The. Need for. Inequality. May 20122

Transcription

1 The Need for Tra nslation in Africa Addressing Information Inequality So thatt Africa May Prosper Preparedd on behalf of: By Nataly Kelly, Donald A. DePalma, and Vijayalaxmi Hegde May 20122

2 The Need for Translation in Africa By Nataly Kelly, Donald A. DePalma, and Vijayalaxmi Hegde May 2012 Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc., Lowell, Massachusetts, United States of America. Published by: Common Sense Advisory, Inc. 100 Merrimack Street Suite 301 Lowell, MA USA Access: This report is the result of a donation-in-kind of research services to Translators without Borders from Common Sense Advisory. The full report may be accessed by the general public for free of charge at: Citations: Citation and permission requests should be addressed to Melissa Gillespie, Common Sense Advisory, Inc., Suite 301, 100 Merrimack Street, Lowell, MA , , [email protected]. Trademarks: Common Sense Advisory, Global Watchtower, Global DataSet, DataPoint, Globa Vista, Quick Take, and Technical Take are trademarks of Common Sense Advisory, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Information is based on the best available resources at the time of analysis. Opinions reflect the best judgment of Common Sense Advisory s analysts at the time, and are subject to change.

3 The Need for Translation in Africa i Table of Contents Topic...1 Why Translation Is Necessary for Africa... 1 How We Conducted the Research for this Report... 3 Project Scope, Data Quality, and Limitations... 4 Findings...5 Most Respondents Are Professional Translators Living in Africa... 5 Professional Translators Dominated the Sample... 5 Heavy Concentrations of Respondents Hail from South Africa... 5 Afrikaans, Swahili, and Arabic Are the Most Common Mother Tongues... 8 African Multilingualism Leads to Numerous Language Pairs... 9 Employment and Income of the Translators Surveyed African Translators Report High Levels of Education and Training Translators for African Languages Face Many Challenges Lack of Organization Affects Quality and Bargaining Powers African Language Translators Face Considerable Societal Challenges Political Realities Affect Work Potential and Even Payment African Translators Lack the Necessary Tools and Information Translation to Support Health-Related Information Needs in Africa African Language Translators Are a Highly Charitable Group Summary of Our Findings on the Need for Translation in Africa Implications Demand for Translation in Africa Will Outpace Supply Translation Technology Will Help Break the Cycle Governments, NGOs, and Associations Must Lend a Hand Translation Will Power Africa s Future Socioeconomic Development About Common Sense Advisory Future Research Applied Research and Advisory Services Figures Figure 1: Major Language Families in Africa... 2 Figure 2: Places of Residence of African Language Translators... 6 Figure 3: Birthplaces of African Language Translators... 7 Figure 4: Employment Status of African Language Translators Figure 5: African Translation as a Primary Income Source Figure 6: African Translators Who Also Work as Interpreters Figure 7: Expected Changes in Translation Income from 2010 to Figure 8: Expected Changes in Translation Income from 2011 to Figure 9: Education Levels of African Language Translators Figure 10: African-Language Translators and Internet Use Figure 11: Spoken Language Is Preferable to Written Language Figure 12: Most African Translators Have Donated Their Services Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc. May 2012

4 ii The Need for Translation in Africa Tables Table 1: Projected Language Services Market and African Share... 1 Table 2: Survey Respondents Involvement with African Language Translation... 5 Table 3: Top 20 Mother Tongue Languages of African Language Translators... 8 Table 4: Top 20 Language Combinations of African Language Translators... 9 Table 5: Most Common African Language Combination Types for Translation Table 6: Translation Training by African-Language Translators Table 7: Translation Training by African-Language Translators Table 8: Resource-Related Challenges Faced by African Language Translators Table 9: Translation-Related Challenges Faced by African Language Translators Table 10: Information and Technology Barriers Faced by African Translators Table 11: Views of African Language Translators on Health Issues Table 12: Impact of Translation on Collective Health and Quality of Life Table 13: Impact of Translation on Health and Loss of Life Table 14: Impact of Translation on Human Rights and Politics Table 15: Why African Language Translators Volunteer Table 16: Likelihood of Volunteering for Specific Causes and Incentives Table 17: Desirability of Incentives for Volunteering Table 18: Number of Hours per Week Translators Wish to Donate May 2012 Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

5 The Need for Translation in Africa 1 Topic Why do we need translation? More than 6,000 languages are spoken throughout the world. Without translation, there can be no communication, except among those who share a common language. Unfortunately, many voices simply cannot be heard without this critical function. In this research, conducted on behalf of Translators without Borders, we shed light on the need for translation in Africa. Why Translation Is Necessary for Africa It has been said that until Africa prospers, the world as a whole cannot prosper. The richest 2% of people own half of the world s wealth. Africa is home to roughly 10% of the world s population, but all of Africa represents just 2.36% of world GDP. The African economy is growing. According to a recent UN report, 10 of the world s 15 fastest-growing economies in 2010 were African. However, even in spite of this growth, economic inequalities for Africa when compared to the rest of the world remain clear. When it comes to information inequality, the disparities are even more striking. Our most recent study of the global translation market looked at actual reported revenue data of language service providers throughout the world (see The Language Services Market: 2011, May11). We found that Africa obtained only about a quarter of 1% of the world s total translation revenue (see Table 1). Region Market Share 2010 US$ M 2011 US$ M 2012 US$ M 2013 US$ M 2014 US$ M North America 49.25% 14,415 15,483 16,631 17,864 19,188 Western Europe 21.13% 6,186 6,644 7,137 7,666 8,234 Northern Europe 12.71% 3,720 3,995 4,292 4,610 4,951 Asia 7.43% 2,175 2,336 2,509 2,695 2,895 Southern Europe 5.39% 1,577 1,694 1,820 1,955 2,100 Eastern Europe 2.84% ,031 1,107 Oceania 0.66% Latin America 0.32% Africa 0.26% Growth Totals % 29,268 31,438 33,768 36,271 38,960 Table 1: Projected Language Services Market and African Share Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc. May 2012

