Deaf ears at the EU?

Media Translation and Accessibility in the EU were discussed at UCL on 25th June. The presentations, documentary, videos and discussions highlighted weaknesses in the EU's current fulfilment of its accessibility obligations towards EU citizens.

The discussion arose from the research of three UCL PhD students: Silvia Kadiu, Aysun Kiran and Renata Mliczak. Their findings and report will be published later in 2015. This blog will focus on the round table at the end of the seminar.

Non-discrimination and capacity
The Demand Management Unit manages the European Commission's communication needs against Directorate General capacity. Translated web content forms an important part of the European Union's drive to bring itself closer to EU citizens. Non-discrimination is regarded as a primary factor in deciding on coverage.

EU and UN Convention
The European Union has signed and ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It was stated that some 8% of Europe's population has some sort of accessibility requirement - e.g. sight impairment, hearing impairment or old-age-related. Increasing life expectancy and an ageing population are likely to increase these figures and future demand.

Article 7 of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) states that:

Member States shall encourage media service providers under their jurisdiction to ensure that their services are gradually made accessible to people with a visual or hearing disability.

Text should be available in alternative formats - e.g. braille, automated subtitles, etc. Today's communication requirements are not just confined to the translation of legal reports, legislation and press articles. Today the EU has to consider video, Twitter, Facebook, etc.

Translators
During the session, one-off videos were played of in-house translators who kindly assisted the PhD students in their research at the Directorate-General for Translation. These were not official interviews on behalf of the EU, rather they reflected personal opinions. The interviews gave a revealing insight into the translators' personal experiences and opinions on the current status and approach to audiovisual translation within the EU.

The viewpoints expressed often seemed at odds with the official stance. The translators seemed to have limited audiovisual project experience during their time with DGT. They seemed to feel that DGT did not have a subtitling strategy. Such projects seemed to relate more to personal preference and audiovisual requirements were only considered at the end of the translation process. One translator rightly pointed out that European citizens do not read legal web content. They need more digestible and accessible content.

EU "Not leading by example"
After the videos, the invited panel drew out the issues. The chief concern was that the EU is "not leading by example".

Expert panel
The panel of experts included:
Dr Robert Adam, Research Associate, UCL (deaf native signer)
Dr Jorge Díaz-Cintas, Director of Centre for Translation Studies (CenTraS), UCL
Angeliki Petrits, Language Officer, European Commission Representation in the United Kingdom
Mrs Lidia Smolarek-Best, European Federation of Hard of Hearing People
Prof. Bencie Woll, Chair in Sign Language and Deaf Studies and Director of DCAL, UCL

Software issues
Dr Jorge Díaz-Cintas underlined that the European Commission's in-house Directorate-General for Translation (DGT) does not always understand all the issues. Jorge expressed particular sympathy for the translator who mentioned the difficulties of using subtitling software available within DGT. Lines are limited to 60 characters and the end-result looks ugly. There is far better freeware available for download online. However, for security reasons DGT translators are not permitted to download or install such software on their own.

Lack of drive
It was felt that there was an effort to reach out on accessibility issues, but there is a lack of drive to support such efforts from the top. Availability very much depends on the language concerned. For example, it was stated that many Greeks were unable to access information. As a result they often have to make do with US rather European audiovisual material.

Theory v. Practice
The panel stressed that there are clear descriptions on what is necessary for people with disabilities. The EU has signed up to the policy. However, there is a severe failure to understand the obligations related to this commitment. A voice-over is seen as an aesthetic choice rather than as a matter of access. The panel considered that there is a passing of responsibility. As the matter is not addressed properly at the top, those lower down the line do not have the necessary information or instructions to implement the audiovisual policy. It is seen as difficult for countries like Greece and Poland to argue for greater accessibility, if EU communications do not lead by example. By contrast, the BBC has set some standards to follow.

Web content progress
Angeliki Petrits defended the EU. She contrasted the subject of accessibility with web content from her perspective as an EU employee with 25 years' experience (no direct accessibility involvement). Angeliki stressed that ten years ago the EU did not have any web content. She considered that the EU was "100 years ahead of that now" having made a huge amount of progress.

