May 2023 Translation News

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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.

May 2023 “But my daughter already knows her language!” - Greg Dekker New Consultant - Martin Sauer (WAF) Update on Translation Consultant Think Tank - Greg Dekker Translation Training and Development Updates - Phil King Bible Translation Training and Development COP - 25 May 2023 Digital Training Library Interviews with Translation Consultants Paul Kimbi (Cameroon) KSM (Eurasia) News and Events New Francophone Africa Translation Domain Team Leader - Drew Maust Retirement - Sue Pearson New Publication - Paul Kimbi Key Terms of the Old Testament Review - Andrew Case Francophone Africa Translation Consultant Development Workshop (July-August 2023) - Drew Maust Bible Translation Conference - 13-17 October 2023 Useful Links SIL Translation Services International Leadership Team Area Translation Coordinators

“But my daughter already knows her language!”

• Greg Dekker - International Translation Services Director This is an objection heard all too often. Parents argue that using the student’s most familiar language is time ill-spent in the classroom*. However, proven methodologies demonstrate that use of the learner’s home language results in better learning outcomes and for learning a second language. A common erroneous assumption for many is that time spent in the home language will delay the learning of a second language. Thus, the tendency is to submerge learners in the second language. This practice is known as subtractive bilingual education. And it is all too common in early childhood education. But the truth is that even though it may take a bit more time, use of the home language strengthens learning outcomes and the learning of a second language for young learners. There’s a movement afoot in Bible translation that proven quality assurance practices in the translation process are creating “bottlenecks” or delays to accelerating translation. It is argued that these processes take too much time. In a recent meeting I attended, there was resistance to even talking about how to develop and train more Translation Consultants. The statement was made, “We talk about that so often. We’re not going to talk about that anymore.” What was offered instead was the suggestion that we “circumvent” this process with a new one. I thought immediately of subtractive education. I wondered, “Why is it that in education we build on proven methods to achieve more, but in translation we’re trying to circumvent proven processes, proven learning, to achieve our goals?” In this instance, I assumed we would then look at and examine a process that “circumvents” this so-called “bottleneck.” But none was proposed. I am familiar with the ideas being proposed. But I wonder about the goal, too: acceleration. We’re thinking much these days about maintaining quality in Bible translation**. So, imagine my shock when 3 of SIL’s translation coordinators from various locations at a recent zonal meeting said that they are observing what they described as a “decrease in translation quality.” One of them even described it as a “trend”! When asked to say more, to give more details, one coordinator said it’s happening because of “a push to accelerate translation.” My interpretation: More money is available to start projects. Less time is given to engaging with communities in learning what are the community needs. Shorter timetables are put in place for accomplishing the project goals. Less consideration is given for processes which help to ensure quality. Shortcuts are being taken. When we meet together as Bible translation partners, we frequently hear the words, “Nobody wants a poor quality translation.” And that’s true. None of us want that. But are we acting in ways that promote good translation quality? Or does our influence serve in a subtractive way and result in processes which create less than ideal quality outcomes? In his explanatory material around Vision 2025, John Watters makes this statement, “Urgency, thus, motivates us to consider additional creative strategies...” (Emphasis mine.) In my Feb 2023 message for this newsletter I said this, “We should focus on speeding the Task through increase: greater engagement; adding creative strategies, not by reducing or eliminating necessary steps in established best practices.” Let me state the obvious: We all want people to have access as soon as possible to a quality Bible translation in a language that serves them well, with the goal that in engaging with it, and through the power of the Holy Spirit and the ministry of the people of God, their lives may be transformed and they may enter into fellowship with the triune God. Let’s agree that the process for achieving this will be additive in nature, not subtractive, built on proven processes that work together to ensure quality outcomes. Let’s commit to this. And let’s add to this the processes which help to ensure these proven means are delivered as efficiently and effectively as possible to ensure access to God’s Word by those still without it. ------------------------------------------* The common argument is that the student already knows her/his language. Behind this line of thinking is the value or assumption by many that education is about learning another language, not the home language, and most of the time the desire is for the student to learn English. It has to do with the perception that the home language is of little value culturally, economically, and educationally, compared with the state, national or international language. ** For example, coming up on 5-8 July in Dallas is the second in a series of symposia on Quality in Bible Translation hosted by the Pike Center, SIL Translation Services, and several other partner organizations. In October, the Bible Translation Conference will focus on the theme, Quality in Translation.

