Celebrating linguistic diversity at Eurovision

Watching Eurovision is one of my guilty pleasures. The music is often terrible, but it’s always entertaining, and as a linguist, I enjoy listening to songs performed in different languages.

Up until about seven years ago, around 80% of entries were performed in English, but recently the tide has turned, as this Guardian article explains.

Italian rock band Måneskin are among the acts who’ve recently won the contest with a native language song. Their 2021 winning single, ‘Zitti E Buoni!’, was also the first Italian-language song in more than 30 years to reach the top 20 of the UK Singles Chart (before that it was Pavarotti’s ‘Nessun Dorma’).

An expert interviewed by the Guardian suggested that the trend for native language entries might be due to the rise in machine translation, which means that acts no longer need to be sung in English to be understood.

The problem is that many of these translations are flawed. A recent study comparing the official translations of Eurovision song lyrics to AI translations found that AI did such a poor job that it actually changed the tone and meaning of the songs – a good reminder of why you shouldn’t trust ChatGPT or Google Translate with important translations.

My team can provide translation in more than 150 languages for everything from legal or financial documents to annual reports and marketing content.

Spotlight on medical translation

Did you know that one of my specialisms is working with companies in the life science, healthcare, pharmaceutical, medical and bioethics industries?

Over the past twenty years, I’ve completed more than 1000 assignments for companies in this sector, including Bayer, Novartis and GSK.

One recent example was for the healthcare communications company, Fixing Us. They create inspiring films about patient journeys for brands, health organisations, healthcare professionals and policymakers. I interpreted during an interview with a patient in Rome, Italy, which they’d organised on behalf of AstraZeneca.

Other assignments have included interpreting for clinical trial participants, investigator meetings and for employees on training programmes, to name just a few. I’ve also translated everything from medical device instructions to marketing materials and hospital discharge papers.

I’ve developed an in-depth knowledge of medical terminology in Italian and English – but I nevertheless prepare thoroughly before every meeting to ensure I’m familiar with the (often very niche) topic under discussion.

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How I helped a nervous client to perform under pressure

It’s such a joy when someone takes the time to leave me a review. Over the years I’ve gathered over a hundred on Google – all five stars, I’m delighted to say!

I treasure each one. Obviously, they’re invaluable for marketing but it also really lifts my spirits to read how I’ve helped a client.

Recently, I received a lovely testimonial from an Italian football referee, Giulia Nicastro, who I’d worked with on an advertising shoot for UEFA.

As a young woman in her twenties, Giulia Nicastro is a trailblazer in the male-dominated world of Italian football, making her the perfect choice for The Women’s Football Channel’s #WePlayStrong campaign with Gatorade.

Giulia hadn’t starred in an advert before and was naturally feeling very nervous, so I did my best to help her relax.

We looked through the script together, and I coached her on reading her lines with emotion and emphasis. I encouraged her when she occasionally forgot her words (which happens even to experienced performers) and even whipped out my hairbrush to ensure she was looking her best. You can watch her performance here.

Interpreting is about so much more than simply translating words. Soft skills are equally important. We need to develop a rapport with people and gain their trust quickly.

The people we work with are often in an extremely pressured situation, such as a client meeting or a conference stage. As professional communicators, we can help to calm their nerves, boost their confidence, and support them in delivering solid performance.

Here’s Giulia’s review:

“An extraordinary woman who immediately manages to put you at ease, empathetic, smiling, ready to help you perform at your best and to help you with everything you need.

She has a great passion for her work that she manages to convey to you, without her I would not have been so calm and happy with the work I did. A thousand thanks”

Thank you Giulia for such wonderful feedback!