All Graduates | 2 Dec 2023

CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse)

CALD stands for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse communities. This term is used to refer to groups of people within a society who come from various cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and religious backgrounds. CALD communities encompass individuals and families with diverse heritage, languages, traditions, and customs.

The CALD community in New Zealand includes people from Maori and Pacific Islander backgrounds, as well as immigrants and refugees from countries such as China, India, the Philippines, Korea, South Africa, the Middle East, and many others. These communities bring diverse languages, traditions, religions, and cultural practices to the country.

Discover how advancements in technology are not only breaking down language barriers but also fostering inclusion and empowerment within CALD communities.

Language Diversity in New Zealand

New Zealand boasts remarkable linguistic diversity, encompassing over 160 distinct languages spoken across the nation. Auckland, in particular, stands out as one of the globe’s most culturally diverse cities, witnessing the daily use of over 150 languages among its populace, representing a mosaic of more than 100 ethnicities. This rich tapestry of languages is the product of immigration from various European, Asian, and Pacific Island nations, each contributing a multitude of linguistic traditions.

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As per the 2018 census, New Zealand counted 946,275 multilingual individuals, constituting 20.6% of respondents proficient in at least one language. The Auckland region stood at the forefront with 30.9%, closely followed by Wellington at 21.2%. While English and Te Reo Māori remain the most prevalent languages, Samoan, Hindi, Mandarin Chinese, French, and Cantonese boast significant speaker communities.

This diverse linguistic landscape mirrors New Zealand’s multicultural essence, offering opportunities for cultural exchange while simultaneously presenting the nation with unique challenges to embrace and support this varied linguistic tapestry.

LIME Multilingual Messaging System by All Graduates

The LIME Multilingual Messaging System by All Graduates serves as a pivotal tool in supporting Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities, addressing the critical need for effective communication across languages and cultural barriers.

Accessibility to essential services is crucial for CALD individuals, and the LIME system plays a significant role in ensuring that they can readily access information and engage with service providers in their preferred languages. By offering real-time multilingual communication capabilities, LIME enables seamless interactions between service providers, institutions, and CALD communities, regardless of language differences.

This innovative system facilitates clear and accurate communication in various sectors, including healthcare, emergency services, government agencies, education, and more. CALD individuals can benefit from immediate access to interpreters, translated materials, and support services through the LIME platform, ensuring that they receive accurate information and assistance tailored to their cultural and linguistic needs.

Moreover, LIME enhances efficiency by streamlining communication processes, reducing potential misunderstandings, and enabling faster responses to inquiries or emergencies within CALD communities. Its user-friendly interface and versatile features empower service providers to deliver culturally sensitive and inclusive support, fostering trust and collaboration with CALD individuals.

Ultimately, the LIME Multilingual Messaging System stands as a bridge that narrows communication gaps, promotes inclusivity, and empowers CALD communities by ensuring equitable access to vital services and information in their preferred languages. All Graduates’ commitment to facilitating effective multilingual communication contributes significantly to building stronger and more connected communities.

Revolutionizing Language Services: The Power of Technology

Advancements in technology play an indispensable role in elevating language services, fostering seamless communication, and breaking linguistic barriers. The modern landscape of language services technology has evolved significantly to meet the demands of a globalized world, amplifying the presence and impact of businesses across diverse cultural settings.

Technology plays a crucial role in assisting Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities in various ways:

1. Language Accessibility

Technology enables the development of translation apps, multilingual websites, and software that facilitate communication in diverse languages. These tools bridge the language gap, allowing CALD individuals to access information, services, and resources in their preferred language.

2. Telehealth and Telecommunications

Telehealth services and video conferencing platforms equipped with language interpretation features allow CALD individuals to communicate with healthcare providers, counselors, or government agencies in their native languages. This ensures better access to healthcare and essential services.

3. Education and E-Learning

Technology facilitates e-learning platforms with multilingual support, aiding CALD students in accessing educational resources and courses in their native languages. This promotes inclusive learning environments and equal educational opportunities.

4. Community Engagement

Social media and online forums create spaces for CALD communities to connect, share experiences, and access support networks. These platforms foster community engagement and enable the exchange of cultural knowledge and information.

5. Digital Access to Information

Online information repositories, government websites, and mobile applications offer multilingual interfaces and information, ensuring that CALD individuals have equitable access to important resources and services.

6. Employment Opportunities

Technology enables remote work, freelancing, and online job platforms, opening up employment opportunities for CALD individuals who might face language barriers in traditional workplace settings.

7. Cultural Preservation

Digital platforms aid in preserving and sharing cultural heritage, languages, and traditions of CALD communities, ensuring that these legacies are not lost over time.