New Consultant

• Martin Sauer (WAF) Congratulations to Martin Sauer (SIL WAF) on completing all the requirements for certification as a Translation Consultant with SIL Africa. Michael Jemphrey (SIL Francophone Africa Domain Team Leader for Translation) announced that the SIL Accreditation Committee for Translation Consultants in Africa has reviewed his dossier and accepted the recommendation that Martin be declared a translation consultant. He was mentored first by Cornelia Wüsthoff and later by Michael Jemphrey.

Having studied applied linguistics at university as an MA degree, Martin felt gifted and called to translation. In 1998 he went to Chad with his family to serve as a translator with SIL, but due to circumstances then spent most of the following 13 years in various support roles. He was, however, still able to have some involvement in translation, attending and helping lead various translation courses. He was also able to train two MTTs and together with them translate and publish the Gospel of Mark in one of the local languages. Having attended checking sessions during this time, his interest in becoming a translation consultant grew. But then, following a request by Wycliff Germany, Martin spent eight years running their project funding department. In 2017, however, he and his wife felt encouraged by God to consider overseas ministry again. It was with great joy that Martin learned of a possibility in Ivory Coast to get trained as a consultant with SIL, in this way making his life dream finally come true. Interrupted by Covid, he then spent a total of two years there getting hands on experience in translation checking and learning from various consultants. In spite of all the obstacles, Martin during this time felt very much confirmed in his calling and talent for this kind work and looks forward to getting started now as a consultant.

Update on Translation Consultant Think Tank

• Greg Dekker The Translation Consultant (TC) Think Tank has been meeting regularly to consider questions around the accessibility to TCs by projects who need them and issues related to attrition of TCs, especially the reasons for that. Two exploration groups were established by the Think Tank. The first team explored possibilities to consider around a shared, regionally or globally accessible, TC database(s) to which participating organizations may contribute. The inventory exploration team's primary recommendation is that regional BT partners work together to develop listings of the TCs in their country, region, or geographic area, and make these available as widely as possible. The second team is currently exploring possibilities to consider around a model for compensating TCs. In this process, the “Compensation Team” is eliciting stories from TCs and others about difficulties being encountered by TCs related to compensation. This team is conducting research in collaboration with Prescience Labs on the question of whether a compensation framework or model could be developed for TCs whereby TCs receive adequate and regular compensation for their work and thus are better retained for longer periods of time. The Think Tank would like to hold a Gathering of leaders and/or decision-makers in the near future to consider a proposal of a model for compensating TCs. If you or another leader or decision-maker in your organization would like to receive an invitation to this Gathering, please register your interest in participating by going to the link in the QR code seen up above.

Translation Training and Development Updates

• Phil King - ITS Training and Development BTTD COP: The next Bible Translation 'Training and Development' Community of Practice is scheduled for 25th May, on the topic of spiritual formation during training, with insights from Eszter Ernst-Kurdi. It will be on EMDC.online at 6.30am/3.30pm UTC. Eszter writes: “If you could choose, with which team would you like to do checking: a team experiencing tensions in their relationships or a team where translators appreciate each other’s strengths and pray together for God’s wisdom as they work?

In my context many of the most frequent challenges that translation teams face are related to spiritual and interpersonal dynamics. What is the role of spiritual formation and character development in Bible translation training? Come and share your insights and experiences so that we can learn from each other how to create a supportive environment and have a cohesive and integrated approach to spiritual formation and character development in BT training.” Digital Training Library: SIL has a number of scholarships available for staff who would like to use the Digital Training Library for translator training. Several teams have now found the certificate on 'Foundations in Bible Translation' particularly useful, which is available in various languages. Greek and Hebrew certificates are also available. These scholarships are in return for SIL’s contribution of material for a discourse certificate to become part of the platform - very many thanks to Stephen Levinsohn, Tim Stirtz and others who worked hard to bring that together. The scholarships are available on a 'first come, first served' basis - please contact me at phil_king@sil.orgif you are interested.

