The Linguist is a languages magazine for professional linguists, translators, interpreters, language professionals, language teachers, trainers, students and academics with articles on translation, interpreting, business, government, technology
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talks of doctors in one Tokyo hospital being equipped with portable speech translation devices for the Olympic Games before the event was postponed. 6 So what do we do? Doing our part I doubt there is a single interpreter reading this who would agree with the claims of the machine interpreting companies. We can all find the holes in their logic, and we all want to argue that languages are engines for growth, or welcome markers of diversity, rather than barriers. Yet we have to face the fact that, for the most part, the marketing of automated machine interpreting companies has been more persuasive than our efforts. It is us who need to change our tactics, not them. When I studied the marketing of machine interpreting devices for my book, Interpreters vs Machines, I noticed that their claims are persuasive because they are based on real problems faced by travellers, and contain a clear response to these problems. Compare this to the usual marketing of interpreting, which focuses on accuracy, impartiality and confidentiality, as if we don't need to explain their importance to clients. If we are to beat the peddlers of the devices that are supposed to replace us, we need to turn their own tactics against them. We too need to be so in tune with those buying our services that we talk about our work in terms that make sense to them. Our marketing has to be based on the problems our potential clients have and how we can solve them. Instead of trumpeting our qualifications, we need to talk about how we help companies grow, or make medical appointments more efficient. Instead of calling ourselves accurate and impartial, we need to demonstrate the difference we make to trials or business meetings or @Linguist_CIOL COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING automated interpreting technology does, indeed, require a great deal of technical expertise. That much is undeniable, even if we might want to probe the meaning of some of the terms they use. More importantly, the technical jargon in these adverts always serves a purpose. These companies know how to make it seem as if they have thought through any problem their users might have and so can explain that this microphone array, or that circuit board, solves this problem for them. This leads neatly into the third, more subtle message. Speech translation is perfect Every single word in every single advert for every single automated speech translation device is aimed at a single central claim. For a technology company to sell any devices, they need to convince their audience that the results from their products will fulfil their clients' requirements. In Waverly Labs' latest advert, they make a great deal of their ability to deliver "professional standard translation" for "professional users". In the demonstrations of the technology, the quality of output is technically flawless. Indeed, even their initial dream sequence, which asks viewers to imagine what it would be like to snap our fingers and be fluent in 20 languages, rests on the assumption that the technology can deliver that fluency. Look at any advert for any machine interpreting solution and you will see the same claim. Yet whenever such claims are tested, they are shown to come up short. In 2018, the Chinese technology giant Tencent decided to let their automated speech translation system, Fanyijun, take over the interpreting at their Boao Forum for business and political leaders. To say that its results were a disappointment would be an understatement. From interpreting China's "belt and road" initiative as "a road and a waistband" to spouting gibberish, 4 its output left the local press nonplussed and the international translation press in a jovial, almost sarcastic, mood. 5 With ongoing concerns around Covid-19, it is not at all impossible that similar speech translation systems might be tried in even more important situations. In fact, there were QUICK FIX? Interpreting devices claim to offer the ability to understand other languages with the click of your fingers conferences. And we need to do all this using the words and phrases our clients use. As more cash is thrown at speech translation, learning to create persuasive marketing messages about human interpreting is no longer an option; it's a requirement. Notes 1 www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjjQ5cH_YzI 2 Google (2017) 'Google Pixel Buds – Wireless headphones that help you do more'; www.blog.google/products/pixel/pixel-buds 3 www.youtube.com/watch?v=g82tUyukLck 4 bit.ly/3bjKTdM 5 bit.ly/2xr5xKA 6 bit.ly/2UloKX7 (Accessed 14/5/20)