Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yl0vHQPHXA8

Though the industry has been working to have AI better replicate emotion, the current AI is still very monotonous and one-note in terms of its ability to express emotion. As our Chinese colleague Yingjie, who has been involved in natural language AI, commented: It is too early to talk about AI mimicking human emotions.

Exactly because diversity and richness have been the areas where humans outperform AI, this behind the scenes post will be unavoidable lengthier than our usual blogs. In other words, we would like to take the time to discuss diversity and richness and focus on the human side of stories rather than music genres or instruments.

When Mei-Ling casually recorded herself during a relaxing weekend, her intention was for this to serve as a demo for interpreters to participate in and show that the contributions can be just as light and candid as hers. She didn’t expect the video to be so diversified at the global level.

An ASL interpreter Kendra gave us the initial idea to include interpreters whose native language is ASL and interpreters of color. Originally, she was thinking to represent our local bay area communities. But then it was only natural that it evolved to include greater representation of the world communities. Besides interpreters from all over the United States including Hawaii, we have participation from China, Congo-Brazzaville, Egypt, and Israel.

We are so honored to have received contributions from all types: freshly recorded contributions from Davy, Fadhma, Oscar, and Mei-Ling just for this project; good times contributions from Qianxi, Sameh, Flower, and Nia; nostalgic contributions from Christy and Soheir; formal and elegant performances from Laura and Ayumi. Last but certainly not least, Jody contributed an easy-to-understand ASL presentation, and Sharon for giving us such a powerful contribution that we, as members of the global community, can all relate to. What a wonderful group of interpreters!

As you may have noticed, we have kept the audience very busy all the way: They have to watch clips, hear music, read storylines, listen to words from interpreters as well as from voices in the background, think about messages delivered, and all of these are meant to be done simultaneously. This is because we want to create an opportunity for the audience to experience what an interpreter has to go through when interpreting. After all, interpretation does require a bit of talent!

It’s natural to think that interpreters and music are all about performances. However, our perception changed after we received Fadhma’s contribution. We realized that it helped balance what we have been doing, which is listening. It cannot be understated the diversity that Fadhma brought to the project and how she expanded our horizons.

We are also so proud that we have the younger generation’s participation. Oscar’s son, Santiago, sings, plays the piano and the ukelele. Interestingly, he has occasionally interpreted spontaneously for family and relatives, and he is good according to Oscar. In Santiago, we see the hope of our profession and believe the interpretation profession will continue to prevail over AI for many years to come. In addition to Oscar and his son’s duet, we were blown away to watch the contribution from Davy with 3 sons during their family time. Davy’s 3 sons are so adorable, moving along with the music rhythm so naturally that I see the future of our beautiful world in the children of music lovers like Davy. What a beautiful family from Congo-Brazzaville!

Sharon has a huge heart to write such lyrics in her original song Safe Harbor: “No matter what your faith might be, the color of your skin, who you love or who you flee, I will take you in.”  These words cover the full span for world peace and harmony. We are glad to have Sharon whose lyrics have added breadth and depth to this video project!

Flower was celebrating her major birthday and decided the theme to be “Around the World.” We are so appreciative of the richness that has flown out of her clips. The presentation of Mexican, Spanish, American, and Chinese elements in the song, dance, and outfits is both culturally and visually global. What a music and cultural feast to share with us!

Sameh is an Egyptian residing in Egypt and was giving training in Kenya at the African Translators Association. In his singing, we hear “mighty place to be”, so we inserted a scenery background of Kenya, which adds the exotic feel that interpreters experience when they travel to places for assignments. Sameh did professional singing during his last 2 years at college, and he does a lot of styles, ranging from country music to jazz, that explain why he sang so freely and we really enjoy it and admire him!