This evolution witnesses a harmonious blend of human expertise and automated translation software, resulting in swift and accurate translations. This fusion has empowered companies with more precise interpretations delivered within shorter timeframes. Moreover, technology facilitates the consistent and precise translation of an array of materials—technical documents, software applications, eLearning courses, and product websites—in over 100 languages, catering to the requirements of prominent tech enterprises.

Language technology solutions encompass a wide array of tools such as computer-assisted translation (CAT), translation memory (TM) software, content management systems, translation project management systems, machine translation, and localization tools. Collectively, these tools significantly streamline the translation, localization, and management of foreign language content, enhancing efficiency and cost-effectiveness for businesses navigating global markets.

In essence, technology serves as a powerful tool to empower CALD communities by breaking down language barriers, improving access to essential services, fostering inclusivity, and facilitating cultural exchange in an increasingly interconnected world.

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References:
Culturally & Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Health
Responding to language diversity in Auckland
Languages in Aotearoa New Zealand
Literacy and numeracy in New Zealand: findings from the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey
Languages spoken in New Zealand
The Evolution Of Language Services Technology
Language Technology Solutions
Develop, Launch, and Scale Your Technology Innovations Globally with the Best Technical Translation Services

Fatih Karakas | 2 Sep 2020

“Conversations”, the Training and Professional Development division of All Graduates Interpreting and Translating Services, is looking to build their team of trainers nationally. The training is delivered predominantly to translation and interpreting practitioners as well as service providers.

“Conversations” provides professional education and flexible training packages tailor made to meet the needs of T&I practitioners and organisations that provide services to CALD communities. Our training packages and PD events are developed by people who are experienced in the education of translators and interpreters and therefore bring a unique perspective. As a result, “Conversations” training is in demand and as such we are looking to build a pool of passionate Trainers that will help us contribute to the advancement of the Translation and Interpreting Industry.

If this sounds like something you would be interested in, read the below information on how to apply.

We look forward to hearing from you!

HOW TO APPLY:

Please respond to these selection criteria, telling us why you would fit this role (maximum 2 pages):

ESSENTIAL

Strong understanding of the Translating and Interpreting industry in Australia
Experience in delivering training, and/or public speaking experience
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

DESIRABLE

Interpreting and/or translating experience
Tertiary level education in T&I
Experience in training or working within a specialised interpreter setting including but not limited to medical settings, legal settings.

Please send your resume, and response to the above selection criteria to our Training and PD Coordinator Fatih Karakas by email: fatih@allgraduates.com.au

If you have any questions or would like more information, contact Fatih on 9605 3037 or email fatih@allgraduates.com.au.

Launching our Professional Development and Training Division...

All Graduates | 13 Jul 2020

All Graduates is committed to ensuring our panel of interpreters and translators are skilled, competent, work ready and are supported in undertaking interpreting and translation jobs for our clients.

To this end, All Graduates is proud to formally announce the launch of our Professional Development and Training Division:

Conversations:
Interpreting and Translating

Sessions are delivered live or as online workshops, webinars and on-demand pre-recorded courses. We will also present Q&A panel discussions/interviews facilitated by industry experts. The panel will comprise T&Is, user client representatives (e.g. Hospital language services manager) and All Graduates translations project managers/interpreter coordinators.

Information about our Conversations: Interpreting and Translating is now available at our new training website – https://allgraduates.arlo.co/w/

(A shortcut to this website is also available from the Home Page)

On this website you can view the following menu items:

Upcoming Events – View any upcoming events
Webinars – View any upcoming webinars
On Demand – Paid access to a range of past recorded webinars. Note: Recordings that are exclusively available for All Graduates T&Is can be accessed in the Interpreter Mobile app > Resources > PD Videos
Catalog – View the full list of Upcoming, Past or On-Demand Events
Calendar – See Upcoming Events in a Calendar view
Presenters – Read the Bio of our Professional Learning Facilitators and Consultants
Podcasts – Access quick link to our streaming services

IMPORTANT: Please ensure you read the ‘HOW TO REGISTER’ information on any event, as you may be eligible for FREE registration via your individual email invitation or special discounted prices when validating your All Graduates ID.

Introduction to Fatih Karakas

Whilst he is no stranger to All Graduates, we’d like to formally introduce Fatih Karakas as the Trainer & Professional Development Training Coordinator of All Graduates.

Fatih has facilitated a number of our previous events, and will continue to ensure our PD events are current for the T&I industry as well as addressing interpreting and translation related challenges and strategies.

Professional Development Webinars

Since 2018, we have launched a number of Webinars specifically to support and upskill interpreters.