Budget and political will
In order to address the accessibility issue, there has to be a top-down decision. There is immense pressure on resources with a 5% cut in budgets at the same time as an increase in translation volume into 24 official languages. The panel felt that the budget would be forthcoming if there was sufficient political will at the top.

Deaf MEPs and accessibility
Dr Robert Adam revealed that there are two deaf MEPs - one from Hungary and the other from Belgium. They have equality of access. The UN Convention makes reference to a sign language requirement and the two deaf MEPs have access to sign interpreters in the European Parliament Chamber.

The current situation was likened to the well-known British sitcom "Yes, Minister" with everyone working from a different hymn sheet. There needs to be equality in the treatment of spoken and sign languages.

Notable "absentees"
The panel also noted that not all Member States have agreed to the 2011 requirements. Many countries are behind Britain in its approach to accessibility. For example, I was surprised to hear that a country like the Netherlands, normally considered to be so forward-thinking, has not signed up (even more surprising given the high visibility of Dutch speakers in the European Commission's leadership today). Norway and the United States were also notable "absentees".

It was felt that the EU is not being proactive enough about accessibility. Greater efforts need to be made to automate the process. Dr Jorge Díaz-Cintas commented that in the United States they are making advances in machine translation for audiovisual translation. Only English and Spanish versions are produced there. The EU is struggling to meet requirements for a far greater number of official languages with an outdated and inadequate software.  There is a big disconnect between requirements and staff knowledge, experience and expertise with film and technology.

In conclusion, the panel stressed three points:

1. Draw attention to the legal basis for accessibility in the UN Convention
2. Strategy - Is there one? How can it be targeted to increase accessible services?
3. Positive note - 10 years ago there was no web content, today DGT is trying to make greater use of video.

The EU needs to offer a "best example" approach to accessibility and spread the word to Member States and globally.

Karen Andrews runs
Anglicity Ltd. She is
an entrepreneurial
French to English
translator, editor,
content writer and
marketing consultant. 

Contact karen@anglicity.com 
for further information 
on Anglicity's services.

Towards a Silent Aircraft

The annual Athena Lecture at Imperial College London celebrates the achievements of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Medicine (STEM). Women's scientific contributions and achievements have been neglected by history. Imperial College is active in encouraging more women to study science. Each year, a world-renowned woman scientist is invited to give a lecture and act as an inspirational role model to the next generation.

Professor Dame Ann Dowling CBE
On 17th June I returned to Imperial College to hear Professor Dame Ann Dowling CBE give the 2015 Athena Lecture. She is President of the Royal Academy of Engineering and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Cambridge. Her CV boasts an impressive list of achievements, recognitions and awards. Yet, perhaps somewhat typically for a high-achieving woman, there was barely a hint of boastfulness as she spoke.

The lecture was entitled Towards a Silent Aircraft. I have a direct interest in the subject. Planes landing at RAF Northolt fly low directly over my roof. Heathrow's expansion is also a hotly debated subject in the UK and very topical where I live in the London Borough of Hillingdon.

Professor Dowling described her career chronologically interweaving technical details with her personal journey. She described a research career that began with aircraft noise, expanded into other fields and then returned to the subject of her original fascination.

Concorde
The journey began by studying Mathematics at the University of Cambridge. As a student, Ann Dowling's main interest was in Applied Mathematics - particularly in Fluid and Solid Mechanics. I was fascinated to hear that a summer holiday job with Concorde started her fascination with aircraft noise (just as my own early interest in French has a Concorde connection). At that time, Concorde's noise was a major issue. The supersonic jet faced the threat of a ban in the United States. The higher speed changed the character as well as the level of noise. Three years of funding lead to work on jet noise and its modelling.

Submarines
Once Concorde had gained its approval to fly into the US, research into aircraft noise was no longer considered a commercial priority. With a PhD under her belt, Ann Dowling was approached by the UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD).  The ministry asked her to apply her techniques to solve their issue with noisy submarines. Submarines need to listen passively for other vessels in their vicinity. Just as turbulence is generated in a high speed jet, so unsteady flow creates noise in submarines. The ultimate solution applied flexible and compliant coatings for low noise and low drag.

