The Loc Show

In this episode of Reality Series, we focus on the myths and realities of machine translation quality estimation, hosted by Mei Zheng, data scientist, and Alex Yanishevsky, director of AI and machine translation.Over the past decade, the evolution of machine translation has significantly changed the industry. With that, there are a lot of factors to consider when we look at the quality estimation of machine translation – and this discussion is dives right in, addressing ways that quality is estimated and calculated, and questions like:- Does a high score mean high quality?- What role do semantics play in edit rate?- How does a fuzzy match affect translators?- How (and when) should we edit and translate profanities?Jump into the Episode[01:39] Busting myth #1: Is 90% quality good enough to publish?[09:58] Busting myth #2: "MT stinks!" [17:51] Busting myth #3: There is one MTQE. [24:13] Q&ASample translations discussed during Myth #2en: “Dr. Smith was found guilty of keeping a protected animal in the Atherton Magistrates Court after being charged with removing a scrub python from a resident’s property. She then went through the legal process to appeal the court ruling.”zh: 史密斯博士在阿瑟顿地方法院被裁定饲养受保护动物罪，因为她被指控从一个居民的财产中移走一条灌丛蟒蛇。随后，她通过法律程序对法院的裁决提出上诉。es: La Dra. Smith fue declarada culpable de tenencia de un animal protegido en el Tribunal de Magistrados de Atherton tras ser acusada de retirar una pitón de matorral de la propiedad de un residente. A continuación recurrió la sentencia judicial.ru: Доктор Смит была признана виновной в содержании охраняемого животного в магистратском суде Атертона после того, как ей было предъявлено обвинение в том, что она убрала камышового питона с участка жителя. Затем она прошла через судебный процесс, чтобы обжаловать решение суда.Resources and links:Smartling Website 

In the first episode of our Reality Series, Smartling leaders – Olga Beregovaya (Vice President of AI and Machine Translation), Andrew Batwash (Associate Director of Language Services), and Jack Welde (President) – uncover the myths and realities of LanguageAI.Language AI is the topic of the hour for the translation and localization industry. To uncover how it improves business outcomes and where the industry is headed, we explore:What is Language AI? Is it the same as Machine Translation?How can we leverage LanguageAI to build efficiencies and cost-savings into our processes?What outcomes have early adopters of LanguageAI seen? What best practices can we learn from them?Where do human translators fit in?Jump into the Episode[01:30] About Olga and her background.[02:28] About Andrew and his background. [03:41] What is Language AI?[08:18] How to leverage Language AI to build more efficient cost and time savings.[11:25] What ways are humans part of the translation process and what value do they add?[14:22] How companies like Smartling compete with cloud MT providers like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon.[17:27] Why companies should be trying to incorporate machine translation.[25:17] Skillsets required to stay relevant in the age of AI.[28:46] What is MT not good at?[36:23] Measures and benchmarks that prove Andrew is having success. [37:07] Is it possible to use context for content that’s localized with MT?[41:16] Aside from machine translation, how else is AI being used? [45:05] Final thoughts from Olga and Andrew.Resources and links:Smartling Website 

Junbo Hou is a Chinese linguist with Smartling who wears many different hats. With the Chinese language having many branches, dialects, and uses, translating the language can be difficult. Junbo joins us to discuss the importance of culture, regional distinctions, and understanding your audience when translating Chinese languages.Jump into the Episode[01:07] About Junbo and his background.[02:48] How long has Junbo been in the localization space?[03:11] Does Junbo have any specific interests or fields?[04:04] A quick introduction and history of the group of Chinese languages.[05:05] The most commonly used forms of Chinese languages that are used in the wider world.[08:04] Is the type of Chinese spoken dependent on the region?[09:25] The different dialects and how many people speak Mandarin versus Cantonese.[11:25] What are the cultural and linguistic differences between Mandarin and Cantonese?[14:20] What should companies looking to expand into the Chinese markets understand when localizing content?[16:38] What is Junbo’s translation process?[18:24] Understanding the audience that you are translating for.[21:55] Why cultural empathy is needed when localizing for a Chinese audience, regardless of region.[24:16] Final thoughts from Junbo.Resources and links:Junbo on LinkedInSmartling Website

