interpreting

Ten years of interpreting at Nordic Business Forum

13.6.2023 by Delingua

Nordic Business Forum, one of the world’s largest business conferences, will again take place at Messukeskus on 27–28 September 2023. The conference will gather together more than 7,000 participants at the venue, and tens of thousands will follow the event via live stream.

Delingua is the conference’s official interpreting partner for the tenth time. All presentations on the main stage will be interpreted simultaneously from English into Finnish and Estonian. This year, we will also have our own stand at the conference, where we will present our language services.

How to listen to the interpreting

Presentations will be interpreted as the presenters are speaking, i.e. simultaneously. This means you can listen to the interpreter and watch the presentation at the same time. Listening to the interpreting is possible through the Interprefy application, which can be downloaded for free on iOS and Android phones.

At the event, a code will be shared and with which you can log in to the interpreting application and select the language you want. All you need to listen to the interpreting of interesting speeches is a phone, the app and headphones.

Why should you listen to an interpreter?

Although speakers often speak fluent English and moderate language skills mean listeners can follow speeches, we dare say that many miss the deeper understanding of speeches because they are listening to a foreign language. Many speeches often contain a lot of figures of speech and rhetorical language, so interpreting makes it easier to follow them in your own native language.

By listening to an interpreter, you will get far more from the presentations. Interpreting is also great to listen to when the interpreter really throws themself into the speech. We recommend at least testing how the interpreting sounds.

What does interpreting require from interpreters?

The speeches at Nordic Business Forum are engaging and require special enthusiasm from interpreters. An interpreter must be able to convey the message and feeling of the speech in a different language. It means they must throw themselves into the mood of the speech and the speaker. However, an interpreter must also balance cultures and localise the speech to match the culture of the target language. Loud speech, for example, may not seem genuine in some cultures. This means that simultaneous interpreting is extremely challenging.

A professional interpreter prepares for each assignment before the actual interpreting event. Star speakers rarely send their speeches in advance to interpreters for preparation, so the interpreters at Nordic Business Forum prepare by watching and listening to the speakers’ previous presentations on, say, YouTube and by following the news.

If you are coming to Nordic Business Forum, take with you headphones so you can listen to the speeches with interpreting. More detailed instructions for listening to the interpreting will be available at the conference. Don’t forget to stop by our stand — we’re looking forward to meeting you!

Delingua to offer interpreting services during Sweden’s Presidency of the Council of the EU

20.12.2022 by Delingua

Have you already tried simultaneous interpreting in your Zoom meeting?

28.4.2020 by Katja Virtanen

All around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has driven people to work remotely. At the same time, companies have been forced to find alternative ways of working and meeting. It’s the golden age of video conferencing, which can be seen, for example, in the way the number of users of services such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Google Hangouts has exploded.

As international meetings have moved online, many have encountered a new problem. How to break down language barriers in meetings or webinars so that language does not prevent participation?

Zoom interpreting feature

Many may not yet know that Zoom, a video call service provider, offers its users a real-time simultaneous interpreting feature. It’s a happy coincidence and great timing for the American company that they introduced and implemented the feature to their service at the end of 2019. Currently, Zoom is the only widely used video call service in Finland with this particular feature.

The Zoom interpreting feature is not available for Basic or Pro accounts, but it is included in Business / Enterprise accounts. The feature is easy to activate with instructions provided by Zoom. In practice, when a meeting is being created by the host, they can designate the interpreter role to agreed interpreter participants and select channels that fit their languages. All participants can take their pick from the languages available in the meeting and tune in to their preferred one instead of the speaker’s language. This is done by first muting the language of the meeting. The interpreter takes part in the meeting by listening to the original speech through their headphones and simultaneously interpreting it into the target language. Incredibly, no one even has to leave their home!

The pros and cons of Zoom interpreting

The biggest advantage of the Zoom simultaneous interpreting feature is that it is included in a service that many are already familiar with. Activating the interpreting feature and adding interpreters to a video call is incredibly easy. With Zoom, you’ll also save all the costs that would usually come with using separate remote interpreting software. Naturally, hiring professional interpreters will lead to some costs, but the benefits far outweigh the expense. Thanks to the interpreting feature, meetings can be held even under exceptional circumstances and without the need to travel!

The first downside that comes to mind is possible interference in internet connection and sound quality, which could cause problems for interpreting quality. Simultaneous interpreting requires extreme focus and high-quality audio. Any interference with connections and incoming sound quality is stressful for interpreters.

Another possible disadvantage could be that Zoom has chosen the nine languages that are available on the basis of American needs. Unfortunately, Finnish is not one of these languages, which means English to Finnish interpretation has to be listened to from, for example, the Korean channel. This may cause some confusion. It also has to be admitted that if the Zoom meeting host does not wish to become a virtual technician, it is probably a good idea to keep the number of interpreted languages to a minimum.

