For some of us, the relationship between professional sport and the translation industry can be summarised in one scene: after the event, when the player/driver/coach discusses how good or bad the match was and how grateful they are for their supporters, there is an interpreter who interprets these stock sentences, often using consecutive interpretation. However, the world of professional sport is an international environment, and we tend to forget about its complexity concerning language use and linguistic challenges. In this blog entry, we will take a look at some of its more complicated issues.

First of all, professional sport is a diverse undertaking. Players from different nations play in the same team (and not just at club level; sometimes national teams have members who are naturalised citizens). While English as a lingua franca can be used in an everyday situation, language barriers can have a negative effect on the performance and unity of the team. That is where an interpreter can help to bridge the linguistic and cultural gap and create a more inclusive and accepting environment.

In addition, sports translation is just as complex on a technical level as, for example, legal or medical translations. Each and every kind of sport has its own terminology, and often the same term describes different circumstances in different sports (e.g. the situation described by the term offside in many sports). Furthermore, there are sports-related cultural differences as well. One of the best known differences is the word football which has quite different connotations in Europe and in the United States, while sports that are popular in a given geographical area (e.g. cricket in Commonwealth nations or baseball on the American continent) can also complicate a translation or an interpretation assignment.

Finally, in the international world of professional sport, diplomacy is just as important as performance. Huge organisations govern the rules and regulations of the sport and organise international events, and while these organisations often use one or several official languages (for example, French in the IOC or English, French, Spanish and German in FIFA), the largest organisations actually have their own language services department in order to handle the enormous volume of translation and interpretation required. The work does not only cover translating and editing publications, but also entails legal, medical, chemical, financial and creative translations; in many cases, separate text types appear in the same document, so linguists need expertise in different areas, and they often have to juggle short deadlines, too. And the sheer amount of work is extraordinary: FIFA, for example, translates around three million words a year per language.

Even this brief look at the topic shows that linguistic services play a far larger role in the world of professional sport than we might assume. It facilitates communication, promotes accessibility and encourages the feeling of togetherness, which is what sport is really about. Despite their background roles, interpretation and translation are indispensable in the international and multicultural environment of professional sport.

Written by Zsolt Beke

Plastic is the new enemy: the effects of its waste is making headlines every day. If you are lucky enough to be in the first world, you might start thinking about reducing your contribution to this global crisis.

The first time my conscience started crying was also the first time when I couldn’t fit my empty mineral water bottles in the recycle bin. It can’t be the right solution, I thought, and soon after switched to a soda machine that I have been using ever since. But nature and our own well-being are asking us more reductions, and there are already alternatives available to ease the pain for all.

No to plastic bottles

The use of plastic bottles is so widespread that it’s obvious we have to do something about it. A complete or partial ban on selling such containers is one of the options used by municipalities all over the world. Others try to find new ways of packaging liquids that do less harm to the environment. In London, March marathon runners got to participate in the largest trial of a new way of hydration. Capsules of seaweed containing sports drink were handed out to participants who could drink and eat the container and, thus, produce no waste whatsoever. Other significant events are following suit in plastic reduction: the Wimbledon tennis tournament introduces a 100% recycled water bottle and refill stations, and Glastonbury festival bans single-use plastic while also rocking a new stage made entirely of recycled plastic waste.

Dropping the bags

The global consumption of about 500 billion single-use plastic bags yearly is like a feature from an eco-horror movie so another favorite target for radical reducing action. Food packaging is also a field where startups pop up and try to offer a viable alternative. Mostly, this alternative is a biodegradable, compostable material that won’t take hundreds of years to disintegrate and not even the smallest chunks of it can cause further problems. Polish MakeGrowLab, for example, makes the packaging out of agricultural waste and claims to be as flexible and water resistant as plastic but it can also be eaten when not used anymore. Potato starches, seeds, and nanosheets of synthetic clay are also investigated as packaging materials that are easier to compost or recycle. Tropical regions have a more accessible and cheaper solution: a Thailand supermarket, Rimping, has already secured itself world fame by using banana leaves as vegetable packaging – just as in the good old markets.

