 January

Greenwich Living Advent Calendar

Advent Windows 2016 – The Promised Time

New window revealed each day until Christmas Eve on 24 December

Greenwich

1-2 December
ELIA ND Focus

Networking Days Focus on 

Project Management

Barcelona

Spain

2 December

Audio-visual translation and access for the disabled

Translating Europe Workshop

Corfu
Greece

2 December

Le droit souple démasqué

Symposium on soft law

Université de Maine

Le Mans

France

2 December 7pm

Slovenian Carol Service

In English and Slovene followed by Christmas drinks and potica

Organised by Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia

Church of St Andrew by-the-Wardrobe

London

2 December 7pm

Company of Elders – Art of Age II

Sadler’s Wells over 60s dance company

Lilian Baylis Studio

London

4 December 

London Santa Dash

Charity festive run for Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital

Clapham Common

London

4 December 5.30pm

Blessing the Crib

Also a torch lit procession from 
St Martin-in-Fields

Trafalgar Square

London

5 December 8.30am-6pm

SFT PR Course for Italian-French and French-Italian translators

Theme: Italian and French Diplomacy and Style

Maison d'Italie

Paris

France

5 December 11.30am-6pm

International Volunteering Conference – London 2016

City Hall

London
England

5-23 December (ex 10 & 17) 

4pm-8pm or 2pm-6pm (weekends)

Trafalgar Square Christmas Carol Singing 

London

6-8 December

10th Cuba-Quebec Symposium on Translation, Terminology and Interpretation

Theme: From Babel to Google Translate: Translation and Interpretation, 

A Bridge between People

Havana, Cuba

7 December 2-2.30pm

Curator’s Talk: Scots Jews

Jewish Museum

London

7 December 7-9pm

The Wall

Romanian Cultural Institute

London

8 December 2016
Christmas Concert with child prodigy Misi Boros on piano
Organised by Hungarian Cultural Centre
St George's Bloomsbury
London

8-10 December 8pm-midnight

Fête des Lumières

Lyon, City of Lights

Lyon 

France

8 December 2.30-5.15pm & 6-8.30pm

Freedom of Information Act at 250

Moderated discussions and evening panel discussion

Free Word Centre

London

9 December 

Top Secret International – Staat 1-4

Theatrical production on Democracy

Glyptothek München

Munich 

Germany

9 December-18 February

Saint Joan

George Bernard Shaw’s play

Donmar Warehouse

London

10 December

The 29th European Film Awards

European Film Academy (EFA)

Wroclaw

Poland

10 December

Austrian Christmas Concert

Carol concert in German followed by Austrian Vanillekipferl

Organised by Austrian Cultural Forum

St Mary at Hill

London

11 December 10am-2pm

Hanukah Ceramics Family Day

Jewish Museum

London

11-16 December

COLING 2016

26^th International Conference on Computational Linguistics

Osaka International Convention Center

Osaka

Japan

12 December 6.30pm

Dutch/Flemish Comedy Night

Comedy Show in Dutch and Flemish

Dutch Centre

London

12 December 2016 6.45-9pm

Dragonworld: 4 Short Stories from China
Free Word Centre in partnership with Free Paper Republic
Speed Book club event with the translators
London

12 December 7-8pm

In Conversation

A photographer and journalist discuss Scotland’s diverse and complex Jewish community

Jewish Museum

London

12-13 December

12^th International Postgraduate Conference in Translation and Interpreting

Ireland

Theme: Cutting New Paths in Translation and Interpreting

13 December 7pm

Global Music Award Winners

Spanish pianist and Slovenian violinist

Cervantes Institute and Embassy of Slovenia

Bolivar Hall

London

14 December 6-9pm

Evening of Cheese

Free fromage-themed extravaganza with cheese traders participating in 'cracking of Parmesan wheel' competition

Borough Market

London

14 December 6.30pm

1916 Revisited

3 historians discuss the impact of the dual battle of Verdun-Somme

French Institute

London

14-15 December

Choral Christmas Celebration

Hungarian Folk Chamber Ensemble & The Girls’ Choir of St Catharine’s College Cambridge

14th: Gresham Centre, St Anne & St Agnes Church, London

15th: St Catharine’s College Chapel, Cambridge

16 December

Hong Kong Dance Company

Part of China Changing Event

Southbank Centre

London

19 December 7-8pm

Mayor’s Christmas Carol Service 2016

Southwark Cathedral

London

26 December 1-6pm

The Boxing Day Tango

Argentinian tango taster class for absolute beginners, social dancing and professional performances (free event with DJ)

Royal Festival London

London

31 December 2016 7.30pm-2017

New Year Celebrations London

London Eye

London

In praise of the translation project manager

 

Based on my past experiences as a client, I would like to see the translation community treat its project managers better. Many translation companies treat their project managers as little more than reactive mailboxes. Others train them well. There is a noticeable difference in client service as a result.

Linguists

The best translation project managers are linguists. (I can think of only one notable exception that I  worked with). Many translation project managers have trained as translators. They have either found that project management suits their characters better or that it is a good first career step. Some turn freelance translator after gaining work experience or when they start a family.