6 2 The Need for Translation in Africa Figure 1: Major Language Families in Africa Africa is home to more than 2,000 languages spread across six major language families (see Figure 1). According to a UNESCO policy brief on African languages, the mass media employ at least 242 African languages, the judicial system uses a minimum of 63, and no fewer than 56 are used in public administration. Nigeria alone has more than 500 tongues spoken within its borders. Tens of millions of people converse in Amharic, Berber, Hausa, Igbo, Oromo, Swahili, and Yoruba. May 2012 Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

7 The Need for Translation in Africa 3 Multilingualism is extremely common among Africans, which means that there are likely to be large numbers of individuals bridging language gaps by translating information for people who do not share a common tongue. Still, our past research proves that Africa s share of the language services market is disproportionate even when considering its share of global GDP, which is also considerably out of line with its share of the world s population. These are the conditions that prompted us to work with Translators without Borders to carry out the present study. How We Conducted the Research for this Report In November 2011, we set out to learn more about the current state of translation for African languages. We followed our usual Common Sense Advisory methodology for quantitative research in developing a survey, recruiting the appropriate respondents, and analyzing the results. Our study consisted of the following major phases: Survey design. The Common Sense Advisory research team developed an online survey with questions on translator background, compensation, qualifications, and challenges. In conducting background research, we noticed a glaring lack of studies on information disparities in Africa, and in particular, on the potential value of translated materials. We included several questions about these issues in our survey. Staff from Translators without Borders supported our team with question review and survey piloting by translators based in Africa. Development of non-english questionnaires. We drafted the original survey in English and launched it in late November Volunteers from Translators without Borders translated it into Arabic, French, and Swahili. We started collecting responses for those languages in mid-december All language variants were open until early February Thus, the data collection period for the English version was two months, and approximately one and a half months for the other three languages. Recruitment and data collection. Our primary target populations were: 1) individual translators, and 2) organizations that provide translation services and have two or more employees, which we classify as language service providers (LSPs). Common Sense Advisory conducted mailings to every African LSP in our comprehensive directory of translation suppliers, which is compiled and updated regularly for purposes of our other research studies. We also developed lists of new contacts, such as professors of African Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc. May 2012

8 4 The Need for Translation in Africa languages at universities, freelance translators based in Africa, and others involved in translation in Africa who might participate or promote the survey to others. Translators without Borders and its supporters assisted us with mailings, and Proz.com carried out two separate mailings to invite the many African language translators in its network to participate. Once the survey period ended, we began analyzing the data. We first translated all of the results from the non-english surveys into English, the language we used for our analysis. Then we compiled responses into a master database, cleaned up the results, and normalized the data. For example, we standardized the diverse spellings of language names for ease of analysis and removed incomplete responses. With support from our statistician, we computed the results that appear in this study. Project Scope, Data Quality, and Limitations Before presenting the data or our analysis, we must highlight several limitations regarding the scope of our study and the quality of information we received: This study covers written translation only. This report was designed to investigate the need for translating written content. We purposely did not recruit individuals who provide spoken language interpreting, although the results do include people who both translate and interpret. Our results reflect translators with access to technology. Participants needed to be able to fill out a web-based survey. That means that translators had to have access to the internet and a computer or other device for answering the questions. Therefore, individuals who translate without a computer and/or access to the internet were unable to participate. The findings are more representative of those who speak English. We made the survey available in three other languages, but the vast majority of our respondents answered it in English. Therefore, the results are skewed in favor of those who read English well enough to answer a web-based survey. Recruitment was also primarily English-based. The majority of our recruitment activities took place in English. The mailings we authored were in English, as was the invitation issued through Proz.com. May 2012 Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

9 The Need for Translation in Africa 5 Findings Our surveys yielded responses from 364 individuals in 49 countries who provide translation services for African languages. In this section, we report the results. Most Respondents Are Professional Translators Living in Africa We asked several questions about the demographics of the respondents. Specifically, we wanted to know where they were born, where they live today, and how they are involved in African language translation. Professional Translators Dominated the Sample We asked respondents how they were involved with the translation of African languages. More than half (55.2%) described themselves as professional translators. About one-third (32.0%) have other jobs but translate as part of that work. Nearly a quarter (23.5%) said they were academics, and around one in 10 (10.8%) said they were volunteer translators (see Table 2). Because it is common for individuals to be involved with translation in more than one way, we gave respondents the option to choose more than one answer. Therefore, the percentages in this table total more than 100%. Involvement with Translation Response Percent I am a professional freelance translator. 55.2% I have another job, and I sometimes translate as part of it. 32.0% I am a volunteer translator. 10.8% I am an academic. 23.5% Table 2: Survey Respondents Involvement with African Language Translation Heavy Concentrations of Respondents Hail from South Africa Within Africa, the biggest contingent of respondents (36.69%) came from South Africa. We also saw high response rates from Kenya (6.97%), Cameroon (6.46%), and Nigeria (4.91%). Reflecting the large populations of refugees and immigrants from Africa in Europe and North America, a significant response of around 10% came from the United States and about 3% each were from France and the United Kingdom (see Figure 2). Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc. May 2012

10 6 The Need for Translation in Africa Figure 2: Places of Residence of African Language Translators Due to the large refugee populations that have created a diaspora of African expatriates throughout the world, the need for translators of languages from that continent touches every part of the globe. As the map of Elsewhere countries in Figure 2 shows, African language translators are spread out across all corners of the map, located throughout Europe and North America, as well as in places such as Australia, Brazil, and India. Similarly, translation agencies specializing in African languages have sprung up in many of those locations as well, largely in response to demand from local refugee and immigrant support agencies. May 2012 Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

