Yes, Let's Change, But You Go First!
Published March 26, 2017
The 4th think! Interpreting is here!
By now, we all understand that change is transforming many aspects of the interpreting profession. Currently, we are caught in a frustrating moment where the fact of change has been accepted, but many are waiting to see what others do first.
This week Barry and Katharine are in the incomparable city of Amsterdam for the 4th think! Interpreting. InterpretAmerica has been partnering with the Globalization and Localization Association (GALA) during its annual conference since 2014 to bring interpreting-related content to the world's biggest language services industry event.
What started as an experiment has turned into a productive collaboration that is helping to demystify the currently chaotic and difficult-to-predict interpreting side of the language services industry. For the 4th year running, interpreting continues to be a dynamic growth sector in language services. Barry and Katharine take full advantage of the opportunity provided by the GALA conference to learn about new developments in the translation and interpreting profession "across the pond" so we can continue our work of deciphering some of the turbulance we are experiencing.
Technology has always advanced faster than human behavior. The key to success in an industry undergoing such profound change—like language services—requires working 'backward toward success.' Ewandro Magalhaes
Yes! Let's Change, But You Go First! is the title of this year's think! Interpreting keynote address. The talk is emblematic of the overall theme think! Interpreting sessions will be exploring across the board.
Our keynote speaker is industry trailblazer and veteran, Ewandro Magalhaes. Few people in our profession are better situated to give an overview of the impact change is having on all aspects of interpreting. Ewandro recently retired as chief interpreter for a UN agency in Geneva, where he oversaw major technological change and managed it long enough to understand the interplay between technology and human behavior.
Ewandro believes technology has always advanced faster than human behavior and that the key to success in an industry undergoing such profound change—like language services—requires working “backward toward success.”
think! Interpreting sessions highlight those who are "going first."
Every think! Interpreting session seeks to explore this basic theme. In what may well be an industry first, Hélène Pielmeier, a senior analyst at Common Sense Advisory will deliver her talk remotely from the United States over the Interprefy platform. Remote interpreting startup Cadence will provide remote simultaneous interpretation between English and French for the session.
Her talk, A Cure without a Disease? Sustainability in Interpreting Technology Solutions, gives a wonderful overview of the often uneven road to the creation and adoption of new remote interpreting platforms. This session will allow the audience to experience remote simultaneous interpretation as Hélène gives an overview of the current state of this market sector.
Our remaining sessions delve into two other technology platforms with very promising and potentially game-changing functionality (Boostlingo and Linguali) and close with two fascinating case studies about the innovative deployment of interpreters in Qatar and Greece.
Cloud-based Interpretation Management Systems and Interpretation Delivery Systems by Dieter Runge and Bryan Forrester (Boostlingo)
Case Study: Creating a Remote Interpreting Unit for Education City (Qatar) by Nada Melhem (Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development)
Promoting Interpreting Expertise Amidst Commoditaztion and Cost Reductions by James Anderson (Linguali)
Interpreting in a Crisis: Lessons Learned in Greece by Rebecca Petras (Translators without Borders
Gratitude for industry support
No conference is viable without the companies that sponsors it. We are very grateful for the support think! Interpreting has received from the following companies:
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