March 2023 Translation News

MailChimp link for Translation News March 2023

 International Translation Services (ITS) works in collaboration with colleagues in SIL and other agencies to creatively steward and advance the translation practices, tools, methods, and training necessary to enable a supportive environment for individuals and communities to flourish and engage with Scripture.
We value: Interconnectedness. Capacity Building. Diversity. Innovation.

March 2023

• “In this generation…” - Greg Dekker
• Translation Training and Development Updates - Phil King
  • Italy Translation Training Meeting
  • SIL Translation Training Initiatives
  • Bible Translation Competencies Website
  • Mediterranean Translation Event
  • Microsoft Initiatives 
• News and Events
  • Oral Translation Services Workshops - Nathan Payne
  • Registration Now Open - Bible Translation Conference 2023
  • SIL Translation CiT Funding - Brian Migliazza
  • Authors / Contributors Needed - Brian Migliazza
    • Bamboo TN (Translator's Notes)
    • KTOT (Key Terms of the Old Testament)

Useful Links
SIL Translation Services

• International Leadership Team
• Area Translation Coordinators

“In this generation…”  
Greg Dekker
International Translation Services Director

I have pondered the ideas that lie behind the words in this generation as it is used to speak of provision of God’s Word for those still without it. Take a few minutes to ponder this with me, and let me know your thoughts. It seems that this terminology is used to define an acceptable period of time in which we aim to reach all peoples of the world with the Word of God in a language that serves them best. 

For me, “in this generation” expresses the idea that it is unacceptable - or even, unthinkable - that there are people passing away without access to the story of Salvation, the life-giving Word of God. Surely that is a reasonably motivating idea. Right? There are several assumptions that I understand underlie this idea. 

First, the expression assumes that reading/hearing/seeing the Gospel message and the truths found in Scripture are limited to the production, distribution, and engagement with God’s Word in some form. When we assume this, we may put an unequal weight on the need for production of the Book for the purpose of proclamation, as compared to the need for evangelism through preaching, discipleship, and faith-driven transformational development. As His ambassadors, the Church is given the mandate to proclaim the Gospel, “causing people to learn” through word and deed, all that Jesus has commanded us. The words, in this generation, when used alongside the challenge to speed the Bible translation task, may inordinately weight Bible translation as more important than other equally important tasks included in the Mission of the Church. Don’t interpret my words here as saying it’s not vitally important. Formal gatherings of God’s people have affirmed repeatedly the indispensability of the Word of God for Church growth and sustainability.

To expand further, the words in this generation seem to imply a relative importance of the speedy provision of God’s Word, against a mandate given in Scripture to proclaim the Good News, make disciples (“cause [people] to learn”), equip the Body of Christ, and the time needed to do those things. Few would lower the importance of proclamation of the Good News to those who have never heard it. Yet we do not know how God prioritizes these things. What we do know is that with God, a thousand years are as a day. And that we are to be diligent in the Task He has given us to do. Time and impact are in His hands. Important note, however, is that in order for proclamation, discipleship, and equipping to happen, availability of translated Scripture is very important, even essential in some contexts. For many of us, this need is what prompted the invitation for us to start a translation project! 

Second, for some, the words “in this generation” may carry an implied position that the return of Christ will not happen until his Word is available to all. (Cf. for example, Mt. 24:24.) Said another way, completion of the Task - to provide God’s Word to all in a language that serves them well - will usher in the return of Christ. And if provision of His Word is part of a many-faceted task of ushering in the return of Christ, then speeding its availability in this generation is a good and happy thing! But I wonder, if we work speedily to usher in the return of Christ, in part, through the provision of His Word, will we be given more time to disciple the nations in obedience to Jesus’ command in Mt 28:19-20, and equip His people for the work of ministry? Relatedly, should not provision of the Word and discipleship happen together?

Finally, with the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other machine tools, and the proliferation of interest in Bible translation among God’s people, it seems more possible than ever that the means are available to us to facilitate quality translations of Scripture to all who need them in this generation. If the means are there, we ought to continue to look with all diligence to utilize the means at our disposal. But we ought to do so without sacrificing a holistic approach which seeks to address human need and remove impediments to transformation that may exist in communities and individuals, impediments which may require our human intervention and the working of God’s Holy Spirit to eliminate or reduce. 

Our hearts’ desire is that the peoples of the earth have access to God’s “love letter” to them, that they are able to grow in their knowledge of the God who created them, loves them, and who has mercifully provided them with the means through Christ to have a personal relationship with Him, and to experience rich friendship with Him. It is our hearts’ desire that this access be provided in the most efficient and expedient way possible. To that end, we work. Yet we do not presume to know God’s time, his priority, or His plan. So we work efficiently and integrally, to minister to all, addressing all human need in a way that seeks God’s glory and the flourishing of the people he created.

