Archives for March 2021

Differences between Finland Swedish and Standard Swedish

30.3.2021 by Delingua

Swedish has been spoken in Finland for centuries and, over time, it has developed into a variant called Finland Swedish, or Finnish-Swedish or Fenno-Swedish. Finland Swedish is most commonly spoken on the coast of Ostrobothnia, in the Åland Islands, in the Turku archipelago and in Uusimaa. The main differences between Finland Swedish and Standard Swedish are to do with pronunciation, but there are also some words and phrases that only exist in Finland Swedish. This sometimes leads to discussion of the possibility that Finland Swedish should be regarded as a language of its own. However, as speakers of Finland Swedish and Standard Swedish understand one another, Finland Swedish has not been categorised as a separate language but as one of the variants of Swedish. In fact, one of the goals of the custodians of Finland Swedish is to ensure that the Swedish spoken in Finland retains the features it shares with Standard Swedish.

Pronunciation

The major differences between Finland Swedish and Standard Swedish are to do with pronunciation. It only takes a few words to notice whether a person is speaking Finland Swedish or Standard Swedish. Finland Swedish is pronounced very much like Finnish, whereas Standard Swedish is much more melodic. However, it is important to remember that the pronunciation of Standard Swedish also varies between different regions of Sweden, and there are also different dialects of Finland Swedish.

One of the most obvious differences is that Swedish-speaking Finns usually pronounce all the letters of a word, while Swedes have a habit of merging the sounds. For example, this is evident in a word like djur (‘animal’). Swedish-speaking Finns pronounce it [dju:r], whereas Swedes pronounce it [ju:r].

Sentence construction

The Finnish language also affects the sentence structure of Finland Swedish, even though the grammar is almost identical. The impact of Finnish is particularly evident in the use of prepositions. The Finnish language uses grammatical cases instead of prepositions, which is why bilingual Swedish-speaking Finns in particular may have a hard time with Swedish prepositions.

For example, the Swedish från (‘from’) is replaced in Finnish by the suffix -sta or -stä, and the Swedish i (‘in’) is replaced by -ssa or -ssä. Therefore, where Finnish speakers would say ostaa kaupasta (‘buy from the store’), it would not translate into the Swedish köpa från en affär, but köpa på en affär. However, some ‘incorrect’ expressions are accepted in Finland Swedish. For example, vahingossa (‘by mistake’, which directly translates as ‘in mistake’) is av misstag in Standard Swedish, but Finland Swedish also accepts i misstag.

Finlandisms

Finlandisms are words and expressions only used in Finland Swedish. They reflect Finnish society and culture and may not have an equivalent term in Standard Swedish. Words not found in Standard Swedish include samkommun=kuntayhtymä (‘local government regional authority’), abiturient=abiturientti (‘candidate for the matriculation examination’) and medborgarinstitut= kansalaisopisto (‘adult education centre’). Finlandisms are an easy way to spot Finland Swedish. The table presents other Finlandisms with their counterparts in Standard Swedish. However, Finlandisms do not mean that the equivalent Standard Swedish term could not be used by a Swedish-speaking Finn.

Transcription: audio recordings to text

24.3.2021 by Katja Virtanen

Subtitles are familiar to most people when they are on the television. A practice that is not so well-know for many is transcribing, which means decoding recorded sound to text. According to the requirements of the Accessibility Act, the information provided in recordings must also be available in a text format, which in practice means that both subtitling and transcribing are becoming more common.

When is transcribing needed?

Transcribing is used, for example, for recording court, meeting and interview recordings in text format. On the other hand, the Act on the Provision of Digital Services, which is based on the Accessibility Act that is in force in Finland, requires that all audio and digital content published by public operators or publicly funded projects be accessible, i.e. they must also be provided in a text form. Therefore, text equivalents are transcribed nowadays for, for example, videos and podcasts.

Transcription means more than just typing something into a text format. Sometimes what is said is more essential than how something is said. This is why it is important to agree on the objective and intended use of the transcription before starting a project and ordering a transcription.

Accuracy of transcription

The most common form of transcription is clean verbatim transcription. In clean verbatim transcription, everything that is irrelevant to the end result, such as possible filler words (like, uh), unnecessary sounds or extra repetitions are omitted from the result of the transcription, i.e. the transcript. Of course, these must be included if they are important for the objective of the transcription, such as a laugh to indicate that the speaker is not being very serious. An example of clean verbatim transcription could be the conversion of a standard recorded interview into a text format.

