Dear Lucas What an interesting point ! It would be nice to have data to woek on your hypothesis. Hope someone will consider doing research about it ! At some point, i wondered how to have done it online, and wa about to ask you. You talk about 2 ways. In the first one, what are the options for the translation ? How are captions made In the second option, I guess is to have one (or more) interpreter. Is that correct ?
Hugs Christine + 33 6 13 28 71 38 Sent from my mobile phone. Please forgive brevity. > Le 13 août 2022 à 14:24, Lucas Cioffi <[email protected]> a écrit : > > > Thank you for sharing these insights, Christine. I especially like how > participants at your event figured out different ways to make the > conversations happen. > > I don't have any data on what I am about to write, but I believe that in > online events where a translator is necessary, the participants become more > empathetic and there seems to be a deeper human connection between > participants. The result is that having translation actually changes what is > said. I don't know why this is, but I think this is because when people have > to listen to a language that they don't understand, they are reminded that > there are many more things that they do not know compared to things they do > know. I think that when participants are made to feel humble (coming > naturally by the design of the event not by anyone telling them to be humble) > then they have more empathy for others. > > Another reason that this might be true is that if translation is available, > then the organizers were thoughtful in their design and that the meeting has > a lot of resources to succeed. It is possible that participants see that the > meeting has a great organizer or sufficient resources and become more > empathetic or thoughtful or caring -- maybe it is not because they are > humbled. > > All my events in the past few years have been online. Online it is possible > to design an event with translation in at least two ways: > One way is for everyone to hear the event in just their preferred language, > with the translator (or captions created by a person or computer) talking at > the same time as the speaker (this doesn't happen at in-person events unless > participants are listening through headphones). > Another way is for everyone to hear the original speaker and then have to > wait a few seconds for the translation. This slows the conversation down, > but this is the way that builds more empathy, I believe. > It would be a fascinating research topic to see how translation affects the > human connection between people. > > I wish a good day to all, > Lucas Cioffi > > >> On Wed, Aug 10, 2022 at 10:50 AM christine koehler >> <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Dear all >> >> I recently facilitated an OS gathering with translation & interpretation in >> 3 langages : French, Spanish and English. I learned a lot and thought it >> might be interesting to share it with you. >> >> Context : >> This NGO contacted me a few months ago. They were considering OST for a >> special gathering of 80 people for 5 days, had tested it the year before >> with 2 small groups, and it worked well, but they still had questions. >> >> It was a very important gathering for them : they wanted to envision the >> future of the way they work, with the people who make it and will take >> responsibilities in the future. Their willingness was to enable any people >> from any country in the world to be able to contribute and understand >> everything. >> Historically the NGO was started in France, in the 60’s, and then developed >> almost all over the world, especially in South America, Africa and North >> America. Today its headquarters are still in France, where they have a >> conference room with interpreting booths. Leadership team is also mostly >> French is this is something they hoped to change in the future. >> The 5 days OST event was due to follow a 4 days gathering were they met in >> small groups (same group for the 4 days) to talk about personal experiences >> during their work and life. >> >> >> At first I was surprised of their demand of everything in 3 langages. >> Reg conversation, I explained them than in OS event, people help each other >> and I didn’t see how it would be possible to orient the interpreters as >> people would follow law of 2 feet. But they insisted. Same for reports : >> each report had to be translated in the 3 langages as soon as it was >> finished. >> >> So we organized it as follows : >> We had opening circle, with the 3 langages in the opening : Spanish for the >> organizing committee, French for the facilitation, English for a Q & A at >> the end of the opening. Interpreters were there in the booths, and everyone >> had an helmet for understanding the langage(s) he/she didn’t speak. >> >> Then we build the agenda. With the help of interpreters , usual way of >> announcements was supposed to run smoothly. >> The only special requirement was to write on top of page so that the >> translating team could translate it in the 2 other langages. >> As soon as the person had chosen a day, a time and a place and sticked >> his/her theme on the wall, the translating team would translate the title >> into the 2 other langages. >> We tried to used a different color for each langage so that it would be easy >> to see the change of langage. >> >> While opening the market place, we had asked everyone to write one’s name >> with a felt pen. Even if they could then change their mind. >> >> Then the coordinator of the interpreters, a lady form the NGO who knew >> everyone well and who could speak the 3 langages, would assign each >> interpreter a « room » (we worked a lot in the garden), depending on who was >> supposed to go where. >> >> For the book of proceeding, we worked with Google Drive, in which a folder >> had been created with one sub folder for each langage. >> One person from the team of translators registered all topics and another >> would create the document in the original langage. >> The reporter had to find the folder of the langage of the title, open it, >> find his/her title and type in one langage only. When completed, he/she >> would add the word FINISH at the top of the document . >> Then the team would use Google translate to translate into required langages >> and put the translation in the required folder. >> >> >> This was how it should have worked. >> Of course it did not happen exactly as expected >> >> For instance at the opening, the mic from the interpreters booths did not >> work, although it worked the week before. >> So we had a bit of a danse, with only one microphone and the interpreters >> standing behind the circle and handing the microphone to one another >> depending on who with language was spoken. Finally the tech team discovered >> a few hours later that a cable was disconnected.. >> >> Quickly for the evening and morning news, we took the habit when holding the >> microphone to say first our first name then the langage we speak. >> However, the group still felt inequality regarding langages, (so much easier >> for the French speaking group, who was also the largest). We tried to >> encourage speaking in a foreign language when another langage was known. For >> instance I spoke in English and my poor English was translated into French. >> But we quickly dropped it, as it made the life of the interpreters more >> difficult. >> >> During the day, it was incredibly interesting to see how they worked >> together : some groups had conversation in 3 langages, with 3 interpreter >> each at one corner of the room or sitting next to a person who needed it. >> Notes were sometimes taken on the paperboard in 2 langages by 2 different >> people. Other groups could have 2 langages or one only, or begin with one >> and end with 2 or 3, welcoming the bees that started to fly after day 2. >> What amazed me was the quality of focus and attention of this group. >> Incredibly focussed ! I never witnessed side conversations. They were always >> caring and paying attention to each other. But this is probably related to >> the nature of their work and this is another story. >> >> >> The translation of reports took about one day to find its cruising speed. >> Reports had to be read before translated so that organizational jargon was >> removed (as Google translate does not understand jargon). Then translation >> needed to be read again by the translation team (one lady was working from >> South America for the translation into Spanish). >> It meant that it took more time than usual to get the reports displayed on >> the walls and we had to add deadline each day that the group did not follow. >> >> Written comments on reports were conditioned to « if you want to add one >> comment, pls add a post to note, and take the responsibility to have it in >> the 3 langages ». Very discouraging, but it worked : there were 3 comments, >> that were added in the book of proceeding as a picture, all in 3 langages. >> >> The book of proceeding was discussed during evening news, as the group was >> eager to inform of their work as quickly as possible, the others who could >> not attend. Finally they agreed that the original version would be kept for >> them, and a second version, where everyone could make some corrections if >> he/she was uneasy with some sentences, would be send a few weeks later. >> >> The book of proceedings was made available either printed for those who had >> no laptop or digital for those who had one. And in each one favorite >> langage. That was also amazing. >> >> It was a very interesting experience for me : >> The fact that everyone must have a perfect understanding of everything has a >> consequence on facilitation, especially for the last 2 days were we went to >> action planning. Some designs were not possible because of the translation. >> More structured, it required more coordination with the interpreters team >> and more thinking ahead of time with the planning team : they were those who >> were the gardians of the langage equality , I noticed that I repeatedly >> forgot about it. >> And it was also a personal lesson : I was not aware that, speaking 2 >> dominant langages, I have a privileged access to communication with always >> the same people. I can see how this leads to subtil power domination, even >> if I don’t do it on purpose. >> And I bet I will quickly forget it, if I am not reminded frequently. >> >> I will probably reminder for a while something I heard already years ago and >> that someone said in the closing circle : « when you tell jokes », as jokes >> don’t translate easily or even don’t translate at all in other cultures, « I >> don’t get it. It makes me feel separated from you ». In this group, with >> this level of care for each other which really I never witnessed before, >> this comment had a huge impact of my understanding of what makes a >> community, how strong it might be and how fragile it might also be. >> Something to cherish and nurture day by day.. >> >> >> Christine Koehler >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> OSList mailing list -- [email protected] >> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list -- [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected]
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