Translation Training and Development Updates
Phil King

At the start of February, I was privileged to meet with translation training representatives from several other organizations in RImini, Italy, now home to the Fondazione Unicampus San Pellegrino (FUSP) and the Nida Schools. As well as seeing Nida’s library, a highlight was hearing about the exciting diversity of training initiatives being pursued, as each participant shared their 15 minute update. Here are some of the things I picked up:

• The Nida Institute, FUSP and UBS are working together to offer a new MA in Bible Translation, built on content from the Nida Schools of Bible Translation.
• The Seed Company Translation Consultant Residency program is now underway, with 8 people in the first cohort.
• The Wycliffe US ‘Convergence’ program has now had several cohorts, working through a blend of translation experience in an anchor project, more formal translation training and mentored consulting experience.
• The Word for the World’s holistic and flexible Diploma in Bible Translation  currently has over 600 students, learning in 17 languages, supported by 152 lecturers from 17 different nationalities.
• The Institute for Biblical Languages and Translation offers an MA in Classical Hebrew and Translation Consulting, with possible specializations in Hebrew teaching, deaf Bible translation or oral Bible translation. 
• Bryan Harmelink (Wycliffe Global Alliance) has been building a new curriculum for Bible translation training, that forms the backbone of the MaliBT offered at the University of the Nations (YWAM) and is also approved as a masters programme at the  Bible Institute of South Africa. A further MaliCT (consultant track) is now also being developed and offered.
• Marcia Suzuki (University of the Nations) is working on a ‘storified’ curriculum for Bible translation for YWAM, seeking to develop training that fits with the very diverse ways that cultures see the world, rather than assuming a Western perspective.
• Lutheran Bible Translators focus on supporting others in what they are doing, such as the BTh with a concentration in Bible Translation and Mission at Mekane Yesus seminary in Ethiopia. 
• Biblica’s Digital Training Library is continuing to grow through added certificates and translation of the Foundations in Bible Translation into several LWCs. A hub for sharing training resources - the Archive - is now also nearly ready to be launched and seeking contributions from anyone with material to add. 

At the same time, I was able to share about some of SIL's training initiatives, including upcoming Translation Consultant Development Workshops in Asia and Africa, the Competency-Based Certification process, EMDC.online and the upcoming Bible Translation Conference in October 2023. SIL is also in the process of developing a Discourse certificate to contribute to the Digital Training Library. With all these options, I hope there is something that would fit well for addressing training needs in your context. I’m trying to keep up-to-date information on the BibleTranslationCompetencies site, but get in touch if you’d like to know more. If you are looking for finances to support consultant development, note Brian Migliazza's piece below about global-level funding available through SIL. 

Following this, I was teaching at a translation event in the Mediterranean, and was reminded once again of the value of looking over the shoulders of those who have gone ahead of you when learning a new skill as translator, exegete or consultant, just as I do when learning DIY skills from Youtube. I realize the great potential benefit of having accessible content where you can watch the masters at work. To that end, I’d love to collect some short videos of exegetes and consultants talking through their workflow, or sharing their top tips - allowing others to learn from their experience. If you would be willing to participate in this, please let me know.

Finally, I’ve recently come across two Microsoft initiatives that I can see will make a difference to my training, and might be new to you too:

• Microsoft Translator allows you to start a ‘conversation’ room, generating a code which others can then log into from their smartphones or laptops and view whatever you are saying, but translated into their preferred language. I can see this being very useful for teaching and presentations to audiences of diverse languages. We’re experimenting with it at my church, but please share your experiences if you have tried it in an educational setting, and let us know your best practices.
• Cameos in Microsoft Powerpoint are a very simple way to embed your webcam video feed in an attractive way alongside your slides. They’ve been around for about a year, and I’m eager to try them for my next teaching videos, as a change from just using Zoom! 

News and Events
 

Oral Translation Services Workshops
Nathan Payne
The Oral Translation Services unit of SIL International will be hosting two workshops in June at the International Linguistics Center in Dallas. Prices are below, but do not include Room and Board. You may be able to find housing at the ILC Guesthouse. For further questions or to register email Nora McNamara. 

OneStory Introductory Workshop (June 11-16, 2023). Cost of $175. This workshop is designed for those seriously considering participation in a cross cultural OneStory project in another language. These participatory sessions include:

• Orally learning, telling, and discussing stories in a group setting
• Learning a set of stories crafted for a specific worldview
• Learning the OneStory process for crafting biblical stories
• Becoming familiar with the OneStory training and consulting cycle

Step into the Story (June 20-21, 2023). Cost of $75. This event is for people interested in communicating God’s Word anywhere and everywhere through biblically accurate, naturally told stories. These participatory sessions include:

• Orally learning, telling, and discussing stories in a group setting
• Learning about orality
• Using biblical stories in sharing the Gospel.
• Becoming familiar with other storying approaches
• Learning about opportunities for further participation in OneStory

Registration Now Open
Bible Translation Conference 2023
Registration is now open for the 13-17 October 2023 Bible Translation Conference 2023 to be held in Dallas, Texas on the campus of Dallas International University. 

• Click here to register yourself for the 2023 Bible Translation Conference.
• The theme is "Quality in Translation."  
• You can Submit An Abstract here -  3 April 2023 is the deadline for abstract submission. 

