SME’s do you need value for money tools that support you to communicate with your clients?

Most small businesses struggle to find interpreters and translators not because they don’t want to but because they are not aware of what is available, or do not have the flexibility in their cash flow to allow them to secure the right person at the right time.  Unless the business revolves around languages then buying in expertise or a member of staff is not within their grasp. In reality we cannot all be linguists but we do need to be able to bridge the gap to communicate.

With our tools and resources you can easily communicate, with a set yearly charge (no hidden extras), available all day every day, day or night, at your fingertips.

Communicate across languages

Available as an app or on a tablet there are versions available for platforms including Apple, androids, Kindle fire and tablets.

To find out more contact us on 0845 009 4939 or info@emasuk.com Ask for your free phone walk through of how we can support you to communicate with your customers.

 

Do we put too much trust in people we don’t really know?

Do we put too much trust in people we don’t really know?

Sometimes we place our total reliance on communication through individuals that have little or no more qualifications than having been born with parents that speak a second or different home language. Yet we are putting these people in places of great sensitivity with issues of security, medical understanding and levels of education far exceeding those of English speaking staff and we expect them to translate it accurately without first knowing that they understand the words themselves. Being able to speak a second language doesn’t mean that your level of education is any higher or your skills any better, it just means that you are able to talk and communicate.

With EMASUK talking tools you are able to take away the guesswork of what is being said, present it sensitively and with compassion, and make eye contact using the correct body language to show that you care, you understand, that its urgent, that sometimes there is no choice, but all the time you are in command.
With this happening it means that for the first time ever via our unique product every person is communicable to by professionals even in the darkest hours of their lives.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/nhs-interpreter-charged-twice-services-6905242. This story is happening far too commonly in UK schools, hospitals, police forces and courts using on-line tools this can all be stopped, it can be checked and even if you use a translator for it it gives you that support and back up that you feel confident that they know what they are doing.
Last year we highlighted some of the concerns in the blog @http://wp.me/p2LCCD-fc

Find out how you can use this service with a Microsoft surface to support you in reducing costs but maintain a high level of customer satisfaction and service by contact Ewan on E.Macgregor@emasuk.com or call 07595 021 958.

 

Solicitors – Have confidence that the client is understanding what you are saying from initial meeting

Calling solicitors, letting agents, accountants and estate agents. Talk to clients whose communication language is not English by putting yourself in charge of the conversation from the start.  Using EMASUK’s low cost translation solutions you can find out basic information  quickly and easily.

Be time efficient by finding out the information you need when the clients walks in and before you employ a translator or interpreter. The easy to use web based solution allows you to translate initial letters to clients, talk to the client and give yourself confidence that the client is understanding what you are telling them.

Available on all platforms including tablets, iphones, I pads, androids and kindle fire.

Contact  Bruce for more information b.moss@emasuk.com or 07500 008 092.

Communicate across languages with EMASUK

 

 

Be in charge of your conversations, dont risk these headlines ‘Fake’ interpreter at Mandela memorial claims to have exposed system

EMASUK’s translation solutions for Health, Education, Business and Local Government put you back in charge of translated conversation ensuring you are clear what is being communicated to the third party. It is available to you just when you need it and its variety of platforms portability makes it easy to use in your situation.

As teachers John and I have been in the situation where we have not known what the true conversation is between the interpreter/translator and the student but supporting those of us who don’t speak the language has traditionally been difficult, hence our solution. Type in what you want to say, have it said aloud in that language, hear it in English whilst watching the body language and facial expressions – it puts you back in charge.

Communicate across languages with EMASUK

 

To be back in charge of conversations contact us on 0845 009 4939 or email info@emasuk.com.

 

Jail for Chinese translator in Midlands

What a shocking story. Whilst children aged seventeen and over are charged excessively for tests as well as the range of tests that they now have to undergo just to pass, it is incredibly unfair that this situation had been allowed to happen because of the language barrier.

 

A Chinese translator who helped driving test candidates cheat on theory exams in a ‘serious fraud’ which helped him earn up to £100,000 has been jailed for a year.

