There is concern about the growing number of online interpreting professionals who are complaining about hearing problems, due to the ever more frequent use of video conferencing platforms.
Almost three years on from the start of the pandemic, integrating software that allow us to participate in any type of meeting from any given location has become commonplace in the professional world. Using video conferencing software for corporate events, universities and organizations brings many advantages: less travel means less time spent on airplanes, trains and cars that consequently improve efficiency and reduce emissions,fostering sustainability. Furthermore, this also makes the eventsaccessible for those who can’t attend in person.
Zoom fatigue and related symptoms
However, this new working environment is not without its challenges and a certain level of discomfort, particularly in organizations where meetings are a daily occurrence. From the very first months of lockdown, we started talking about this so-called ‘Zoom fatigue’ which refers to the general sensation of physiological and psychological exhaustion caused by continual participation in online meetings.
This is a problem all too familiar for those who provide online interpreting services for multilingual events: by now, the main institutions and organizations have many interpreters going on leave due to hearing problems, nervous breakdowns and burnout. It has therefore become a matter of high importance to identify the causes of these symptoms experienced by those who provide remote interpreting services.
EU Parliament interpreters stage strike
On 23 June last year, the EU Parliament interpreters voted unanimously to interrupt their online interpreting activities, staging a strike that lasted for weeks.
The interpreters highlighted various problems related to remote interpreting. Among their main concerns were the following:
- Use of non-professional microphones
- Noisy settings
- Poor broadband connections
- Lack of respect for the guidelines from the speakers
- Sound quality issues on some online interpreting platforms
- Hearing damage reported by approximately 100 interpreters
The importance of sound quality
In the last few years, researchers have been increasingly interested in the phenomena of cognitive load related to simultaneous interpreting, often concentrating on remote areas and conferences.
As many well know, there are several different technical possibilities available for meetings. Fully online, virtual meetings remove the physical setting for the event, which alters how we communicate. On the other hand, hybrid meetings can cause a significant rift between communicators inside the room and remote communicators with the room. In this case, while passive remote participation may have little or no impact on proceedings in the room, the presence of remotely participating speakers is often perceived as disruptive. From the point of view of the conference interpreters who work in these meetings, it is essential to have good quality audio and video signal available.
Broadcasting sound over the internet, however, is anything but trivial. While picking up audio largely depends on the use of appropriate hardware i.e. microphones, the preparation and transmission of the signal depend on the software i.e. algorithms. These filter out noise and cut whole frequency bands to reduce the amount of data to transfer: a process that often results in a weaker signal and a significant worsening in quality from the original.
Therefore, worsening sound quality is currently under scrutiny as a potential culprit for recurrent reports of hearing problems by interpreters. Prolonged exposure to a poor quality sound can impact the interpreter’s health long before any physiological symptoms appear.
Scientific evidence
A recent study by Professor Kilian G. Seeber’s team at the University of Geneva examined the effects of sound cognitive load and strain on simultaneous interpreters. Although the study was commissioned before the outbreak of the pandemic and consequently before many of the aforementioned developments, the results are still relevant in today’s context.
The study compared the perception of cognitive load by interpreters grappling with the typical sound quality of online conferencing platforms (in terms of actual transmitted frequencies), with that found when working with sound that meets the standards set by the AIIC (International Association of Conference Interpreters) and by the ISO (International Organization for Standardization).. The electrodermal response of the interpreters was also measured as an indicator of cognitive and emotional effort. A blind group of independent judges was asked to assess the interpretation quality in the two sound conditions.
The results point to sound having a significant impact on the detected burden by the interpreters, characterized by greater frustration and more effort. It is important to note that independent and blind evaluations of the output demonstrate a significant decline in interpretation quality when sound quality is poor. Style and presentation do not seem to be affected, while the quality of content is negatively affected.
This picture makes it clear that clients must not neglect the factors tied to sound quality and health repercussions for professionals. It is increasingly evident that online events need to work with professionals who are in the position to provide services that meet the required quality standards set by the industry.
Rachael is a young but talented colleague, who specializes in translations from French and English into Italian. After graduating in the UK, she moved to Italy where she taught English as a foreign language to Italian students and where she learnt the real Italian she needs to fully understand the source texts and translate them into English. She has also worked as an intern at AlfaBeta's office in Rome and is now one of our youngest freelancers.