Keynote Speakers:

• Andy Warren-Rothlin - Beekman Lecture
• Tshokolo Makutoane - Beekman Lecture 
• Edgar Ebojo - Nida Lecture
• Paul Kimbi - Lamin Sanneh Lecture 
• Angie Seow - Inspirational Address

SIL Translation CiT Funding
Brian Migliazza
As part of SIL’s Consultant Development Initiative, there are funds available for accelerating the development of SIL Translation Consultants. Please email Brian Migliazza if you are interested in this program or know of someone in your Area or OU that could benefit from this financial assistance.

This program will provide funding for SIL Translation CiTs to cover their expenses related to their certification as consultants - travel, training workshops, on site mentoring, supervised checking sessions, etc.  Applicants can be accepted anytime. Here are some of the guidelines:

• Is a current SIL staff member
• Is already an approved Translation CiT with their OU – have a mentor, a growth plan, and have begun their mentored checking training
• Is within their last two years of their Translation CiT program – ie, within two years of starting this program they will become approved as a Translation Consultant
• Have approval to enter this program from their OU Administration (supervisor) and their OU Translation Coordinator
• Upon becoming a Translation Consultant, they commit to working 0.5 FTE (50%) of their time as a Translation Consultant for at least five years

Authors / Contributors Needed
Brian Migliazza
Authors/ contributors are needed for two Translation Resources projects currently underway - Bamboo TN (Translator's Notes) and KTOT (Key Terms of the Old Testament). If you are interested in working part-time with either of these projects, email Brian Migliazza for further information.

Bamboo TN (Translator's Notes)
A Translator's Notes (TN) volume for a particular book of the Bible gives background notes, commentary and suggested translation ideas.  TN is a verse-by-verse commentary geared specifically for local Bible translators. They are written in easy English, aimed at translators whose mother tongue is not English, and who don't have a lot of training in the Bible. The target audience are translators who have some high school (ideally ten years of education) and who read at a 6-8th grade level.

The main issue for the highly acclaimed TN series, is that they are not yet available for all the books of the Bible! There are still 25 books of the Old Testament without Translator's Notes. It takes a lot of hours and effort to write Translator's Notes. So in an effort to speed up the process, SIL International Translation started the "Bamboo Project" - focusing on the remaining 25 Old Testament books that still lack a Translators Notes volume.

We are recruiting additional contributors and editors from all over the world, training them to author Translator's Notes for these remaining OT books. These new authors work in small teams guided by experienced mentors, first preparing the TN Display and then the TN Notes. They author in Paratext, thus making it possible to incrementally release the output, rather than waiting for the entire book to be completed.

KTOT (Key Terms of the Old Testament)
We are also recruiting additional authors to complete the initial list of some 150 Key Terms of the Old Testament. KTOT is a tool for the Bible translation and consultant community, providing  current research on some of the most important key terms of the Old Testament using minimal technical language.

This tool is not a dictionary or lexicon, though it has some of those features and is formatted as a Source Language Dictionary in Paratext. The authors provide extended discussions of the cultural background of these terms, some grammatical description, comparisons of similar and contrastive terms, descriptions of the history of the translation of the term, and translation suggestions.

Useful Links

• Bible Translation Consultant Competencies
• Bible Translation 2023 Conference - 13-17 October 2023
• Journal of Translation
• SIL Senior Translation Consultants
• Email the SIL International Translation Resources Office
• International Translation Services ILS Google page
• Join/visit the SIL Translation Resources Google Group
• Visit the public SIL.org/Translation site
• Find Translation Resources (both free download and for purchase) SIL.org/Resources/Publications 
• Bamboo Project website
• Mentoring Matters website - Mentor Training Courses
• Consultant Development and Management Team
• Progress.Bible Information
• Memoriam website

SIL Translation Services

International Leadership Team

• Greg Dekker - ITS Director
• Dick Kroneman - International Coordinator for Translation Research and Practice 
• Paul O'Rear - International Coordinator for Translation Resources
• Phil King - International Coordinator for Translation Training and Development
• Nathan Payne - International Coordinator for Oral Translation Services
• Viji Mathew - Director, Global Consultant Pool 
• Brian Migliazza - ITS Operations and Project Management

Area Translation Coordinators

• Angie Foo - Asia
• Greg Carlson - Pacific
• Michael Jemphrey & Drew Maust - Francophone Africa
• Jonathan van den Broek - AngloLusophone Africa
• Thomas Hemphill & Katja Mueller - Eurasia
• Rick Floyd & Dwight Shaver - Americas 
• Yuki Yamada - Global Sign Languages Team (GSLT) 

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Copyright © 2023 SIL International Translation Services. All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because of your interest in translation updates.

This newsletter is produced by SIL International Translation Services. Editors are Tuula O'Rear and Brian Migliazza. It contains items of interest for translation personnel within SIL and related organizations. It includes notices of upcoming conferences and workshops, announcements of recent dissertations and journal articles, and pointers to useful information related to translation. 
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