Our guest today is Milena Ferrante, a professional freelance Italian linguist and translator. Beginning her career as a teacher and then translating at a small agency, her career in translation really took off when she started writing a fanzine for a rock band. That eventually led to her helping translate a book about The Rolling Stones.Milena also has a major in Russian, but now almost exclusively translates Italian to English and vice versa. Milena joins us to discuss the challenges of translating Italian to English, along with tips and tricks for localizing for an Italian-speaking audience. She also explains the importance of building your knowledge base and gaining experience as a new translator.Jump into the Episode[01:19] About Milena and her career in translation.[05:47] What other industries or translation types does Milena specialize in?[06:30] How the finance field became one of her favorites to translate.[07:30] Why you need to be less rigid in your language as a translator.[08:35] What industries are seeing more demand for Italian translation at the moment?[10:45] About the Italian language.[12:44] The challenges translators face when translating between English and Italian.[15:34] What are some of the biggest cultural differences?[18:18] What are some things to consider to make Italian translations inclusive?[23:20] What suggestions does Milena have for new translators?[25:00] The importance of gathering experience as a new translator.[28:25] Thoughts on machine translation and its effect on the translation industry.[30:40] Milena’s final thoughts on the translation and localization industry.Resources and links: Milena on LinkedIn Smartling Website

Sérgio Costa is a professional Portuguese linguist based in Lisbon. Sérgio studied engineering before moving on to translation and technical writing, and he has been in the language industry for 20 years now. With a love of writing always present, Sérgio compromised on his career by combining technical language, writing, and languages. Around 208 million people across the world currently speak Portuguese, making it the sixth most spoken language in the world. Sérgio joins us to explore the language Portuguese, how to improve source text to help achieve higher quality translation, what to know when localizing for the Portuguese-speaking audience, and more.Jump into the Episode[01:06] Sérgio’s story as a translator.[02:14] What is Sérgio’s translation specialty?[02:39] Industries that are increasing their demand for Portuguese translation.[03:35] About Portugal and the city of Lisbon.[05:44] A brief introduction to the Portuguese language.[07:01] Similarities and differences between Spanish and Portuguese.[09:17] European vs. Brazilian Portuguese.[11:25] Cultural differences to be aware of when localizing Portuguese for different audiences.[14:12] Challenges in translating English to Portuguese.[16:00] The importance of writing for a global experience.[17:20] How to overcome the problems of writing for localization.[21:25] Specific challenges to Portuguese translation in technical writing.[24:00] The problem with translating the formality and tone of Portuguese.[26:05] What kind of translation tools does Sérgio utilize to make his process more efficient?[27:20] What can source writers do to make a translators’ life easier?[28:30] Inclusivity in Portuguese translation.[30:00] About gender neutrality in Portuguese.[31:16] Sérgio’s favorite aspect of translating.[32:29] Final thoughts from Sérgio.Resources and links:Sérgio on LinkedInSmartling Website

Stella Hodkin Paris is the Head of Language Services at Translators without Borders, now part of CLEAR Global. Originally from the UK, Stella studied languages in Edinburgh and is currently based in Northern Italy. She has been working in the language services industry for almost 20 years, performing many roles and honing her marketing expertise. Stella joined Translators Without Borders 3 years ago, an organization founded in 1993 to help people around the globe access accurate information in their languages. Stella joins us on the Loc Show to talk about language gaps around the world, how her work helps plug those gaps, and how to overcome the lack of knowledge around marginalized languages.Jump into the Episode[01:18] About Stella and what she does.[03:30] What is Translators without Borders?[05:25] What is the driving force between the growth of TWB?[08:03] About TWB and CLEAR Global.[10:00] Integrating languages and translation into humanitarian crisis response.[15:10] The current state of the language gap around the world and the importance of accurate translation.[18:30] How COVID-19 impacted the necessity of accurate translation.[22:07] Defining marginalized languages.[26:09] Overcoming the challenge of finding translators for marginalized languages.[29:00] How TWB trains new translators.[31:45] How the language gap affects people across the globe.[33:50] How TWB is tackling the language gap.[36:00] Fighting back against misinformation.[37:37] What is the root cause of language marginalization and disinformation?[41:14] What can be done to address these gaps?[45:00] How to get involved with helping address translation issues.Resources and links:CLEAR Global - Translators without Borders Website DonateFollow CLEAR Global on LinkedInFollow CLEAR Global on Twitter