Our past webinars are exclusively available to our panel of interpreter & translators and are available to view in the Interpreter Mobile App > Resources > PD Videos.

New and Upcoming Webinars notifications will be sent via email to All Graduates panel of T&Is where applicable.

Also make sure to check our training website for new events as this will be updated regularly. Webinars registrations will vary from FREE to All Graduates T&Is or a discounted price of $20 with ID Verification.

Podcasts – NEW!

As part of this PD initiative, we are delighted to announce we have launched a weekly podcast to complement our webinars and online courses.

Each episode facilitated by Fatih Karakas will have a special guest and conversation about current and hot topics related to the T&I industry as well as interpreting and translation related challenges and strategies.

Guests will vary from T&I practitioners across Australia to key figures in the industry as well as expert names in other fields of practice that are intertwined with interpreting and translating.

Each episode will run for approximately 15-20 minutes and will be available via YouTube, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast and Spotify as well as the All Graduates training website.

Our inaugural episode will host RMIT University Master of Translating and Interpreting Program Manager, Dr Erika Gonzalez Garcia and we will talk about the importance of formal training of T&I practitioners as well as scholarships and their importance to our industry.

View and subscribe to our channels to receive notifications for new episodes:

Your interest and support is greatly appreciated and we hope you will join us for our events throughout 2020 and onwards.

If you have any questions, please contact webinars@allgraduates.com.au.

All Graduates | 8 Apr 2019

Australia’s population is booming, with migrants of all types coming to our shores from all corners of the globe. Whilst this makes for a vibrant and diverse society (not to mention an expansive list of takeaway food options), it has also introduced complexities in the operations of public and private sectors. A growing CALD population (possibly struggling with low literacy in their native language), regulatory, ethical and cultural obligations – all of these have made the simple, much less so.

One of the areas in which we are regularly called to engage with our clients is that of operational efficiency. We produce a copious number of reports and analyses for government departments and companies, describing the interface between organisations and non-English speaking clients. We are often the catalyst for the introduction of technologies to enhance this interface, and also to improve the underlying systems with which an organisation may facilitate that interface.

“

The LiME Multilingual Messaging system evolved from the need to decrease communication barriers, and improve operational efficiencies for businesses and organisations. It has been designed as a sophisticated but easy-to-use tool to facilitate engagement with non-English speaking customers and those with literacy challenges.

“From the moment a non-English speaking client walks into your office, the challenge you face is the balance between meeting their needs with the inherent cost and complexity of doing so.”

A few years back we were introduced to a multilingual telephone message line (IVR) thanks to a looming Australian Electoral Commission tender. This inelegant proposal planted the seed which we grew into a platform-agnostic messaging system. While the phrasing may be unfamiliar, in practice this is what you do every day – you send your messages on whichever communication platform is available, appropriate or convenient. Whether you are using the web, social media, chat apps or calling an information line, the platform is irrelevant. The message is the crucial component.

Through a continuous and innovative development process, and ongoing input from our clients (and a Melbourne appropriate volume of coffee consumption), LiME was developed to offer holistic solutions to organisations engaging with CALD groups without sacrificing operational efficiencies.

LiME multilingual messaging system
– it ain’t just a member of the citrus family

Extensive research has shown that language barriers cause anxiety and create obstacles for non-English speakers to both engage with society at large, and access services in general. We very often see that our increasingly information-driven economy results in increased workloads and reduced efficiencies when interpreters are utilised in one-way communications. Additionally language translation services, while fundamental to ensuring the proliferation of an equitable society, are not only impacted by low literacy rates among non-English speakers, but also among the general Australian population. In spite of this knowledge, it never occurred to us until we started engaging with our clients just how transformational our LiME system had the potential to be.

Technology offers many benefits to language services

We understand the importance of message parity. Whilst AI technologies such as Google translate and Siri are handy day-to-day tools, they are not adequate for use in business and government communications. We recently had this exact issue raised with us by one of our private school clients, as well as the Project Manager of a pilot DHS program. LiME addresses this issue by drastically reducing the risk of miscommunication while improving access to information. We are currently working with multiple organisations that are using this system to reduce the burden on language service teams when communicating repetitive messages, while simultaneously improving access to appropriate language communications for their increasingly diverse clients.

We consider LiME as an adjunct to interpreter services, offering improved efficiencies in one-way message delivery, prior to hand-off to an interpreter if it becomes necessary. We know anecdotally and through our own internal reviews that there are often issues in communication parity when involving interpreters for “real-time translation” of complicated language documents (medical, legal or statutory). Our clients consistently point towards LiME offering immense potential in resolving these issues.

“LiME utilises multi-platform technology to create meaninful, comprehensive communications where and when you need them. Discover how it can work for you.”