There are now tools and resources on the market unlike ten or even five years ago, that the DSA could use to ask questions and with our unique Two Can Talk system you can also have  a two way conversation in the respective languages. This way any driving instructor or tester can ask a question in English and the translator speaks out in for example Mandarin.  The Mandarin candidate can then type in Mandarin and the answer will be said aloud and typed in English for the tester.

Thankfully it was found out but that took the police force and another translator as well as the  time and money to bring these charges all costly to the tax payer.

DSA officials became suspicious at the increased number of prospective drivers choosing to be represented by the 55-year-old interpreter as his client list expanded rapidly towards the end of 2011 and into 2012.

They appointed their own Mandarin language expert to assess audio recordings taken from 27 of his translations and found he repeatedly used the ‘shi’ prompt to steer candidates to the right answer.

To save time and money in your organisation or business contact l.foxwell@emasuk.com

The news story in full can be found here:

http://www.expressandstar.com/news/crime/2013/07/17/jail-for-chinese-translator-in-midlands-drive-tests-fraud/

Translators needed

We are currently looking for translators that work in or with schools either as an assistant or teacher to join our team. Languages that we are particularly looking for are French, Tagalog and Greek but if you have another language please ask as there are often opportunities in other languages. If you live in the UK, have access to publisher, word and excel then please get in touch. Work is sporadic allowing those of you in school the opportunity to share your expertise in this way.

Contact Liz on l.foxwell@emasuk.com with details of the languages you are offering and a little background about yourself.

Reduce your translation/interpreting costs whilst increasing service levels

Congratulations to Douglas Paxton – the new Chief Constable of the Suffolk Constabulary.

What a week to start when translation and interpreters costs are once again in the media. Last year they exceeded their budget by £6,000 and over the past four years have spent over £840,000 of public money. Whilst I totally agree with their ethos that

the services are essential to ensure justice for victims of crime and fair treatment of suspects.

I do think its time to think outside the box and look for other alternatives to support the provision already in place which reduce costs but increase service level.

Using the EMASUK machine translation service they can achieve all of this and is similar to what hospitals, schools and businesses are already experiencing.  This service is putting them back in charge of their unique conversations and finances.

In Suffolk the most used languages needed were Polish, not unusual as I blogged a few weeks ago about this being the second language in the country followed by Lithuanian and Russian, again languages that can be provided for all officers in the station to use all day, every day at the touch of a button.

With so much that can be done whilst waiting for the interpreter/translator to arrive, and the ability to making their job easier on arrival and the officers jobs easier in the interim – why wouldn’t you choose this option?

 

Travel Industry slow to take up home grown, innovative, bespoke translation service

Further to our article in the A place in the sun online magazine  http://www.aplaceinthesun.com/news/feature/tabid/131/EntryId/1762/Default.aspx.  It is interesting that although we talked to lots of travel companies about the benefits of using our resources for a low cost.  Despite the ability to access it 24/7 7 days a week for one years membership or via the handheld again for 1 years membership the travel industry is still slow in taking up the offer instead preferring to stick to big named companies and translators. Whilst this is a great service and useful it doesn’t help when the interpreter/translator is not available, you only need help with a few sentences or you just need to reassure someone before the translator/interpreter is available.

This is true today as I see a news article in travel weekly heralding

A foreign language translation service for holidaymakers abroad with Thomson and First Choice is to be provided this year. 

For lone travellers the bespoke hand held translator that we have available putting you in control.http://www.emasuk.com/page/eal/208/i-can-talk-to

 

The reason this service is not any different from what we already know:

A third of British holidaymakers do not bring a phrase book when travelling abroad and nearly a fifth (18%) never try to speak the language.

When asked why they do not try to speak the local language, a quarter felt they were terrible at languages and nearly a fifth of people (18%) felt too embarrassed.

Nearly half of the 2,000 respondents questioned (47%) admitted that they would have difficulties making a restaurant reservation and more than a third (40%) would struggle to get directions or see a doctor.

Thomson and First Choice holiday experience director Ian Chapman said: “From the independent research we carried out, we know that our customers may experience language barriers whilst on holiday. http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/2013/02/27/43279/thomson+and+first+choice+to+offer+247+translation+service.html#sthash.FqfVTfio.dpufhttp://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/2013/02/27/43279/thomson+and+first+choice+to+offer+247+translation+service.html

 

Outdated strategies leaves people unsupported

I continue to read with sadness the recent reports about the courts and translation services. See the latest story at  http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/justice-committee/news/interpreters-and-als-report/ what is sad to me is that there are too many people needing translators in court, yet the people making the decisions still use outdated strategies to fulfil a need that there are not the resources for.  Instead of looking at alternatives to lighten loads e.g. our Text system will alleviate some of the time needed to translate text in over 50 languages they continue to use too few people, to do too large a job.

With clever management and clear process it would be possible for the judicial service to see where our Talking system would help. By giving officials another tool to use in difficult times, for example where a conversation needs to happen but the languages of the two people are not similar, we can help alleviate stress and uncertainty. A classic example is when the person is first brought to custody, rather than waiting hours for an interpreter, use our text or talking system to converse with the person.  Gain valuable information quickly and then move on swiftly to the next level.  At interview before the need of a translator use Two Can Talk or Claire Talk with their unique bespoke system that allows you to keep a copy of the conversation via PDF.  For those on the move I Can Talk to provides the support needed to converse with the client.

As the world changes and people move around from country to country then this will continue to be an issue, so SMART targets and out of the box thinking will support everyone involved in conversations with others.

The same can be said in the Health Service where the hospital needs to gain patient information ClaireTalk is proving invaluable and helping the hospitals using it to save money without loss of service.

It reminds me of years previously when John suggested that it would be a good idea for all teachers to have laptops.  Many disagreed and argued against this, but twenty years on the same teachers, officials and parents would be arguing if you tried to take them away. I think this is probably the same and predict that in time we will all be mixing bespoke statistical Machine Translation Services and people with language skills as tools to get the job done, much the same as we do now with pencils, ICT personnel and laptops or tablets.

 

Ed Milliband – Lets help new arrivals speak English quickly

The heading could simply have said EMASUK – Lets help new arrivals speak English quickly as we have said repeatedly over the past three years let find ways of shortening their advancement to communicate effectively in our countries languge.   By using our resources learners can learn in context and with the aid of the PDF and phrasebook manager you can keep a record of the meeting and the most common words/sentences in What is also useful with both Claire Talk and Talking tutor is that you can also keep the home language alive so there is not the risk as before of losing the mother tongue which was the fear. Dont take our word for it listen to Jason Smith Head Teacher at a Birmingham school at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIr-UXHu9Gw and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlyKdxULpwo or read our other posts on how we use EMASUK where our users share their views of how it improves their learning.  For Claire Talk see a case study at http://www.dnmconsultancy.co.uk/clairetalk/casestudysummary/ and new information http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-15171435

Ed Milliband has three priorities;

• English language teaching for newcomers to Britain will be prioritised ahead of funding for what he regards as non-essential written translation materials.

• A requirement that exists in many professions for employees to have English language proficiency will be extended to all publicly funded jobs in which staff interact with members of the public.

• Schools and parents will be encouraged to share responsibility for helping foreign-born children by including statements on English language learning within Home School Agreements.

Part of todays speech which relates to Education, Health and Legal as well as Council services.

In order to protect English language teaching, some local authorities have looked to reduce the cost of translation services.

Of course essential translation services, including interpreters in our courts and hospitals, must have their role.

But English language must be the priority.

In a world where there is less money around, more of a priority than many written translation materials.

And English language is particularly important for the next generation.

In schools, teaching of English as an additional language is essential.

And the earlier that support is given the better for all the children in a school.

Where there are Home School Agreements, English language learning should be included.

Which too often doesn’t happen at the moment.

That would ensure that both schools and parents share the responsibility for helping foreign-born children learn how to speak English.

see the whole of the speech at http://www.politics.co.uk/comment-analysis/2012/12/14/ed-miliband-immigration-speech-in-ful

This fits with the Guardian news story which confirms that Labour wants Staff in all publicly funded jobs who interact with members of the public will have to show proficiency in the English language under a Labour government said Ed Milliband today and further says that he will will make proficiency in the English language a key priority for a future Labour government, which would seek to achieve what he calls a “connected nation” rather than a “segregated one”.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/dec/14/miliband-english-language-integration