My colleague Jazmin Guerrero and I took on the task of localizing a Japanese visual novel for English-speaking audiences. We translated the first few minutes of gameplay as well as the menu screens as a proof of concept. We would expand on the best practices we used to create the demo version if we were to localize the entire game.
Continue readingLocalizing My Pet Project in Premiere Pro
I really wanted to deep dive into a program that is part of Adobe Creative Cloud in a way that would not just be technically challenging but also fulfilling on a creative level. I chose to work in Premiere Pro due to its subtitling features as well as its video editing functions. The project I decided to take on was to edit a music video based on one of my favorite movies, caption it, subtitle it into two other languages, and then create a karaoke version.
The Process
Continue readingA Guide to Computer Assisted Translation
Through a course entitled Advanced CAT (computer assisted translation), I gained a working knowledge of how to best utilize various computer assisted translation tools. This portfolio contains projects I worked on in this course, from training a statistical machine translation engine to creating regular expressions. To view any of these projects in more detail, please click the links provided below for each project.
SMT Engine Training
The biggest undertaking of the semester spanned two months and required my team and I to create and train a statistical machine translation engine. We chose a mock client (Apple) as well as the data to train the engine (Terms of Service agreements). The goal of the project was to convince our client to utilize machine translations in their future translation projects. We drew up a pilot proposal, carried out the project, drafted an updated proposal, and then shared our lessons learned from the project. To view our successes and failures during this project, click on any of the embedded links!
Regular Expressions
My language pair is Japanese and English, so when I take on translation projects, I try to look for any tips or tricks for making the QA process easier. Using regular expressions is a great way to take a lot of manual labor out of the translation workflow. I created a handful of regular expressions specific to the Japanese-English language pair to use in QA for SDL Trados. To see the list of regex and their explanations, please click here.
Training Demo
A large part of project management is not just the ability to use new technology, but to successfully teach that technology to coworkers and others stakeholders in the localization process. I created a short demo video that explains how to utilize a time tracking software to aid in localization project management. To watch my demo (and try out the program too!), please click here.
Evaluating Translation Management Systems
The race to automate more and more of the translation workflow has been heating up in recent years. Translation Management Systems (TMS) are making translation projects more efficient, allowing companies (and more specifically, project managers) to more easily oversee multiple large projects. As a part of my coursework at MIIS, I participated in a workshop designed to teach not only how to use TMS, but how to evaluate and recommend systems to companies based on their unique needs.
Continue readingPeople are Talking about ATOK: Testing a Japanese IME
I researched various CAT tools for my translation courses at MIIS in order to improve the speed and quality of my translations. One of the programs I looked into was a Japanese IME (input method) called ATOK, or Advanced Technology of Kana-Kanji Transfer. The name refers to the program’s ability to predict the user’s intended meaning (and associated kanji) as they type in kana. I downloaded the trial version to explore the features and was so impressed I ended up purchasing the program.
Multilingual JavaScript Localization
As part of my studies this semester, I took a class called Website Localization. Throughout the course, I learned how to localize content for foreign audiences using a variety of programs including WordPress, Drupal, EasyLing, and some entry level programming languages. For the final project showcase, my team (including Rebecca Guttentag and Ian Keller) decided to tackle localizing a personality quiz into multiple languages. This endeavor required JavaScript, HTML, CSS, CAT tools such as Memsource, and Trello, a workflow management tool. We snatched the base code from codepen and proceeded to alter the quiz from multiple angles.
Initial Quiz and Code
From Translator to L10N: My Experience in Project Management
When I began my studies at Middlebury, I was an MA Candidate in Translation (English-Japanese), and I had never given much thought to other aspects of the industry. But during orientation, I learned of a specialization I could add to my degree, in which my elective courses would be geared toward the management side of localization and translation. The classes seemed interesting, so I moved forward with the option. One such course was Localization Project Management, where we formed teams and carried out a project across the semester that mimicked the lifespan of a real project that might be handled by a language service provider, or LSP.
How Does a Company “Globalize?”
The demographics of the future are shifting. While English has reigned supreme as the language group to market to for decades, in coming years its dominance will be challenged. The vast majority of the world’s population who have yet to gain internet access are not English speakers. To not only reach this population, but sell to them, companies need to consider how their products will read to cultures outside of the West. According to Ben Cornelius, former Chief of Staff at PayPal, this requires more than simply translating words into multiple languages, but carefully localizing, internationalizing, and globalizing content for different demographics. Continue reading
Cycles of Fear: Technology in the Localization Industry
Regardless of how much time passes, or how the industry grows and adapts, fear is a constant in the localization industry. Fear of new technology, fear of being made obsolete, fear of disappearing altogether. However, despite the constant specter of technology’s dominance, translators continue to find work, and Language Service Providers (LSPs) continue to find new needs to fulfill for their clients. In his IMUG talk at the Adobe Center in San Jose, Renanto Beninatto attempted to dispel this myth through multiple anecdotes spanning his decades of experience in the industry working with ever-evolving technologies. Continue reading
Computer Assisted Translation: Mary Watches Over Us
As a part of my studies as an MA Candidate in Translation and Localization Management, I took an Introduction to Computer Assisted Translation course. I formed a team with my fellow classmates with the goal of translating a piece of media from Japanese into English. The project mimicked the life cycle of a real project a Language Service Provider, or LSP, might take on from a client. This project also represents the culmination of everything I learned during this course, with a focus on client facing interactions and utilizing SDL Trados, a widely used CAT (computer assisted translation) tool.