So-called full verbatim transcription differs from clean verbatim transcription. In full verbatim transcription, all filler words, background noises (doorbell, coughing) and non-verbal communication are recorded in the transcript. Full verbatim transcription is especially necessary when, in addition to speech, one wants to record all possible reactions and expressions. Examples of such situations include psychological or market researches.

Transcription into spoken or standard language?

If spoken language is used in the original audio recording, the transcription is usually also done in spoken language. Even if it would be a case of clean verbatim transcription and the filler words in the speech being omitted, the words and characteristics typical for the spoken language are still present. For example, podcasts are often transcribed in spoken language.

It is a case of transcription in standard language when the speech is changed into a standard, literary form. So, the speech is tidied up a bit by, for example, changing the dialect and slang words from the text equivalent to a standard language form and by omitting sounds and generally everything that is not related to the subject matter. Attention is also paid to grammatical correctness, such as punctuation. This will make the text easier to work with. Transcriptions in standard language can be seen especially in the minutes of meetings and in research interviews. Then, the common thing for the transcriptions is the fact that the most important thing is the content, not the way of speaking.

Speech recognition and transcription

Speech recognition technology is constantly evolving, and the software are understanding Finnish better every day. Therefore, if there is a lot of material to be transcribed, it is probably worth using speech recognition as part of the transcription process.

First, the speech is converted into raw text by the speech recognition software and after that it is edited. Editing is usually necessary because speech recognition may not recognise all words, especially those in spoken language. Similarly, the speech recognition software encounters difficulties if the speakers are speaking simultaneously, articulating poorly or speaking very fast, and words spoken in a language other than the main language of the recording do not usually convert correctly.

Translated transcription

Sometimes the transcription is needed in a language other than the original language. The transcribed material can be translated into another language or, if only a translation is required, the recording to be transcribed can be translated directly upon decoding. In a case like this, the term translated transcription is usually used.

Translated transcription is especially necessary when the transcribed material is processed in a different language. An example of this could be the processing of a market research discussion conducted in Finland in a foreign parent company. The parent company is unlikely to be interested in listening to a discussion in Finnish or reading a text in Finnish, but they want information about the participants’ reactions and opinions translated into the language they understand.

How much does transcribing cost?

The pricing of transcribing is influenced by a number of factors, such as the method of transcribing, the quality and format of the recording as well as the number of speakers. Based on these, a cost estimate is given for the transcription, which is based either on the time spent on the work or the amount of material (the duration of the recording). In addition, how quickly the transcription is needed naturally plays a part.

According to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, audio and video recordings must be made accessible. Sometimes, transcribing is probably the only way to do this (a podcast), and sometimes the text equivalent can be taken care of, for example, with subtitles (a video). Because transcriptions are not timed to videos like subtitles, producing transcriptions is often cheaper than subtitling a video, even if the usability would then suffer.

How to Small Talk – Five Tips for Finns

18.3.2021 by Delingua

You just heard from your boss that you’ve been chosen to attend an international meeting in Madrid. You’re immediately flattered and excited about the opportunity. However, once the initial excitement passes, you start to think about it a bit more. A slight fear starts to creep in. You begin to realise that, while you are there, you’ll have to speak with people you barely know about topics other than business. You’ll have to be polite and social even though you know you won’t feel like being either. In short, you’ll have to do the thing that Finns dread most: You’ll have to small talk. 

Finns and Small Talk 

Here’s the good news: You are probably much better at it than you think. There’s a commonly held view that Finns don’t small talk, but this is largely untrue. Finns, just like people everywhere else, do talk about the weather, they also talk about sports, their minor illnesses, and their pets. The difference with Finns, however, is they find it entirely acceptable not to small talk, and many choose this option. In Finnish culture, you will not be considered impolite or boring if you opt out of a small, meaningless conversation. In English-speaking culture, the opposite is true, and that’s why small talk is important. 

Personally, I admire the Finnish way of doing it, although it took me about fifteen years of living here to reach that point. Your international colleagues, with their limited knowledge of Finnish culture, might be less appreciative. To them, you might come across as impolite, standoffish and perhaps a little bit dull. That’s not who you are, but how are they supposed to know? 

