Voice-over, voiceover

Commentary in, e.g., a film, television programme, video, or commercial spoken by an unseen narrator. Foreign-language voice-over consists of two parts: translating the narrative, whereby, e.g., timing (coordinating the voice with the film sequence) is an important consideration; recording the voice-over, which may be performed by a linguist with special training and/or expertise or by an actor. Voice-over services are provided by some translators and translation agencies/companies.

Whispering, whispered interpreting   

Similar to simultaneous interpreting, whereby the interpreter sits close to the listener and whispers the translation without technical aids.

Whispering interpreting

Simultaneous interpreting without the use of interpretation equipment, where the interpreter sits close to the listener and whispers the interpretation. Whispering is not recommended when there are more than two listeners or more than two interpreters working at the same time in the same room. Whispering requires a team of two interpreters and, since it is extremely taxing and hard on the vocal chords, it is only appropriate for very brief one-on-one meetings. See also simultaneous interpreting without a booth.

Wireless equipment

Although, strictly speaking, this describes all interpretation equipment that is operated by batteries, a distinction must be made between (1) interpreter's wireless equipment, which consists of a battery-operated transmitter and is used in wireless interpreting, and (2) participants' wireless equipment, which consists of wireless receivers. Nowadays, all participants' receivers are wireless, except in some of the older fixed installations.

Wireless interpretation equipment

Although, strictly speaking, this describes all interpretation equipment that is operated by batteries, a distinction must be made between (1) interpreter's wireless equipment, which consists of a battery-operated transmitter and is used in wireless interpreting, and (2) participants' wireless equipment, which consists of wireless receivers. Nowadays, all participants' receivers are wireless, except in some of the older fixed installations.

Wireless interpreting

Another term for mobile simultaneous interpreting. Interpretation using a small wireless transmitter used for mobile simultaneous interpreting. The interpreter whispers into a microphone attached to the transmitter and the participants listen through headphones attached to receivers.

The advantage of this system is that it is mobile and can handle more participants than whispering interpretation. The disadvantages, as for whispering interpretation, are that it does not permit sound isolation or amplification, and it is very taxing for the interpreter. It is designed for touring trade shows, factories, plants, etc. It can also be used for brief presentations, press conferences, etc. See also simultaneous interpreting without a booth.

Wireless receiver

A radio or infrared receiver used to tune into the interpretation. They are just like small pocket radios, except that they are wired to operate only in the specific frequencies assigned to the interpretation equipment. In order to hear, the interpreters' equipment must be operational and a headphone or earphone must be plugged into the receiver.

Wireless simultaneous interpretation equipment

Although, strictly speaking, this describes all interpretation equipment that is operated by batteries, a distinction must be made between (1) interpreter's wireless equipment, which consists of a battery-operated transmitter and is used in wireless interpreting, and (2) participants' wireless equipment, which consists of wireless receivers. Nowadays, all participants' receivers are wireless, except in some of the older fixed installations.

Wireless translation equipment

There is no such thing. This term is often used by interpretation brokers and equipment companies who, apparently, don't know the difference between translation and interpretation.

Wireless transmitter

A small battery-operated transmitter used for mobile simultaneous interpreting. It is the same size as a receiver (about the size of a pack of cards) and fits easily into a pocket. For more information on wireless transmitters, click here.

Word count

A standard measure of the size of an original or a translated text. In the US, translation projects are normally priced on the number of words of the target text, but sometimes they can be priced on the original. Since word count can vary enormously between languages, it is crucial to specify whether the per-word rate being quoted refers to the source or target language.

Word-for-word translation

Translation that closely follows every word in a source text. A word-for-word translation usually reads like nonsense, but at times it can be quite amusing. A good example is machine translations.

Compiled from:

http://www.trans-k.co.uk/glossary.html

http://www.k-international.com/translation_terminology

http://www.barinas.com/glossary_main.htm

GLOSSARY: TEACHING ENGLISH

The teaching of English has historically been varied. However organized, what­ever the aims involved, and whatever the methods used, such teaching proceeds on a scale well beyond any other language past or present. At the present time, the teaching of English divides into five broad categories, the first four with their own traditions, terminologies, perspectives, theories, practices, publications, organizations, and conferences. They are:

ENL: English as a Native Language

('Ee-en-ell’) Also English as a Mother Tongue and English as a First Language. In the ENL world, this is the teaching of children, adolescents, and adults in institutions of primary/elementary, secondary, and tertiary (higher) education, and of adults in continuing education, including literacy programmes.

ESL: English as a Second Language

('Ee-ess-ell’) Associated term TESL ('tessle': Teaching English as a Second Language). There are two aspects:

• The teaching of English in countries where the language is not a mother tongue but has long been part of the fabric of society, usually for imperial and colonial reasons in the relatively recent past, either as a lingua franca or a medium of education, or both. The term ESL countries refers to territories in which English has a statutory role, such as (co-)official language or medium of education, but is not usually the home language, as in India and Nigeria.

• Teaching non-English-speaking immigrants to ENL countries. The comparable term TESOL ('tee-sol'), Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, was originally used only in North America, primarily for the teaching of immigrants, but is now used worldwide in both senses.

EFL: English as a Foreign Language'

('Ee-eff-ell') Associated term TEFL ('teffle': Teaching English as a Foreign Lan­guage). There are two aspects:

• The teaching of English in countries where it is of interest and/or importance but is not, or has not until recently been, a local medium of communication or instruction, as with Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Sweden. The term EFL countries refers to the world minus ENL and ESL.

• Providing courses in ENL countries for visiting students from EFL countries. The other term used principally for this category, especially in Britain (as mentioned above), is English language teaching or, more commonly, ELT ('ee-ell-tee'). It is in this area that the commercial approach to teaching the language is most prominent.

EIL: English as an International Language

('Ee-eye-ell') Associated term TEIL ('teel", 'tee-ee-eye-ell': 'Teaching . . .'). In effect, this is the teaching of English as a global lingua franca, in which it is hoped that in the process people will become aware of the worldwide role of the language and the social and cultural problems that derive from, or relate to, that role. EIL in effect embraces all countries, learners, and users (ENL, ESL, and EFL), its proponents arguing that native users of English need at least as much consciousness-raising with regard to an adequate international use of the language as those who learn it as a second or foreign language. They also argue that the more the English language becomes institutionalized as the world's main medium of international expression, the more native and non-native users will need to learn to acclimatize to each other's ways of using it. They also consider that native users will have to accept (especially competent) non-native users as equals, while accommodating as agree­ably as possible their difficulties and anxieties.

ESD: English as a second dialect

('Ee-ess-dee') Associated term TESD ('tezd', 'tee-ee-ess-dee': Teaching English as a Second Dialect'). In effect, teaching Standard English to speakers of non-standard varieties, such as dialects as traditionally understood (Yorkshire in the UK: Appalachian in the US), Creoles (Nation Language in Jamaica; any Caribbean Creole in the UK). Here, the term English is restricted to the area traditionally (and usually implicitly) assigned to it by many educationists and grammarians: the medium of professional and business people educated to college level or its equivalent, and of the major media. 'English' here is the standard language, or dialect, or variety. Both the term and the abbreviation have been modelled on the labels of the preceding categories, but to make their standpoint clear, some proponents of TESD have used the term Standard English as a Second Dialect (short form SESD) to present Standard English as one dialect or variety among many. Both the term and the con­cept had a brief heyday in the 1980s/90s. The concept, without the specific name, seems to have been assimilated into general educational theory and practice in many parts of the world, notably North America.

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