11 The Need for Translation in Africa 7 Figure 3: Birthplaces of African Language Translators We noted a similar trend when we asked African language translators where they were born (see Figure 3). The largest contingent in our sample came from South Africa, followed by many of the same countries identified when we asked about residence. Another large group (14.99%) was born outside of Africa. Most likely, these individuals obtained proficiency in African languages by either moving there as children and obtaining education on the continent or by learning the language from their parents. The latter type is referred to as heritage speakers, second-generation offspring of foreign-born refugees and immigrants. Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc. May 2012

12 8 The Need for Translation in Africa Afrikaans, Swahili, and Arabic Are the Most Common Mother Tongues The translators in our sample reported 85 mother tongues, an impressive number at first glance, but perhaps not when one considers the huge quantity of languages used in Africa for purposes of daily communication. Speakers of Afrikaans made up more than 10% of the total sample, which is consistent with the countries represented. Other frequently reported languages included English, French, Swahili, Arabic, and Zulu (see Table 3). Rank Language Number of Respondents 1 Afrikaans 39 2 English 26 3 French 25 4 Swahili 22 5 Arabic 19 6 Zulu 14 7 Setswana 13 8 Somali 13 9 Sesotho Yorùbá Amharic Xitsonga Xhosa Portuguese 8 15 Zulu 7 16 Hausa 6 17 Kikuyu 6 18 Sepedi 6 19 Kinyarwanda 5 20 Kirundi 5 Table 3: Top 20 Mother Tongue Languages of African Language Translators In addition to the languages listed here, we received a list of 65 others for which there were fewer than five responses. Of those, approximately 40 had just a single response. May 2012 Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

13 The Need for Translation in Africa 9 African Multilingualism Leads to Numerous Language Pairs If how many languages spoken natively by our pool of respondents seems impressive, consider the enormous number of resulting combinations for translation. We asked each translator to tell us which languages he or she translated, and in which directions. Translators typically translate into languages in which they have native-level proficiency. However, because multilingualism is so common in Africa, many of the individuals surveyed were true polyglots. The majority of respondents reported at least three combinations, and some claimed as many as eight. This resulted in 269 distinct language pairs. The most popular combinations among our respondents were English into and out of French, Afrikaans, Swahili, and Arabic. After those languages, we see pairings involving English and Zulu, Sesotho, Xhosa, Yoruba, and Amharic (see Table 4). Rank Language Combination Number of Instances 1 English into French 54 2 French into English 52 3 Afrikaans into English 48 4 English into Afrikaans 45 5 English into Swahili 40 6 Swahili into English 40 7 Arabic into English 27 8 English into Arabic 22 9 English into Zulu Sesotho into English Zulu into English English into Sesotho Xhosa into English English into Xhosa English into Yoruba Amharic into English Dutch into English English into Sepedi English into Setswana English into Somali 11 Table 4: Top 20 Language Combinations of African Language Translators The fact that English was the reporting language was clearly reflected in the combinations of our respondents. If we had conducted the survey and Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc. May 2012

14 10 The Need for Translation in Africa recruitment activities in another tongue, such as Chinese, we would have been likely to see dozens (if not hundreds) of language combinations involving Chinese, due to China s direct foreign investment presence in Africa. The same might have been true for Swedish, because Sweden is home to significant numbers of African refugees and immigrants, many of whom rely on translated information in their host country. However, although English was the base language for our survey, respondents cited such pairings as Chichewa into Finnish, Czech into Swahili, and Sesotho into German. To provide a clearer categorization of language combinations, we divided the responses into several types (see Table 5). For this exercise, we treated Arabic and French separately from all other tongues spoken in Africa. Viewing the data this way, we see that the most frequent combinations involved English into African languages, followed by translation from African languages into English. However, there were also large numbers of pairs reported for translation between two African languages. Language Combination Type Total Number of Instances English into African languages 301 African languages into English 283 African languages into other African languages 79 English into French 54 French into English 52 French into African languages 47 African languages into French 45 English into all other languages 28 Arabic into English 27 English into Arabic 22 African languages into all other languages 19 Table 5: Most Common African Language Combination Types for Translation Employment and Income of the Translators Surveyed The majority of our respondents (60.5%) said that they were employed on a fulltime basis, while about a quarter (24.4%) had part-time work. Around one in 10 (11.3%) were unemployed, and a small percentage were retired (see Figure 4). May 2012 Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

15 The Need for Translation in Africa 11 Figure 4: Employment Status of African Language Translators Figure 5: African Translation as a Primary Income Source Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc. May 2012

16 12 The Need for Translation in Africa Figure 6: African Translators Who Also Work as Interpreters More than half of the respondents (53.7%) said translation was not their primary source of income (see Figure 5). For the remaining 46.3%, translation was indeed their main livelihood. In some cases, especially for less common combinations, translators sometimes interpret spoken language in addition to providing written translation. When we asked respondents if they also worked as interpreters, we found that more than half (59.7%) carried out this work as well (see Figure 6). However, we note that most people typically view the professions of translation and interpreting as quite different, as are the skills required for each (see The Interpreting Marketplace, Jun10). We also asked the respondents about their current and projected income. The largest group (44.38%) stated that they had earned or expected to earn more in 2011 than they did in 2010 (see Figure 7). However, when we asked about 2012, the number of respondents claiming they expected to earn more from translation in the year ahead was even greater (59.97%) (see Figure 8). Why would translators expect to earn more in 2012? Several factors are at play. If they saw increases in demand for their services throughout 2011, they would be May 2012 Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

