Prepare Your Site for the Global Market    

Are you looking for ways to maximize your company's global Web presence? Look no further, as the authors have laid out a step-by-step plan for creating and designing a multilingual site.

Deschamps-Potter, Catherine M. and Amy Plant. Intercom (2008). Articles>Web Design>Localization>Language

Preparing World-Ready Information Products  

Learn the skills, processes, and international attitude you need to create information products that effectively address multilingual and multicultural audiences. This seminar covers the basics of working with translators; accommodating cultural differences; designing documents, graphics, and multimedia for global appeal; writing for international audiences; and project management issues that arise as you prepare your information products for the world.

Hoft, Nancy L. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>Language>Localization

Preparing Your Web Site for Machine Translation

Machine translation is a sophisticated technology. However, it is not as sophisticated as human language. Understanding how MT works on the Web helps designers and developers prepare Web pages for MT. Preparatory tactics improve the usability of MT output.

O'Connell, Theresa A. IBM (2001). Articles>Language>Localization>Machine Translation

Project Management in Technology-Enabled Translation  

In today’s world of fast-paced production and even faster communication, the demand for translation is growing at a phenomenal rate. As a result of the big Silicon bang, multilingual reproduction of software, web sites, robotics manuals, and a multitude of other technical linguistic materials, is in high demand. This demand translates into dollars, marks, and yen for translation companies around the world: more words equal more money. The role of computer-aided translation (CAT) tools is increasing due to an ever-growing demand from international clients, coupled with an insufficient number of human translators. To handle the complex technical issues surrounding translation, multi-skilled project managers are becoming increasingly important to the success of projects.

Driggs, Amy L. STC Proceedings (1999). Articles>Language>Localization

Punctuation by Languages

Not too long ago, I was managing a translation project in Access (English to Greek) when I discovered that the translator hadn't used question marks similar to those used in the English source. Instead of question marks, he was using semicolons. I was sure that this was a mistake and that the computer was acting strange again. But it wasn't a mistake. In the Greek language, the question mark is like a semicolon, and the semicolon is instead a raised period. I've started to check on other projects as well, and I've learned quite a few interesting things about punctuation and their separators.

Bratu, Felicia. WTB Language Group (2005). Articles>Language>Localization>Grammar

Reducing Costs and Maximizing Localization ROI  

The percentage of revenue that companies are generating from global markets is increasing rapidly. Not only does the global nature of sales help to increase overall corporate revenue, it also aids in building global brand equity, maintaining competitiveness against global competition and reducing geographical market reliance. In today's challenging economic environment, though, international efforts are often given low priority within the corporation. With this backdrop, localization teams are forced to do more with less in order to meet global market needs. Consequently, achieving a high Return On Investment (ROI) from localization initiatives is more important than ever.

Shapiro, Tom. STC Proceedings (2004). Articles>Language>Localization

Reducing Translation and Localisation Costs

These days, staff in localisation departments spend their time essentially on project management, translation and quality assurance. However, by using one of the emerging systems that integrate content creation, localisation and content management into an efficient system, many of these activities can be automated or avoided all together. We are now seeing the emergence of technical content control systems that can be used to improve the turn-around time, translation costs and the quality of the translations themselves. In recent projects, where these systems have been implemented, organisations have seen substantial savings in localisation costs, with word count reductions and translation costs of around 30%.

Pratt, Ellis. Cherryleaf (2004). Articles>Language>Localization

SALTing the Alphabet Soup

The language industries are rapidly embracing the use of translation tools such as automatic terminology lookup, terminology mining, terminology consistency checkers, and machine translation. Authoring tools that involve access to a termbase are also appearing, at least in the context of controlled language, but will over time no doubt also be used in the authoring processes where the syntax is less controlled.

Wright, Sue Ellen. TC-FORUM (1999). Articles>Language>Localization>Machine Translation

Semiotics at Work: Technical Communication and Translation in a Multilingual Corporate Environment    

In this paper an attempt is made to find a unifying approach to the study of the translator’s praxis, assuming that translation is guided by certain, recognizable, semiotic processes. Computational, corpus-based methods intended to aid in the research of large text bases are introduced. Alignment of text segments from files in different languages contained in a corpus, where these text files are known to be mutual translations is described. Text encoding in order to allow comparison of the results of translation studies performed by different scholars is also demonstrated. One goal is to establish qualitative and quantitative variables, on the sentential as well as the textual level, which would permit generalizations about the concrete procedures performed by professional translators in authentic work situations, e.g. in multi-lingual corporate environments.

Larsson, Arne and Magnus Merkel. Linkopings Universitet (2002). Articles>Language>Localization

Software Localization in the Windows Environment

Atsushi's presentation focused on two areas of Windows software localization: the internationalization of source code, and the actual localization of the user interface.

Kaneko, Atsushi. SDL International. Articles>Language>Localization>Software

String-Related Issues (part of Globalization and Localization Issues)

This article discusses common occurring problems related to string resources include the text that appears in an application's user interface and tips on how to avoid them.

