Language ability is a unique human trait, and it is indispensable throughout the human life cycle. Blockchain on the other hand, is an innovation that will transform production relationships, change collaboration models and distribution of benefits between people. Language and blockchain seem to have no intersection, yet they are bewilderingly similar in certain ways. When Language Meets Blockchain leads us into an exploratory journey to discover the possibilities of integrating blockchain technology with the language services industry. The author discusses how blockchain technology enables translators to realise their full potential and describes how the role of language can be elevated from a general tool to a driving force through a new concept called Cross-Linguistic Capability. This is a concept that will have very intriguing and beneficial implications for global economic activities. It is demonstrated that language is more than just a tool, it is also a resource and a form of capability. This presents opportunities for cross-linguistic and cross-cultural communications in the era of blockchain, to enable the convergence of linguistic capability with blockchain technology and artificial intelligence. The book's perspective on how the language services industry could adapt to times to embrace blockchain technology for industrial transformation, is both forwarding-looking and value enhancing.
Peng Zhihong obtained a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Education and was named Associate Professor of Huazhong University of Science and Technology at the age of 33.
Dr Peng immigrated to Singapore in 2000 and since then has been committed to the research and promotion of Chinese language and culture in Singapore, and has facilitated cultural exchange between Singapore and China. She led the development of a textbook series entitled "Business Chinese Today" under the auspices of the then Workforce Development Agency (WDA) of Singapore and the textbooks have been incorporated into its training programme "Workforce Skills Qualifications".
She returned to her hometown Wuhan, China in 2013 to join China's leading artificial intelligence language service platform Transn IOL Technology Co., Ltd as a top management personnel. Since 2018, she has been focusing on the theoretical research and practical explorations of how blockchain applications can transform the language field and has explored ways to integrate artificial intelligence, blockchain, big data and other cutting-edge technologies for intelligent organisation and scheduling of integrated language service capacity. Her team members from the IOL (Internet Of Language) Research Institute, under her leadership, have proposed the concept of language blockchain products, have developed TWINSLATOR and WordPower and have entered the phase of practical applications for these blockchain products. They are set to enhance the capacity and organisational efficiency of the language services industry through an ecosystem on a language networking platform that will empower the demand and supply parties of language services to provide basic support for fast, accurate, low cost and large-scale delivery of multilingual services. About the Translator
Tan Mui Yan Winnie is a Singaporean Chinese with two grown up children. She is a final-year student at the Singapore University of Social Sciences pursing Bachelor of Arts in Translation and Interpretation (English and Chinese). Her translation work experiences include legal, marketing, finance, media and education materials. When Language Meets Blockchain is her latest project and she has completed the translation of the book with a great sense of fulfillment knowing the positive impact of blockchain application to the translation profession and her role as a translator. Her 10 years of industrial work experiences include a position as a Research Officer with a wealth management company as well as sales and office administration in an import and export trading environment.