Internal aircraft noise
Ann Dowling moved back to aircraft acoustics, but this time her research focused on noise inside aircraft. An aircraft's structure is ribbed, leading to a noise scattering effect throughout an airplane. A passenger's level of noise-related discomfort varies according to seating position. As with submarines, the solution was to apply a coating to the aircraft.

Road noise
Responding to commercial needs at Dunlop, Rover and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), her next research project centred on road noise. She focused on the interaction between tyre tread blocks and road surfaces. At that time, tyre treads were a matter of aesthetics rather than effective mechanical design. Tyre designers knew how to deal wet road conditions, but not how to reduce noise.

Combustion and acoustics
Ann Dowling enjoyed 3 months in Rolls Royce's Combustion Department. She sampled results from their jet engine and analysed the interaction between combustion and acoustics. She likened combustion instabilities to the initial roar of a gas boiler starting up in the morning. The research tested adding fuel at an unsteady rate and out of phase with the engine. The aim was to stabilise the noise. Different operating conditions were also taken into account. She used models and adaptive control.

Silent aircraft initiative
She maintained her interest in aircraft, enjoying her hobby as a private pilot with a shared aircraft. A sabbatical at MIT saw further advancement in the engineering world. The Silent Aircraft Initiative brought her career full circle with a return to aircraft noise. Further improvements were getting difficult. In the past, noise was created by the jet and its speed. Reducing noise on a conventional aircraft requires analysis and incremental improvements throughout the aircraft. The project's aim is to be inaudible outside the airport perimeter. There were many partners in the project with the University of Cambridge and MIT.

The collaboration resulted in the conceptual design of a blended wing body. Ann Dowling discussed how the design achieved the best lift distribution. She smiled as she spoke about the somewhat ugly design if viewed from the side. The Americans were amazed by the results and reviewed the figures until they had confirmed the lift properties. Boeing has since asked NASA to develop the design's geometry.

The airframe is an important factor in reducing noise. Conventional engines are placed underneath the aircraft. This reflects the noise downwards. The new design places the engines on top of the aircraft, changing the direction of the noise. There was a brief mention that the new position was "riskier", but no elaboration as to how or to what extent.

The proposal is to approach the airport more slowly and use a displaced threshold for landing. The YouTube video below shows an example of such a landing.

 

The approach reduces noise on landing for surrounding residents. I would suppose that commercial airlines would also have to balance this with considerations for their passengers too.

Q&A
Professor Dowling answered a few questions from the assembled audience at the end of her talk. In response to one question, she expressed her concern as a pilot about unregulated drones and their potential to cause accidents. She confirmed that she had no involvement in active noise cancellation or anti-sound research.

Women in STEM
Returning to the main theme of women in STEM, Professor Dowling was asked how she felt during her career as the only woman among so many men. The consideration seemed to be alien to her - something that preoccupied others rather than her. Her main motivations seemed to be a love of engineering and finding researched solutions to recognised problems with a team of collaborators.

Both before and after the talk, I discussed the subject of women in STEM with a member of Imperial's Physics Department. Imperial College receives 1,700 applications for Physics. They select just 200 A* students. Despite open days, there remains concern that the subject does not attract enough women students. Three main areas of concern were mentioned:

1. Failure to create enough early enthusiasm for the subject, as primary school teachers there have very little knowledge and understanding of Physics
2. Level of Mathematics on arrival at university
3. Convincing the mothers of potential women students that Physics can offer a rewarding career for their daughters

Celebrating role models like Professor Dowling should help convince potential women students and their mothers(!) that STEM subjects can indeed offer a rewarding career.

Karen Andrews runs
Anglicity Ltd. She is
an entrepreneurial
French to English
translator, editor,
content writer and
marketing consultant. 

Contact: karen@anglicity.com 
for further information 
on Anglicity's services.




