by Hammed Sonny | Oct 6, 2021 | Remote Interpreting
Written by Callum Madle.
COVID-19 has greatly impacted upon the income of freelance language services, especially translation and interpretation services. Between January and June 2020, those working in translation services saw their income decrease by 8% and those working in interpretation services saw their income decrease by 24%.
The significant decline in income for those working in interpreting services is primarily a result of the abrupt end to face-to-face events at which interpreters would find employment, such as conventions, conference centres, courtrooms and meetings.
To deal with the steep decline in their income, interpreters have had to adapt, using video conferencing on Zoom and Microsoft Teams, or interpreting via telecommunications. Now, with companies such as Microsoft, Spotify, Twitter and Facebook allowing employees the option to work from home, will services that operate as part of the new WFH (working from home) system, such as remote interpreting, continue to increase in demand?
What are the different types of interpreting?
Previous to the pandemic, the most popular type of interpreting was traditionally onsite interpreting. There are plenty of examples of on-site interpreting in action, for example at political conferences, translating in court or in the healthcare system. There are several distinctive types of onsite interpreting, those being simultaneous, consecutive and whispered interpreting:
- Simultaneous interpreting involves the interpreter relaying the speaker’s words in real time to the client in the same room, preserving the ease of flow of the speech of the speaker. This type of interpreting is used most prominently in business, but can also be used for instance during speeches or presentations.
- Consecutive interpreting is a back-and-forth process; the client speaks, after which the linguist translates their dialogue allowing the other party to process and respond to what they have said.
- Whispered interpreting involves the interpreter translating for one or two people, in which conservation might be spoke at a hushed tone. Unlike the aforementioned forms of interpreting, this service is provided to a much smaller number of people, usually for private meetings.
In contrast, as a result of the pandemic, most clients are seeking remote interpreting. Unlike on-site interpreting, neither the client or the interpreter are in the same location. Remote interpreting has been utilised in some of the same areas and industries as on-site interpreting, such as courtrooms, healthcare and the business sector. The main types of remote interpreting are Telephone Interpreting (OPI), Video Remote Interpreting (VRI), Remote Simultaneous Interpreting (RSI), and remote consecutive interpreting (RCI):
- Telephone Interpreting, or over the phone, is a service of interpreting delivered over the phone between a number of different parties, during which the interpreter communicates between the two parties via the telephone.
- Video Remote Interpreting is delivered through different video communication software, such as Microsoft Teams, Skype or Zoom. One benefit of this type of interpreting in comparison to telephone interpreting is that the linguist can pick up on helpful visual cues between the different clients.
- Remote Simultaneous Interpreting is also provided using video communication software or via telephone. It is usually provided at online events such as webinars, online conferences or panel-based discussions.
- Remote Consecutive interpreting is also provided via video conferencing software. It is used for online business meetings, interviews or negotiations.
Why is remote interpreting beneficial to customers?
The healthcare system is one of the markets with the highest demand for both on-site and remote interpreting. As a consequence of the precautions the healthcare system has had to take due to the widespread impact of the pandemic, such as the need for social distancing and PPE (protective personal equipment, on-site interpreting now raises a great deal of complications that have affected its effectiveness. There is still the possibility to continue some form of face-to-face interpretation when it is necessary and unavoidable, for instance in the context of end of life care.
However, remote interpreting is more beneficial to the healthcare system as well as for many other different employers in the long term, as it can be less expensive than face-to-face interpreting. For example, the use of video conferencing or telephone interpretation reduces the need for employers to cover the cost of travelling to and from one site to another.
Remote interpreting also makes it easier and more convenient for employers to get in contact with interpreters. Due to an increased ease of access of interpreters for a multitude of different languages, employers can simply contact interpreters via telephone or video conferencing software, and put them in contact with the person whom they need to translate or interpret. Although this ease of demand has meant that some employers can contact interpreters at very short notice, the convenience and flexibility of employing a remote interpreter highlights the advantage of remote interpreting to employers.
In Conclusion
It seems highly likely that some of the new workplace systems and ideas introduced during the pandemic, like working from home and the increased demand for remote interpreting, are here to stay for a long time. Considering that plenty of companies across a variety of different industries like Aviva (insurance), Utilita (energy company), and technology companies like Facebook and Twitter, have decided to allow their employees to work from home permanently, many face-to-face events may no longer be as prominent or necessary as was once the case.