Don’t stop till zero

What’s even better than reusable, recyclable or eatable packaging? Of course, no packaging at all! It might seem like a time travel back to the Middle Ages, but only at first. Small packaging-free shops are not rare in cities already, and now we are seeing some more prominent players join the movement, too. UK stores like Morrison’s, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, and Tesco are experimenting with packaging-free sales of fresh produce, dry food, and hundreds of other products. Drogerie Markt has put their two cents in by offering package-free liquid cleaning material in their stores in Prague, in the Czech Republic. And if a healthy Earth is not a strong enough motivator, customers can get eco-items 10-20% cheaper as usual. Going green is a bargain!

Written by Anikó Jóri-Molnár

“If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left.”

This well-known quotation, attributed – most probably incorrectly – to Albert Einstein, paints a dire vision for our future. Since at least some of the crops we consume are wind pollinated, mass extinction of the human race is not likely even if bees disappeared entirely; however, it would definitely result in wide-scale starvation on a scale never seen before. So the threat is real as bees play a huge role in pollinating plants. In this blog entry, we will look at the causes for the decline in bee populations and what you can do against it.

One of the main culprits for the decline of the bee population – and the insect population in general – is the excessive and intensive agricultural techniques that irreversibly transform the natural habitat. The introduction of monocultures and non-native species destroy the natural harmony of an area, while the uncontrolled and untenable use of pesticides places a heavy chemical burden on flora and fauna. This is aggravated by the effects of climate change: new parasites appear and decimate the native population, while the environmental impact can even affect the orientation sense and rhythm of life of bees.

There are, however, some simple steps you can take in order to save bees. One of the most obvious solutions is to plant small gardens. While the best option would be to plant flowers and trees together, even a small strip of land or a flower box on your balcony will do. You just have to remember a couple of things: at least part of your garden should be in bloom from early spring to late autumn; choose simple herbs and flowers instead of highly cultivated ones; and plant flowers in patches so that bees can focus on one flower type at a time. You can add a small bee bath to your garden as well – just put some pebbles and stones in a shallow bowl and pour some water around it so they will have access to drinking water and a resting place. If you find it necessary to use pesticides, always use them carefully, following the instructions on the package to minimise their negative effects. You should leave a small area undisturbed in your garden where bees can take up residence: while we mostly associate bees with honeybees which live in hives, there are many bee species which lead a solitary life. You can also buy or make “bee condos” for the same reason. And, finally, as with any social or environmental issue, you can become an advocate. Support local beekeepers, support programmes focusing on tree planting and gardening, and be more aware of your environment and how you inhabit it.

While we are still not in a position to assess the long-lasting effects of climate change and over-industrialisation, the worst-case scenario for a dramatic decline in the bee population is quite straightforward: the lack of pollination would result in worldwide starvation with a catastrophic impact on the planet’s ecosystem. So it is increasingly important to take measures against this outcome and, as the few tips listed above show, it does not take much to actively safeguard the bee population.

Written by Zsolt Beke

What is a thrilling drama for the Western world, is still a code word for Soviet horror for the successor states in the East. How does a TV-series about Chernobyl manage to equally excite the most diverse audiences and shape public opinion?

I was a second grader at a suburban school in Hungary when a part of the nuclear plant in Chernobyl exploded, on April 26, 1986. For me, that day was nothing special. Nor the weeks immediately following it. While the Financial Times reported about the major disaster a few days after, the news broke in the then Soviet ally states much, much later.

This is how things worked at the time. We knew what “they” wanted us to know, all else could, at any point, be considered rumour. Still, in the summer of 1986, adults were quietly but frequently mulling over “possible polluted” vegetables. A bit later, I overheard conversations about unborn babies because of… “Hush!” Many things have only become clear while writing this post.

Most of the large-scale disasters from the nearest past of humanity have been processed to feature films already. Except for one. Until a screenplay writer, Craig Mazin, decided to explore topics for a new series addressing the “global war on truth.” He ended up crafting a television series about the disaster in Chernobyl, and HBO and Sky signed up for it.

Already the first shows have proved them right. For some, it was the human heroism and tragedy. For others, it is the historically accurate representation of an era. It also certainly helped that the affected generation is still alive: hundreds of survivors told their (and the victims’) stories in thousands of feature articles, news pieces, videos, accompanied by the shocking photos of the past and current landscapes of the area.