Interview with Translation Consultants Paul Kimbi - Cameroon How did you get interested in Bible translation? As a translator of the Kom NT, one of the things I had to do was to test the drafts of our translation in a Sunday School class. So I began teaching Sunday School using the drafts of the Gospel of Luke. It was the responses I was getting from this class that motivated me and sustained my interest to be involved in translation as my ministry: the deep understanding that class members testified, (some of whom were very elderly and Christians for long) kindled my interest. I was teaching from Luke chapter 17 one day and an elderly woman who had been in the church for many years, (and had two of her sons serving as pastors) confessed that she came to the faith in that class. I also used the draft of the Gospel of Luke to lead my own father to Christ who had not been a Christian until then. You can imagine my joy, the motivation that it brought to me. Besides the Sunday School class, my own understanding of Scriptures grew and I would say my walk with the Lord was greatly boosted. What gets you excited when you work with others in Bible translation? Working with others is always an opportunity to learn and also to impact others both cognitively and devotionally. There is mutual encouragement, discerning the right choices is easier. I share the value of community and togetherness and believe the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts and working with others is working in community. The social and spiritual returns of working with others are always greater. What is your consulting philosophy? Missions undergird all that I do in Bible translation. And I remind myself each time I am in front of a translation team about the missional intent of translation. Each translation project and each community is different. I see myself as a facilitator trying to guide, to inspire translators to make the right choices that would help achieve a translation that is accurate, natural and clear and the purposes for which it was intended. In doing so, I encourage that each translation project should come up with a translation brief which paints the roadmap for me and others as I facilitate the team in taking the right translation decisions. I try to be very descriptive and avoid being prescriptive. Mine is an approach of friendship with the translation team, avoiding to see myself as an expert and seeking to be very thorough. What translation resources do you really value? I have not consulted in the past few years but the key resource for me are the resources in Paratext. Every available resource is always valued, especially the commentaries, exegetical resources, translators' notes and Bible versions etc. How do you share your translation discoveries with others? So far, it's been done in translation conferences or gatherings. I intentionally encourage peer mentoring - thus a one-to-one sharing of discoveries also. Can you share about a time when you realized you were wrong and what you learned from it? There are always a plethora of options to be taken for some translation decisions. Some of them have strong reasons and some of them can be minority views. I can't remember a situation where I was outrightly wrong but there are situations where I might have taken a minority opinion or an opinion that may not align well in a particular context because of some historical or social reasons. I worked on the Gospel of Luke with a language community here in Cameroon. As we translated Luke chapter two and Matthew chapter one (story of the birth of Jesus), we transliterated the German term "Kaisser". The translators had argued that the translation of this title could be given to Jesus "where is he who is born Kaisser of the Jews" because the word was familiar to people because the colonization of Cameroon took place by the king of Germany. Later on we had to change this title for some reasons: 1) the title was not used by the kings of Germany before 1870, 2) we had used "Fon" the local word for king in another place in the translation and for consistency we had to change, 3) anything to do with colonization had some political overtones that did not augur well in some quarters. So with this evidence we went back to change our term. Was I initially wrong, not necessarily! But the lesson learnt here for me is that translation is cyclical, we need to always review, revisit our decisions when we get inspired along the way. That is one reason why we have revisions of translation. And we need to always admit our epistemological limitations and thus have to consult with peers and translators of whom we are not sure of. It's teamwork from beginning to the end. What are your top tips for someone starting on a career path in Bible translation? Be thorough and listen in between the lines. There is more wisdom in the community and amongst the translators than may be perceived and it takes keen listening, a posture of learning and humbly receiving and giving feedback to tap from this. It takes interaction within the translation project area to discern meaning. Make friendship a value and an approach to ministry. Share something that you learned from a mentor or from a mentee? I think my answer above speaks about some of my learnings, some of them from mentors. What do you see as the place of the church in Bible translation? Bible translation is part of the mission of God. The church is God's instrument for missions in the world. I am doing Bible translation as part of a mission. The Bible is the book of the church. There are some churches that have a department of translation and so they do translation directly. And there are also specialized organizations doing translation and I think in a sense they belong or are part of the church. That bond is there overtly or implicitly, talked about or silent. I am a translator and I promote the translation of the Bible because of being a Christian. Having said that, let me zoom in to say I would like to see the local church spearheading Scripture Engagement in the community. I would like to see the local church involved in decision making of a translation project, influencing the choice of the translators, providing resources

• be they human, church property or financial resources to promote translation. What would you say to young/ aspiring translators? To every aspiring translator, I would like to tell you that you are on missions and that you are called to handle the Word of God. That calls for humility, for diligence, and dependence on God. This also calls for accountability in the community and some kind of vulnerability. And it is a joy to handle the Word of God and a wonderful thing to be remembered as one who was involved in bringing the Word of God to his/her people. This is a fulfilling ministry and it requires patience.