Further viewing on aircraft noise and other considerations:
Interesting YouTube videos on Hong Kong airport's approach :
Aircraft noise mitigation
Building a green airport

On inspiring and educating boys

This blog is the promised sequel to the March blog on educating girls. As a mother of two teenage boys, I can now cast my mind back and comment on their education. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Both parents and teachers do the best they can at the time. Here are my reflections on the future of educating boys.

Developmental differences

Both of my sons were born in June. This makes them some of the youngest children in their respective school years. They are 9 months younger than September-born children. Girls are often two years in advance of boys' development. So we could be talking a 3-year difference in development. This is a very significant difference in primary school and gives boys the feeling of being "behind" at the very start of school. This is a serious blow to the confidence of Summer-born children.

Both Daniel and James suffered early learning difficulties. Neither boy missed any significant milestones before starting school. James, my younger son, was actually ahead of most children in terms of physical development - e.g. walking at 9½ months. He was also fascinated by sums between 1 and 100 in nursery school, while others were still counting from 1 to 10. 

Daniel

My elder son Daniel suffered with extreme hypermobility. This gave him many of the social disadvantages of dyspraxia. Writing was extremely difficult for him. His hands were simply too flexible to control a pencil. Occupational therapy helped to build up his hand strength. It was very hard for him to keep up in class. He simply couldn't write as much as the others within a given time slot.

An early drawing with writing (copyright D. Netto)

To this day, Daniel writes with an unconventional grip. Children learn to compensate. He developed a fascination with computers. On arrival at high school, he was advanced in ICT skills. He was placed in the Gifted and Talented Group. Today, his fingers fly over any keyboard or keypad. He will shortly be taking his A' levels and plans to study computing at university from October 2015.

In Daniel's primary school days, the rough and tumble of the playground was a nightmare for him. He was always falling or getting knocked over. He adopted the wise strategy of heading for the medical room before getting hurt. He enjoyed a good chat there. He couldn't keep up with the boisterous boys so he talked to the girls and the staff instead. He excelled at the oral part of the old English GCSE as a result. 

Early learning difficulties are in the distant past now. Daniel compensated by developing into a "geek" with excellent verbal skills - just what businesses are crying out for. Teamwork skills came later - thanks to the excellent Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

James

Although my two sons are like chalk and cheese*, my younger son James also had early learning difficulties - both with reading and writing. From babyhood until the first year of school he suffered  a seemingly endless series of ear infections. He could hear, but we later discovered at Great Ormond Street Hospital that some of the pathways in his brain were immature. So, we were all trying to teach him to read without the basic sound foundations in place. His ears worked. His brain worked. They just didn't work together to make the necessary sound connections.

An e-learning programme helped him to catch up. Ordinarily, such a child lacks social confidence. James has always been an all-round sportsman. He is not competitive. He is a team player and makes friends easily. I remember reading that Richard Branson succeeded in business because his dyslexia forced him to delegate. Unfortunately, school will never be James's favourite place - and now they want to keep him until 18! I have no doubt that his personality will take him far.

My little sportsman  c. J Netto

A special primary school project brought the major turning point for James. An inspirational NQT (newly qualified teacher) took a special interest in encouraging him. For homework he had to create a poster on astronomy with words and pictures. He chose Pluto. Why? Because he felt sorry for poor Pluto. Once it had been a planet, but they downgraded it to a dwarf planet. He was inspired by its "underdog" status. He wrote more in one evening than we had ever seen him write before. It got easier from that point. His teacher and I made a really big fuss of his efforts. He remembers it well.

Solar system - dwarf planet Pluto at the back - now often left out © La Gorda

Looking back, I remember how James regularly used to miss History and Geography lessons for extra literacy support. They became two of his favourite subjects at High School. In History and Geography, he is inspired to write more by the facts, interesting subject matter and visuals. Today, James's favourite GCSE subject is Media Studies. Teaching literacy through other subjects seems to work better.