Zoom’s issues with data security have also raised discussion. F-Secure’s Chief Research Officer Mikko Hyppönen says that Zoom has reacted well to the highlighted issues. In his opinion, the software can be used safely for conventional corporate meetings, which means it should also be safe for webinars and seminars, for example.  

The time for remote interpreting is now

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for remote interpreting. During these exceptional circumstances, both customers and interpreters have faced something quite new and can no longer ignore remote interpreting technology. Of course, the technology has been coming for a long time, but no specific platform has gained a foothold yet in remote simultaneous interpreting.

Now that the need for remote work, video calls and remote meetings has surged, it is our opinion that Zoom offers a wonderful solution for webinars, remote learning and meetings with foreign business partners. Many cancelled annual general meetings could be rescheduled in Zoom and offered with, as always, high-quality simultaneous interpreting on the side.

Interpreting at annual general meetings

25.2.2020 by Katja Virtanen

Every spring, the owners of listed companies convene in their respective annual general meetings to vote on their most important policies. Attending the annual general meeting is one of the most important ways shareholders can impact their company’s operations. Therefore, whether a country has restrictions on gatherings or not, companies have the right to organise meetings in one way or another.

When looking at market value, more than half of the stock of Finnish listed companies is owned by foreign companies and investors, meaning that the participants of annual general meetings of such companies may not all share a common language. This means it is important to ensure that all participants are able to follow the meeting and that they are understood. To achieve this, interpreting at an annual general meeting is recommended.

Preparation

Do you already know if there will be international participants at your next annual general meeting? Great! Below are a few things you should consider when organising interpreting for an annual general meeting:

Who is going to attend, i.e. which language or languages will you need interpreted at the meeting?
What is the main language of the meeting?
Where and when will the meeting be held?

Conference interpreting, meaning simultaneous interpreting, is the most suitable method of interpreting for the requirements of an annual general meeting. This means that interpreting happens at the same time as the speaker speaks. The speaker’s speech is transmitted to the interpreter’s headphones with the aid of simultaneous interpreting equipment and interpreting is then transmitted by microphone to the listeners’ headphones. Simultaneous interpreting runs in the background for those who require it, while other participants can follow the meeting in its original language.

Required interpreting technology

Will your annual general meeting be organised on site or remotely? Is the plan to organise the meeting on site but also live stream it for remote participants? The method in which the meeting is organised affects the choice of appropriate technology.

Simultaneous interpreting at large conferences usually requires the appropriate technology and interpreting equipment. In practice, this means soundproof interpreting booths, microphones for speakers, receivers and headphones for participants and the services of a technician. Technology is always tailored according to the customer’s needs.

On the other hand, simultaneous interpreting can also be organised over remote connections. One of the options is the hybrid model, where a small number of participants and the interpreters are at the meeting location, but the meeting (and the interpreting) can also be watched and listened to remotely. It is also possible that all participants attend the meeting over remote connections. In this case, the interpreting is organised through a specific interpreting platform.

At annual general meetings with a shorter duration and only a few participants who require interpreting, it is also possible to use portable interpreting equipment, which includes a wireless microphone and twenty headphone receivers for participants.

The importance of reference materials

The work of a professional interpreter may seem extremely effortless. When the interpreting is fluent, the listener may not even realise they are listening to an interpreter. In reality, however, successful interpreting requires thorough preparation before the event. The amount of preparation and thorough familiarisation with the reference materials significantly impact the success of interpreting.

In order to properly prepare for the event, the interpreter usually needs at least the following materials in advance:

the meeting agenda and other relevant meeting documents
the chairperson’s notes with the themes and meeting schedule
the CEO’s review
the speech of the chairperson of the board
presentations
other matters to be discussed.

If the meeting materials are going to be translated, it is also recommended you send these translations to the interpreters. This ensures that the terminology used is consistent in all of the meeting languages.

 Added value through interpreting

Well-planned and organised interpreting at an annual general meeting is one way of reinforcing a positive company image. Allowing the participants of an annual general meeting to follow the meeting in their own language often makes them feel like their needs have been genuinely taken into consideration.

Is there something else we can help you with? We are happy to assist with all of your interpreting needs.

interpreting

How to listen to the interpreting

Why should you listen to an interpreter?

What does interpreting require from interpreters?

Zoom interpreting feature

The pros and cons of Zoom interpreting

The time for remote interpreting is now

Preparation

Required interpreting technology

The importance of reference materials

Added value through interpreting

Subscribe to our newsletter

 Added value through interpreting