SCC Blasted For Spending £700K On Translation In 3 Years

[Penistone999 10]

Eric Pickles is saying that translation should only be used in emergencies. I think that's too restrictive.

 

No it not.

 

If people who have entered this country to live cannot be bothered to learn basic English why should the tax payer pick up the tab for their laziness. ?

[ECCOnoob 1,044]

No it not.

 

If people who have entered this country to live cannot be bothered to learn basic English why should the tax payer pick up the tab for their laziness. ?

 

Are you on this planet?

 

Thousands of brits flock over to Thailand, Africa, Europe for 6m, 12m gap years without learning the language. They get into trouble and have to rely upon the local authorities to sort them out. They expect and demand documents and translators to be in English. Just look at some of these wonderful human interest documentaries and reality shows. No insurance. Little money. Drunken behaviour and then leaving it to the local authorities to sort them out.

 

There are loads of expats living in their summer holiday homes with a very weak grasp of the local language. They resort to the SLOW SHOUTING AND POINTING methods of communication. There are specialist firms in law and finance who target the brit abroad to provide services in their language without having to deal with those dirty locals.

 

Just as we have thousands of foreign students over here. We have thousands of ours going elsewhere to study in the far east and Africa. Do you really they all have a understanding of the language or do you suppose they get translation and interpretation help?

 

It works both ways and despite the Sheffield Star trying to make a mountain out of molehill. The costs of translation is piffle compared to some other aspects of budget allocation. I bet they spent more on biscuits and fancy hospitality dinners than they do on translation services each years.

Edited February 21, 2015 by ECCOnoob

[Chez2 10]

I have to agree with Truman.

 

On the odd time we've needed medical care on holiday, the first thing asked for is the insurance details.

 

Forget the e111 (ehic now), they're not interested.

 

I have had to pay for a translator when needing medical care on holiday in Spain, many years ago.

 

I travel to Bulgaria for my holidays but my Bulgarian is very basic. I can read and write enough to use an translation dictionary. I would put effort into being fluent if I was to spend any significant amount of time there though. We have to pay for translation services when buying property or completing legal documents etc, I wouldn't expect it to be given for free. Ater all, who works for nothing?

 

I would always withhold the travel insurance and try to use whatever they call the EU reciprocal medical agreement certificate. I am told that they run up a bill if they know its an insurance job.

 

In our holiday complex we are lucky enough to have English speaking doctors on site but we do pay an annual fee for that convenience as part of the facility.

[JFKvsNixon 11]

No it not.

 

If people who have entered this country to live cannot be bothered to learn basic English why should the tax payer pick up the tab for their laziness. ?

 

So do you believe that basic English is enough to understand legal/medical documents and phraseology?

[rossyrooney 12]

I have had to pay for a translator when needing medical care on holiday in Spain, many years ago.

 

I travel to Bulgaria for my holidays but my Bulgarian is very basic. I can read and write enough to use an translation dictionary. I would put effort into being fluent if I was to spend any significant amount of time there though. We have to pay for translation services when buying property or completing legal documents etc, I wouldn't expect it to be given for free. Ater all, who works for nothing?

 

I would always withhold the travel insurance and try to use whatever they call the EU reciprocal medical agreement certificate. I am told that they run up a bill if they know its an insurance job.

 

In our holiday complex we are lucky enough to have English speaking doctors on site but we do pay an annual fee for that convenience as part of the facility.

 

There's a programme currently being shown called Benidorm ER., it shows a private hospital where foreign holidaymakers who are ill or injured are taken to be treated.

After making sure the patients have insurance they submit them to every test it is possible to have and then invariably admit them overnight to await the results.

The bills put in to the insurance companies must be huge.

[spilldig 189]

Are you on this planet?

 

Thousands of brits flock over to Thailand, Africa, Europe for 6m, 12m gap years without learning the language. They get into trouble and have to rely upon the local authorities to sort them out. They expect and demand documents and translators to be in English. Just look at some of these wonderful human interest documentaries and reality shows. No insurance. Little money. Drunken behaviour and then leaving it to the local authorities to sort them out.

 

There are loads of expats living in their summer holiday homes with a very weak grasp of the local language. They resort to the SLOW SHOUTING AND POINTING methods of communication. There are specialist firms in law and finance who target the brit abroad to provide services in their language without having to deal with those dirty locals.