Communication

A translation project manager has the ability to make or break a project. Good communication is key. Asking questions is critical. Accurate briefing is paramount. Pursuing translator or client queries is important. Assumptions can spell disaster - even in changing punctuation. Cultural knowledge is extremely important, even if the project manager does not speak every language on a multilingual project.

Multi-tasking

The best project managers plan projects well. They schedule, chase copy and make sure all the elements are in place - copy, style guides, glossaries, etc. They make sure that everyone in the production line knows what is expected of him/her and when. They watch both budget and timeline closely. They escalate issues as early as possible. They keep the client informed and happy.

Prevention better than cure

The best project managers anticipate problems and prevent them. Preventing problems is far easier than trying to bring a project back on track. In our increasingly digital and multiple device world, careful, upfront planning is even more critical.

A good project manager is like a swan: gliding seemingly effortlessly along the water, but paddling furiously underneath.

Project management is not an easy job. When something goes wrong, project managers are in the firing line from all sides. A calm head is indispensable. 

Who'd be a project manager? I was for many years and enjoyed the busy role immensely. As a translator today, I can bring that experience, skill and knowledge to managing my own freelance projects for direct clients. And if I work with an agency project manager, I can respect and appreciate how difficult their role often is and their expectations of a translator.

If you would like to work directly with a freelance translator and experienced project manager, contact karen@anglicity.com.
 

Karen Andrews runs
Anglicity Ltd. She is a
French to English
translator. In this blog, 

Karen draws
upon her experiences of
working with agencies
and freelancers as a client

and project manager.

Chinese Whispers in Translation Project Management

Anglicity's previous blog was inspired by Rob and Nick Carter's art collection after Warhol. In many ways, the comparison of translation with the Chinese Whispers game was too obvious. Comparison with translation project management practices may actually be more relevant today.

Direct contact

The current translation business model closely resembles Chinese Whispers. Translation companies are very reluctant to allow freelance translators and clients to speak to each other directly. They fear that either the client will take the translator, or the translator the client. There are times in a project when the translator is the best person to speak directly with the local office.

Multiple links

Many clients are unaware of how many links there are in a translation agency production line. In some agencies, translation project managers act as little more than a mailbox. Often agencies employ other agencies. There may be a marketing agency in the mix too. The translator's project manager may be very distant from the end-client too. Even the translation agency's client may have several internal "stakeholders" behind him. So a message will pass from person to person as in Chinese Whispers and get distorted. If a translator asks a question, the message may pass through many hands and interpretations.

Anger on both sides

As a client, I often felt frustrated that my brief obviously hadn't been passed on to the translator. When I first turned freelance, I was very surprised at how angry some translators are with their unseen clients. I fear that much of this may be the result of the "Chinese Whispers" effect. 

Positive experience

Wherever agencies allowed their freelancers to contact my country managers directly, the experience was generally positive. It was a pity that this was only generally permitted in the event of a complaint. As long as the translator has the right personality and training, the experience leads to greater respect and understanding on both sides. Both parties need to ensure the project manager is kept informed at all times.

Fears and risks

What of the risks? Most marketing departments simply do not have the resources, headcount, expertise or interest to deal with numerous freelance translators. The project manager remains the most important liaison point.

Brand guidelines

There is a risk that brand guidelines are eroded in a "secret deal" between the translator and the local office. This can be monitored. And a few "infractions" can usually be tolerated if justified for cultural reasons and goodwill.

Content agency freelancers

And what of the translator? No risk at all for some. A large number of translators seem quite content to work only with agencies. They can rely on them for marketing, proofreading, a regular supply of work and income.

Client poaching?

Agency agreements can prevent any client poaching. Stealing a client could result in expensive and time-consuming litigation. In the translation community, everyone seems to know everyone else. A freelancer who gains a reputation for poaching clients will soon find their work dry up. It is simply not worth the risk.

Translator poaching?

As a client, it is simply not worth the hassle of upsetting a good multi-language vendor for the sake of a single freelance translator. Agency fears seem overstated. Often clients would like the translator to come into their offices, but remain on the agency's books.

Combined role or extra planning?

If they allow translators to work more directly with their clients, should today's project managers fear redundancy? Some translators are already very competent at combining project management and translation roles. There is nothing new here. Projects for use on multiple devices are becoming increasingly complex. Tomorrow's project manager will have an even greater planning burden. The best project managers spend time upfront to prevent problems down the line.

SME Clients

Clients who are new to translation buying need a lot of hand-holding and cultural advice. The larger companies are increasingly unable to deliver this type of service. They prioritise large multinationals. SMEs do better to work with groups of freelancers or small agencies.

Let's make professional translators more visible to clients. If more clients work directly with professionally trained project managers and translators, the status and reputation of the whole community can only improve. Fears and risks seem overstated. 

Let's reduce the Chinese Whispers.

If you would like to reduce the Chinese Whispers and work directly with a freelance translator and experienced project manager, contact karen@anglicity.com.

Karen Andrews runs
Anglicity Ltd. She is a
French to English
translator, content writer
and marketing consultant.
In this blog, Karen draws
upon her experiences of
working with agencies
and freelancers as a client,
translation buyer and project
manager.