As painful as it may seem, small talk is an essential English language skill you must develop. You must find a way of getting out of the Finnish way of thinking (giving people space, not intruding on others’ privacy, keeping it meaningful) and getting into the English way of thinking (being social, showing you’re interested, establishing a connection). If you think of it as theatre, you have embraced the role of the social, friendly small-talker. 

Five Small Talk Tips 

With this in mind, I have developed five tips that Finns should follow when they find themselves in situations that require small talk. 

1. Don’t say “Nothing special”

Finns love to say ”Nothing special”. It’s the default response to too many ‘What’ questions. What your English teachers at school didn’t tell you is that ”Nothing special” is just about the worst response you can give. It’s the ultimate conversation killer. It sends a signal to the other person that you’re not interested in carrying on with the conversation. It might also lead them to suspect that you don’t have anything interesting to say. You can be fairly certain that they won’t think you are some kind of deep thinker who is simply not interested in trivial conversation. It almost always leaves a negative impression. 

Compare these two short dialogues: 

a) ”What did you do during your holiday?” 

”Well, I spent most of my time at the summer cottage. I also took a lot of day trips.” 

b) ”What did you do during your holiday?” 

”Nothing special.” 

Example b) gives the person you are talking to no place to go. You are stuck at the dull, grey, dead end of a conversation. An awkward silence is sure to follow as your speaking partner frantically tries to find a way to keep the conversation going or, more likely, leave it altogether. Example a), on the other hand, is more like a highway to further conversation. It gives your speaking partner alternatives for what to say next. This leads us nicely into tip number two. 

2. Respond in such a way that the conversation can move forward 

In the example above (not the nasty, no-good ”Nothing special” one), you have succeeded in your role as a master small-talker. Your speaking partner can then process what you said and, with only a small amount of effort, keep the conversation moving forward. This is usually done in the form of a question (“Oh, I didn’t know you had a summer cottage. Whereabouts in Finland is it?”) or a statement that you can then respond to (“You’re lucky to have a summer cottage. I’d love to have my own one day.”).  

Now the conversation moves back to you, and it’s your turn to try to keep it moving forward (“It’s in Kuusamo. Have you ever been there?”). And on you go. Once you’re able to master this important skill, most small talk just flows naturally. 

3. Try to gauge what your speaking partner is interested in, and steer the conversation in that direction 

No-brainer statement of the century: People enjoy talking about things that they are interested in. An essential small talk skill is the ability to recognise what the other person is interested in and steer the conversation in that direction. Three safe and neutral topics that people enjoy talking about are: their hobbies, their families/kids, and their pets. 

Look at this example: 

”It looks like spring is finally here.” 

”Yes, that’s true. No more walking the dog in the cold and windy weather.” 

”Oh, you have a dog? What breed?” 

You did a good job by starting the conversation with a safe topic (the weather). The person you are talking to did a good job by answering in such a way that you could respond (“No more walking the dog in the cold and windy weather.”) And you, because you’re awesome at this, did yet more good work by recognizing that your speaking partner probably enjoys talking about their dog and you steered the conversation in that direction. 

4. If you are struggling for a small talk topic, talk about your immediate surroundings 

Even native English speakers sometimes struggle to initiate small talk. A very effective way to overcome this is by saying something about your immediate surroundings, which will then, hopefully, spark the conversation. Here are some examples: 

”This is a beautiful place, isn’t it?” 

”I didn’t expect so many people to be here, did you?” 

”I’m trying to decide if I like that painting or not. What do you think about it?” 

”It’s a nice view from here, isn’t it?” 

You get the idea.  

5. When you want to leave the conversation, do so politely 

Thankfully, small talk can’t go on forever. If you want to or have to leave the conversation, a good phrase to have ready is ”Sorry, I have to…” (e.g. “Sorry, I have to get something to eat. I haven’t eaten all day.“ or “Sorry, I have to use the bathroom.”). Extra bonus points are given if you can tack on something nice like ”It was nice talking with you.“ or ”Thanks for the interesting conversation.“ or ”I really enjoyed talking to you about…“ before leaving the person (e.g. ”Sorry, I have to use the bathroom, but thanks for the interesting conversation.”). 