This recent realm of proofs has made many realize the scale of the tragedy. And many need tangible proof. Disaster tourism is in full bloom, with about 30% more bookings to the site and the area than a year before. Around 300,000 photos are tagged #chernobyl on Instagram. The Lithuanian city of Vilnius uses the main shooting site for the series in its touristic campaigns.

But have either the tourists or the rest of the world drawn any lessons out of the nuclear disaster? For the energy industry, the lessons were instantly clear: the nuclear plants of today meet the highest security standards and protocols are in place to minimize the chance of human error. The debate over the use and misuse of nuclear power is constantly on the agenda.

For the wider public, there are more abstract lessons as well. Concealing errors, creating the illusion of perfection and collective lies, sacrificing human life in masses to save a few – these phenomena are not gone with the Soviet Union. Our duty is to learn how to resist and protest them and call the attention of others to do the same.

It is important to not only look in the direction of Chernobyl searching for the truth. Instead, let us take a full 360-degree turn around and then inwards. Neither we nor the generation that follows will regret it.

Written by Anikó Jóri-Molnár

Intercultural marriages and the relocation of whole families are typical scenarios that require bilingual parenting. The experience of many confirms it is neither a burden for the child nor an unsurpassable challenge for the parents. On the contrary: it is a special gift with lifelong positive effects.

Defining bilingualism is an ongoing debate; however, for most people, it simply means the ability to speak and understand two languages that derives from a bilingual upbringing and results in native-level language skills. But the exact level depends on the scenario the language learning process: through individual development, family, society, education or a professional career. That implies that one cannot only become bilingual as a child but many times also as an adult.

Due to the increasingly globalized nature of our world, the perception of bilingualism has shifted from a major challenge to a positive property. As it turned out, bilinguals not only possess linguistic skills but also the means to navigate or even bridge two worlds cognitively and culturally. There is research supporting the idea that bilingual kids develop valuable cognitive functions, such as inhibition or longer attention span. Meanwhile, it has also become clear that bilingual upbringing does no harm to children (in fact, their brain is up for such a challenge). The slight disadvantage bilinguals might have is that their vocabulary is a bit weaker than that of monolinguals, and that they might spend more time looking for words when speaking than others.

For the above reasons and sometimes even accidentally, parents around the world are raising bilingual children or want to do so. And they also want to make it right: to have the child learn both languages with equal passion and to an equal level. But how?

Regardless of whether it’s one parent speaking the minority language or two, the following is general advice that benefits the language learning process for their children:

Everyone should speak their native language

In such an emotionally loaded process as parenting, parents sticking to their native languages will be the most authentic and their children will be able to learn the right grammar structures, a great variety of expressions and cultural clues. However, certain situations might require that you speak the other language, and that’s no tragedy, either.

Be consistent

When learning languages, kids quickly make the distinction between the two and know in what language to use with whom. Navigating the different codes doesn’t confuse them but your inconsistency does. If you’re English, speak English with them at all times. Don’t be discouraged if they reply in your spouse’s language, sometimes it’s just a phase that will pass.

Read and make them read

Books are your support, your backup plan, your best investment in bilingualism. You can bond over books with your child, you can let them explore the written form of the language, and you can give them something fun that doesn’t look like study material.

Bilingual parenting is, after all, parenting, and as such, it requires the adults to trust themselves and their children and be patient. You will need both to make it a journey worthwhile for all of your family.

Written by Anikó Jóri-Molnár

In our ever-demanding work culture, sometimes we overlook the most important element of our work environment: ourselves. Work-related stress is among the most crucial factors that put pressure on our mental health, and while the signs and symptoms are neglected, its effects on our mental and physical wellbeing, as well as our performance at the workplace, are clear-cut. As May is Mental Health Awareness Month, we look at the most significant signs of a disrupted work-life balance, and how the situation can be improved.

Lack of satisfaction with your work – that is, burnout – is the most striking symptom of a work-life imbalance. Pressure, stress and continuous overtime can lead to depression and anxiety and the more we work, the more this overloads our thoughts. An enormous workload can lead to neglect of our personal life at every level, from self-care to relationships, which also makes us vulnerable to mental health issues. An interesting aspect of this problem is that women are more prone to this imbalance as they are still more often judged on how well they combine the professional and private sides of their life.