Microsoft (2004). Articles>Language>Localization

Technical Communication and Cross Cultural Miscommunication: Usability and the Outsourcing of Writing      

Writing is a culturally situated activity. When writing is outsourced to other cultures, because of a lack of knowledge of the users' culture and also because of influences from the writer's local culture, those doing the writing and designing, despite various strategies adopted for overcoming the disadvantage of not knowing the users' culture, may not know how to culturally situate writing. It is, therefore, important that bicultural people, who know the users' culture, as well as the culture of those doing the outsourced work, give writing teams feedback about the users' culture. Doing so can make outsourced writing more culturally situated.

Jeyeraj, Joseph. IEEE PCS (2005). Articles>Language>Localization>Offshoring

Technical Writers Gain Control

In the field of technical writing the use of Controlled Language (CL) attracts more and more public interest. However, the merits of controlling language in the context of technical documentation are not uncontroversial.

Reuther, Ursula. TC-FORUM (1999). Articles>Language>Localization>Technical Writing

Technology-Enabled Translation  

With ever-rising demands for translation finding ways to improve the entire process of multilingual publication becomes essential. One way for such improvement is the use of computer tools in the process. Translation is central to the multilingual publication process, but must be seen in the entire context. This panel provides a forum for the exploration of the issues involved in the multilingual publication process with particular emphasis on translation and the technology that enables the process from authoring to publication.

Bennett, Winfield Scott. STC Proceedings (1999). Articles>Language>Localization

Ten Things To Remember When Translating Documents  

There are many ways you can help your translation projects go more smoothly. It's important to trust the translation provider you've chosen, and to communicate your needs clearly. With an attitude of cooperation and partnership, you can iron out details and come up with a system that works for both of you. Here's a list of ten fundamentals that will contribute to the process.

Smith, Jackie. STC International TC SIG. Articles>Language>Localization

Terminologiemanagement

Der Unterschied zwischen dem richtigen Wort und dem beinahe richtigen ist derselbe Unterschied wie der zwischen dem Blitz und einem Glühwürmchen.

Transline (2008). (German) Articles>Language>Localization>Controlled Vocabulary

Testing for Globalization and Localization

This article discusses key testing phrases needed for a successful world ready software application: globalization testing, localizability testing and localization testing.

Microsoft (2004). Articles>Language>Localization

Testing Translated Information Across Twelve Languages, Three Continents, and Five Time Zones  

When budget constraints prevent bringing overseas testers to the development lab to verify product translation, Web conferencing sessions allow the testers to work in their own countries but still communicate directly with the lab.

Varin, Amy. STC Proceedings (2005). Articles>Language>Translation>Localization

Think Globally, Write Locally

Companies operating in a global marketplace know they need to translate documents for their audiences. But some documents actually need more than translation – they need localization. Although a document’s words can be translated perfectly, the document can still be ineffective in another market, due to differences in the way local businesses operate and in the way people think.

Giovanis, Kristen. Writing Assistance (2006). Articles>Language>Localization>International

Towards a Definition of Example-Based Machine Translation  

The example-based approach to MT is becoming increasingly popular. However, such is the variety of techniques and methods used that it is difficult to discern the overall conception of what example- based machine translation (EBMT) is and/or what its practitioners conceive it to be. Although definitions of MT systems are notoriously complex, an attempt is made to define EBMT in contrast to other MT architectures (RBMT and SMT).

Hutchins, W. John. IAMT (2005). Articles>Language>Localization>Machine Translation

Translation and Localization Trends in the Baltic States  

When I first got into the business twenty years ago, most translation work was limited to the FIGS languages: French, Italian, German, and Spanish. But today, to reach markets opened by the collapse of the Soviet Union and the opening of the Chinese economy beginning in 2001, competitive businesses must tap into 'minor' languages.

Frievalds, John. Intercom (2004). Articles>Language>Localization>Eastern Europe

The Translation Glossary: Stepping Stone to a Quality Translation

If your company is new to the process of translating their documentation, chances are little groundwork was laid for the process. One thing you can do to improve the quality of the translation in this situation is to create a good translation glossary. A translation glossary ensures consistent terminology in the translation; that a term in English always becomes the same term in the translated text. It eliminates the problem of referring to the same concept or same component by different names in different places in the documentation. Technical writers are in a good position to create the glossary. They constantly deal with questions of terminology. They probably wrote the manual being translated and already had to make decisions about terminology for the English version.

Wright, Ami. SDL International. Articles>Language>Localization>Glossary

Translation Management  

Translation management is becoming a common task for the technical writer as companies enter the global marketplace. It is challenging and interesting, but at the same time it is generally a complex project management task and is not to be taken lightly. This paper discusses a real-life translation project and points out some of the problems that you may encounter.

Tunsley, Roger A. STC Proceedings (1996). Articles>Language>Localization>Project Management

Translation Memory 2004: Room to Grow

In 2002, LISA examined Translation Memory (TM) usage and trends. In 2004, LISA returned to the subject with an expanded survey that revisited the questions of 2002 and added questions on specific tool use and interest in new developments of TM. The report, The LISA 2004 Translation Memory Survey, is available free of charge from the LISA website. In this interview, we asked Arle Lommel, LISA’s Publications Manager and author of the survey report, about the significance of the findings and what they mean for the industry.

Lommel, Arle. LISA (2004). Articles>Language>Localization>Machine Translation