The anxiety of learning English as a second language, and the challenges non-English speakers face

Elise Hearst | 1 Apr 2019

I said, “Do you speak-a my language?”
He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich

If only integrating into Aussie society was as simple as chugging a beer and smashing a vegemite sandwich. With 1 in 4 Australians born overseas, and a thriving international student population, many new residents in Australia need to undergo the daunting task of learning English in adulthood. Extensive research points to significant deficits in terms of access to services and health literacy for Non-English speakers. In most cases the onus falls on the user to gain the requisite skills they need to effectively access public services, including health and welfare systems. On top of this, new arrivals need to manage day-to-day interactions with dinky-di Aussies, who probably won’t be speaking the Queen’s English.

Learning the local language can be an intimidating and anxiety inducing task (Woodrow, 2006). Consider the simple issue of geographically distinct colloquialisms. Ask a Victorian what ‘pluggers’ are and they’ll look at you quizzically. It’s QLD slang for thongs in case you were wondering. Now imagine being invited to a BBQ and being told it’s “casual dress, wear thongs”. A quick trip to google translate would lead you to a very different item of clothing than the common flip-flop. Can you imagine how intimidating this could be for someone learning English?!

In professional circumstances there are many great communication solutions available which can be used to improve engagement with your non-native speakers, and address the inherent deficit in their ability to access your services.

A 2006 paper delivered by Lindy Woodrow (Honorary Senior Lecturer in TESOL¹, University of Sydney) details the results from her study about foreign language anxiety. Woodrow looked at students in their final months of studying English, prior to enrolling in university courses in Australia. The study revealed that learning English as a second language can be a negative and potentially damaging experience both in and out of the classroom (Woodrow, 2006). This may impact a learners’ capacity to master their new language and achieve confidence in handling day-to-day communications.

¹Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

“Anxiety experienced in communication in English can be debilitating”

Lindy Woodrow

Living in a land down under
Where women glow and men plunder

According to the Department of Education, the number of international students in Australia increased by 12% in 2018. Foreign students currently make up more than a quarter of enrolments across varying universities. The majority of these students (31%) hail from China, followed by India, Nepal, Malaysia and Vietnam. Many of these students are seeking to access Permanent Residency in Australia via a Skilled Migration pathway. One of the prerequisites to enrolment is adequate English language skills. Research reveals, however, that in-class anxiety as a consequence of language skill is commonplace, and further research suggests that this anxiety may continue as they enter society and the workforce. This is certainly a concerning situation when we consider that in 2017-2018 there were 111,099 Permanent Residencies delivered under the Skilled Migration stream.

Evidence from Woodrow’s study shows that above all else, the top two stressors in learning English are speaking with native speakers outside of the classroom, and presenting in front of a group. This is not one of those situations where imagining everyone in their underwear is going to solve the underlying issue.

The classroom is a fairly structured and predictable environment, and in that sense it is distinctly different from social, public and workplace environments where there is a high degree of linguistic unpredictability and situational variance. Seemingly trivial interactions with passers-by, or a lack of familiarity with procedures (coupled with a limited ability to convey this), can become a significant issue. The challenge for organisations that interface with Non-English speakers is not just in managing the lack of linguistic competence and comprehension (in their native tongue as well as English), but also in creating an organisational awareness around cultural sensitivities and blind spots.

Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder? You better run, you better take cover

What does this mean for your organisation?

Woodrow’s study suggests that the anxiety experienced by Non-English speakers comes down to three main points

Difficulty in navigating unpredictable situations
Difficulty in conveying their desired meaning
Difficulty in speaking in group scenarios

“Anxiety is clearly an issue in language learning and has a debilitating effect on speaking English for some”

Lindy Woodrow.

There are many rich linguistic resources available to both learners and organisations to lubricate interactions, improve engagement and reduce this inherent anxiety. For example, encouraging participation in social activities, accessing local council and library services, or utilising Non-English resources to build knowledge of and familiarity with services and procedures.

According to the Department of Education, universities are now seeking to diversify their international student population, with figures showing big increases in the numbers of students from Brazil and Colombia. With the international student population growing, and also contributing to a significant number of permanent migrants to Australia every year, service providers should rethink their approach to non-English speaking customers. It is important to take into account cultural sensitivities and potential anxieties, whilst actively seeking ways to improve the effectiveness of and appeal of client interface points. This will ultimately enhance client engagement, improve outcomes and contribute to a culture of inclusion – and that would be, well, bloody bonza mate.

Think about how you can help your customers from non-English speaking backgrounds ease their anxiety.

References

ABS Australian Social Trends 2102.0 June 2009
https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/research-and-stats/files/report-migration-program-2017-18.p df