17 The Need for Translation in Africa 13 Figure 7: Expected Changes in Translation Income from 2010 to 2011 Figure 8: Expected Changes in Translation Income from 2011 to 2012 Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc. May 2012

18 14 The Need for Translation in Africa Figure 9: Education Levels of African Language Translators more likely to adjust their expectations for earning in Local phenomena such as improvements in the economy might also influence their thinking with regard to this question. However, our past research shows that translation providers generally show high degrees of optimism and tend to overestimate their potential financial performance when compared to actual reported results (see Language Services and the Real Economy, Jun11). African Translators Report High Levels of Education and Training Our respondents were a highly educated group. The vast majority (83.0%) of the 364 translators we surveyed had a college degree, and more than half (52.8%) had completed master s or doctoral degrees (see Figure 9). When we compare their academic achievement to the education level of the average sub-saharan resident, we find that our respondents represent a very special population. According to the World Bank, the gross enrollment rate for higher education in the region is the lowest in the world just 1% in 1965, growing to 5% by A Times Higher Education ranking notes that many of Africa s best students earn their advanced degrees at universities in Europe, Asia, and North America, but too few return to their homelands. May 2012 Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

19 The Need for Translation in Africa 15 We asked African language translators about their training in the field of translation and found that in addition to high levels of general education, most were well prepared as translators. Nearly a third (32.6%) held university degrees in the discipline, and more than a quarter (28.7%) had taken courses in translation. Another large percentage (36.6%) had some other formal training for this profession (see Table 6). Training Received in Translation Percentage I hold a college or university degree in translation. 32.6% I have taken college or university courses on translation. 28.7% I have participated in training courses for translation. 36.6% I have attended conferences on translation. 30.8% I am self-taught. 35.0% Table 6: Translation Training by African Language Translators Translators for African Languages Face Many Challenges According to the World Energy Outlook, in 2009 there were 587 million people in Africa living without electricity. Of those, 585 million resided in Sub-Saharan Africa, while 2 million were in North Africa. Throughout Africa, only 41.8% of the population had access to electricity. In urban areas, the rate was a bit higher (68.8%), but in rural areas, only one in four people (25.0%) had electricity. Some countries face even greater challenges when it comes to electricity. A 2009 article from Scientific America points out that in 11 African countries, more than 90 percent of people have no electricity. In six of these nations Burundi, Chad, Central African Republic, Liberia, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone just three to five percent of people can readily access electric power. Even those fortunate enough to have electricity do not always enjoy dependable access, due to rolling power cuts, which are commonplace in many countries. Estimates from Internet World showed that in 2011, only about 5.7% of African population had internet access, and less than one percent of African citizens are estimated to have broadband connections. To provide a basis for comparison, at the end of 2007, Finland had more internet hosts than the entire continent of Africa. Internet access in Africa is also extremely expensive limited in most countries just to members of the wealthiest social classes who can afford it. Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc. May 2012

20 16 The Need for Translation in Africa Figure 10: African Language Translators and Internet Use In spite of these significant barriers, we found that translators for African languages (80.06%) were normally connected to the internet when performing translation work (see Figure 10). It is important to remember that not all respondents to the survey were based in Africa; however, one requirement was that respondents had to have access to the internet in order to participate. We asked respondents to identify all the places in which they carry out translation work. We found that most translators for African languages work from home (87.5%), with the next largest group translating in their place of employment (44.2%). One in 10 (10.3%) labor from internet cafés, and a similar number (9.9%) work from universities (see Table 7). Translation Work Location Percentage of Respondents My home 87.5% My workplace 44.2% A university 9.9% An internet café 10.3% None of the above 0.6% Other 7.7% Table 7: Translation Training by African Language Translators May 2012 Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

21 The Need for Translation in Africa 17 We found that the top challenges reported by African language translators included some of the same access issues faced by the African population at large (see Table 8). Nearly half of the respondents (44.9%) complained of slow internet speed, and more than a third (36.5%) cited high costs of access. Nearly one in five (17.9%) respondents said they had limited access to electricity or experienced frequent power cuts. Answer Options Response Percent Slow internet speed 44.9% Cost of internet access 36.5% Lack of time 28.2% Lack of continuing professional education 20.5% Limited access to electricity / frequent power cuts 17.9% Lack of basic training in translation 7.1% Limited opening hours of internet cafes 5.8% Lack of basic computer training (MS Word, Skype) 3.8% Table 8: Resource Related Challenges Faced by African Language Translators There were also other resource-related issues that emerged. More than a quarter (28.2%) of African language translators complained of time constraints, and about one-fifth (20.5%) lacked access to continuing education. Access to basic computer training was not a problem for these translators, which makes sense given the high levels of education they reported. Also, given that not many complained about costs of access (about one in three), we can safely assume that most of these translators have a higher-than-average socioeconomic status. When we asked about translation-related challenges, we found that more than half of the respondents (56.4%) stated that there was not enough work available. Another large percentage (52.6%) stated that they faced a lack of linguistic equivalence for the terms they needed to translate. Related to this problem, translators cited no access to glossaries (41.7%) (see Table 9). Lack of payment from translation companies (31.4%), an inability to connect with other translators (24.7%), competition (23.7%), and the lack of prestige associated with the profession (23.4%) were also commonly cited challenges. Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc. May 2012

