If you are from the Middle East, please read!

[Jeff Mottle]

Hi everyone,

 

 

I would like to ask for your feedback on something, and your help is greatly appreciated. As some of you may know, CGarchitect has partnered with 3DATS to conduct a 3D training workshop in Dubai from 30 May to June 4th www.3dats.com/dubai. A very important decision that we are trying to make, and one that could make or break our event, is whether or not it would be worthwhile to have the classes translated into Arabic in realtime. We have found professional translators who can sit beside the instructors and translate the classes to the students. We need to make a decision in the next two days.

 

 

We have only asked a few people up to this point, but the feedback is conflicting. Some of the things we have heard are:

• Translating the classes would be a great idea because as much as 80% of those in the Middle East do not speak English well enough to take a class in English. Providing the classes in Arabic could greatly expand the number of students that would enroll.
  
• English is used as the favorite medium of communication in the majority of trade and commerce activities and most in the architectural business speak English well enough to take a class.
  
• Most of the architects speak English well enough, but some of the younger draftsman who would be sent to an Arabic class would not speak English well enough.
  
• Take a cue from most of the professional magazines in the region, which are predominantly English based.
  

It would be invaluable to us to hear from a larger group of people, so that we can make the right decision. What we are asking those of you in the Middle East is, would bringing translators be a good thing or simply a waste of money? Please do not base your opinion on your own ability to speak English but rather what you know of your peers in the region.

 

Thanks again. Your time is greatly appreciated.

Edited February 17, 2009 by Jeff Mottle

[amer abidi]

Hey Jeff,

 

I'd say more than 90% of Autodesk software users in this area of the world are Bilingual and know at least enough english to navigate through the software, but you might face some difficulty with a few students when explaining advanced concepts, such as radiosity and irradiance maps for example, which do not have an arabic definition so to speak.

 

I would say give the classes in English (since the software interface is in english anyway), and have a standby translator available for those who might need assistance. Having the whole thing translated real time might actually be annoying for most present!

 

Besides, translators are readily available and are relatively quiet cheap, so i'd say have standby translation, not real time.

 

PS, if anything have indian translators as well, since a big slice of the younger IT workforce in Dubai are indian.

[anvaraziz]

hi jeff,

 

An Arabic translator is not needed at all. English is the main medium of communication here couse of multicultural workforce, moslty from Europe, South Asia and Philippines. sure there will be peoples attending from other middle east countries like Iran,Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. most of them can communicate very well in English . i been to past Autodesk events n never seen anybody from crowd standing up and asking for a translation

 

n hey BTW the course fees scares me from attending .. r they gonna sell there books over there,, i like to buy the last 2 editions directly..

 

regards.

[ihabkal]

From my experience working here in the Middle East, people are offended if you suggest they don't speak English, but....................

In the many years I have worked here not one client, out of 50 or 60 Mideastern clients I have had, e-mailed me any changes in English. The manager of the biggest arch firm here (not mentioning his name) told me he doesn't use e-mail. I analysed this and came out with this: they are afraid to show how much they don't know the language so they don't e-mail and rely on you coming over or calling to get changes.

 

So bring a translator, but beware of different accents, dialects.... I am Arabic, I understand Egyptians because we grew up watching Egyptian movies. But I lived in Egypt for a year and they have different meanings for the same Arabic words, up to a point that an innocent Lebanese Arabic word is for Egyptians a curse word. I can't understand half of what Saudis and Emiratees say too. so get an "original Arabic" translator and hope attendees still remember it.

[Brian Smith]

n hey BTW the course fees scares me from attending .. r they gonna sell there books over there,, i like to buy the last 2 editions directly..

 

regards.

 

there is a reason for the price structure shown. it gives us room to provide really inviting discounts in unique ways. for example, there will be a really cool announcement on Sunday that will allow students to receive up to 50% off the advertised price. Combined with things like a free book (valued at $99.95 for the Expert edition), free party, private forum, etc, it should become a more attractive offer. If you are interested, check back on Sunday for the news release on the CGA homepage.

 

Thanks for the feedback too.