We cannot thank Nia enough for selecting such a great song for the world community. It perfectly concluded the video project that we have explained in our Part 1 Behind the Scenes blog post. We’d like to thank Qianxi for thinking of us while having a good time during a karaoke party on a small island in south-eastern China. We thank Jody for providing such a wonderful piece for everyone to understand, a clip of her ASL interpretation performance of the star spangled banner. We also want to express our heartfelt thanks to the nostalgia and wonderful past that Christy and Soheir’s contributions did, bringing us back in time and allowing us to relive the past. We would also be remiss if we didn’t give a fond shoutout to Laura and Ayumi’s performances, which represented some of the finest and most expressive types of music, played at the highest level. All of these interpreters have brought the video to a broader, and higher level, ultimately adding much more enjoyment to the audience. Thank you so much!

Every individual contribution represents how the human brain works. We didn’t dictate what each individual would do in their contribution. It was completely up to them and their free choice. And yet, all of the individual contributions have aggregated as a whole to give us a very good sense of our mission and what we are capable of as professional interpreters. As Oscar put it, how uplifting and positive for us all as interpreters!

And then, we wondered what would happen if this topic was taken by an AI without any intervention—what would an AI party resemble without human intervention? Would it be as diversified and rich, or as enjoyable and heartfelt, or as uplifting and positive for us all as interpreters, as if it’d been done solely by humans and their individuality?

To celebrate interpreters’ success stories, Monterey Language Services has put together a video showcasing the friendliness, professional, expertise, and different roles of our interpreters in shaping the harmonious community of our nation.  You can view the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYxpYyoC7z0

Interpreters can spend years honing their skills to become subject matter experts in their fields, such as healthcare, education, or the legal sphere. Some have even worked in these fields as doctors, nurses, teachers, paralegals, and more before becoming language experts.

Interpreters believe in the fidelity and fairness of their work. Interpreters ensure that information is relayed accurately between the parties involved, making sure that nothing is omitted or erroneously said and everyone is on the same page. This is incredibly important in medical and legal settings.

Interpreters describe their work as rewarding and fulfilling. Many times, the act of interpreting contains an emphasis on helping those limited or non-English speakers or hearing disabled persons who are in need, such as to help with healthcare or education. This gives many interpreters great satisfaction in giving back to the community and keeps them looking forward to their work.

Monterey Language Services has the pleasure working with so many talented, devoted, professional interpreters, providing excellent service for your needs, whether your event is large, small, private, or a personal matter.

Thank you so much to our interpreters for working with us for all these years, and for the years to come.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFTzivdlkXk

We hope that this video gives you some insights into our approach to simultaneous interpretation at events. Non-English speakers blend in very well with other audience because they can receive information simultaneously. The interpretation equipment used in these events is portable. The equipment can be taken anywhere in California to suit your needs.

If opportunities arise, we look forward to working with you in Monterey, Silicon Valley, and other parts of California as well. We hope you enjoy the video!

Here at Monterey Language Services, we provide interpreters and interpretation equipment for your multilingual events. Below you will find our YouTube videos showcasing our equipment.

With these videos, we hope that everyone can gain a new understanding of the steps we take to ensure your event’s success, so you can just sit back and relax!

1. If you’re looking for a general overview of what we do to prepare for events, watch this video:

Conference Interpretation and Equipment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp0NF7lvttk

In this video, our office manager describes a typical event that we provide interpretation and equipment for. With thorough preparation, we are confident everything will work out smoothly.

2. If you’d like to see a tutorial on our rental equipment, please look at this:

Interpretation Equipment Tutorial: Rent Our Equipment to Gear for Your Next Event
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KrR3Q9yrlo

Equipment explained in this tutorial includes a transmitter, a receiver, a headset microphone, and an audience headset.

3. Curious about how an interpreter sets up equipment for an event? Check out this video:

Interpretation Equipment Tutorial: Interpreter Perspective
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrjKO7sk0Hk

In this video, you’ll learn how interpreters use the equipment. Equipment used in this tutorial includes a transmitter and a headset microphone.