22 18 The Need for Translation in Africa Answer Options Response Percent Not enough translation work available 56.4% Lack of linguistic equivalence for terms 52.6% Lack of access to glossaries 41.7% Lack of payment from translation companies 31.4% Inability to connect with other translators 24.7% Competition from other translators 23.7% Lack of prestige associated with translation 23.4% Table 9: Translation Related Challenges Faced by African Language Translators It should be no great surprise that so many translators cited a lack of linguistic equivalence. This is an issue we ve seen translators face again and again. In many African languages, there is no single word to convey the term cancer (this is also true of many languages of Native America and Asia). Many African tongues do not have a term for clinical depression either. Challenges of linguistic equivalence extend into many areas translating high-tech terms like cloud computing and social media are similarly problematic. Often, these terms require extensive explanation and even some of the terms speakers of language like English or French would commonly use to define such terms might need to be further explained. Thus, the African language translator s job becomes exponentially more difficult. Lack of Organization Affects Quality and Bargaining Powers We asked respondents to tell us in their own words about the other problems they face. A commonly cited challenge was the lack of organized representation for the profession within the market, which limits African language translators in their ability to obtain guidance on quality standards or help in improving their working conditions: We don t have a translators union, which makes it easy for the government to engage in unfair distribution of translation assignments. There are no official organizations or legal guidelines for creating translation enterprises or ensuring quality in translation. May 2012 Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

23 The Need for Translation in Africa 19 The scarcity of professional translators limits the possibility of meeting deadlines for bigger volume assignments. The translation trade is one of the least organized of all trades in Africa. Contracts are often given to lay people, and even professional translators often subcontract under the same projects with mere bilinguals. I see three major problems: 1. The existence of bad payers whom we cannot sue. 2. Pay from outsourcers that is far too low. 3. End clients that cannot reach us directly. African Language Translators Face Considerable Societal Challenges Translators for African languages face some challenges that are highly unique to the societies in which they live. Some relate to societal views of their language, while others relate to lack of literacy, standardization, and technology: An interpreter in a foreign language is paid more than a person who speaks African languages. Afrikaans, as beautiful as it is, is a language with a political history. Many people are either not teaching their children Afrikaans at home or it is being read less and publishing houses are not interested in translating such manuscripts. The result is less work for those who translate into Afrikaans. The major challenge with translating into Igbo is the low level of literacy among native speakers of Igbo. Many are literate in English but not in Igbo. Some are illiterate in both languages. Hardly anyone is literate only in Igbo. The best practice is to accompany any work of translation into Igbo with a spoken (interpreted version). This is the only way such work will have significant impact on the life of the people. No spelling checkers on the computer are available for Somali. Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc. May 2012

24 20 The Need for Translation in Africa English is generally a lot more developed and better standardized than target languages, especially with regard to technical communication. Lack of standardization in African languages tends to cause undue clashes between translator and proofreader as each clings to local dialect. Academics are sluggish to help resolve the dilemmas. Back translation is always a problem because of lack of standardization of Sesotho language as there are regional dialects and differences in terminology between South African Sesotho and Sesotho spoken in Lesotho. This poses serious conflicts and misunderstandings. The other problem between South African and Lesotho translation is caused by the orthography used in the two countries. Also, the South African Language Board introduces terminology which is not acceptable to the majority of Sesotho speakers. Political Realities Affect Work Potential and Even Payment Many African translators are unable to cash in on the full potential of their work, either because they do not have access to a reliable means of money transfer or because of embargoes on their country. Our local authorities do not allow us to receive money through payment processing companies such as PayPal or MoneyBookers. We do not have access to credit or debit cards, as they are not permitted by the central bank of Sudan. Then there is the American economic embargo on Sudan, which does not allow us to receive money from international clients or participate in e commerce. It even restricts our access to some free internet tools like Dropbox. I reside in a country where I feel completely safe in providing linguistic support. However, I know first hand that translators in my country of origin (Ethiopia) are terrified of the consequences of translating materials the government may find to be offensive. As in the Ottoman Empire days, translators and interpreters in my country of origin are blamed for doing their jobs and are asked to compromise their professional duty. May 2012 Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

25 The Need for Translation in Africa 21 African Translators Lack the Necessary Tools and Information For many languages, online dictionaries and glossaries are in bountiful supply. Not so for African languages respondents were nearly unanimous (91.74%) in stating that their work would be easier if they had access to such resources (see Table 10). Large numbers of respondents also pointed to the need to collaborate online with other translators (88.35%) and the lack of affordable or free translation memory tools (88.28% and 86.70%). Many translators (87.85%) also claimed that their work would be easier if they had access to more source materials, such as medical journals and scientific papers. This item is linked quite closely to the biggest challenge cited by the respondents the lack of online glossaries and dictionaries. If the latest advances in research are limited just to those who can pay to read about them, the majority of individuals remain unable to benefit from rapidly evolving domain-specific terminology. As a result, translators cannot develop glossaries to share with others, making it less likely for those important ideas and findings to reach those who might need them. Statement It would be easier for me to translate if I had access to more free online dictionaries and glossaries. It would be easier for me to translate if I had the ability to collaborate with other translators in an online environment. It would be easier for me to translate if I had access to reasonably priced translation memory tools. It would be easier for me to translate if more source materials, such as medical journals and scientific papers, were available for free on the web. It would be easier for me to translate if I had access to free translation memory tools. It would be easier for me to translate if I had the ability to collaborate with other translators in person. It would be easier for me to translate if I had access to machine translation for my languages. Strongly Agree Agree Total Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Total Disagree Table 10: Information and Technology Barriers Faced by African Translators Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc. May 2012