Taner Tanrıöver is a Turkish linguist who works in localization as a freelance translator specializing in website localization in the IT industry. Taner lived in Australia for over ten years, where he studied communication, and he has been back in Turkey for the last 11 years. He is based in Istanbul today. Taner discusses the intricacies of translating Turkish to English and vice versa, the culture of Turkey, and more.Jump into the Episode[01:11] About Taner and his background.[02:22] Are there specific industries that Taner works with?[03:00] About Istanbul and the culture in the city.[06:25] A brief history of the Turkish language, both spoken and written.[09:00] Typical challenges faced when translating English to Turkish.[12:55] What are some difficult words to translate from English to Turkish and vice versa?[15:05] The biggest cultural differences to look out for when translating for the Turkish-speaking audience.[18:10] Why machine translation can’t completely replace human translation.[21:00] Improving inclusivity in Turkish translations.[23:05] Global growth in Turkish industries and how that has impacted localization.[24:42] Taner’s translation process.[27:05] About the artistic aspects of translation.[30:20] Taner’s favorite aspect of being a translator.[32:46] What would Taner ask for if he could ask for anything to make his job as a translator easier?[35:02] Final thoughts on translation from Taner.Resources and links:Taner on LinkedInSmartling Website

Ulrich Henes is one of the founders of LocWorld and the president of the Localization Institute, and Theophan Marube is managing director of Tamarind Language Services in Kenya. With his work, Ulrich has been working in localization for the last 20 years, and LocWorld is just about to hold its first conference about Africa. Theo and his company provide language services for many multinational companies entering Africa. Theo and Ulrich join us today to talk about the localization landscape in Africa, the rising opportunities, challenges, and solutions for localization in the African regions, and a bit of what we can expect from the LocWorld Africa conference in March 2022.Jump into the Episode[01:37] About Ulrich.[02:35] About Theo.[05:10] Where Africa currently is in the interest of localization.[06:44] How the use of technology is on the rise in Africa.[08:44] About the developing mobile payment options in Africa.[09:40] Ulrich’s perspective on the growth of Africa from outside of the continent.[11:00] What Ulrich hopes the attendees to gain from the LocWorld Africa conference.[12:00] Localization challenges specific to organizations coming into Africa.[16:20] Ulrich’s experiences with localization in Africa and the challenges presented.[20:35] What solutions are needed for brands to penetrate the African market?[25:00] Promoting and educating translation services in Africa.[29:18] Ulrich’s work with Translators Without Borders.[31:10] How Theo’s experience has been in working with Translators Without Borders.[34:08] What makes Africa an attractive opportunity for brands?[38:30] How Smartling can help in the localization process in Africa.[39:50] More about the upcoming LocWorld Africa conference.Resources and links:Smartling WebsiteThe Localization InstituteTamarind Language ServicesLocWorld

Ji Hyun Shin is a professional Korean translator, who works in the Korean, English, as well as German languages. Based in South Korea, Ji Hyun has worked in translation departments in many different industries, from engineering to IT to media. Korean is a heavily nuanced language, filled with words that change meaning depending on the tone and inflection, so translation to English and vice versa can be challenging. Ji Hyun tells us about the complicated process of translating meaning from English to Korean, how the expansion of Korean culture into the global market influences translation, and more.Jump into the Episode[01:33] About Ji Hyun and her translation experience.[02:28] How the IT and media industries are growing in Korea.[04:52] What are some of the biggest challenges in translating English to Korean?[5:45] The importance of context in translation.[07:00] Cultural differences specific to the Korean language.[08:32] How does subtitling Korean media work?[11:00] What is Ji Hyun’s translation process, and what tools does she utilize?[14:00] Ji Hyun’s favorite words and phrases to translate and which are most difficult.[15:00] How the tone in which a word is said influences the meaning.[18:00] Understanding the background and nuance of Korean words and how difficult it can make them to translate.[21:50] Examples of translating Korean to English.[24:25] Ji Hyun’s best practices for ensuring inclusive translations.[26:45] Inclusive terms that don’t exist in the Korean language yet.[27:43] What would Ji Hyun ask for if she could to make her job easier?Resources and links:Ji Hyun on LinkedInSmartling Website