4. Worried about if your guests will be able to hear? We have a video detailing an attendee’s experience listening to the interpreter:

Interpretation Equipment Tutorial: Event Attendee Perspective
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEXZ8fY0EaY

Our colleague, Shenny, describes how our equipment can assist your guests to receive the relayed information simultaneously from an interpreter. Equipment used in this tutorial includes a receiver and a headset.

 5. What else has Monterey Language Services Done? Check out our event showcase video:

Simultaneous Interpretation Event Showcase 

Simultaneous Interpretation Event Showcase

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFTzivdlkXk

Located in beautiful Monterey, Monterey Language Services has been supporting the multilingual events of companies and visitors everywhere in California, from Monterey to the Silicon Valley, and beyond.

At Monterey Language Services, we do not only provide interpretation services, but also interpretation AV equipment to facilitate understanding. We regularly provide transmitters, receivers, headset microphones, and headsets for simultaneous interpretation events. Transmitters and headset microphones are for the interpreters, and the receivers and headsets are for your visitors. Within seconds, the equipment can be set up and adjusted to your visitor’s comfort.

By using our equipment, the speakers do not need to pause for the interpreters to catch up— instead, they can keep speaking. Simultaneously, the interpreters relay the information to your visitors in their native language. This way, your visitors wearing the receivers and headsets can receive information via the interpreter. At the same time, the audience of the main language does not hear the interpretation and can better focus without any distractions. As a result, the communication at your event will be more effective, and the speech and/or conversations will proceed smoothly and seamlessly.

When we receive a request for interpretation at an event, we gather all relevant information for the event: date, location, language, number of attendees, anticipated length, subject matter that are required for the work.

For smaller events, we provide receivers and headsets for the audience, where the interpreters are able to follow the audience and keep mobility from one location to another. For larger events, we use Interpreter Consoles, where the interpreter stays in a booth to relay information to a larger number of event-goers who speak different languages. We also use a hybrid mix of portable equipment with fixed stations. Please feel welcome to email us to find out more at info@montereylanguages.com

Just as we provide the most suitable interpretation equipment to fit different situations, we ensure to assign interpreters who are experts in the field of your event. For effective interpretation, especially simultaneous interpretation events, multiple interpreters are often needed and we send only those who are knowledgeable in the subject matter. For example, conference interpreters usually specialize in a particular subject, whether it is IT, Business, International Tech Reseller meetings, Product Training, Marketing, or Finance, etc.

We’ve provided services for top tech companies with our portable equipment including for visitors from Latin America and Asia. We’ve provided for large marketing and conference events with interpretation console equipment. Our methodology works. Our easy-to-use and effective equipment, knowledgeable interpreters, and detailed planning rise high to each and every occasion. We owe it to our clients to provide the very best, after all.

Imagine that you’re at an event. All your participants are eagerly awaiting to hear from you. Your presenters are anxious to begin their presentation. In that moment, they’re all focused on the content of the presentation and have an expectation that the equipment provided will work. That’s why it’s extremely important to have the right kind of tools for the job, and with Monterey Language Services, that’s exactly what you will get. We have worked all sorts of events and have a wealth of experience making sure that our equipment will be the right fit for the job.

The size of venues can differ, so whether you’re trying to reach someone in the front row or the back row, it’s important that your equipment has range. In particular, our transmitters and receivers allows participants and interpreters to freely move around a large range of area, up to 150 feet, maximizing audio quality while eliminating the worry of ever falling out of range.

It also comes with ample different channels, allowing for increased flexibility for switching between languages as necessary. This is perfect for situations where you need simultaneous interpretation for multiple languages.

We’ve all been there when you’re giving a presentation and then there’s feedback from the microphone. It’s not only disruptive, but very nerve-racking for the presenter. To prevent this from happening, it’s important to make sure that all the equipment being used correctly interact with each other and have high synergy. A Conference Room walk-through is important. The best part is we are here locally if you plan to come to Monterey, California for your events! All the trouble shooting if any can be taken care of right here locally before the start of your conference.