26 22 The Need for Translation in Africa Translation to Support Health-Related Information Needs in Africa Given the type of humanitarian and health-related organizations that Translators without Borders supports, we included several questions related to health care and information access. One question we sought to answer was whether written translation alone is sufficient to support the needs of people in Africa, especially in the area of health information. When we asked respondents how African language speakers prefer to receive health-related materials, the vast majority (67.85%) said that a combination of spoken and written information was preferred (see Figure 11). Between the two, spoken (17.86%) won out over written language (14.29%). Figure 11: Spoken Language Is Preferable to Written Language A common misconception is that the most pressing health-related problems in Africa are infectious diseases. In reality, non-communicable illnesses, such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer, are far more common. Because volunteer translators are more likely to be motivated to participate in projects that affect them and their loved ones, we included a question about this issue. Our survey found that nearly half of the African language translators surveyed (48.7%) had a person in their immediate family who suffers from one of these non-communicable diseases. A similar number (42.7%) reported that someone in their immediate family had lost their life as a result of such an illness (see Table 11). May 2012 Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

27 The Need for Translation in Africa 23 Answer Options Someone in my immediate family suffers from heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, respiratory disease, or cancer. Someone in my immediate family has passed away as a result of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, respiratory disease, or cancer. Someone in my immediate family has been affected by HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, or other infectious diseases. Someone in my immediate family has passed away as a result of HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, or other infectious diseases. Response Percent 48.7% 42.7% 22.8% 19.0% Table 11: Views of African Language Translators on Health Issues Rates of translators reporting infectious disease among their loved ones were also high, with more than one in five (22.8%) stating that someone in their immediate family had been affected by such diseases. Nearly the same amount (19.0%) reported that a member of their immediate family had died as a result of those illnesses. Translators, especially those who volunteer their services for humanitarian organizations, are strongly motivated by service to a greater good. Thus, we inquired about the benefits that translation would bring to African societies as a whole, including but not limited to health matters. Nearly everyone believed that greater access to information in their own language would improve the overall quality of life (95.18%) and the collective health of African countries (94.92%) (see Table 12). Statement Greater access to translated information would improve the overall quality of life in my country. Greater access to translated information would have a positive impact on the collective health of people living in my home country. Strongly Agree Agree Total Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Total Disagree Table 12: Impact of Translation on Collective Health and Quality of Life Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc. May 2012

28 24 The Need for Translation in Africa Strikingly, our survey also found that 80.59% of African translators believe that greater access to translated materials would positively affect one or more of their own family members, and nearly two-thirds (63.07%) believed that improved access to such information could have prevented the death of a loved one (see Table 13). Statement Greater access to translated information would have a positive impact on the health of one or more of my family members. Greater access to translated information could have prevented the loss of life of someone in my family or circle of friends. Strongly Agree Agree Total Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Total Disagree Table 13: Impact of Translation on Health and Loss of Life Statement Greater access to translated information would have a positive impact on the ability of individuals to understand their legal rights. Greater access to translated information would help people to feel more empowered. Greater access to translated information would help protect human rights. Greater access to translated information would help individuals in times of emergency or natural disasters. Greater access to translated information would help people contribute to the political process. Greater access to translated information would help prevent international, civil, ethnic, or communal conflict. Strongly Agree Agree Total Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Total Disagree Table 14: Impact of Translation on Human Rights and Politics May 2012 Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

29 The Need for Translation in Africa 25 The majority of African language translators also believed that greater access to translation would improve individuals understanding of their legal rights (97.14%), make them feel more empowered (96.52%), help protect human rights (95.87%), and enable them to contribute to the political process (91.96%). The vast majority of individuals surveyed also believed that more translated information would help prevent conflicts of various types (88.78%) (see Table 14). African Language Translators Are a Highly Charitable Group Even though most of the survey respondents normally derived income from their translation work, we found that the majority (59.75%) had donated their translation services in the past (see Figure 12). Their primary motivations for volunteering their skills were to give back to their communities (68.42%) and to address the lack of information in their languages (60.52%) (see Table 15). Figure 12: Most African Translators Have Donated Their Services Many translators were also motivated to improve their skills (56.91%), to engage in an activity they found enjoyable (52.30%), and to help ensure the survival of their language (44.45%). Fewer translators were motivated to volunteer in order Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc. May 2012

30 26 The Need for Translation in Africa to have contact with people in other countries (36.85%), to connect with other volunteers (36.50%), or to obtain recognition for themselves (26.32%). To give back to my community 68.42% To address the lack of information available in my language(s) 60.52% To improve my skills as a translator 56.91% To engage in an activity that I enjoy 52.30% To obtain personal satisfaction 51.37% To help ensure the survival of my language 44.45% To have contact with people in other countries 36.85% To become connected to other volunteer translators 36.50% To obtain recognition, visibility, or status 26.32% Table 15: Why African Language Translators Volunteer We asked about whether translators would volunteer for specific causes. The majority said that they would be willing to volunteer their work for emergency situations (68.13%) and to improve basic health care (61.84%). More than half (54.60%) said that they would volunteer through Translators without Borders (see Table 16). Specific causes, such as improving basic health care or helping out in emergency situations, were the strongest motivations. Would you volunteer your translation services...in future emergency situations, such as floods, droughts, or armed conflict? Yes No Maybe to improve basic health care? through Translators without Borders? if a non-monetary incentive were offered to you? Table 16: Likelihood of Volunteering for Specific Causes and Incentives We asked respondents what kinds of non-monetary incentives they might find desirable. When we totaled the numbers of translators marking the incentives as either very desirable or desirable, we saw that the top two inducements were free or discounted computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools (91.84%) and access to a peer network of translators for help and support (91.84%), with CAT tools taking priority due to the higher percentage of respondents ranking this item as very desirable (see Table 17) May 2012 Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