KSM - Eurasia How did you get interested in Bible translation? I knew in my late teens that God had called me into missions, but my exposure to missions until then was very limited: being a nurse or working in an orphanage which I didn’t think would work for me. When I spent a year in England I heard about Wycliff and that caught my interest. Against all odds I made it to the German training program the next year. What gets you excited when you work with others in Bible translation? The Word of God is alive and active, Heb 4:12, which makes our work much more than a technical task! I expect the Word of God to speak to me and those I work with, and to have an impact into our lives. That makes our work unique. The other thing that excites me is that through our work men, women, young and old folks, people from all walks of life will have access to the Word of God in a form they can understand. What is your consulting philosophy? (1) As I said above, I get excited knowing that the Word of God will work in each heart when we prepare for a consultation and when we check the text. (2) As a consultant, I serve the teams I work with. Serving may come in many ways: helping in admin tasks such as writing/ reviewing a project brief, teaching and mentoring, and for sure checking and revising the biblical text. That might include challenging the teams in their choices but for sure encouraging them in their work. I might have a preference of translation style or key terms, but I will trust that the team knows their audience and its needs when they choose how to translate the biblical text. I will honor their choices. Together we strive to achieve the highest quality. (3) As a consultant, I learn from the teams I work with: cultural background, language, biblical insights, team work… there is so much to learn! Often, I feel like someone whose hands are filled by one team in order to give to the next team which then in turn fills my hands again. What translation resources do you really value? Honestly, it really depends on the book I check; for some books there are very few resources available, while for others there are (almost) way too many. I find that having a consultant notes project in Paratext allows me to keep notes and insights from different projects. That helps in the long run. How do you share your translation discoveries with others? In the first place, I share with the teams I work with. And also I share at the training sessions in my OU. Now and then I write but I need to have an idea formed in my head. What are your top tips for someone starting on a career path in Bible translation? Be a lifelong learner; get a good foundation in your training, invest in language and culture learning, get experience, and don’t be shy to ask as many questions as you need. Don’t set your heart on one particular path… discover your strengths and passion, develop your skills… and be open to the opportunity that God takes you somewhere you have not dreamed about. Share something that you learned from a mentor or from a mentee? This is maybe not a technical thing but has helped me a lot: confidence paired with humility. As consultants we are highly trained and have experience, that should give us confidence. At the same time we can always learn more from the teams, and through more training. And we can admit when we’re wrong. What do you see as the place of the church in Bible translation? I think that depends a lot on where one works. I think it is beautiful when the emerging church gets involved in translation in different ways. It is beautiful when churches realize that having the Bible in an LWC is not enough to reach minority people groups and get pro-active. I also believe that the church is often challenged through Bible translation in their tradition(s), their attitude towards the majorities in many countries. What would you say to young/ aspiring translators? With local colleagues, I tell them: You are the expert in your language. You know your culture. And you are able to learn languages, skills, computers and you will have help. When you start as a translator, you might ask yourself “Who am I?” But you need to realize that you are the person God has prepared for this work. Any other comments? I have been in many different jobs in my SIL career: language survey, exegetical adviser, language learning coach, LPM, and others and each of those has given me positive and negative experiences, skills, and also persistence which come handy in my role as a translation consultant. Consulting is changing in the digital age, but no matter how convenient and budget-friendly Zoom is, it is still important to meet with the teams, drink a cup of tea together and discuss translation around the table. Because Bible translation is more than producing a product, it is working with God’s precious people.

News and Events New Francophone Africa Translation Domain Team Leader - Drew Maust After six years in the role of translation domain team leader (DTL) for Francophone Africa (FRA), Michael Jemphrey has passed the baton to his assistant, UK-based translation consultant Drew Maust. As of 1 April 2023, Drew becomes the third FRA DTL for translation, following Derek Johnston (2010–2016) and Michael Jemphrey (2016–2023). Drew looks forward to serving alongside the FRA translation coordinators and program managers to bolster translation efforts, consultant development, and partnership across FRA’s sixteen countries which are home to more than 270 million people speaking 1,000+ languages.