 

Just as we have thousands of foreign students over here. We have thousands of ours going elsewhere to study in the far east and Africa. Do you really they all have a understanding of the language or do you suppose they get translation and interpretation help?

 

It works both ways and despite the Sheffield Star trying to make a mountain out of molehill. The costs of translation is piffle compared to some other aspects of budget allocation. I bet they spent more on biscuits and fancy hospitality dinners than they do on translation services each years.

 

If they want to do it then that's up to them, but I don't want my taxes/rates going on that here, and they should also stop the gravy train you mentioned as well.

[Dannyno 19]

No it not.

 

If people who have entered this country to live cannot be bothered to learn basic English why should the tax payer pick up the tab for their laziness. ?

 

Well now. Shall we think about this for a moment?

 

I'm in favour of people learning English, in their own interests, and in the interests of society. I don't think everything should be translated, because a) it's really expensive, and b) it would take away an incentive to learn. But I think important information could be translated: about democracy, about crucial rules and regulations, about health, and so on. I also think that if a child of parents whose first language isn't English needs some help and they have trouble understanding, then it's a good idea to have a translator on hand.

 

I expect you can think of other reasons why translation should be available, when it's in everyone's interests.

 

I'm also curious about this notion that people who come to live here deliberately refuse to learn English because .... well why? That makes their life easier? There might be some people like that, but not the vast majority.

 

Isn't a more likely scenario that someone has English as a second language and can indeed communicate and understand basic English, but might need help with more complex official language, health information, and things like that?

 

I'm also interested in the idea that an immigrant is not going to be a tax payer.

 

I'm in favour of promoting integration, not isolation and separatism. That's why I think translation should be available - not for everything, but for crucial things. I think that's in the interests of society as a whole.

 

---------- Post added 21-02-2015 at 22:41 ----------

 

Dannyno. Take your hi-viz jacket off, put your clip board and official local government pen down and have a cup of tea.

 

I've read this a couple of times now, but I've failed to discover any coherent thought or idea or argument in it. There is some sort of notion that I work for local government, which I don't.

 

I wonder if GLASGOWOODS has misunderstood my post? Do you think we should translate all our posts into several languages, to help people like them?

[Narden Dee 10]

Well now. Shall we think about this for a moment?

 

I'm in favour of people learning English, in their own interests, and in the interests of society. I don't think everything should be translated, because a) it's really expensive, and b) it would take away an incentive to learn. But I think important information could be translated: about democracy, about crucial rules and regulations, about health, and so on. I also think that if a child of parents whose first language isn't English needs some help and they have trouble understanding, then it's a good idea to have a translator on hand.

 

I expect you can think of other reasons why translation should be available, when it's in everyone's interests.

 

I'm also curious about this notion that people who come to live here deliberately refuse to learn English because .... well why? That makes their life easier? There might be some people like that, but not the vast majority.

 

Isn't a more likely scenario that someone has English as a second language and can indeed communicate and understand basic English, but might need help with more complex official language, health information, and things like that?

 

I'm also interested in the idea that an immigrant is not going to be a tax payer.

 

I'm in favour of promoting integration, not isolation and separatism. That's why I think translation should be available - not for everything, but for crucial things. I think that's in the interests of society as a whole.

 

---------- Post added 21-02-2015 at 22:41 ----------

 

 

I've read this a couple of times now, but I've failed to discover any coherent thought or idea or argument in it. There is some sort of notion that I work for local government, which I don't.

 

I wonder if GLASGOWOODS has misunderstood my post? Do you think we should translate all our posts into several languages, to help people like them?

its similar to Moores Law i call it

Sheffield Forum Law -

whereby anyone who brings a reasoned argument into a SCC bashing thread (see also threads about buses and their drivers, police, ) and it seems you may have a viewpoint that is diametrically opposed to the OPs viewpoint then you are there by employed by the company (SCC, First, Stagecoach etc etc ) and as such your opinion is unworthy.

[Blackbeard 10]

I have lived and worked all over the world including Europe and North America and I can assure you none of these countries use English as we know it. In Europe I can converse socially in most languages but if I had join in a medical, legal or even political conversations I would be totally out of my depth.