31 The Need for Translation in Africa 27 Incentive for Volunteer Translators Very Desirable Desirable Total Desirable Undesirable Very Undesirable Total Undesirable Free or discounted computer-assisted translation (CAT) tool Access to peer network of other translators for help/support Recognition on the volunteer organization s website Free or discounted translation training Laptop or PC A logo or badge from the volunteer organization to display on the translator s website or Internet connection Cellphone airtime Other items from the volunteer organization, such as T-shirts, stickers, or mugs Table 17: Desirability of Incentives for Volunteering Large numbers of translators also wanted recognition on the volunteer organization s website (90.56%) and free or discounted translation training (88.19%). Interestingly, a big-ticket item, such as a laptop or PC, was ranked as very desirable by a large number of translators (54.17%), but on the whole, more respondents found less costly items, such as CAT tools, peer access, and recognition on the volunteer organization s website, to be more desirable. The least wanted incentives were items such as stickers, mugs, and T-shirts. More than a third of respondents (35.5%) said they were willing to volunteer between one and two hours per week, while another large group (27.6%) were willing to donate three to four hours weekly (see Table 18). Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc. May 2012

32 28 The Need for Translation in Africa Number of Hours Translators Are Willing to Donate per Week Response None hours hours hours hours hours hours 4.60 More than 10 hours 5.61 Table 18: Number of Hours per Week Translators Wish to Donate Summary of Our Findings on the Need for Translation in Africa Here are the most important findings of our study: African language translators are a highly educated group. The people who responded to our survey were mostly professionals with advanced degrees. Like their counterparts in other places around the globe, they primarily translate while connected to the internet. African translators face some barriers that are truly unique. Unlike their peers in most countries, many of our African survey respondents face challenges that prevent them from carrying out their work, including: 1) difficulties with payment processing; 2) political issues; 3) problems related to language standardization; 4) a lack of tools for the languages they; and 5) issues that translators around the world must deal with, such as competition from other translators, a lack of professionalization, and unscrupulous translation agencies that do not pay them properly. Translation can address information disparities in Africa. Translators overwhelmingly agreed that greater access to information in local languages would improve the overall quality of life, enhance individuals understanding of their legal rights, prevent conflicts, improve health, and even prevent the loss of life. These translators do not appear to be selfishly motivated in their responses, given that more than half of them were willing to donate their services for free to address these issues. May 2012 Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

33 The Need for Translation in Africa 29 Translators are personally affected by the lack of information. A surprising number of African language translators 63% believed that having greater access to translated information would have prevented the loss of life of a loved one. This datapoint serves to highlight translators views of the importance of such materials in their own language, of which their families and friends are often a subset. The need for spoken language is an undeniable reality. Written and spoken language transfer services are often simplistically divided up into translation and interpreting. However, the need for information in Africa clearly straddles both of these means of delivery. Perhaps for this reason, a high percentage of African language translators also provide interpreting services. The big lesson? Written translation alone is simply not enough. Translation tools and peer access are of critical importance. The majority of translators for African languages were motivated by free or reasonablypriced translation tools or the ability to connect with their translation peers, most likely in order to obtain greater access to the glossaries and terminological resources they remarked were so sorely needed. Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc. May 2012

34 30 The Need for Translation in Africa Implications In this section, we analyze the findings of our survey and share the implications of this study not only for stakeholders in Africa, but for those in the language services industry and anyone interested in eliminating information disparities. Demand for Translation in Africa Will Outpace Supply We were not surprised to see African translators state that they expected to earn more in the future than they earn today, for two main reasons: South Africa joined BRIC. The BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) officially added the S (South Africa) to their acronym during the third BRIC(S) Leaders Meeting, in China. According to the International Monetary Fund, BRICS will account for as much as 61% of global growth over the next three years. As we wrote in What Adding an S to BRIC Means for Language Service Managers, the implications for the market are clear demand for African language translation will rise as a result of South Africa s inclusion in BRICS. The translation market in Africa has been steadily growing. As we noted in our most recent global market study, and as summarized earlier in this report, Africa s share of the global translation market is tiny, but growing. The interviews we conduct on an ongoing basis with suppliers in Africa corroborate these findings. The economic picture looks quite promising at first glance. However, the historical lack of demand for African languages has created sub-optimal conditions for translation suppliers. We have witnessed the following scenario play out in other markets, such as China and India: When demand soars, so does the number of suppliers. A spike in demand can appear to be a good thing. Unfortunately, it often prompts anyone who can say a few words in two languages to call him- or herself a translator, and anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit to start up a translation business. When this happens, the market suffers from a wave of unqualified translators. In such early stages of market development, it s very rare for anyone to vet or screen them for quality. May 2012 Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

35 The Need for Translation in Africa 31 Immature buyers purchase from the lowest bidder. Much to the misfortune of the organizations that buy translation services in such markets, all suppliers look much the same to them. They are unable to distinguish a highquality provider from one that just set up shop yesterday. Thus, the only distinction they typically see at this stage is price. As a result, many of the qualified providers suffer, because their work costs more. If work is poorly compensated, top talent moves elsewhere. We have seen a brain drain happen again and again in developing markets. Translation is viewed, for the most part, as menial or secretarial-type work. Why would a perfectly bilingual person with an advanced degree settle for poor wages? The best language talent often ends up moving into lines of work that are better compensated, such as international business. Of course, there are exceptions. Some language service companies in developing markets have broken this negative cycle. However, for the most part, we see this trajectory repeated in various parts of the world. Translation Technology Will Help Break the Cycle We would like to see the African translation sector follow the lead of more developed markets. Here is what we think should happen to take the African translation industry to the next level: Basic technology needs must be addressed. The most productive professional translators in more developed markets often use computerassisted translation tools and have access to a translation memory and terminology database from their clients or LSPs. The translators we surveyed know about these tools, but many don t have access to them. Furthermore, most CAT tool vendors do not offer user interfaces in African languages, so the beneficiaries of today s CAT tools will be those who can work in English or French. Technology vendors need a pricing model for Africa. Who will provide African translators with these sorely needed tools? Many translators are willing to pay for them if they are reasonably priced. We have long advocated a lower price point for such technology (see A gmail Model for Translation Memory, Dec07). While we don t anticipate that for-profit software companies will give away their tools, we can offer one important piece of advice: The first CAT tool vendor to achieve widespread adoption in Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc. May 2012

