Confirmed Workshops
The two workshops listed immediately below are non-commercial workshops which will be led and moderated by their professional authors.
In addition, our Sponsors are offering workshops
Workshop: Drafting effective machine translation post-editing guidelines
Lucía Guerrero
It is commonly agreed that post-editing guidelines are key for a successful outcome in machine translation post-editing tasks. In spite of this fact, the current lack of an international standard or recommendation on how to draft such a document is the reason why each company decides whether to draft them or not, and what type of information they should include, which risks creating confusion amongst the post-editors. As part of the MTPE Training Special Interest Group, a GALA initiative in which stakeholders from academia, clients, LSPs and post-editors collaborate towards drafting a common protocol on post-editing training, Viveta Gene and Lucía Guerrero, members of the steering committee and moderators of the monthly call, would like to invite all Asling attendees to a workshop on how to effectively design post-editing guidelines. By means of polls and surveys they will dig into the opinions and experience from the attendees, and based on their answers and on academic research, they will guide them towards drafting a common document which could be used as a template for writing post-editing guidelines. The resulting template will be public as well as a paper summarizing the whole process.
Lucía Guerrero is Machine Translation Specialist at CPSL and affiliated teacher at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. She holds a degree in Translation and Interpreting as well as in Humanities. With more than 20 years’ experience in the localization industry as a linguist and Project Manager, she is currently in charge of CPSL’s MT strategy. Her tasks include training and evaluating MT systems, designing custom-tailored MTPE workflows and training post-editors and CPSL’s staff on MTPE. She is an occasional speaker at events such as AMTA, Asling and GALA. She is member of the GALA MTPE Training Initiative Steering Committee.
Viveta Gene
It is commonly agreed that post-editing guidelines are key for a successful outcome in machine translation post-editing tasks. In spite of this fact, the current lack of an international standard or recommendation on how to draft such a document is the reason why each company decides whether to draft them or not, and what type of information they should include, which risks creating confusion amongst the post-editors. As part of the MTPE Training Special Interest Group, a GALA initiative in which stakeholders from academia, clients, LSPs and post-editors collaborate towards drafting a common protocol on post-editing training, Viveta Gene and Lucía Guerrero, members of the steering committee and moderators of the monthly call, would like to invite all Asling attendees to a workshop on how to effectively design post-editing guidelines. By means of polls and surveys they will dig into the opinions and experience from the attendees, and based on their answers and on academic research, they will guide them towards drafting a common document which could be used as a template for writing post-editing guidelines. The resulting template will be public as well as a paper summarizing the whole process.
Viveta Gene is Translation & Localization Industry Specialist at Intertranslations S.A. Having more than 15 years of experience as a Linguist and Vendor Manager, she recently decided to combine her expertise and know-how to become a Language Solutions Specialist. With an MA in Translation and New Technologies from the Ionian University, her focus is to promote the new trends in the industry, where translation skills meet MT technology. Machine Translation Post-Editing tools, techniques and training are amongst her fields of interest and the key fields of her PhD research. She is member of the GALA MTPE Training Initiative Steering Committee.
Workshop: Getting to grips with Pandemic-precipitated Remote Interpreting
Sue Leschen
The Pandemic has launched interpreters into an unprecedented amount of remote interpreting (RI). Whilst many interpreters were already carrying out some RI via video link and on the telephone, the Pandemic has precipitated a situation where most interpreting assignments are currently being carried out remotely from home.
Interpreters have rapidly had to get themselves up to speed with numerous new RI platforms such as Kudo, Interprefy, Interactio and QuaQua. For some they not only had to learn them, but for some they had to obtain training certificates in order to be able to work on them! interpreters are increasingly having to invest in expensive equipment such as state of the art microphones and headphones as well as sound – proofing in order to kit out their home offices.
It’s not just a question of tech. Interpreters were also propelled into unchartered legal territory when it dawned on many of us that our existing terms and conditions of business were seriously inadequate for this brave new (tech) world. Suddenly we were negotiating issues relating to confidentiality when working in shared living spaces, liability for loss of internet connection and data, frozen screens and temporary or permanent loss of sound to mention just a few of the nightmarish scenarios that we are currently encountering.
Post (or nearly post?) Pandemic all the signs are that RI is still the dominant client choice albeit more and more interpreting events are hybrid ones – a mix of on site and RI. What is clear is that RI is here to stay!
Unfortunately, what is also clear is that RI rates are spiralling downwards as more and more clients are only willing to pay for time actually worked. The days of half and full day rates are being eroded. Many clients now appear to be reluctant to compensate interpreters for time spent on tech tests – some of which are held at very short notice and often involve endless delays due to (tech!) problems. The downward rates trend also seems to be due to a delusion shared by some clients that RI is somehow less tiring than on site work because “you don’t have to travel, you can work from the comfort of your own home”. It seems that clients are oblivious or perhaps are ignoring so – called Zoom fatigue and are not au fait with the increasing concerns of many interpreters as regards acoustic shock.
Interpreters working remotely may also be suffering fatigue due to the possibility of carrying out several (short) RI assignments per day. There is no need to set aside so many non – working days as pre – Pandemic for travel to one sole job. Another worrying trend that is emerging is less time to prepare for any one job if several jobs are competing for attention in the same day. Without a doubt quality will suffer.
Sue Leschen is a lawyer linguist and is the Director of niche market company Avocate Legal and Business French Interpreting and Translation Services Ltd.
She sits on the Chartered Institute of Linguists Council (UK) and also on their Interpreting Division Steering Group. She also sits on the National Register of Public Service Interpreters Professional Conduct Committee.
Workshops by our Sponsors will be described here below, soon