What do Arabic, French, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Afrikaans, Swahili, Wolof and Amharic all have in common? They are all languages spoken in Africa, and this list doesn鈥檛 even begin to cover all the myriad of smaller subsets of various language and indigenous languages and dialects that pepper this vast continent 鈥� There are thousands! Indeed, Africa Language Professionals Dream Continent.

It鈥檚 not surprising that so many languages are spoken in a single continent when you consider that the land mass is 11,730,000 square miles. Since that is rather difficult for the human mind to visualize, you can think about the fact that the African continent is larger than the combined land masses of the contiguous United States, Asia, India and most of the European continent.

Africa, language professional’s dream continent

Simply put, Africa is a linguist鈥檚 dream continent. As you can imagine, those of us who love languages are equally enamored with its rich cultural layers. Every country is completely different from its neighbor to the north, south, east or west. Even if you 补谤别苍鈥檛 a geography buff, consider the images that come to mind when you read names of countries like Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, or Egypt. Then, compare those with the images or impressions you get when you hear words like Ethiopia, Rwanda, Ghana 鈥� and then there is South Africa.

Most people will have very different associations with each region, and those are as tangible in person and reality as they are on the typed page.

From Mediterranean to Saharan, from coastal to jungle, from mountain ranges to deep valleys, Africa鈥檚 cultural tapestry is as varied and interesting as its topography, and this is another reason why linguists can鈥檛 get enough of it.

African languages generally belong to four major language groups

Even with all those differences, you can鈥檛 have a connected body of land without some shared influences and ties, which is why the wide majority of African languages (minus those that resulted from colonization) can be divided up into four major language groups.

Afro-Asiatic

The Afro-Asiatic languages (formerly known as Hamito-Semetic languages) are spoken by more than 400聽million people across northern Africa, the African Horn and stretching into Southwest Asia. The most widely known (and spoken) of these languages is Arabic.

As we mentioned in a previous blog post, Arabic is one of the most difficult languages to learn, but is worth your time since it鈥檚 also the 5^th most commonly spoken language in the world. Native English speakers who also speak fluent Arabic are highly sought after in the world of translation and interpretation. Those of us who study languages are attracted to its complexity as well as its beautiful and artistically rendered written characters.

Nilo-Saharan

The Nilo-Saharan language group is spoken by groups of people (about 46 million people), that live in a central belt comprised of parts of Mali, parts of Egypt, Sudan, Chad, and Niger and also encompassing parts of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The majority of the 130 languages in this group are contained in the Eastern Sudanic branch. Like the Chinese language and its various dialects, many of Nilo Saharan languages are tonal, with two to four tones, which add an extra layer of challenge to learn.

Niger-Congo

This is actually the largest of the African language groups, containing more than 1,000 separate languages. These languages are spoken by 60% of the African continent鈥檚 inhabitants.

Niger-Congo languages predominate in sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia in the west, to Cameroon, the Central African Republic and the northern-most portion of Democratic Republic of the Congo in the east.

The language you鈥檙e probably most familiar with of this grouping is Swahili, and possibly Foola. Interestingly, while these are the two largest of the languages within the Niger-Congo group, they鈥檙e also the only ones that 补谤别苍鈥檛 tonal.

Khoisan

This language group is one of the most fascinating, probably because it is the least common. The word Khoisan is interpreted as 鈥減erson who forages in the bush鈥� or 鈥渂ushman,鈥� so it makes sense that this is the smallest of Africa鈥檚 language groups, spoken by hunter-gather groups that roamed the pastoral portions of South Africa.

While Khoisan languages used to be spoken across the entire southern portion of the continent, they are now predominantly isolated in southern Angola, Namibia and Botswana. Many of the languages have been lost or are unrecognizable due to colonization and the resulting changes from tribal to more urban and 鈥渃itified鈥� ways of living. Perhaps the most unique aspects of Khoisan languages are the 鈥渃lick鈥� sounds (like in Zulu) that are meaningful phonemes and represented by the symbol 鈥�!鈥�

As you can imagine, with this variety of languages, it鈥檚 so important to work with a language services provider who is dedicated to matching you with professional, native speaker linguists, who are inherently familiar with the target language audience. Contact CCA to learn more about our African language services.

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Being an international business interpreter can be an exciting profession, especially when your duties require you to travel around the world, meeting and interacting with others, in order to enhance business negotiations for your company and/or clients. That being said, there is a tremendous amount of responsibility involved. In addition to language fluency, business interpreters must be very aware of the more subtle language and cultural nuances that affect business communication and negotiations for both parties. Interpreters must also have the ability and flexibility to travel and be away from home for extended periods of time.

According to , a partner of the American Job Center Network, the median salary for interpreters and translators is $45,430, however, many business interpreters make significantly higher salaries, depending on the availability of other interpreters for that language, their skill and experience level, and their clients’ budgets. Also, their travel and board expenses are included while they are working, which can be an added bonus for those who love to travel. The expected job growth through 2020 is 29 percent or higher, which is greater than average.

