Here’s a great publicity stunt that will no doubt educate as well as promote. I bet most Americans don’t know where the tiny Faroe Islands are located. The Faroes are made up of 18 islands in the North Atlantic, near the Shetlands, Iceland and Norway. Since the Faroes have their own language (Faroese) and Google Translate doesn’t have it listed, they decided to create their very own Faroe Islands Translate.
This website allows visitors to fully immerse in the Faroes’s unique traditional culture by learning a few phrases in Faroese. With the help of locals who will translate live by video, Faroe Islands Translate will provide a free online service for those visiting the destination or anyone around the world curious to learn a little of this unusual language. Involving citizens from sheep farmers to school teachers, chefs to social workers, the initiative provides an opportunity to see the friendly Faroese before visiting, and to gain a window into their magical world.
Guðrun is one local person who has volunteered to help. A hairdresser by day, Guðrun will be on hand to help translate words and phrases sent in by people all around the world. Guðrun’s favorite Faroese phrase is “um tær ikki dámar veðrið, bíða so bara í 5 minuttir,” which means “if you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes.”
When you visit the new website, and typing the words to be translated into the Faroe Islands Translate search box, the translation will be made by a local volunteer like Guðrun. A video with the translation will be sent back so that people will not only be able to learn the words in Faroese but also see a local speaking the language.
Last year, the Faroese petitioned Google to be featured on Google Streetview by creating their own version, using cameras mounted on the backs of sheep. Calling it Sheepview, the campaign gained worldwide interest, reaching the attention of the tech giant and eventually succeeding in its goal.