The UK's National Curriculum has become very prescriptive. I do not believe that it allows teachers enough flexibility to inspire the individual personalities before them. League tables, constant assessments and targets seem to stress both teachers and pupils. Even the reports have become very formulaic. Parents are none the wiser for all the data. KPIs belong in businesses, not in schools. Not everything that counts in education can be counted.

To my mind, the most important thing is to teach children to love learning. Boys generally seem prone to doing the bare minimum (if they can get away with it). The pace of technological change means that today's children will need to keep reinventing themselves. They will need to adapt and learn new skills more frequently than previous generations. A love of learning is paramount. Boys are now falling behind girls. Today's teaching methods favour girls.

I fully appreciate that it is difficult to teach different material to children in the same class. Analyse any child's performance and you see spikes in progression. They do not learn in a linear fashion to a preconceived plan. Dwelling too long on a weakness can be harmful to their love of learning. There must be an answer to educating boys in one son's love of technology and the other's Pluto-inspired motivation.

We need to motivate boys to love learning as much as girls. Today's boys will have girls as bosses. However, society needs equality, not role reversal. I believe that boys and girls should learn to work with each other side by side. We just need to find more innovative ways to motivate them.

Boy and girl learning side by side  © nearbirds - Fotolia.com

Let's also appreciate that not everyone is destined to be an academic. People often have strengths that the outside world appreciates more than schools.

I remember playing the game Blokus one Christmas with James, my sister and brother-in-law. James was just 7, playing for the first time - he beat three graduates outright - and we definitely didn't let him win. He discovered the most extraordinary visual gift allied with a strategic brain.

Visually appealing, strategic online space game © nearbirds

From my experience, I think that the trick lies in discovering what a child is good at early on. They need something that they feel good at - better than others. It doesn't matter if it is just beating their brother at an online game. It creates confidence that spills over into other areas. It gives them the resilience to find a new level of effort and overcome adversity.

Boys and girls need teachers who inspire them. Teachers with First Class Honours don't necessarily make the best teachers. They need role models who inspire them. Steven Gerrard of Liverpool is James's hero.

Life is not fair. We are not all blessed with the same intelligence or skills. Slow and steady** often wins the race in life.  Those for whom life has come easily often give up at the first hurdle; whereas those who have had to try hard to succeed will keep going against the odds and triumph.

* Like chalk and cheese = completely different from one another
** Slow and steady wins the race 

Karen Andrews (Netto) is the proud Mum of two boys described above. Her other full-time job is running Anglicity Ltd., offering content writing and French to English translation/transcreation. 

Contact: karen@anglicity.com for further information 

Is the British linguist endangered?

Is the British linguist as endangered as the red squirrel?

The corporate language in many companies today is often English. Rumours are circulating that even the European Union is considering using English as its sole working language. Clients expect translators only to work into their mother tongue. The European translation standard EN15038 recognises this. It seems that our largely monolingual British politicians consider the supremacy of English an advantage. As a linguist, I recognise how important language training is to understanding other cultures and broadening the mind.

Languages in the business world

I read recently that the Kristalina Georgieva, the Bulgarian Vice-President for Budget and Human Resources at the European Commission accepted that she had to speak English for her career. For the British linguist, the situation is very different.

During my career, there have been many occasions when I could have handled a meeting in French or German. They all usually took place in English, because at least one of the senior British managers could only speak English. This situation leads to the erosion of a British linguist's language skills and confidence.

Contrary to popular belief or published surveys, UK companies do not appear to value language skills as highly as they claim. They generally prefer to employ other nationalities. Nordic countries, Germans, the Swiss and the Dutch generally speak English extremely well. However, they can rarely write it as well, or fully appreciate nuances and idioms.

Promote the British linguist

I believe that the UK language-related institutes should promote the cause of the British linguist. This is not to suggest that they should neglect the interests of members with other nationalities. You can hardly expect the German BDÜ to promote linguists' education and language professions in the UK, can you?

Promoting the British linguist © UMB-O

"Non-native" translation

When I was a Council Member at the Chartered Institute of Linguists, an article appeared in The Linguist presenting a German translator's case for translating into English. At the time, I wanted to write a letter to the editor. Having written my MSc dissertation on EN15038, I felt quite strongly about the issue. However, I respected that it was not considered appropriate for a Council member to criticise the editorial policy in print at that time.

