[NA-Discuss] FW: [Secretariat] Fwd: Simultaneous Multilanguage Teleconferences - AReality!

[Thompson, Darlene]

Wow!  This is really interesting - see below

 

Darlene A. Thompson

Community Access Program Administrator

Nunavut Department of Education/N-CAP

c/o P.O. Box 1000, Station 910

Iqaluit, NU  X0A 0H0

Phone:  (867) 975-6531

Fax:  (867) 979-8870

dthompson at gov.nu.ca

________________________________

From: secretariat-bounces at atlarge-lists.icann.org
[mailto:secretariat-bounces at atlarge-lists.icann.org] On Behalf Of Nick
Ashton-Hart
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2007 1:40 PM
To: secretariat at atlarge-lists.icann.org
Subject: [Secretariat] Fwd: Simultaneous Multilanguage Teleconferences -
AReality!

 

Dear Secretariats:

 

I'm very happy to forward you the below!

 

Carlton, this means we can do the monthly meetings in two languages -
but it will require strong chairing ; see below.

 

Begin forwarded message:





From: Nick Ashton-Hart <nick.ashton-hart at icann.org>

Date: 14 August 2007 18:36:25 BDT

To: icann-staff at icann.org

Subject: Simultaneous Multilanguage Teleconferences - A Reality!

 

Dear Colleagues:

 

I'm very pleased to tell you that we have today proven that it is
possible for a teleconference to be simultaneously interpreted in
multiple languages without disruption of the flow of the meeting.

 

Verizon has a little-known interpretation option available. What this
does is provide a subconference of the main conference, where those who
speak, for example, French, are linked to the main conference by the
interpreter. The interpreter hears the main conference in English and
interprets this into French; the French-speakers hear only the French
interpretation. When the French speakers wish to speak, the flow
reverses - and the English main conference hears the interpreted English
of the interpreter, while the interpreter hears the French speaker.

 

It does require some discipline on the part of those on the conference:

 

1) Each speaker needs to say their name - the interpreter then says the
name of the person whom they are interpreting, so those on the
subconference know whom they are 'listening' to.

 

2) Conference attendees need to avoid overtalking - multiple people
speaking at the same time - by asking to take the floor.

 

3) It works best if those not speaking for a while mute their line to
preserve the clarity of the call

 

4) Last, but not least - participants need to speak slowly, to allow the
interpreters to keep up.

 

Verizon do not supply the interpreters, by the way; this is done by a
separate service. We used Paragon, who provide some of the written
translation services for ICANN at the moment.

 

I'm personally breathing a big sigh of relief as we have one At-Large
region - Latin America and the Caribbean - who have a large number of
participants that do not speak English well, and they want to start
holding monthly meetings to work on policy but have been holding back
until we tried this service out, as the language barrier combined with a
telephonic connection and a highly technical subject matter would have
been too much of a barrier. I did speak to the French speaker from my
call today and was told that she was able to feel like a full
participant in the work of the ALAC for the first time and was
overjoyed.

 

If any of you want to know more about how to make this work, please let
me know. It may interest you to know that the quality of the call
management by Verizon was the best I have ever experienced; there were
minor issues but I have to say this call was the smoothest running of
any Verizon teleconference I've been on in almost a year.

-- 
Regards,
 

Nick Ashton-Hart
Director, At-Large

ICANN

PO Box 32160
London N4 2XY
United Kingdom
Main Tel: +44 (20) 8800-1011]

USA Tel: +1 (202) 657-5460

Fax (UK): +44 (20) 7681-3135

Fax (Swiss): +41 (22) 594-85-44

Mobile (UK): +44 (7774) 932798

Mobile (Swiss): +41 (79) 595 54-68

email: nick.ashton-hart at icann.org
Win IM: ashtonhart at hotmail.com / AIM/iSight: nashtonhart at mac.com /
Skype: nashtonhart

Online Bio:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashtonhart  

 

  





 

 

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