36 32 The Need for Translation in Africa Africa will likely be the dominant player in that market for a long time to come, and it is a market that is experiencing significant growth. Language service providers must change their practices. If LSPs provide African language translators with the technology they need, they will attract and retain talent that they can use for other projects. Many LSPs require freelancers to use a certain translation tool, but ask them to pay for it. Forcing translators to buy tools means they will receive a net lower rate for their work. This practice will ultimately shrink the pool of qualified translators. This is true elsewhere, but in a developing market such as Africa, LSPs will feel the effects in their vendor database more quickly and acutely. Those with technology know-how should also participate. If and when African language translators receive greater access to tools, they will need training in order to learn how to make the best use of them. Providers of such training should consider making these services more broadly available in Africa. Associations could offer free or discounted training for translators of African languages. Universities in Europe and North America, two of the largest markets for translation, could seek educational partners in Africa in order to share access to course materials and perhaps staff. Machine translation also must be on the table. Our research shows that the supply of translation services cannot keep pace with the demand for translated content unless machine translation is used. As we ve noted, this scenario may actually prove beneficial for human translators and have the effect of raising prices and developing a greater appreciation for human translation (see Translation Future Shock, Apr12). Translators of African languages may benefit greatly from machine translation advances if they view it as an additional productivity tool to add to their arsenal. Governments, NGOs, and Associations Must Lend a Hand Technology won t solve everything. Translators must band together and work with a variety of institutions to address the issues that we found in our survey: May 2012 Translators must professionalize their occupation. African translators need to organize. While some professional associations such as the South African Translators Institute (SATI) do exist, practitioners in many countries lack a national body to represent them. The diversity of countries and languages makes a pan-african body unlikely. A better solution is to match would-be organizers in African countries with leaders of organizations that could Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

37 The Need for Translation in Africa 33 mentor them in the skills of developing professional trade groups for translators and interpreters, advance quality, and propagate standards for the language services industry. African governments have a huge stake in translation s future. With their populations speaking so many languages, many countries on the continent have medical, judicial, public safety, and commercial needs for supporting multilingual communication. It will always be in the best interests of the national governments to support secondary schools and institutes of higher education in teaching languages, sponsoring students of language at any level of education, and encouraging the commercialization of the trade in their countries. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) need to be involved. Multilateral groups such as the International Monetary Fund, United Nations and World Bank are already present in the region. They have a strong interest in international communication, and may also have some funds available for market development and language education. At the very least, they could introduce an Africa First policy whenever they procure language services for this region. Charitable organizations and philanthropists can lend a hand. Faith-based and secular charities are already on the ground in Africa, but probably not doing much to support translation in the health, legal, and political domains of the societies in which they re active. As with NGOs, they could provide donations and work to local translators. Schools and universities could benefit from their largesse. Translation Will Power Africa s Future Socioeconomic Development So far in this section, we ve discussed ways in which the need for translation in Africa can be addressed. However, the primary goal of this report was to shed light on the need itself. Let us reiterate some of the most important findings: 97.14% of respondents said greater access to translated information would help individuals in Africa understand their legal rights % of respondents said greater access to translated information would help people in Africa to feel more empowered. Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc. May 2012

38 34 The Need for Translation in Africa 95.85% of respondents said greater access to translated information would help protect human rights in Africa % of respondents said greater access to translated information would improve the overall quality of life in African countries % of respondents said greater access to translated information would have a positive impact on the collective health of people in Africa % of respondents said greater access to translated information would help Africans in times of emergency or natural disasters % of respondents said greater access to translated information would help people in Africa contribute to the political process % of respondents said greater access to translated information would help prevent international, civil, ethnic, or communal conflict in Africa % of respondents said greater access to translated information would have a positive impact on the health of one or more of their family members in Africa. And, we wish to highlight one extremely important finding: 63.07% of translators for African languages said that greater access to translated information could have prevented the death of someone in their family or circle of friends. The need for translation in Africa is strikingly obvious. The results of our survey show that translation has the potential to affect nearly every aspect of human rights, safety, and wellbeing for citizens of Africa. As we noted earlier, it s been said that until Africa prospers, the world as a whole cannot prosper. We would also argue that until Africa has equal access to information, the world as a whole will not have entered the global information age, but merely an age in which wealthy countries feast on information while many nations experience famine. It is only through translation that this disparity can eventually be eliminated. Likewise, it is only through translation that the voices of Africa in the continent s many languages can be heard by the rest of the world too. May 2012 Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc.

39 The Need for Translation in Africa 35 About Common Sense Advisory Common Sense Advisory, Inc. is an independent research firm committed to objective research and analysis of the business practices, services, and technology for translation, localization, and interpreting. With its research for both Global Leaders and Industry Providers, Common Sense Advisory endeavors to improve the quality and practice of international business, and the efficiency of the online and offline operations that support it. To find out more about our research and how to become a member: us [email protected]. Visit Call Future Research Common Sense Advisory seeks interviewees from the community of people involved in building business applications for international use. If you would like to be interviewed or have clients who would like to share their experiences, please us at [email protected]. We anonymize participants and hold all information in the strictest confidence. Applied Research and Advisory Services This report and other Common Sense Advisory research into the best practices of business globalization serve as the foundation for our Applied Research and Advisory Services including International Customer Experience Assessments, Vendor Selection, Localization Business Process Audits, Globalization Excellence and Optimization Assessments, and Globalization Roadmaps. us at [email protected] for more information. Copyright 2012 by Common Sense Advisory, Inc. May 2012