For interpretation events, we provide transmitters, receivers, interpreter consoles, interpreter booths, headsets, etc. Our interpretation equipment is compatible with both FM and digital equipment. Regardless of radio or digital, we will have you covered. If you already have AV equipment, we can easily have everything connected to our interpretation system and running in no time.

If you don’t have AV, that’s not a problem at all. We can provide all AV support and equipment including mixers, speakerphones, lapel or hand or table top conference microphones, technicians, any necessary cables, and more..

If you’re considering an interpretation event, consider Monterey Language Services. We have affordable prices, great equipment, and seasoned interpreters. We will make sure that your event goes off without a hitch! The best is we are here locally in Monterey California!

Recently, Monterey Language Services provided simultaneous Spanish interpretation at a school board meeting. The parents of many students at this school are Mexican Spanish-speaking with a wide range of English proficiency, and the staff had become concerned that these parents were missing out on crucial information regarding school policies.

As a language service provider, we understand the importance of and advocate for information distribution. We jumped at the opportunity and immediately set to locating the most qualified interpreters in the community.

The Search

We have a vast network of interpreters, which allows us to choose the best interpreters for the job. In this case, we ended up picking two interpreters who were local to the area and subject matter experts.

You might be wondering why we assigned two interpreters. For a simultaneous event, it is standard practice to have team interpreters. Given the mental taxation for simultaneous interpretation, one interpreter will speak for a given amount of time (generally twenty to thirty minutes), then take turns with the other interpreter. This way interpreters can take a break, help with another matter at the event if need be, or provide notes or backup to each other.

We thought it was appropriate to assign interpreters from the area, as the interpreters have a closer association with local events and therefore have more enthusiasm in giving back to the community.

The fact that our two interpreters for this assignment are subject matter experts concerning education is another boon, because they know about the ins and outs of the education system.

The Preparation

Our office carries a plethora of equipment for interpretation events, including microphone headsets, transmitters, receivers, and receiver headsets. As a brief rundown, the interpreter usually whispers their interpretation into a microphone headset, which goes through a transmitter to the receivers; the interpreter’s words then are delivered right to the listeners’ ears through the receiver headsets.

We count out the number of headsets, transmitters, and receivers needed, then test each one to ensure that they work. Once all equipment is checked and accounted for, we wipe them with alcohol swabs to assure cleanliness before packing them into foam-lined cases to make sure nothing accidentally gets damaged.

Setup and Execution

Since this was the first interpretation event performed at this school, our office manager arrived an hour before the event. Preparation on-site began with introduction of the equipment to our client, in which we included written instructions for reference.

We also made sure to give the interpreters a place to be where they could see and hear the speakers, as well as see any supplementary material that the speakers put on a television screen. This setup allowed the interpreters to take in all available information so that their interpretation would be as accurate as possible.

Cleanup

Once all equipment was brought back to our office, we took great care to ensure that everything was still working well. Inspecting the equipment after an event can be a delicate process that includes checking for malfunctions, cracks, broken wires, etc. Given that Covid-19 is still a prevalent concern, we clean the equipment with alcohol swabs yet again before storing it.

Another concern is that, as our transmitters and receivers are battery-powered, we check for battery corrosion, which can harm the equipment and cause it to stop working. Leaving batteries for too long inside any equipment can lead to leakage of the hydrogen gas inside, so we always make sure to take batteries out when our transmitters and receivers are not being prepped for use or in-use.

The Result

The school office advertised to parents that there would be simultaneous Spanish interpretation at their school board event, and many of the people coming into the meeting were excited, even those who did not need interpretation services themselves. Spanish speakers eagerly took receivers and headsets, thanking our office manager and interpreters for the assistance. A conversation with a Spanish-speaking teacher revealed that there had been lots of anticipation around this event, and that the schoolboard was eager to provide an even better experience at the next one.