Cultural understanding

Most politicians in our country are monoglots. They are accustomed to conducting business abroad in English. Many seem to feel that it is an advantage to speak English. As a linguist, I appreciate how much cultural understanding is missed or lost. I was studying in France in the 1980s when Margaret Thatcher was arguing with the EU over a budget rebate. The French very much respect and enjoy a good debate. However, I remember how every time I went into my bank, they were always baffled by our Prime Minister's manner and approach.

Is English an advantage or a disadvantage?

Misunderstandings can easily arise if if a foreign national has to present their case in English. The discomfort can even lead to a build-up of resentment. It is difficult to express everything as clearly and in as much detail as you might like. On the other hand, it is also said that it is easier to keep your calm and emotional distance in a foreign language.

I always prefer to listen to someone speaking in his or her native tongue. I find that it is far easier to assess their personality, intellect and intentions. I also believe that speaking other languages has made me more receptive to other cultures and more open-minded.

MPs

I was appalled to read about Caroline Lucas' experiences as an MP in the Press recently. It is hardly surprising that there are so few female MPs. It must be very hard to have to vote with the party line against your conscience. And why would you not choose the best person possible for a committee based on their skills?

Open data?

As we all know, the British linguist has had a very difficult time. It is sad that the review of the MoJ Framework agreement has been delayed until after the elections. I attended a UKTI Smart City event for SMEs in March at City Hall, London. I understand that the speakers were unable to reveal some Smart City information until after the elections there too. I can't help wondering how much other information is being delayed. Is this democratic? How can voters decide properly if all information is not shared with them? Is this approach in keeping with the new era of open data?

Public v. Private Sector

Of course, unlike many of my former fellow Council members, I have spent almost my entire career in the private sector. I have only ever worked in the public sector temporarily. I have never had to sign the Official Secrets Act. I suppose my views may be construed as ignorance or naïvety on how the public sector functions.

MoJ Framework Agreement

I remember writing to my MP, Sir John Randall about the MoJ Framework agreement. At the time, I was writing an article for Multilingual Magazine. Until recently, John Randall was the MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip. He was Deputy Chief Whip between 2010 and 2013. He famously resigned as the Opposition Whip over the Iraq War. I thought that he might be particularly interested in the MoJ Framework Agreement. After all, he is a linguist who studied Serbo-Croat at university. I was disappointed that he didn't attend a debate after I had raised the issue with him. I know he was very concerned about modern-day slavery in the area. (As a safe Conservative seat, our new MP is expected to be London's Mayor, Boris Johnson).

Ethnic identity

I should like to make it clear that when I refer to non-native English, I am not referring to ethnicity. My own children are mixed race on their father's side - a mixture of Indian, Portuguese, Irish and Welsh. I increasingly detest ethnic monitoring forms. What is "white British"? Should one brother tick a different box because of a slightly darker skin tone? I am glad that as teenagers, my sons can now decide on their own ethnic identity. They both consider themselves British. They support England in the football, cricket, etc; Lewis Hamilton in the F1. Unfortunately, they don't speak Tamil, Hindi, Portuguese, Gaelic or Welsh. The National Curriculum even put them off Spanish.

Identity over 3 generations

I remember attending an event at European Commission Representation in the UK during the Cypriot Presidency of the EU. Writers of Greek and Turkish Cypriot origin discussed their work together. One of the writers described a similar situation to that of my children. She was in the third generation of her family in the UK. She mentioned how the first generation (her grandparents) had found the adjustment after immigration difficult. Her parents in the second generation had more of an identity crisis between the two cultures. She considered herself British. She supported England in the football, although some of the extended members of her family disapproved.

A' level language range

I feel that dropping rarer languages from the A' level syllabus is short-sighted. Yes, it is important that immigrants speak and write English. However, it is also important to retain and pass on a sense of cultural identity and history. The latest issue of The Linguist has an excellent article on Saturday schools for children.

Polish in West London

In West London, Polish is the second most commonly spoken language. I believe that it would be an enormous loss to Britain if immigrants were to entirely lose their Polish. Without a formal education in Polish, children would not be able to speak or write their grandparents' mother tongue accurately. Trade with Poland could be greatly facilitated if Britain actively promotes cultural understanding and the Polish language in the younger generation.

Ruislip has a very long association with Poles. I hear Polish nearly every day. My home is near the Polish War Memorial. Polish airmen were based here at RAF Northolt. They fought with the British in World War II. Many had to settle here after the war. They are very much part of the local community. Now new generations are following them.

Polish War Memorial, Ruislip CC BY-SA 3.0

Cultural diversity

Britain today has an extraordinarily diverse population. Mass immigration is placing a strain on infrastructure, but this diversity could also be turned to great economic advantage. Britain has the opportunity to become much more attuned to other cultures and languages. Perhaps it is not viable for all languages to have their own A' level. Could the Chartered Institute of Linguists or another body create suitable professional examinations in rarer languages?

Grey squirrel © robert cicchetti

The British population is already very culturally diverse. We're not endangered red squirrels, we've been grey squirrels for centuries already. The best place to see how to handle cultural diversity is in primary school playgrounds. British linguists do not have to be an endangered species. We could have a whole new generation of bilinguals, if only we realise and promote the opportunities.

If you would appreciate help with your technical marketing communications, email karen@anglicity.com 

Karen Andrews runs
Anglicity Ltd. She is a

technical writer and 

translator with over

15 years' global marketing

experience. Anglicity offers

marketing consultancy with a 

focus on innovation

and the environment.
Find me on Twitter @AnglicityKaren

A pan-European agreement on translation working practices?

 

Future-proofing panel at EC Rep. in the UK © Anglicity

At the French CNET conference, Miklós Bán of Proford explained how a 16-page agreement had transformed the translation business climate in Hungary. The agreement was worked out between AHTI (the Hungarian Association of Translators and Interpreters) and Proford (the Hungarian Association for Language Service Providers). I believe that s similar agreement should be worked out not only in France and the UK, but across the European Union - and maybe even worldwide in the future?

Towards a Pan-European agreement? © md3d

Miklós Bán is the Chairman of Proford, the Hungarian Association of Translators and Interpreters. Proford is a young association by comparison with the French CNET network founded in 1977 or the UK's ATC founded in 1976. It was founded in 2012 and has just 11 members. CNET has a membership of 30 French LSPs and the ATC has a membership totalling nearly 150 worldwide LSPs.

A future for the British translation industry? © UMB-O

Historically, there had been a lot of animosity between the freelancers and LSPs in Hungary. Cooperation was difficult and tough market conditions had exacerbated the situation. It was in the LSP's best interests to reach an understanding. After all, they need good translators for their businesses to function well.

Miklós viewed freelance translation and translation companies as essentially two different professions. There was a lack of understanding between the two sides. They needed a point of reference - a document that could act as a professional standard to outline what each side could expect from the other.

Recommendations

Recommendations for translation company associations to reach a similar agreement included:

1. Start any improvements on your own side first.

2. Do not criticise the freelancers.

3. Be prepared to make the first gesture - in fact, make the first 15 gestures to establish trust.

4. Invite freelancers to translation company events free of charge.

5. Work under the International Federation of Translators' (FIT) umbrella - for an external viewpoint, to check proposals against international practices and legal issues.

6. Recognise that in any conflict, there is generally fault on both sides. Always criticise your own side first.

7. Encourage any translator employees or freelance translators to join the freelance associations - especially younger generations with fresh viewpoints.

8. Share viewpoints on the whole translation process - companies often can't see the freelance viewpoint and vice versa.

FIT Conference in 2014  © Anglicity Ltd

Drafting the agreement

The agreement set out the rules between the parties and had several key stages:

1. agreement on the topics to be covered and scope

2. drafting

3. editing

4. lock-up

5. compromise

6. acceptance and endorsement

By the end of stage 3, they had two separate 16-page documents - a freelance version and an LSP version. At this point, they locked the two sides in a room together to work on a single, unified text. It took 8 hours. 