Vanina Kfuri is a professional Spanish linguist who has worked in the translation industry since 2003. Currently based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Vanina has built her freelance business on strong communication. Vanina joins us on the show today to discuss the challenges of translating Spanish into English and what we should know when localizing for the Spanish-speaking audience.Jump into the Episode[01:17] About Vanina and her background.[02:11] What is it like to live and work in Buenos Aires?[02:58] The many different dialects and nuances of the Spanish language.[03:30] A brief introduction to the Spanish language itself.[05:08] Specific differences between Latin American Spanish and European Spanish.[06:50] Life as a freelance translator.[08:10] Vanina’s favorite aspect of translating.[09:15] About the process Vanina goes through when translating.[11:55] The benefits of clients being able to communicate directly with translators.[13:08] Why context is key in any translation process.[13:48] The biggest challenges in translating English to Spanish.[16:04] The differences in character counts in translating and why it makes a difference.[16:30] Why Spanish is a decorative language.[17:10] What is Vanina’s favorite Spanish phrase that cannot be translated?[19:45] How Vanina ensures inclusivity in translations.[22:07] The biggest cultural differences between Latin American Spanish speakers and European Spanish speakers.[23:55] Understanding the many different cultures and people that speak Spanish.[25:46] What would Vanina ask for to make her job easier if she could?[27:10] Final thoughts and tips.Resources and links:Vanina on LinkedInSmartling Website

Jean-François is an expert French linguist and translator with 22 years of experience. Now based in New York, Jean-François was born in France and lived in Dublin before moving to the US. He has worked with agencies and been a team lead on localization projects, and he transitioned into working as a freelancer translator about 16 years ago. Jean-François will be discussing the challenges of translating French into English and what we should know when localizing for the French-speaking audience.Jump into the Episode[02:27] About Jean-François and his translation background.[03:24] Jean-François’ past experiences with Smartling and his appearance in the book ‘Move the World with Words.’[05:00] A brief introduction to the French language and its prevalence.[05:25] The differences between Canadian French and traditional French.[06:57] What a typical workday and translation process looks like for Jean-François.[07:30] How starting his day by running has allowed for more thinking time before the day truly starts.[08:45] Why being a translator is more than just speaking multiple languages.[09:20] The rewards of seeing how your translation helps others.[10:43] Some of the biggest challenges when translating English to French.[11:40] Why context is key in translation.[13:00] Some words that are challenging to translate.[14:50] Improving inclusivity in French translation.[16:55] The biggest cultural differences when targeting a French-speaking audience.[19:25] What Jean-François would ask project managers to do to make his translating jobs more efficient.[21:00] Why translating word for word loses meaning.[21:50] Jean-François’ final thoughts translating English <> French.Resources and links:Jean-François on LinkedInSmartling Website