[sheff71 10]

Sheffield council has blown £700K on translation in the last 3 years.

 

Over £555K was spent on translators and over £131K wasted on translating documents into 44 different languages , yes you read it right FORTY FOUR different languages .

 

The full list of languages which documents were translated into is Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Bulgarian, Burmese, Cantonese, Chinese, Czech, Dari, English, Farsi, French, Hungarian, Italian, Karen, Kinyarwanda, Korean, Kurdish, Kurdish Sorani, Lingala, Lithuanian, Mandarin, Nepali, Oromo, Pashto, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Pustu, Roma, Romani Gypsey, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Slovak Roma, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Thai, Tigrinya, Turkish, Urdu and Vietnamese.

 

Am i the only one who thinks people should have to pass a basic English speaking test before they are allowed into the country, because translating something into 44 languages is a joke ,and an expensive one at that .

 

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/sheffield-council-blasted-for-spending-700-000-on-translation-1-7111386

 

If someone is coming from another country and a different language to live here, the responsibility should be on them to learn enough basic English to cope with everyday life for when they arrive here - and perhaps have some online documentation/courses available where they can get further assistance (provided from central government rather than the councils) - if it is for more detailed legal translation, it should be at their own expense - and there is no need for printing off thousands of leaflets when pretty much anyone should be capable of accessing basic internet sites.

 

It is not beyond the ability of the government to decide which languages should require translation, and then them provide suitable online courses where those with only a basic grasp of English can learn at their pace the English language...

 

The list of languages listed there is just far too many, it would be interesting to know how many people in Sheffield speak each of those languages (e.g. over 50k, over a thousand, under a hundred etc)- and if they do feel they have to provide some translation services, limit it to the most popular 20 or so...

[GLASGOWOODS 10]

Well now. Shall we think about this for a moment?

 

I'm in favour of people learning English, in their own interests, and in the interests of society. I don't think everything should be translated, because a) it's really expensive, and b) it would take away an incentive to learn. But I think important information could be translated: about democracy, about crucial rules and regulations, about health, and so on. I also think that if a child of parents whose first language isn't English needs some help and they have trouble understanding, then it's a good idea to have a translator on hand.

 

I expect you can think of other reasons why translation should be available, when it's in everyone's interests.

 

I'm also curious about this notion that people who come to live here deliberately refuse to learn English because .... well why? That makes their life easier? There might be some people like that, but not the vast majority.

 

Isn't a more likely scenario that someone has English as a second language and can indeed communicate and understand basic English, but might need help with more complex official language, health information, and things like that?

 

I'm also interested in the idea that an immigrant is not going to be a tax payer.

 

I'm in favour of promoting integration, not isolation and separatism. That's why I think translation should be available - not for everything, but for crucial things. I think that's in the interests of society as a whole.

 

---------- Post added 21-02-2015 at 22:41 ----------

 

 

I've read this a couple of times now, but I've failed to discover any coherent thought or idea or argument in it. There is some sort of notion that I work for local government, which I don't.

 

I wonder if GLASGOWOODS has misunderstood my post? Do you think we should translate all our posts into several languages, to help people like them?

 

My post is "tongue in cheek" Even serious arguments can benefit from a bit of humour.

 

Anyhow, translators should be used for lifes serious issues (as you say) but councils are notorious for over-egging things. Adding their own layers of bureaucracy/red tape and a total waste of time and tax-payers cash.

 

---------- Post added 22-02-2015 at 08:36 ----------

 

its similar to Moores Law i call it

Sheffield Forum Law -

whereby anyone who brings a reasoned argument into a SCC bashing thread (see also threads about buses and their drivers, police, ) and it seems you may have a viewpoint that is diametrically opposed to the OPs viewpoint then you are there by employed by the company (SCC, First, Stagecoach etc etc ) and as such your opinion is unworthy.

 

Don't forget the "SF sense of humour bypass law" Narden Dee.

Edited February 22, 2015 by GLASGOWOODS

[bowie1867 10]

Do you have a basic grasp of foreign languages when you go on holiday or do you just berate the locals loudly for not speaking English?

 

Holidays are usually for two weeks tops plus you dont go there to scrounge or use an interpreter, what a stupid thing to say:loopy: