Slides from the hour-long webinar on tablet interpreting presented by Alexander Drechsel and Josh Goldsmith for International Translation Day 2016. Webinar presented as part of the Proz International Translation Day Conference, September 28-30, 2016

1. Tablet Interpreting
Tips, tools and applications to make
the most of your tablet while
interpreting
#tab1nt
Alexander Drechsel Josh Goldsmith
alex@adrechsel.de jg@joshgoldsmith.com
@tabterp @Goldsmith_Josh

2. #tab1nt
Ask questions and share
your experience on social media:

3. Introductions
Josh Goldsmith
● EU-accredited conference
interpreter based in Geneva
● PhD candidate focusing on
interpreting, technology and
education
● Lover of all things tech
Alexander Drechsel
● Staff interpreter at European
Commission in Brussels
● Tablet nerd
● Writes about interpreting
● Podcaster (LangFM, The
Troublesome Terps)

4. What we’ll cover
● Overview of tablet market: hardware/software
● Styluses and accessories
● What to look for when buying an application / tablet / stylus
● Preparation and file management
● Using tablets for consecutive
● Using tablets in the booth
● Further reading and other resources
● Q&A

5. Learning objectives
● Gain an overview of tablet hardware, software and accessories
● Learn strategies for tablet use during preparation, consecutive and
simultaneous
● Learn about leading applications for tablet interpreting
● See a demonstration of how to use a tablet for consecutive
● Walk away with additional resources to learn more

6. Market overview

7. Apple iPad
● Introduced in 2010
● Pros & cons of “Apple-only”
● 7.9” - Mini
● 9.7” - Air 2 / Pro
● 12.9” - Pro
● Wifi / 4G
● ~ 1 million tablet apps
● Multitasking
● Security

8. Android
● Google operating system
● Open source
● Manufacturers: Samsung, Asus,
Lenovo, HTC, Dell
● Promising: Lenovo Yoga Book
● Variety of sizes and form factors
● Weak on tablet-specific apps
● Issue of (security) updates (“Nexus”)
● Chromebooks with Android support

9. Windows
● Windows 10
● "The tablet that can replace your
laptop"
● Microsoft Surface, 3rd-party
manufacturers (sizes/form factors)
● Full desktop OS, few
touch-optimised apps
● Full multitasking
● Privacy issues

10. Styluses and accessories
for tablet interpreting

11. Styluses
Active:
● Battery-powered
● Usually connect via Bluetooth
● Device can differentiate between stylus
and finger; interpreter can rest palm on
screen
● Device manufacturers provide tightest
integration: Apple Pencil (iPad Pro),
Samsung S-Pen (Note devices)
● Examples: Pencil by FiftyThree, Wacom
Intuos Creative, Adonit JotScript 2
Passive:
● Simulates a finger
● No battery required
● Sometimes combined with applications
that offer palm rejection
● Sometimes offer a programmable
button (undo, redo, erase, change ink
color, etc.)
● Examples: Bamboo CS series, Cosmonaut
by Studio Neat, Maglus

12. Other accessories for tablet interpreting
External battery
Charger and charging cables
External keyboard
Devices to integrate USB/SD card storage (RavPower)

13. What to look for when buying
a tablet, application or stylus

14. Features to consider when buying a tablet

15. Features to consider when buying an app (consec)

16. Features to consider when buying a stylus

17. File management and preparation

18. Readdle Documents
Infolio
Scanbot, Scanner Plus
Adobe Acrobat Reader
Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote - free for basic use)
iPad

19. Adobe Acrobat Reader
Clean File Manager
Scanbot, CamScanner
Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint - free for basic use)
Google Docs/Sheets/Slides
WPS Office (file management + office)
Android

20. Using tablets for consecutive

21. Note-taking recommendations (based on Gillies 2005)
Notepad should:
● Be large enough for clear notes, yet
small enough to carry around
● Have plain pages, faint grid lines, or
margin line
● Be bound, so pages turn easily and
never get lost
● Have a firm back, so you can take
notes while standing up
This is all possible with tablets!
Notes should be:
● Taken vertically
● Organized into chunks; completed
chunks should be marked
● Written on only one side of the paper
Writing utensil should:
● Write quickly
● Not smudge

22. Demo:
Consecutive tablet interpreting

23. Recommended note-taking apps
iPad:
Noteshelf
Notability
Android:
Bamboo Paper
Squid (formerly Papyrus)

24. Pros and cons of tablet interpreting (1)
Technical advantages Technical disadvantages
Access to reference materials Battery life
Button with extra features in stylus Crashes
Cloud backup and accessibility Inadvertently hit menu buttons?
Cut and paste Multiple cables needed
Email, print and embed notes Need to prepare equipment
Eraser
Internet connectivity
Password protection
Split screen
Unlimited ink and paper
Excerpted from Goldsmith & Holley (2015)

25. Pros and cons of tablet interpreting (2)
Visual advantages Visual disadvantages
Custom paper Difficult to find place when scrolling
Multiple ink colors + pen styles Hard to see in some conditions
Variety of paper types Inaccurate / imprecise writing
Vertical scrolling Stray marks
Zoom (increase writing size)
Zoom (see multiple pages at once)
Physical advantages Physical disadvantages
Less cumbersome Cumbersome when standing, moving
Lightweight and small Different writing positions
Excerpted from Goldsmith & Holley (2015)

26. Pros and cons of tablet interpreting (3)
Client relations - advantages Client relations - disadvantages
Impresses clients Confidentiality concerns
Sets interpreter aside as memorable Clients mistrust/unfamiliar with technology
Looks more professional Clients fear interpreter unfocused/cheating
Less noticeable page turns
Quieter than paper
Other advantages Other disadvantages
Environmentally friendly Additional stress (fear of crashing/breaking)
Facilitates preparation Cost + learning curve
Store + organize notes Possible distraction
Excerpted from Goldsmith & Holley (2015)

27. Using tablets in the booth

28. Terminology and glossaries
Excel/Word
Google Sheets for collaborative glossary-building
Interplex
Interpreters’ Help

29. Dictionaries and reference materials
Linguee
WordReference
IATE
WikiLinks

30. Further reading and other resources

31. Further reading
The Tablet Interpreter manual: http://www.tabletinterpreter.eu
Consecutive 2.0: How to use your tablet for consecutive interpreting
Goldsmith, J. & Holley, J. (2015). “Consecutive interpreting 2.0: The tablet interpreting experience.”
Unpublished MA thesis, University of Geneva.
Drechsel, A. & Goldsmith, J. (forthcoming). Tablet Interpreting: The evolution and uses of mobile devices in
interpreting. In H. Lee-Jahnke (Ed.), CIUTI-Forum 2016. Bern, Switzerland: Peter Lang.
Wagener, L. (2014). “Conference Preparation 2.0” aiic.net. Retrieved from
http://aiic.net/page/6650/conference-preparation-2-0/lang/1
Costa, Hernani, Corpas Pastor, Gloria & Durán Muñoz, Isabel (2014): “A Comparative User Evaluation of
Terminology Management Tools for Interpreters”, in: Proceedings of the 4th International Workshop on
Computational Terminology, pp. 68–76. Retrieved from http://www.aclweb.org/anthology/W14-4809.

32. Other resources for productivity, freelancing and
security
Tunnelbear and Cloak - use public WiFi safely with VPN technology
Freshbooks - online client management and invoicing
Toggl + Hours - time-tracking apps

33. Your feedback on this webinar:
http://bit.ly/ProzTabTerpWebinar

34. Thank you!
Josh Goldsmith
Joshua.Goldsmith@unige.ch
jg@joshgoldsmith.com
@Goldsmith_Josh
Alex Drechsel
alex@adrechsel.de
@tabterp

35. Questions & Answers