How can you maintain a healthy work-life balance? First and foremost, you must learn to say no, and don’t brush away the feeling when the workload is more than enough. While one busy day might be inspiring and stimulating, the overwhelming amount of assignments only has negative effects in the long run. It also helps if you prioritise your work, starting with the most immediate task, and not allow yourself to get lost in time-consuming duties. It’s also helpful to take at least one longer proper break from your desk: make the most of your lunch break and leave the office for lunch – even a short walk can help you to reduce stress, switch off your thoughts, and move around a bit; this way, you can pump up your concentration level for the afternoon. If you have to take your work home, be sure that your “home office” is clearly isolated from your personal life, either by simply switching off your laptop or mobile device or by using a desk or even a room that can be physically separated from your living environment. Finally – and most importantly – take care of yourself, be aware of the signs when you have to slow down, do some sport or find a hobby that eases your mind, and keep your personal relationships alive so your loved ones can help you survive the toughest days.

As a manager, the most you can do is to be as open about mental health as you can. You should regularly assess the work environment and performance to see whether there are any factors that negatively influence your employees. You should also be available if your colleagues contact you about their workplace difficulties. There is training to spot stress and poor work-life balance and to give immediate help to your co-worker. While it’s practically impossible to create a stress-free work environment, it’s still possible to promote techniques that encourage stress reduction and a positive atmosphere, e.g. proper lunch breaks, smart prioritisation, or counselling opportunities. Last, but not at all least, self-awareness is important for a manager too, as a stressed-out leader can undermine the ambition and spirit of the employees.

To maintain a proper work-life relationship is a serious challenge that not only influences our work performance but also our private life. Even just providing an open and knowledgeable attitude you can ease some of the work-related stress and anxiety. Nevertheless, if you feel you’re not able to find a way out of your dissatisfaction, don’t be afraid or ashamed to ask for help.

Written by Zsolt Beke

On 8 April 2019, the City of London introduced a new scheme to fight toxic air pollution. The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) requires older and more polluting vehicles entering Central London to pay a daily charge, in addition to the existing congestion charge in the same area. The ULEZ is the first of its kind to require 24/7 compliance and it is the only scheme to completely ban pre-2015 diesel vehicles.

Unfortunately, since the introduction of the Congestion Charge Zone in 2003, neither the air quality nor the traffic situation in London has improved enough to prevent a public health emergency. Studies showed the pollution (nitrogen-dioxide and particulate matter) is constantly above the safety limits, having the worst effects in the deprived parts of London and on young children. All that data prompted the city to take action and introduce a much radical scheme.

Transport for London expects that, with ULEZ, about 45% of the toxic emission will be gone by 2021 and, by 2025, the city’s air quality will be within the legal limits. In a public consultation called together by Mayor Sadiq Khan last year, about 60% of the participants were in favour of the scheme. Furthermore, environmental activists and parents, in general, welcome the strict rules. However, there are also protests from small business owners who think the new charge is the straw that breaks the camel’s back – thus puts them out of business.

According to data from the first week of operation, about 30% of the vehicles entering the ultra-low emission zone were not compliant and had to pay the charge. In the running up to the ULEZ, already 27,000 non-compliant cars have been taken out of traffic, according to City Hall figures.

Other data shows the new scheme got people thinking about alternatives: the online car comparison site Carwow registered a 25% increase in searches for plug-in hybrids and a 14% increase in quotes for electric cars in April.

More interestingly, many residents of the bordering area have found a business opportunity in ULEZ. YourParkingSpace said there was a 34% increase in registrations of driveways for rent to those willing to avoid the new charge. But current plans of the City Hall indicate this way of money-making might only be temporary. In 2021, the ULEZ will be extended to the area between the North and South circular zones, to further expand the effect of air cleaning measures.

London is certainly not the only city trying to fight air pollution and looking at (diesel) cars for the solution. Cities around the globe are starting to take mild to drastic measures to protect their residents. Amsterdam was the latest to announce it would completely ban non-electric cars by 2030, while Oslo and Madrid both have “zero zones” in their city centres, with the latter priding itself with 40% NO2 reduction within half year. Whatever path cities are following, experts agree on the ultimate goal: zero emissions.

Written by Anikó Jóri-Molnár

It is not surprising that multinational companies often use every media format in order to reach their target audience – and using visuals is still among the most effective ways to do so. However, video formats are no longer restricted to TV spots and commercials, they can be used as an introduction to the company, they can serve as training tutorials or as means for internal communication. Still, there are several aspects you have to take into account in relation to whether you would like to have your video subtitled or dubbed for your international audience.

Subtitling might be an easier option in a lot of cases. It is easy to create, quick to translate, and you do not have to have special equipment or technical assistance to create a subtitled video – you just have to have the script of the video time-coded, and you can even do it in a simple Notepad application. Furthermore, file-sharing sites (e.g. YouTube) provide an easy platform to make your content easily accessible both in terms of format and language, while with embedding, you can also enhance your website with this. Finally, subtitles can be optimised for SEO as well. However, there are some disadvantages. On the one hand, there is a limit to how many characters should appear in a segment in order to make it readable, and editing the subtitles might be challenging for languages that use longer words or that agglutinate, and sometimes compromises should be made to convey the overall message of the video. In addition to that, subtitles might distract the viewer from the visual content of the video.

Subtitles can be the perfect solution, for example, for a short introductory video on your website, interviews, or the presentation of a new product. Advertisements are usually dubbed, but there are special cases where subtitling is more appropriate or, at least, used more often – e.g. in the case of perfume ads where often the few and sparsely used buzzwords are part of the aesthetic power of the video.

Adding a voiceover to your visual media is a more complex and more expensive process. This requires technical equipment and staff. The timing of the speech is also key, but in this case it is the rhythm of the spoken language that plays an important role. Still, despite the complicated method, videos with a voiceover can sound more authentic as these can reproduce the cadence and the emphasis of the original speech in the mother tongue of the viewer.

Most of the advertisement spots in the media are dubbed to underline their credibility. However, videos with an important visual content should also be dubbed and not subtitled so that the spectator should not have to divide his/her attention between the visuals and the subtitle. Training videos with animations, charts or other graphical solutions, for example, might benefit from a voiceover, especially if the visuals are simultaneously explained or provide further information that might be lost with subtitles.

In conclusion, there is no definitive answer on whether subtitling or dubbing is the better option. Nonetheless, there are three aspects that you have to take into consideration: your target audience, your technical possibilities, and your budget. For simpler multimedia content, there is no doubt that subtitling provides a straightforward and feasible solution. For more complex video projects, however, it might be reasonable to consult with experts even in the preliminary stages of the project so that the production is streamlined and hassle-free.

Written by Zsolt Beke

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For language skills, demand and supply are equally on the rise. As corporations cross borders by default, they need their leaders to understand new customers and workers and cultures. In a recent Forbes survey, half of the 200 companies admitted they needed at least a quarter of employees knowing another language compared to the current 10%.

A good leader sets the standards in this respect, too. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s ability to speak Mandarin is definitely such an example. Starting out to impress the Chinese family of his now-wife, Priscilla Chan, in only four years he managed to awe a university audience, participating in a talk in Mandarin. Many say this is just another way to improve his reputation in a country he wants to win business-wise. But his respect and commitment to the culture did get some of the 1.3 million native speakers to his side.

The founder of media company Bloomberg, also former Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, tackled the foreign language most important for US businessmen. Although his accent is often made fun of, the fact that he can conduct speeches in Spanish has won him the Hispanic community in politics and helped him to important business opportunities, such as the alliance in Mexico with El Financiero.

Maybe a lesser-known name is that of Joseph Rank who was appointed CEO of the Saudi operations of Lockheed Martin. His example proves how language skills and the openness to other cultures it implies can sky-rocket a career. Rank speaks Arabic, a language of 400 million people, and is expected to nurture strategic partnerships on a market where foreigners rarely speak other than English.

Globalization also means more and more people are raised in multiple languages and are not afraid to move around the world for work. According to US statistics from 2016, there were 12 million bilingual kids representing 22% of the total underage population, and 3% of all American children were foreign-born. Many of those children will have the chance to follow the footsteps of prominent business leaders.

Born in India and have Tamil (of over 70 million speakers) as her mother tongue, Indra Nooyi immediately had a competitive advantage when relocating to the US and accepting a senior role at Pepsico. From 2006-2018 when she held the position of CEO, Pepsico increased its revenues by 80%, and Nooyi herself consistently ranked among the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.

Meanwhile, Jan Koum possesses the seventh most spoken languages of the world, Russian, being born in Ukraine and only immigrated to the US at the age of 16. He made a fortune by funding WhatsApp, a global product translated to many languages, and then selling it to Facebook for in 2014. Koum still speaks fluent Russian and claimed in a 2016 interview that Russia was their most important market with 25 million monthly active users out of the 900 million total.

So if you are lucky enough to have English as your first language, you might reconsider if speaking multiple languages is just a nice-to-have. And, if you come from a different background, it’s time you realized the huge business advantages of your multilingualism.

Written by Anikó Jóri-Molnár

Nowadays going zero waste is one of the most popular trends – luckily it is one of the most progressive ones as well. You can read many articles on how to apply zero waste policies in your home, but have you ever considered how you can do this in the office? Or, as a manager, how you could support your office in achieving this? In this blog entry, we will look at some tips and tricks to transform your office into a sustainable work environment.

Of course, the first step is the hardest, but there are productive methods to take this initial leap of faith. Setting up a target can be inclusive enough to have every colleague involved in the action, even some sort of a mission statement can be released – nothing serious, but in addition to providing a precise framework for your quest, it can be published on the website as well, inviting your partners to join with your initiative. It might be surprising, but you should start your zero-waste policy by decluttering – how could you maintain a zero-waste environment when the office itself is full of things you don’t use anymore? Get rid of everything unnecessary – but don’t forget about recycling or reusing items, even at this stage.

Maybe the most wasteful area in an office is paper management, so it is imperative to minimise paper waste as much as possible. First and foremost, printing should be avoided as much as possible. While printing cannot be entirely eliminated from the office workflow, you can store files only in their digital form (e.g. cloud storage), and if printing is necessary, use recycled paper and two-sided printing settings. Unused or faulty prints can later be perfect for taking notes. By the way, be aware when using post-it notes as these might not be acceptable for recycling – contact your local authorities for further information and reuse paper waste or opt for digital apps for note-taking. You can go zero waste with your office supplies as well. Try to use refillable printer consumables, pens, and choose highlighter pencils instead of disposable highlighters.

Another important aspect of going zero waste is waste control. We tend to use an immense amount of plastic, so eliminating it from the office is not just a crucial step but also one of the most easily achievable. Ban plastic kitchenware from the kitchen, it can give a personal touch if every colleague has their own mugs and/or glasses for drinking. Forget about coffee capsules as well as you might not even notice how much plastic you throw away – substitute these with instant coffee (but not sachets of coffee!) for quick refreshment. Teabags can generate as much waste as capsules, so it is worth substituting them with tea leaves. Naturally, one of the key elements of a zero-waste office is to collect recyclable waste separately. It might help the efficiency of this method if you provide some quick guidelines on what and how to separate. This can be complemented by composting – small composting containers can be installed in the office or near the office where organic waste can be collected and transformed into fertilised soil. This way, the amount of communal waste is significantly reduced, while recycling techniques might be implemented, even outside the office. While it might not seem relevant at first, a flexible lunchtime that allows for employees to lunch out not only reduces resource use in the office, but it can also be refreshing for the employees to leave for a short while.

It might take some time to find those measures that can be successfully adapted in the workflow and lifestyle of your office, but it is worth gradually including sustainability among the core values of your business. Regardless of whether you try to make the first step, or you would like to expand your eco-friendly tools in the office, several environmental organisations (e.g. WWF) provide guidelines, programmes and certifications to help you reach your set target.

Written by Zsolt Beke

Most of us associate sign language interpretation with a person gesticulating in the corner of the screen during a television broadcast of a speech or another event of major importance. However, sign language interpretation is guided by the same basic principle as other forms of interpretation – mediation between languages. In most cases it involves mediation between a spoken language and sign language. Nevertheless, the particular features of sign language mean that organisers have to take a number of important issues into account. This blog post takes a look at some of these challenges.

First of all, just like for spoken language interpretation, it is important to clarify the basics – i.e. the target language and whether consecutive or simultaneous interpretation should be used. Rather than one universal sign language, there are in fact almost 140 different sign languages across the world, with many local dialects. Establishing which sign language is the target language is therefore vital. It should also be noted that sign language can be mediated as fluently as spoken language, so simultaneous interpretation is indeed an option.

One of the key features of sign language is its use of gestures and non-manual expressions. When choosing and preparing a venue, the position of the sign language interpreter is therefore of paramount importance. While a spoken language interpreter does not even need to be in the same room as the speaker, sign language interpreters have to be positioned up front where both the interpreter and the presentation can be seen. Of course, visibility can be enhanced by reserving places for members of the audience who are hard of hearing, allowing the interpreter to address them directly, or screens can be used. Whichever option you choose, it is important to create an environment where equal opportunities means not only that sign language interpretation is available, but that members of the audience who are hard of hearing can learn from and enjoy the event as much as their hearing colleagues.

Given the demanding nature of interpretation, interpreters often work in pairs, especially if the event is long or requires particular expertise. Due to its physicality, sign language interpretation is especially tiring for the interpreter. When planning an event with sign language interpretation, you should be aware of that aspect and make sure to book a sufficient number of interpreters.

Finally, working together with the client and the presenters is also of utmost importance. It is essential for background documents, summaries and even the presentations themselves to be provided to the greatest possible extent, since questions such as names of organisations and terminology (e.g. whether fingerspelling or a sign counterpart should be used) require background work and might present difficulties on the spot. Of course, provision of supplemental materials is strongly advisable when you organise any form of interpretation, but for sign language interpretation you should make doubly sure that the interpreters can use an array of documents and glossaries for preparation.

While event interpretation is an important part of sign language interpretation, Deaf culture as a minority culture often uses sign interpreters for navigating and facilitating everyday life. However, the challenges there revolve not so much around technical or practical issues as the need to keep on improving availability and accessibility.

Written by Zsolt Beke

Following months of debates around the new Copyright Directive of the European Union, the negotiators agreed on a final text on the 13 February 2019. While awaiting formal confirmation, we give an overview of what changes can be expected in content sharing.

Caught in the act?

Originally, the aim of the Directive was the fair remuneration of copyright holders in the digital era, therefore, it focuses on for-profit businesses that stream music, offer video-on-demand services, aggregate news or host user-generated content. These platforms need to contribute to a level playing field by complying with new rules which they widely criticise.

According to Article 11, social sites, news aggregators, or media monitoring service providers are only allowed to publish a hyperlink without a photo or a snippet, unless they obtain licenses from copyright owners first.

Meanwhile, Article 13 goes after the platforms that host user-generated content, making them accountable for any copyright infringements their users might commit. To comply, platforms need to weed out copyrighted content, acquire license agreements from authors, and remove content as necessary.

In the crosshairs are allegedly giant corporations such as YouTube, Twitter or Facebook, and to cut some of their revenues to the benefit of authors. These corporations will have to heavily invest in upload filters and to nod to any license agreement they are offered by publishers.

Winners and losers

Smaller companies, lacking the financial resources and maneuvering options of the giants, will likely skip the expensive upload filters and licenses and, to stay on the safe side, rather sacrifice creative ideas or give in on business altogether. Only if the business is considered a startup by the legislation (has less than USD 10mn yearly turnover, is less than three years in operation or has no more than 5 million monthly unique visitors), will there be more options and less strict consequences for them.

NGOs, educational and research organizations and non-profit encyclopedias like Wikipedia, are also exemptions. No scientific paper has to pay “link taxes”, researchers are allowed text and data mining, and educators to use digital material across the borders without having to pay for copyright. But these institutions still fall under Article 13 and have to be careful with online content sharing.

The Directive also claims to reinforce individual user interests as they don’t have to worry about using copyrighted content due to new licensing rules and upload filters. They will also “continue to enjoy and share news hyperlinks as they do today.” However, critics insist the freedom of self-expression will suffer and envision platforms playing “content police” to prevail.

And it is still not the end of the story: the European Parliament and the Council will cast their votes about the Directive in March/April. And even if they vote in favour of it, there is a lot of uncertainty about practical issues that the Commission has to rule out, by issuing guidelines on the application.

Written by Anikó Jóri-Molnár