The ongoing Da Nang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) 2024 is a major event of the city in an effort to attract more tourists. The success of each firework performance night during this much-anticipated festival really depends on the cooperation and contribution of many forces, municipal departments, related agencies and volunteers. In particular, volunteers working as interpreters act as a bridge that helps international teams participating in fireworks shows understand more about the land and people of Viet Nam, and Da Nang in particular.

Through DIFF 2024, volunteer interpreters have the opportunity to learn many skills. Bao Thi (left) translated for Ms. Nadia (right). Photo: NHAT HA

To be selected as interpreters for teams attending DIFF 2024, volunteers had to go through many interview rounds. The first time working as a volunteer interpreter for members of the fireworks team from Germany, Huynh Khuong Nguyen, a former student of the Faculty of the English language, the University of Foreign Language Studies, a member school of the Da Nang University - UD), said that the task of interpreters involves supporting team members in the installation of firecrackers, connecting with the organising committee, so they must be constantly on duty and present whenever the teams need. 

Through these activities, he wants to improve his English level, practice the skills he has learned at school as well as try working in an environment with many foreigners to learn more about other languages. During the working process, there were also difficulties due to misunderstanding each other's ideas, but with persistent communication, everything was resolved.

Also participating as a volunteer interpreter at DIFF 2024 for the first time, Luu Ngoc Bao Thi, a second year student of the Faculty of English Education, the Da Nang University of Foreign Language Studies shared that she felt very honoured when contributing to this important event. Her job is to translate and support Ms. Nadia Shakira Wong, the Director of Global 2000, the consulting unit for DIFF 2024, with her very large workload.

Bao Thi expressed: “This is a job that requires many skills, so I have to prepare very thoughtfully and carefully in bridging the language gap. I must prepare a list of vocabulary about pyrotechnics, departments and agencies, and ensure good physical strength. Through the working sessions, I have learned how to change words more smoothly yet quickly, and I believe that these experiences will be extremely useful in my future career"

Having participated as a volunteer at the 13th Southeast Asian Student Sports Festival, at DIFF 2024, Duong San, a second year student from the Da Nang University of Foreign Language Studies always wants to demonstrate more of her abilities. This is the premise for her to positively change myself and discover herself more.

Working as an interpreter, San said volunteers must maintain connections and regularly keep in touch with team members so as to support them when needed, as well as help them connect with the organisers, manufacturers and procedures during the preparation process for the fireworks show. Although there were some obstacles regarding weather and travel, according to San, these were very memorable experiences for the volunteers.

For the second time volunteering at DIFF, Hoang Ngoc Tan, a lecturer in the Faculty of the English Language, the private Dong A University, said that he really wanted to learn about the teams participating in DIFF designing and preparing great fireworks displays in the sky, besides wanting to have more experiences when participating in big events and enhancing English skills. Through two times participating in DIFF as a volunteer, Tan learned a lot from how teams managed time effectively, arranged work assignments for team members, and how team members communicated and supported each other in group work.

“All of these are extremely useful experiences for me in the future working environment. I hope that through each DIFF season, I will learn more about how competing teams organise and work together. In addition to practicing and horning my foreign language skills, I also have the opportunity to improve my other soft skills such as communication, problem solving and effective time management."

Ms. Nadia Shakira Wong, the Director of Global 2000 highly appreciated the Da Nang volunteer team, whose enthusiasm helped connect members of the teams attending DIFF 2024 to successfully complete preparations for each performance night. The volunteers are also very friendly, approachable and act as a bridge to help members of the fireworks teams better understand the land and people of Da Nang.

Reporting by NHAT HA - Translating by A.THU