Therefore, at Crystal Clear Translation, we have already adapted to the fluctuations that have occurred in the last year. We offer both telephone interpreting and remote interpreting services to our customers, as well as any other non-face-to-face interpreting and translation services.
If you should require translation or interpretation of any languages or dialect, you may be interested in the excellent services provided by Crystal Clear Translation. At CCT, we employ many efficient and reliable translators able to navigate the intricacies of many different languages and cultures. Click here for a quote if you should need interpretation or translation services in a multitude of different languages.
by Hammed Sonny | Sep 27, 2021 | Asia
The Malayalam language is spoken mainly in India. Part of the Dravidian family of dialects, Malayalam is a tongue with a rich cultural background.
Status
Malayalam is present within many regions of India. Most prevalent in the Indian state of Kerala, it is also spoken in smaller vicinities such as Lakshadweep and Puducherry. Within these regions, Malayalam has official language status. Overall, there are approximately 34 million native speakers nationwide.
As well as in these larger areas, smaller cluster communities also utilise the dialect. Most of these speaking areas are neighbouring states surrounding Kerala. These places include Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka, Nilgiris, Kanyakumari and Tamil Nadu.
Malayalam History
Out of all of the Dravidian languages, Malayalam is in fact the youngest of them all. Other languages in the family include Tamil, Kota, Kodagu and Kannada. The Malayalam dialect is most similar to Tamil, and it took around 5 centuries for it to evolve and establish itself as an official language. During this time, languages such as Sanskrit and Tamil were considered working languages; being used within business and educational settings. These two have influenced the development of Malayalam.
Vocabulary
As mentioned earlier, the language has taken inspiration from many other Indian dialects, like that of Sanskrit- using multiple loanwords day to day. Furthermore, the influence of Europeans has also had a significant impact on the evolution- languages such as English and Portuguese are known to have links to the vocabulary. Interestingly, some languages also take influence from Malayalam too.
Writing and script
The most used script in the Malayalam language is Kolezhutu – which has derived from the Grandha script. The pronunciation varies between locations, which includes accents and grammar too.
There are multiple different media materials that are printed in Malayalam. This includes 170 plus newspapers and magazines. The Malayalam language is used richly within the media of Kerala, and the continuous spread of the dialect throughout other regions too. One example of the growing language status is the fact that Malayalam is now being taught in educational settings across many regions.
Final thoughts
Malayalam is an incredibly fascinating language. There is a lot of history and culture surrounding the development of the language, and today it is utilised greatly within many regions of India. It is also apparent how it is continually evolving through the influence of European dialects.
Do you require our services?
Should you require a Malayalam Interpreter or Translation service, visit Crystal Clear Translation for a quote.
by Hammed Sonny | Sep 20, 2021 | Asia
Written by Shannon Walker.
Pashto is an incredibly intriguing dialect. With a long-standing historical background, the intricate language is spoken by approximately 35-40 million people across regions of both Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Originating in the Helmand/Kandahar regions of Afghanistan, the Pashtun language belongs to the Indo-European family of dialects. The extensive Pashto lexicon has evolved over the centuries with many words being loaned from languages such as that of the Ancient Greeks and Persia, to name a few. It is thought that roughly 5,550 words within the vocabulary are borrowed words. Since its initial introduction in Afghanistan, the script has developed and been refined, meaning an improvement in its clarity.
Pashto In Afghanistan
Pashto accounts for around between 45-60% of native tongue in Afghanistan. It wasn’t until 1936 that it became one of the two official languages of the country, with the second one being Dari Persian. The Pashto dialect is primarily spoken within the east, south and south westerly regions.
Pashto In Pakistan
Mainly based within the northwest area of Pakistan, 15% of the total population have adopted Pashto as their first language. Although many deem this as their mother tongue, Pashto is not considered an official language in Pakistan as it is in Afghanistan. Both Urdu and English are under the title of official dialects.
How Does Pashto Differ Between Regions and Countries?
The language is typically split into two divisions: the southern division and the northern division. They quite simply differ regarding the sound upon pronunciation of words.
Sothern:
SH/ZH sounds
Northern:
KH/GH sounds
Afghanistan Pashto is considered the more traditional of the two, as Pakistan Pashto is influenced by the Urdu language. This means that the dialect spoken by the Pakistani population is less pure to that of the language spoken by Afghan natives- Pashto spoken in Pakistan is commonly mixed with Urdu when spoken.
Something that is very interesting about Pashto is how varied it is as a language. Depending on the specific region that you are in, the verb and noun patterns can change, this is something quite unique about the native language.
Concluding Thoughts
It is safe to say that Pashto, although only prevalent in two countries, is incredibly broad and varies in terms of location. It has also evolved over time, having been influenced by other languages along the way, making it an extremely unique dialect. We can only begin to wonder if the likes of English and Urdu will continue to impact the distinctive language.
Could You Benefit from Our Services?
If you require a Pashto Interpreter (Afghan or Pakistan), then head on over to our website for a quote.
by Hammed Sonny | Sep 17, 2021 | Africa
The Shona Language
(Written by Shannon Walker)
Shona is one of the most widely spoken Bantu languages. Part of the Niger-Congo language family, Shona is the language of Shona people in Zimbabwe. In fact, it is one of the most widely spoken Bantu languages, with 10.7 million people speaking it exclusively as their first language (this is around 80% of the country’s population!)
The language isn’t exclusive to Zimbabwe, with speakers in Botswana and Mozambique also, mainly as a second language as a pose to native tongue.
Shona Dialects
- Hwesa
- Korekore (Northern Shona, Goba, Gova and Shangwe)
- Karanga (Chikakaranga)
- Zezuru (Chizezuru, Bazezuru, Bazuzura, Mazizuru, Vazezuru and Wazezuru)
There are multiple Shona dialects, each with its own distinguishing features, however, the majority of the dialects share vocabulary making them mutually intelligible.
Zimbabwe language status
Shona is one of three official languages in Zimbabwe, including Ndebele and English; English is considered the lingua franca of the region, although Shona is taught widely within schools. Despite English’s status, Shona is a language present in all aspects of the media including newspaper and radio.
The Derivation of Shona
Shona is made up of two dialects: Karanga and Zezuru. In addition to the influence of these dialects upon the modern language, the language is also influenced by that of English, Afrikaans and Portuguese. Due to such influences, it is no longer considered a pure language- it is evolving at a noteworthy rate.
Below are a few useful words and phrases in Shona:
Hello- Mhoro
Thank You- Waita Zvako
Sorry- Ndineurombo
I Love You- Ndinokuda
Congratulations! – Makorokoto!
Concluding Thoughts
Over the years, Shona has evolved into a unique, modern language. It plays a huge part in the region of Zimbabwe and operates as a working language throughout the region. With the continual evolution, this is a language that will continue to flourish and become more prevalent within the Zimbabwean population.
Do you require our services?
Should you require a Shona translation or interpreter service, visit Crystal Clear Translation for a quote.
by Hammed Sonny | Sep 2, 2021 | Africa
This blog was written by Callum Madle.
In Guinea-Bissau, Angola and Mozambique, the Portuguese language is used as a lingua franca (a common language) and is also used in the education system, the media and legal documentation. Angola is the second largest Portuguese speaking nation in the world; around 18 million people speak Portuguese in the country. In Mozambique, ten million people speak the Portuguese language, and in Guinea-Bissau, an estimated 200,000 people still speak Portuguese, the majority of whom live in the capital city Bissau.
These three countries, which all use Portuguese as an official language are known as Lusophone countries, of which there are six countries in total in the African continent. The six Lusophone African countries in which Portuguese is an official language are known as the PALOP (Países Africanos de Língua Oficial Portuguesa). The PALOP consists of Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe and Equatorial Guinea.
In the 15th and 16th century, the expansion of the Portuguese Empire into the Africa led to the introduction of the Portuguese language to the continent. The main regions of Africa occupied by the Portuguese Empire were known as Portuguese Guinea, Cape Verde, Portuguese East Africa, Portuguese West Africa, and Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe. These regions gained independence from the Portuguese Empire in 1974-5, after the 13 year-long Portuguese Colonial War and the Carnation Revolution in Portugal, which saw the overthrow of the Estado Novo regime and the end of the Portuguese Colonial Empire.
In the 20th and 21st century, the Portuguese language in Guineau-Bissau, Angola and Mozambique has fluctuated and developed into three different dialects of the language known as Angolan Portuguese, Mozambique Portuguese, and Guinea-Bissau Creole.
Angolan Portuguese
The first documented use of the Portuguese language in Angola were letters written by royalty in the Kingdom of Kongo, dating from the 16th to 18th centuries. However, these texts contained Portuguese closer to traditional standard Portuguese, and were most likely written by Portuguese scribes than by speakers of the Angolan Portuguese dialect. Modern Angolan Portuguese has individual charactersitics that are unique from standard Portuguese, and the dialect also borrows vocabulary from regional Angolan dialects.
For instance, in Angolan Portuguese, the word “kota” is used for an elderly person, which is borrowed from the Kimbundu word “di-kota”. This word is used to describe an elder in the Kimbundu language, the second most widely spoken Bantu language in Angola. Angolan Portuguese also borrows the words “bazar” (meaning to “go away”, derived from “kubaza”), “camba” (meaning friend, derived from the word “di-kamba”) and “bué” (meaning many, derived from the word “mbewe”) from the Kimbundu language.
In addition to this, spoken Angolan Portuguese differs from spoken European Portuguese. Consonants are more strongly pronounced in Angolan Portuguese, such as the letters “s”, “t” and “r”. The word for “Friday” in Portuguese, “sexta-feira” would be pronounced in Angolan Portuguese as “say-shta feh-ra”, but spoken in European Portuguese, “feira” is pronounced in a softer tone as “fay-ra”. This variation in pronunciation bears some similarity to the treatment of consonants in Brazilian Portuguese.
Mozambican Portuguese
Like Angolan Portuguese, Mozambican Portuguese has some of its own individual characteristics that can distinguish this dialect from European Portuguese. However, it also shares some similarities with its predecessor language. For example, both Mozambican Portuguese and European Portuguese are SVO (subject-verb-object) languages. The sentence, “he saw me”, would be translated in the exact same way in both Mozambican and European Portuguese: “via-me”.
However, one way in which Mozambican Portuguese differs from European Portuguese is the use of proclisis in its syntax construction. Proclisis is the language phenomenon that a reduced form of a word is attached to the beginning of another existing word. This phenomenon can be observed in the way in which the phrase “he takes responsibility” would be written in Mozambican and European Portuguese: “ele se responsabiliza” (Mozambican Portuguese), “ele responsabiliza-se” (European Portuguese). In Mozambican Portuguese, the reflexive pronoun ‘se’ is placed between the male subject “ele” and the verb “responsabiliza”, whereas in the European Portuguese, the reflexive pronoun article is attached to the end of the verb. The lack of proclisis is also present in the Brazilian Portuguese language.
Mozambican Portuguese has also borrowed vocabulary from the Bantu languages and incorporated them. For instance, the word “chima”, is a word for a type of porridge borrowed from the Makhuwa, Sena and Nyungwe languages that are spoken in Mozambique. The word “madala”, has been borrowed from the Tsonga language, refers to an elder, or a person worthy of esteem. The Mozambican Portuguese language has also been influenced by other languages such as Arabic, with the use of the word “metical”, the national currency of Mozambique, which derives from “miktal”, the Arabic word for a unit of weight. Some words in the language are also shared between the other Lusophone countries in Africa, such as the “machimbombo”, the word for a bus.
Guinea-Bissau Creole
While the official language of Guinea-Bissau is standard European Portuguese, the Guinea-Bissau Creole is a dialect influenced by Portuguese that is widely spoken in the country. This dialect is an SVO (subject-verb-object) language which shares similarities with other variations of creole, such as Casamance Creole (spoken in Senegal). It is mainly spoken in the city of Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau, and is also used in the context of trade and commerce. It is also used in media and communication, as well as the Portuguese language.
This creole is characterised in its spoken form by glottal closure, or vocal cord closure, which describes the closure of the glottis (part of the larynx). For instance, the word “alguém” (meaning “someone”), is pronounced in Guinea-Bissau Creole as “algin”. Guinea-Bissau Creole has also borrowed a lot of vocabulary from the Portuguese language, as well as local dialects. For example, the phrase “good night” in Portuguese, “boa noite”, is similar to “bo noite”, the same phrase in Guinea-Bissau Creole.
In Conclusion
While there are some similarities between the European Portuguese and the variations from Angola, Guinea—Bissau, and Mozambique, it is evident that these languages have many diverse characteristics and interesting influences from regional languages in their countries, and from Arabic and Creole. Therefore, Angolan Portuguese, Mozambique Portuguese, and Guinea-Bissau Creole may not necessarily be intelligible to a speaker of the European Portuguese language.
If you require translation or interpreting services in Angolan Portuguese, Mozambique Portuguese, Portuguese dialects or any other language, you can get a quote here from Crystal Clear Translation.
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