The following are some of the duties expected of an .

Speaking and Listening

The most important role a business interpreter plays is one of listening and speaking. Professional translators must have an incredible amount of focus in order to listen carefully, and accurately convey, the spoken word of their clients and the clients’ business associates. Business fluency is an entirely different level of language fluency, and a translator must be able to quickly and precisely synthesize the spoken word of two languages in order to communicate complex ideas as accurately as possible.

Cultural Sensitivities

Language is only a part of the communication equation. Therefore, a business interpreter also must be highly in tune with. He must be able to interpret the verbal cues, as well as particular body language or nonverbal cues from both parties in order to provide an accurate interpretation of the words spoken. For example, in Japan, it is considered rude to express a direct negative. So, a Japanese businessman will often use the word tabun, meaning “maybe”, to indicate he is unwilling to consider a specific idea or proposal. However, in American culture, the word maybe indicates there is a possibility. The interpreter must understand these differences in order to accurately convey his clients’ message and intentions.

Extensive Travel

In many cases, an international business interpreter will need to travel great distances, and for significant lengths of time. Therefore, his or her lifestyle and family must be able to accommodate these needs. While the idea of compensated, worldwide travel may seem glamorous, there is a good chance that the entirety of the trip will be all work, with very little free time for personal travel.

Technology and Media

Today’s interpreters must be well-versed in a wide range of high-tech . This can include using technology for presentations, to facilitate meetings, or to assist the clients in communicating with one another.

Reading and Writing

Technically, interpreters deal with the spoken word, while translators deal with written communication. However, in the world of business interpretation, the lines between interpreter and translator can cross. You may be presented with documents and texts that will need to be translated for either party in a quick, efficient, and accurate manner.

More than anything else, a successful business interpreter has an innate love of language and enjoys working closely with people in the exciting and fast-paced business world.

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Simultaneous interpretation is usually contrasted with consecutive interpretation. That said, the adjective “simultaneous” may be a misnomer in that, although the interpreter is still in the booth wearing headphones and speaking into a mic, the interpreter needs to wait until the sentence is understood and processed before interpreting.

Nonetheless, a simultaneous interpreter is listening and translating one idea out loud while parsing the next. Simultaneous interpretation is actually seen as more challenging because any impediment to fluid translation, (e.g., searching for a language’s countervailing idiom) means missing out on the next idea, lagging behind and ultimately not performing well.

Simultaneous Interpretation’s Tools of the Trade

Soundproof Booths

Industry insiders say that over 5,000 business and governmental conferences take place around the world every year. This puts a high premium on simultaneous interpreters having the right equipment from the start. Perhaps a starting point is having an interpretation booth that conforms to ISO standards. ISO standard booths furnish simultaneous interpreters with the best acoustic environment for many languages spoken simultaneously.
The best booths are also designed to provide clear visuals and two-way communication. A well-designed booth will have low operation costs, flexibility, require hardly any assembly and the ability to be expanded and connected later. High-end booths should feature: double plexiglass, air conditioning, lighting systems and soundproof flooring.

Interpretation Systems

Some of the basic features that all simultaneous interpretation systems should have are: a monitoring unit, microphone headset, transmitter, receivers with headsets and all necessary cables. A compact monitoring unit ensures that two interpreters can, in turn, listen to the presenter and convey the information to the other interpreter. Using the equipment in this manner increases concentration and competency.

Even the most affordable interpretation systems will start at around 250,000 square feet of coverage. This means that simultaneous interpreters will be covered for community groups, church convocations and extensive focus groups. For larger events, simultaneous interpreters will require wireless microphones; ideally, one handheld and one lapel-attached wireless microphone would be employed to streamline speeches as well as question-and-answer sessions.

IR Systems

For security purposes (and closely adjacent rooms) an IR system might be the best solution vs. an FM system. High-end IR systems will feature relay interpretation and separate volume and tone controls for two or more interpreters working together. Also, two or more microphones in an IR system allows smooth transitions among interpreters.
Another factor to consider with an IR system is that the infrared is unable to penetrate walls; therefore, an IR system with infrared capabilities is ideal for a high-level political setting. This is so because of the added security and diminished crosstalk that infrared-capable IR systems possess. IR systems should feature around two dozen receivers (with headsets) as well as carrying cases and applicable cables.

PA Systems

Especially for smaller venues, simultaneous interpreters require a field mixer, PA system or wireless microphones. Lapel and hand-held microphones are essential for wireless microphone packages. Also, field mixers can help ensure that translations sound crisp and clear, streamlining the transmission process.

Encrypted Systems

For added security, consider an encrypted, two-way listening system. The administrator can, in essence, lock-in volume and tone controls with a four-digit security key. This helps prevent last-second changes or accidents during simultaneous interpretation. These encrypted systems are usually harmonized to prevent interference as well.

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