Professor Holly Seale is an infectious disease social scientist and program director, based at the School of Population Health at the University of New South Wales in Australia. When it comes to infectious diseases, we don’t tend to think about localization. Regardless, it is an important part of creating awareness and disseminating information. For 15 years, Holly has been helping different at-risk groups improve confidence and engagement in vaccination and other preventative strategies. Holly joins us to discuss the COVID-19 vaccination glossary and its localization process across the globe. Jump into the Episode[03:37] About Holly and what her profession involves.[04:15] Improving vaccination coverage for adults in at-risk groups.[05:23] What is the COVID-19 glossary and how is it helping with vaccine uptake?[08:10] How digital and health literacy affect vaccine uptake, as well as how to tackle it.[11:10] The current health literacy language of COVID-19 information and why it isn’t effective.[12:55] How the COVID-19 glossary came into existence.[13:40] Who is the COVID-19 glossary aimed towards?[15:58] Capturing the new language of COVID-19.[17:55] People involved in creating the glossary.[21:00] The process of getting the glossary translated.[22:00] How this process can be applied to other situations, including use cases in other industries.[26:20] Tailoring messaging to different audiences.[28:04] In how many languages is the glossary available and how were they determined?[31:30] Holly’s experience working with translators.[33:20] Creating trust with communities.[34:20] How to access the glossary.[36:00] Keeping the glossary up to date and what’s next for Holly.Resources and links:Glossary WebsiteFollow Holly on TwitterContact Holly: h.seale@unsw.edu.auSmartling Website

Welcome to a special episode of The Loc Show. Today, Adrian Cohn is handing over the podcast to his Smartling colleague, JooRi Choi. She will be hosting the brand-new season of the podcast, which is coming soon.JooRi has experienced life in starkly contrasting countries and went to school with a student body made up of 30 different nationalities. She has been in the marketing industry for about five years and has a unique perspective that will allow her to extract meaningful insights from guests on the show. We’ll hear JooRi explain what she plans to accomplish going forward and how she hopes listeners will approach this new era of The Loc Show.Jump into the episode[01:00] Planning a brand-new season with great content.[01:32] An introduction to JooRi and the different countries she has lived in.[02:31] How long JooRi has been with Smartling and what she brings to the podcast.[03:01] Being bilingual and meeting people from all over the world.[03:28] Why JooRi’s global life will benefit The Loc Show and its listeners.[04:21] JooRi’s contributions to Smartling and where you can read her content.[04:48] The ideas JooRi has for where she will take the podcast.[05:55] A look back at some of the experts that have been featured on The Loc Show.[06:23] Adrian’s excitement for the ideas JooRi has about sharing stories from the industry.[06:59] Advice from JooRi for listeners about tuning into the show from here on out.Resources and links: JooRi’s content Smartling Website Follow JooRi

This discussion revolves around how to take a brand global and what it means for language translation. Both experts in investing in and growing companies, Caroline and David join us today to talk about what companies need to do to prepare for global expansion, how technologies have changed in a short space of time and why all companies need to become more forward thinking and globally minded.Jump into the episode[01:39] About Caroline and ICONIQ Capital.[02:13] About David and Venrock.[02:47] What Caroline and David think companies to do before taking their brand global.[05:50] The path that North American companies are commonly taking to expand.[09:05] How David and Caroline’s brands are handling cultural differences and adapting to new markets.[11:48] Ensuring management teams are driving shareholder value in global expansion.[13:59] How have teams handled pivoting during expansion?[16:34] Percentage of revenue brought in from global markets after global expansion and how it varies in markets.[19:28] Common mistakes companies make when expanding internationally.[22:30] Successful partnerships that David and Caroline have seen between companies and distributors.[26:50] Why going global is the only choice for success and growth.[28:50] Final words of advice for companies looking to go global.Resources and links:Smartling WebsiteFollow CarolineFollow David

In today’s episode we are sharing one of our sessions from Global Ready Conference. This session is called ‘The 411 – What We Need from a Language Services Provider’. Gavin Grimes moderates the panel which also features Nancy Ferreira da Rocha, Senior Localization Program Manager at FedEx and Emil Atanesov, Vice President of Internationalization for ServiceNow.In this panel, Gavin and our guests discuss the evolution of language programs to align themselves with different growth stages from their respective companies, whether it’s organic or acquisition-based growth. Often, we discuss the origins of programs and where they end up but ignore the journey. To evolve and grow, you have to take into account your markets and know what data points to focus on. There is also a delicate balance to maintain company needs and budgetary allowances. Nancy and Emil discuss how programs at their respective companies have evolved since they began their own journey, and how they strategized and implemented changes.[02:39] How the localization program at FedEx has evolved since Nancy started her career there.[04:30] The evolution of localization at Service Now since Emile began working there.[07:04] Developing and strategizing evolution at FedEx.[10:16] How strategies and change were created at ServiceNow.[13:56] How did the LSP needs at FedEx change with their program evolution?[18:17] The evolving LSP needs at ServiceNow.[22:07] The 3 main things Nancy has learned implementing changes at FedEx.[24:46] The 3 main things Emile has learned implementing changes at ServiceNow.[27:39] What is the 1 thing Nancy would have done differently in the process?[29:44] What is the 1 thing Emil would have done differently in the process?Resources and links:Watch Global Ready Conference on demandMeet NancyGet to know Emil

