Pax Lodge volunteers participate in a language experiment
20 March 2010
Five volunteers showed off their Pax Lodge green polos at Shoreditch Town Hall in London for BBC’s Superpower Nation Day last 18 March.
It was a unique experiment using automatic machine translation technology to see how the Internet can break down language barriers. BBC was striving to answer the question “If everybody in the world could communicate freely with each other, no matter which language they spoke, what would happen?” It was a six-hour experiment in multi-lingual debate and discussion that used a specially created website that allowed users from around the world to post and reply to each other’s messages, even if they did not share the same language.
You can follow the live story on the BBC World Service website.
|
Innovations in translation, such as this new software, could allow guides and scouts from around the world to stay better connected. It would allow WAGGGS resources to be published in more languages, therefore reaching more people, Jackie Fry, Resident Volunteer, Canada |
The experience
It was a unique experience for a few of our volunteers to speak with representatives from more than twenty of the BBC World Services, while also interacting with other participants from all over the world. The broadcasters used television, radio and the Web to connect with people around the globe. The service allowed participants to talk in Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, English, Farsi, Indonesian and Spanish.
|
It was a memorable experience to represent WAGGGS in front of so many different media outlets. Being able to discuss the important issues in guiding and scouting and having my voice heard across the globe in so many languages was an empowering experience. Julia Krepl, Event Assistant, Austria |
Our volunteers had the opportunity to speak on camera with BBC Arabic and BBC Worldwide to discuss how the Internet has become so crucial in our lives and how it has affected the development of Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting. In addition, they stressed the importance of using this technology to assist in tackling important issues like educating our youth and empowering girls and young women to spark change in the world.
|
Language barriers shouldn’t prevent us from positively making a change in the world. WAGGGS always says that we are 10 million girls worldwide, all speaking with one voice. Today, we were able to share this voice with the BBC and their large audience. Lindsey Keeler, Marketing and Communications Volunteer, United States of America |
Your comments
marel aguilar - 28 March 2010 - 7.07PM (GMT)
Es importante que estemos participando activamente desarrollando nuestro potencial y cada generacion tome conciencia de nuestra labor en beneficio de nuestro planeta y nuestra sociedad felicidades por el desempeño
Page 1 of 1
Have your say
Post your comments about this page here. For general questions, go to Contact. When posting comments, please be considerate of others and refrain from abusive or off topic posts. Comments will only be uploaded if they are considered appropriate. Email addresses or any other personal details will not be allowed. HTML code will be removed from comments; linebreaks will be kept intact.