“When we change the way we communicate, we change society.”
–Clay Shirky
I have spent the last few years observing macro trends in
technology, communication, and social interaction wondering when and how these
larger trends would eventually affect the world of interpreting. Last week at
the annual SCIC
Universities Conference held in Brussels, I no longer had to wonder.
A new initiative called SpeechPool.net
is poised to help student interpreters and their trainers alleviate one of the
vexing problems of interpreter training efforts around the world—a lack of
quality, level-appropriate speeches for beginning and intermediate interpreting
students to practice with.
The idea is strikingly simple, as most revolutionary ideas
are—provide a simple, easy, universally accessible platform where students and
trainers from around the globe can upload audio and video recordings of
speeches being given in classes and practice groups in a myriad of languages at
training institutions the world over so they can be used by students and
trainers everywhere. The initiative is the brainchild of conference interpreter
and trainer Sophie Llewellyn Smith. You can watch her introduction of the
platform here
or read a recent interview about it on The
Interpreter Diaries.
Speech banks have been around for years at individual schools
and institutions. But due to the rapid advance of technology and the
time-sensitive nature of much of the speech content, these platforms were quick
to obsolesce and the speeches grew stale. So what’s so groundbreaking about
this initiative? Put simply, it has the potential to harness the collective creative
power of the diaspora of thousands of interpreting students and trainers around
the globe to the benefit of all, thereby encouraging mutual improvement and
success while allowing competition at a higher level of competency.[1]
It is a clear example of win-win thinking, which is the basis of the emerging
sharing economy. This is not one group offering content to others out of the
goodness of its heart. It is not altruism. It is a platform for a dynamic
exchange of value between equally interested parties, and that makes all the difference
because SpeechPool.net will only
succeed if there is sustained value generated by all who contribute to and
benefit from the platform.
Of course, there are many unknowns in this budding effort.
But that is not the point. The days of certainty and a near perfect product
before going to market are over. This platform can adapt and change as new
needs and ideas emerge. Serial iteration in the new hyper-connected digital
world where everything is software based and resides in the cloud makes it
easier than ever to adapt and evolve.
To my knowledge, this is the first bona fide example of
intelligent crowdsourcing that has the potential to improve the quality of
interpreting services around the world, not to dumb down or cheapen the
profession. That is powerful.
The key to the
success of this endeavor is participation and meaningful contribution, so dust
off those old video and audio files that are languishing on your hard drives,
digital recorders and smartphones and contribute them to the greater good of a
growing profession, and while you are at it, practice some consecutive with
notes. Oh, and fasten your seatbelts, this is just the beginning of a coming wave
of innovation that is already affecting our noble profession.
Barry Slaughter Olsen
Interested in learning about how today’s technologies are
changing how interpreters work and promote their careers? Then join us at InterpretAmerica 4 on June
14-15, 2013, in Reston, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. Register today! Early-bird
registration ends May 12, 2013.