Joseph Kovalov is the Tech Localization Expert at Wix, a platform that allows users to create their own customized websites.In the localization space for 20 years, Joseph started out as a full-time translator at a small agency in the Ukraine. From there, he moved on to create his own agency with a focus on mostly Slavic languages. After 10 years, he and his family moved to Israel where Joseph continued to work as a freelance translator. Joseph soon joined Wix full-time and now works on implementing processes to improve localization efforts. Joseph joins us to talk about machine translation, transcreation, and tech-enabled workflows.Jump into the episode[02:40] About Joseph and his localization journey.[05:11] The challenges of opening your own agency.[09:25] About Joseph’s role at Wix.[12:17] What the current localization program at Wix looks like.[14:08] What the different localization teams and their priorities look like at Wix.[17:00] The importance of departmental collaboration in localization.[18:28] How localization has driven the success and growth of Wix.[20:08] Driving traffic to the site through people-directed copy over SEO.[21:44] Measuring departmental success.[25:20] Trans-creation: How it is being under-used and how it can be approved.[29:27] What is trans-creation and what are the inherent complications with the process.[33:55] What is currently encouraging in the trans-creation space and what is lacking.[39:30] The future of localization tools.[43:56] Demystifying machine translation.[49:36] Countering the fear of machine translation.Resources and links:Wix WebsiteConnect with Joseph on LinkedInSmartling Website

Alex Timin is the Lead Software Engineer at Bumble, the parent company operating Badoo and Bumble - two of the world’s largest dating and connection apps.Based in Moscow, Alex has worked at Bumble for the last 6 years. Initially, he worked on functionality but didn’t hesitate when offered a position in the localization department despite knowing nothing about the process. With millions of users worldwide, Bumble aims to create healthy and equitable relationships across the globe. With mobile apps and desktop interfaces, Alex and his team have to maintain quality translations while keeping up with update release cycles. We get to hear about how Bumble localizes its app into dozens of markets and languages around the world.Jump into the episode:[01:25] About Alex and his background.[02:08] How Alex ended up in the localization space at Bumble.[03:15] About the Bumble social media company and the apps it hosts.[06:10] Why translation is important to Bumble and what content is translated.[07:15] Technical challenges in implementing localization.[08:51] Translation content release cycles.[10:00] Creating consistent translation databases.[12:03] The different ways Alex and his team deliver translations to different platforms.[13:10] How the general localization process at Bumble works.[14:50] How Alex and his team are working to speed up and streamline the localization process.[15:45] Implementing translation memory.[16:40] Innovations Alex has made in the translation process since joining the department.[18:12] How quality assurance in translation is performed at Bumble.[19:25] How users contribute to the end experience of Bumble’s apps.[21:07] The future of localization at Bumble.Resources and links:Bumble websiteSmartling Website

