Japanese Earthquake Highlights the Need for Multilingual Communications

No matter how well-prepared a country is, and no matter how advanced its infrastructure and technology, no nation could have anticipated the devastation wrought by the recent tsunami and series of earthquakes in Japan. In the race to respond to urgent needs in the aftermath of a disaster, communication across languages is critical.

When disaster strikes, there is always a need to communicate across languages both for internal and external purposes. Within a country’s borders, relief workers must make sure that critical safety instructions can be understood by members of linguistically diverse populations. Like many economic powerhouses, Japan is a “pull country” for immigrants. More than two million foreigners – hailing from countries like Brazil, China, Korea, Peru, the Philippines, the United States, and Venezuela – live and work on Japanese soil. Whenever a disaster takes place, individuals in other countries begin trying to reach their loved ones in the affected location, generating an influx of communications in other languages.

Given the need for language services support, the Japan Association of Translators (JAT) is serving as a central point of contact for requests for interpreters and translators.  The JAT is also welcoming volunteer interpreters to contact them.  Even if you don’t speak Japanese, if you speak one of the languages of the countries listed above, you might be able to help.  In times of emergency, “relay interpreting” is quite common.  In this type of interpreting, a Spanish<>English interpreter renders the words of a Venezuelan worker in Japan into English, whereupon an English<>Japanese interpreter transfers the information into Japanese. In some cases, the second interpretation might not even be needed – for example, if a Japanese doctor speaks English and has a Korean-speaking patient, a Korean<>English interpreter might be sufficient to assist with critical and potential life-saving language support.

Communication with the outside world also depends heavily on the availability of language services. Government officials count on interpreters to communicate with points of contact in other countries, and journalists rely on interpreters and translators to convey updates from government spokespeople.  Due to dangerous travel conditions, interpreters cannot easily be dispatched to the scene, which makes people resort to creative techniques to communicate the information. A journalist from ABC news this morning was unable to secure an interpreter in order to interview people on the ground.  So, even though she spoke minimal Japanese, she carefully pronounced phonetic versions of the translations out loud to the victims she was interviewing, then sent the recordings back for translation of their responses, so that the responses could be provided in English in time for the show to air.

With the wide array of language technologies available – including iPhone apps to easily access interpreters via telephone from anywhere in the world – language services are easier to obtain than ever before, from a computer, a telephone, or even a handheld device.  However, governments must seek these services out in the development of their disaster preparedness plans. Language service providers must also step forward to make these possibilities known.

As a country that is home to many large companies that export their products throughout the world, Japan has a very important role in the language services industry.  Japan is also home to 594 translation and interpreting companies. If past charitable giving and relief efforts in Haiti are any indication, translation and interpreting suppliers will no doubt come forth to support their Japanese customers, vendors, and colleagues. What can you do today to help Japan?  Contact the JAT, donate to the Japanese Red Cross, or contact your charity of choice.

Updates:

• The Japanese Association of Medical Interpreters (JAMI) has set up a call center specifically to help out in the disaster.
• The International Medical Interpreter Association (IMIA) has built a Disaster Relief Database. This international effort lists interpreters in many different language combinations and sends the information periodically to 20 non-profits around the world, including the Japanese Red Cross.
• Translators without Borders announced that it is ready to assist with requests for translation related to the disaster from humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Source: Common Sense Advisory Blogs
Posted by Nataly Kelly on March 14, 2011  in the following blogs: Interpreting, Translation and Localization