Background: What is an RSI platform?

Social movements often struggle to access quality, culturally sensitive interpreting due to a lack of resources, equipment, tools, and support. Our movements have long attempted to defy language barriers through translation and interpreting, but still face several specific challenges in doing so. In addition to resourcing interpreters, organisations must select the technology they will use to make interpretation possible and have the technical skills to be able to manage it. Traditional equipment like FM wireless or IR Infrared systems, including docking stations, transmitters, receivers, headsets, and interpreters' booths, are difficult to rent in some areas and not that easy to access. That is why, Common Languages often supports Interpretation to grassroots and community groups with remote simultaneous interpretation.

We do simultaneous interpretation as opposed to consecutive or whispering interpretation, to facilitate the audience to follow everything that’s happening in the room in real time. We often interpret through a Remote Simultaneous Platform, this means that interpreters are not based in the event in person and won’t be travelling for the training on the day, but will be conveying interpretation through an online platform.

Usually, RSI (Remote Simultaneous Interpretation) platforms can adapt to mobile or website access and are accessible and easy to use for audiences with limited access to the internet. Some popular options for RSI platforms available in the market are Kudo, Interactio, Interprefy, and Boostlingo. In this occasion, we will be using LiveVoice.

RSI Platforms

From Zoom to Interactio there is a range of platforms that allow events to set up simultaneous interpretation. Some of them will have basic features like Zoom and others will be more specialised to the catered needs of interpreters. You will often find that a platform with an interpretation solution offers:

• A separate view of the event for audiences and interpreters. Often interpreters will have their own ‘dashboard’ or ‘backend’

• They will show in the interpreter's dashboard audio feed and video feed from the event

• There will be an option to choose which language direction you will be interpreting from (input) and to (outputs)

• There will be an option to listen to other language channels to be able to carry out relay interpretation

• Some other add-ons that RSI platforms might offer are:

  • An interpreter chat to be able to coordinate on the day (when this is not possible we will use WhatsApp chats)
  • A ‘cough’ or ‘mute’ button to be able to mute yourself temporarily for an unexpected noise coming from your microphone/room
  • A ‘handover’ button to be able to signal to your partner when you need to change
  • The option to listen to your partner's interpretation or their name when they are interpreting (to avoid interpreting at the same time and duplicating voices in the language channel)

  

Equipment

Here's a check-list of the tech requirements required to develop your interpretation role, please run through this list before the event:

• [ ] Access to reliable Internet access
• [ ] A laptop (fully charged)
• [ ] A secondary support device (phone, tablet, a second computer, etc) fully charged in case anything goes wrong
• [ ] Headset with an external microphone (a second headset with a mic is a huge plus)
• [ ] A quiet space with the least amount of background noise

Instructions for LiveVoice

Please find below a graphic description of how LiveVoice works, let us know if you have any questions!