An lock-up lead to the final agreement © pict rider

Details

1. Definitions

They used those set out in the European translation standard EN15038.

2. Terms of cooperation

Covered non-disclosure, no sub-contracting, NDA, NCA, certification and references.

3. Quality

Mutual requirements. What input is needed? Who does what?

4. Complaint management

5. Technology

CAT, MT, IT, infrastructure

One of the biggest issues was over intellectual property (IP). Case argued for translation memory as client's property.

6. Payment

·      Capacity and output

·      Basis of payment

·      Payment terms - not the exact terms, but they have to be specified in advance and accepted. Payment has to be respected by the LSP.

·      Public procurement

Minimum rate

Proford tried to set a minimum rate. (I will return to my discussion with Miklós in the break on this subject in a separate blog).

The tricky points

Miklós outlined the tricky or sticking points in the negotiations between the two sides.

1.    Gain insight and empathy for the opposing viewpoint. (The viewpoint of the company owner may be far removed from the freelancer, if no project manager experience).

2.    Mutual reality checks on the right way to do business together

3.    Ownership

4.    Basis of payment

5.    Money

6.    Terminology/identity - what is an LSP?

7.    Change - climate change, openness, commitments, responsibility

A chain of agreements from Hungary to UK/Europe?  © H.Peter

The Hungarian document now offers an endorsed outline on best practice in the translation industry. Proford would like to share it outside Hungary. Having worked on nearly all sides of the industry (client, translation buyer, freelancer, project manager), I have witnessed the lack of trust and its consequences for all parties. I believe that this proposal should be given serious consideration and support by all national associations and the European Union.

For further information on Anglicity's services, email karen@anglicity.com.

Karen Andrews runs
Anglicity Ltd. She is a

technical writer and 

translator with over

15 years' marketing

experience. Anglicity offers

marketing consultancy and

content marketing with a 

particular focus on innovation.

Paris Peace Monument

 

Mur de la Paix in Paris

There is a peace monument near the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The Mur de la Paix (Wall for Peace) was built as a temporary structure in 2000. Like its more elderly "temporary" neighbour from 1889, it remains. It bears the word "Peace" in 32 languages and 13 alphabets. It was inspired by Jerusalem's Wailing Wall.

Eiffel Tower,  its "temporary" neighbour

The Peace Monument's location on the Champs de Mars is considered controversial. It has associations with war. Yet the chosen position is backed by French custom. Personally, I think it makes a timely reminder in troubled times. Paris seemed very nervous when I visited in March. Security was high after January's Charlie Hebdo attack and the Tunisian Museum attack during my stay.

Sadly, the peace monument was fenced off. Accès interdit (Entry forbidden). This seems an apt metaphor for peace in much of the world. Peace is fenced off - out of reach.

Sign forbidding entry to the peace monument

I walked away from the monument. I found myself at the gates of the Military School nearby, just as the young soldiers were emerging on Friday evening. Their girlfriends, friends and family had been eagerly awaiting them there for the weekend. I hope that those young French soldiers, and others like them, will always return to their loved ones with smiles and laughter.

On this Easter weekend there seems to be more hope for peace. An agreement was reached with Iran over its nuclear programme this week.

The Red Cross has been very actively involved in helping ordinary people caught up in crisis this week. It helps people in conflict and disaster zones whatever their religion. It is the world's largest humanitarian organisation. It operates as the Red Crescent in Muslim countries and is known as the Croix Rouge in French-speaking countries. The Red Cross responded to the fight against Ebola in Africa. It also helps with crises closer to home. My son James and I will be doing a sponsored walk over London's Bridges in May. Your support would be greatly appreciated however large or small via our Virgin Money Giving page.

Karen Andrews (Netto) runs Anglicity Ltd. She is an entrepreneurial French to English translator, editor, content writer and marketing consultant. 

Contact: karen@anglicity.com for further information on Anglicity's services.