Inquiries about Bible translation in FRA (including consultant requests and expressions of interest in collaboration) can be directed to Drew at translation-dtl_afafr@sil.org. Frenchspeaking BT practitioners are invited to join the BT français online community of practice using the form at https://bit.ly/joinbtlist. FRA is grateful to Michael for his years of faithful leadership, mentorship, keen collaboration, and pastoral care. L’âme bienfaisante sera rassasiée, et celui qui arrose sera lui-même arrosé.

Retirement - Sue Pearson Thankful for her many years of service, International Translation Services announces the retirement of Sue Pearson. She moved to retired member status in March 2023 but continues part time in her assignments as counsellor for Wycliffe UK and Ireland and with ITS (International Translation Services) as copy editing coordinator for the Key Terms of the Old Testament project. Sue Pearson and her husband Dave, joined Wycliffe UK in 1984. With their three children, they lived in Chad 19902000, where Sue started a translation project in Chadian Arabic and was trained and mentored as a translation consultant. From 2000 she served as a translation consultant in Nairobi for Africa Area. From 20012004 she served as translation consultant with the Luke Partnership Project in Madagascar. In 2002, they moved back to the UK where she taught the ETP (European Training Program) translation course and then became the course coordinator. She also served as Associate Translation Coordinator for Eurasia Area and completed a Masters in Aspects of Biblical Interpretation. In 2011 they relocated to Nairobi, where Sue took on the role of Africa Area Translation Coordinator which then became the Scripture Access Team Leader role in 2013. They moved back to the UK in 2014 and in 2016 Sue worked alongside the SIL International Translation Coordinator and in 2019, she qualified as a counsellor, serving the Wycliffe UK and Ireland staff.

New Publication - Paul Kimbi Congratulations to Paul Kimbi on the publication of his Creation Care and Bible Translation article in the April-June 2023 issue of the Evangelical Missions Quarterly. Paul K. Kimbi - Translating for Transformation: The Missional Impulse of Translation. EMQ (Evangelical Missions Quarterly). April–June 2023 | Volume 59 Issue 2 Missions includes church planting, evangelism, reconciliation, and much more. Bible translation programs aim to do all of these things, yet they can be seen as periphery to real mission work. Does Bible translation have a missional impulse that is essential to long-term transformation of individuals and communities?

Key Terms of the Old Testament Review - Andrew Case Andrew Case in his 11 Feb 2023 Working for the Word podcast highlights the 7th release of the Key Terms of the Old Testament (KTOT) project, which is available as a dictionary resource in Paratext. Starting at 2.34 minutes in the podcast, he specifically reviews Dick Kroneman's article on ‫( ָּכבֹוד‬kābôd) greatness, glory, wealth, honor, praise, reputation. Dick's article discusses contextual meanings, frequency of the word, words with the same root, noun forms, verb forms, words with similar meanings, words with opposite meanings, application of the term, cultural background, semantic domain, and translation issues.

Francophone Africa Translation Consultant Development Workshop (July-August 2023) - Drew Maust SIL Francophone Africa is pleased to announce that registration is now open for our upcoming translation consultant development workshop entitled DTRAD23. This two-week hybrid event will be held in French, both online and in-person at local hubs in Africa from July 24 to August 4, 2023. The goal of DTRAD23 is to develop Bible translation consultant competencies in interpersonal, technical, and academic skills. All French-speaking consultants and consultants-in-training (CiTs) are encouraged to attend. The program (July 24 to August 2023) consists of two weeks: Week 1: Interpersonal competencies for handling consultant challenges (July 24–28, 2023) Week 2: Technical and academic competencies (July 31 to August 4, 2023) The format will be "Hybrid," online with local hubs in Togo (Lomé and Kara), Congo (Bunia) and Burkina Faso (Ouagadougou). You can choose to attend either week 1, week 2, or both. SIL consultants in training must attend week 1. Registration (free) - Click here to register online. Please confirm with your supervisor. You can find more Information at this DTRAD23 website. This site is updated regularly. For more information, email the Translation Coordinator.

Bible Translation Conference - 13-17 October 2023 Register for the 13-17 October 2023 Bible Translation Conference 2023 to be held in Dallas, Texas on the campus of Dallas International University. The theme is "Quality in Translation." Keynote Speakers Andy Warren-Rothlin - Beekman Lecture Tshokolo Makutoane - Beekman Lecture Edgar Ebojo - Nida Lecture Paul Kimbi - Lamin Sanneh Lecture Angie Seow - Inspirational Address

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 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 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)

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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