Getting to see how the Spanish speakers were excited about receiving information in Spanish at the same time as the English speakers is very inspiring and this is what helping people with communication is all about. It’s a rewarding experience and we look forward to the next one!

The Printing Press

It is a little-known fact among the Western world that Johannes Gutenberg was not in fact the first to create a printing press. Borrowing from wood-block printing in many Asian cultures, Korean Choe Yun-ui created the first printing press with moveable block characters in the 1200s. However, due to many factors, such as invasion into Korea and the fact that organizing the Chinese characters to print took quite a while, this printing press did not become widespread.

Gutenberg’s printing press, on the other hand, often printed works written in Latin, which is written with far, far fewer letters than there are characters in Chinese. Arranging the type pieces and going through the printing process was markedly easier than in Korea two hundred years earlier, and Gutenberg’s printing press was essential for the increase in literacy in the following century. In our last blog, we mentioned that Martin Luther’s German translation of the Bible was a major turning point in the history of translation; without the printing press, his translation would not have reached even half the people that it did.

The Rosetta Stone

The Rosetta Stone, first discovered in 1799, held a passage that was written three times—twice in two versions of ancient Egyptian, and once in ancient Greek. The passage, written in 196 BC, was key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics, despite so much of the Rosetta Stone being broken and incomplete.

The Nuremberg Trials

The infamous Nuremberg Trials were held to take Nazis to court and to try them for war crimes that took place during World War II. Remarkably, the trials only took ten months to complete, despite the need to translate and interpret the proceedings into numerous languages. This was accomplished by implementing the world’s first simultaneous interpretation program, which likely saved years off of the Trials’ time. Simultaneous interpretation is difficult to learn the skills for, but is commonly used for conferences, such as for the United Nations.

The Internet

With the advent of the internet, the world became even more global than ever. While learning languages and speaking or writing to a language partner regardless of distance was possible with phone calls and letters, the internet sped up those processes to be nearly immediate.

With this, however, came increasing demands for translation and interpretation for global businesses. Translators and interpreters now had to learn how to not only navigate linguistic landscapes, but also digital ones.

Machine Translation

Very recently in the history of translation and interpretation has been the rise in machine translation. Essentially, putting one string from language A into a machine, which would produce that string in language B. This method vastly improves the speed at which translators can do their jobs, but as machines can’t understand language in the way that humans do, translators and proofreaders are necessary to ensure that the final product doesn’t sound unnatural.

Now

While looking back at history, we also look towards the future. In the past, human history has had lots of events that have influenced today’s translators and interpreters. Many events even had an impact on the world as a whole, such as the printing press and the internet. In the future, there will only be even more AI inventions and events that will shape the translation and interpretation sphere. However, one thing we have seen clearly is that language has been highly varied and shaped by human thought and action; in that vein, we in the translation and interpretation industry are still far, far away from being replaced by machines or robots.

The Classroom

Typically in the United States, many ASL interpreters are known to interpret into sign language for deaf or hard-of-hearing students in the classroom setting, whether it be K-12, colleges, or universities.

Classroom interpreters may also be called “educational interpreters”—these interpreters aren’t just advocates for the students they interpret for, but also role models and supporters. Educational interpreters are part of the educational teams that are responsible for students’/children’s learning goals and outcomes. While the interpreter must maintain confidentiality, of course, confidentiality is not limited to themselves and the classroom teacher. Instead, the interpreter must speak with the student’s educational team about the student’s behavior, answers, development, etc. during classroom and/or school hours.

To properly teach a deaf or hard-of-hearing student, the interpreter and other members of the educational team must decide beforehand on a) what specific type of sign language is necessary to use; b) whether the interpreter should modify vocabulary and/or register (this is especially important if the child has a developmental disability); and c) what each lesson’s outline and expected learning outcome will be.

A Workshop

We’ve recently received a request to provide ASL interpreters for an upcoming workshop designed to promote leadership and effectiveness in the workplace. Workshops can be on any topic–technology, business, medical, community CPR and fire training, etc.