Small talk, just like grammar, reading comprehension or building your vocabulary, is an important language skill that needs to be practised and developed. The most challenging aspect for Finns is to temporarily rid themselves of their Finnish mindset and get into the English speaker way of doing things. Most Finns, despite the widespread myth that they can’t, already have the ability to small talk. The most important thing is to get past your inhibitions, put these tips into practice, and have faith in your abilities. If you do that, your business trip to Madrid, or anywhere else where you have to speak English, will be a lot more enjoyable and stress-free. And who knows, maybe people will even be impressed by your small talk skills. 

Writer: Kevin Hanley (professional English language trainer)

Linguistically accessible content

12.3.2021 by Katja Virtanen

Accessibility means that everyone has equal access to a service. As traditional services increasingly go online, accessibility has become even more important. For this reason, the EU introduced the Accessibility Directive. In Finland, its requirements are included in the Act on the Provision of Digital Services.

The Act on the Provision of Digital Services applies to the public sector and certain private companies. Digital services offered by them must meet the accessibility requirements. For instance, it must be possible to access the online service with as many different devices and browsers as possible, also by means of assistive devices, if necessary. An accessible service must also have comprehensible content and be easy to grasp.

Clear standard language

Even if technically accessible, a website is not entirely accessible if its content is difficult to understand. The text may be unnecessarily difficult to read or written in a wrong language. Online services must also be linguistically accessible.

The easiest way to produce linguistically accessible content is to write it in clear standard language, that is, in easily understandable language without jargon. Clear language is not the same thing as plain language, which is language where the structure and the vocabulary have been adapted to make it easier than standard language. The content and the target group are decisive factors in determining if clear standard language is enough or if plain language is needed.

Accessibility benefits everyone

Although the Act on the Provision of Digital Services mainly applies to public online services, accessibility also benefits other digital service providers. Issues such as the equal treatment of customers, a better user experience and access to a wider market should interest all companies and organisations.

By 2025, the EU’s Accessibility Directive will extend to private companies in certain sectors, such as online stores and audiovisual services. Accessibility is becoming the norm, which is why every online company should plan its digital services to be accessible – both technically and linguistically.

What can companies do?

What accessibility actually refers to is a digital service’s ease of use, which every company and organisation should naturally aim to achieve. A website is easy to use when there are no technical challenges and the content is easy to understand.

Companies publishing audio and video content should already ensure accessibility. It is a good idea to subtitle videos even if the law does not require it yet because many people watch videos without sound. Adding translated subtitles to a video makes it even more accessible and capable of reaching a wider customer base. In audio recordings, such as podcasts, accessibility could be improved by transcribing them as written text.

When are translations needed?

At the moment, accessibility requirements do not require videos to be subtitled in other languages. In other words, the guidelines mandate that a Finnish video is subtitled in Finnish, a Swedish video in Swedish and so on. However, it is a user-friendly choice to provide translated subtitles, especially if subtitling can be turned off.

Having the content translated strengthens the multicultural dimension of accessibility. Services must also be accessible to those who speak a language other than the language in which the content was originally published. In Finland, public services are designed for speakers of Finnish or Swedish; however, in the light of accessibility, there is an increasing need to reach immigrants as well.

According to a study conducted in 2020 by translation and localisation market research company Common Sense Advisory, 40% of consumers will never buy from foreign-language websites and 65% of buyers prefer content published in their native language. So, the question is: Can companies any longer afford monolingualism or the over-estimation of their customers’ language skills, even if they are not yet subject to the Accessibility Directive?

Archives for March 2021

Pronunciation

Sentence construction

Finlandisms

When is transcribing needed?

Accuracy of transcription

Transcription into spoken or standard language?

Speech recognition and transcription

Translated transcription

How much does transcribing cost?

Finns and Small Talk

Five Small Talk Tips

1. Don’t say “Nothing special”

2. Respond in such a way that the conversation can move forward

3. Try to gauge what your speaking partner is interested in, and steer the conversation in that direction

4. If you are struggling for a small talk topic, talk about your immediate surroundings

5. When you want to leave the conversation, do so politely

Clear standard language

Accessibility benefits everyone

What can companies do?

When are translations needed?

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Finns and Small Talk 

Five Small Talk Tips 

2. Respond in such a way that the conversation can move forward 

3. Try to gauge what your speaking partner is interested in, and steer the conversation in that direction 

4. If you are struggling for a small talk topic, talk about your immediate surroundings 

5. When you want to leave the conversation, do so politely 