Martiño Prada Díaz is the Localization Manager at Spotify, a music streaming platform that allows instant access to thousands of artists and millions of songs and podcasts across the globe.Originally from Spain and now in New York, Martiño has lived all over the world. In the States for 11 years, he moved to New York in January 2020 to start his job at Spotify. As a literature, linguistics, and movie buff, Martiño found that his location growing up was limiting to his opportunities and began to look elsewhere. His personal interest in how translation works led him to a master’s degree in Translation and Linguistics, which led to his first job as a translator in a small agency. Soon, Martiño was undertaking a Ph.D. in Translation and linguistics to further his knowledge. Having worked at GoPro, Netflix, and now Spotify, Martiño makes it a point to work for companies that make a difference to people. Martiño discusses his varied career and the challenges of localization in a rapidly growing company.[01:33] About Martiño, his background, and his extensive travel.[05:59] Martino’s beginning in the language sector.[09:15] How bad translations in video games led Martino to discover localization.[12:25] Martiño’s experience working as a translator and how it informs his current job.[14:50] How Martiño creates empowerment for his clients and his team through localization.[16:40] What draws Martiño to a company and a position.[19:05] Localization challenges at a rapidly growing company.[23:58] What content goes through the localization pipeline at Spotify.[25:50] The main challenges of increased translation volumes and how to tackle them.[30:34] Showing localization ROI.[35:40] The future of localization at Spotify, and for Martiño.

On this first co-hosted episode of The Loc Show, we sit down with fellow language enthusiast, Julio Leal.Julio drops serious knowledge on navigating the torrid seas of quality evaluation and explains why quality, in itself, is a case-by-case decision depending on content types. He also shares unique ideas on measuring success against an ever-evolving criteria (no small feat) and provides recommendations for evangelizing localization internally. Together we’ll learn how a localization manager brings value to both the company and vendors while acting as an ambassador to all departments. Whew!On this episode you will learn:What he learned from his ten year stint as Head of Global Localization at Ciena How Julio views the role of a localization manager as an ambassador to all departmentsA controversial take on translation quality evaluationWhat main challenges Julio has encountered through his storied career and how he moved past themKey takeaways from Julio’s experience working with both an LSP and working on the client sideWhat Julio thinks about the power of video and the future of multimedia translation and localization holds for translation Jump into the Podcast[05:37] Julio’s journey in the localization industry.[10:35] How working on both the vendor and client side of localization has helped Julio in his work.[12:00] The initial challenges Julio faced when joining Ciena.[20:10] The data points that helped prove the value of localization within Ciena.[22:54] Dealing with budgetary questions regarding localization needs.[25:00] How Julio preached the value of localization efforts to the rest of his company.[28:50] The relationship between the localization team and the marketing team at Ciena.[31:46] Where should a localization team sit within a company?[34:30] How the weighting of localization criteria changes over time.[36:56] How content is evaluated and quality assured at Ciena.[42:35] Why companies need to evolve and adapt to the emerging trend of video content.Keep in touch with Julio and Smartling:Connect with Julio on LinkedIn.Follow Smartling on LinkedIn.Contact our hosts, Adrian and Gavin and learn more about Smartling.

Tom Raczka is the Localization Manager from InterContinental Hotels Group, one of the largest hotel brands in the world. Born in Poland, Tom is now based in London after initially visiting to gain his MSc in localisation technology from Imperial College London around a decade ago. After studying, Tom worked as a translator and university lecturer, teaching specialized courses like English for Engineering.At IHG, Tom is part of a localization department that consults internally with stakeholders about the localization process, what technology they can utilize, and how to realize results within any given department’s budget. For Tom, a lot of his work has been in demystifying the localization process for stakeholders and introducing solutions that make translation more accessible for teams across the IHG enterprise and around the world. Tom joins us today to discuss how the perception of localization at IHG has changed over the years, the impact COVID-19 had on their processes, and how the brand successfully introduced machine translation.[02:14] About Tom and his background in the localization space.[05:18] Tom’s role at IHG and how he coordinates with his global colleagues.[08:15] The type of stakeholders Tom deals with and how they are involved in the localization process.[12:26] How internal localization questions have changed over time at IHG.[19:40] Utilizing machine translation and automation correctly.[20:55] How the pandemic has changed the processes at IHG.[24:25] Finding the positives in the pandemic.[27:45] How the lockdown accelerated plans for adopting machine translation at IHG.[30:43] About the internal learning team at IHG and the content they produce.[36:13] The future of IHG and localization.[40:40] Tom’s journey to learn Japanese.Resources and links:InterContinental Hotels Group websiteConnect with Tom on LinkedinLearn more about SmartlingBecome a guest on The Loc Show