Depending on the length of the workshop and number of attendees, a team of interpreters might be better than a singular interpreter, as interpreting can be tiring with constant hand movement and so require sufficient breaks. If there is a speaker addressing an audience, an interpreter will stand up on stage as well and sign to provide interpretation (usually simultaneous), and can switch out with another interpreter as needed. Providing a team of interpreters can also allow for one or two of them to work with someone who may require extra assistance.

ASL interpreters may be asked to “voice” during the workshop. Voicing is the process of using spoken English in tandem with signing. Deaf or hard-of-hearing people using an interpreter’s services can benefit greatly in their understanding of the interpretation by reading the interpreter’s lips. Those with some level of hearing can also pick up on the morphemes (simply put, small units of spoken sound) coming from the interpreter. Depending on the needs of the situation, the interpreter may be asked not to voice during their work, too.

A Hospital or Forensic Setting

Hospitals are a very common setting for any type of interpretation, and it’s no different for ASL interpretation. Oftentimes, an emergency or a high-priority appointment will pop up. In those cases, time is of the essence to find an interpreter, and it takes a quick, calm, and agile manager or coordinator to find who is available and experienced to interpret.

Recently, we were contacted for a same-day ASL interpretation request concerning medical forensics. We worked fast to send an interpreter who not only could make it in time to the appointment, but also fluent in medical terminology with a proven track record of interpreting for potentially upsetting circumstances.

In our next post we will be highlighting more ASL interpretation scenarios, so please stay tuned.

As a language service provider, one part of our job is to observe trends. These trends may be used to confirm jobs with specific clients or keep track of certain trends in language, and can be very important to our work. Put simply, collecting data on trends can help LSPs understand how to improve upon themselves.

In today’s blog, we’ll be highlighting a few tips about how to track trends by collecting data and use it to your LSP’s advantage.

Try out surveys.

Surveys are a very easy way to get qualitative data, which can help LSPs understand the quality of the service they provided. Usually, surveys are sent out to clients after they’ve received their service. Clients can rate their satisfaction with the service they received on a scale such as from 1-10 or Poor to Excellent, and can leave more detailed information about what they liked and did not like about their service.

Challenges may occur if a client forgets to fill out some of the questions, misunderstands a question, or doesn’t fill out the survey at all. Make sure to make the survey as clear as possible, and, whenever possible, provide the client’s preferred language.

Use transactional data.

You can collect data from your own company’s transactional data to collect quantitative data, which can help LSPs identify how many times they provided service for different languages and for which clients. Transactional data refers to your sales, receipts, POs, invoices, etc. that tell you when, where, how, and for what language you’re providing services for.

For example, a common language to interpret for in America is Spanish. By looking at your transactional data, you can identify trends. For example, if there are more requests from a nearby hospital, you can deduce if you need to hire more medical interpreters. Similarly, you can look at trends in language requests, such as if there’s a sudden surge in Korean requests; perhaps there has been an influx of people moving to the area, or there’s some sort of event going on that you should investigate.

Interviews.

When working with a contracted partner, you might want to take the opportunity to interview them and ask their opinion on your services. You can also ask if their clients mentioned anything to them about your translator or interpreter. For example, talking with a contracted health care provider can glean information from their management department as well as their patients about your interpreter’s bedside manner and professionalism.

Keep up-to-date and do research.

Other important topics to keep an eye on in the language services industry are things like technology and common issues. Technology is essential in today’s world, especially for large translation projects or simultaneous interpretation assignments.

Technology and common issues or topics of conversation constantly change and evolve. If we don’t pay attention, it can be easy to lose track of these ideas and fall behind competitors or not be able to provide the best service. Make sure to keep up-to-date, and research through news articles and even social media such as LinkedIn to see what people are talking about.

All in all, it’s good to remember that improvement is something we should always strive for. The quality of our services as LSPs is something we should make sure to provide, and collecting and analyzing data is a great step forward.