Month: August 2022

Comparison of the best CAT Tools such as memoQ, Trados Studio and Wordfast Pro
24/08/2022

CAT Tools Comparison: memoQ, Trados Studio and Wordfast Pro

Posted on | by Marisol Pérez Laglaive | Leave a Comment on CAT Tools Comparison: memoQ, Trados Studio and Wordfast Pro

A wide variety of technology solutions supports the many and different needs of localization projects. There are tools that focus on large-scale translation management, while others offer more specific services, like terminology or quality assurance (QA) management. However, among this diversity of software solutions, four applications are ubiquitous in the industry, and their names ring a bell with anybody involved in localization workflows. Trados Studio, memoQ, Memsource, and Wordfast are four of the most popular Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) tools in the business, preferred by Language Service Providers (LSPs) to manage their projects and by linguists to carry out their daily work.

These tools offer the core functions, such as translation memories (TMs), compatibility with usual formats, term bases (TB), and web-based editors. Yet, they do have their differences. Here we’ll break down some strengths and weaknesses of these four translation allies.

SDL Trados Studio 

There is a general consensus that Trados Studio is the most comprehensive CAT tool in the industry, supporting a wide range of formats and workflows. SDL offers a series of products and solutions for different needs with the additional option for users to buy and download plugins or add-ons. However, its comprehensiveness comes with a complex user interface (UI) that’s not as intuitive as others, sometimes resulting in a rough user experience.

Furthermore, another strength is its relative universality in the industry, and its versatility to integrate all kinds of formats (e. g., subtitles, HTML, InDesign, etc.). As a downside, in order to manage terminology, users need another application not included in the main product, called Trados Multiterm.

memoQ

This application also presents a comprehensive desktop version and a limited web-based editor. It allows LSPs and freelancers to manage documents, TBs, TMs, alignment pairs, and references, among many other features. memoQ also incorporates a QA solution in the same product, without the need of purchasing add-ons or extensions. Its UI is more friendly and intuitive for linguists and project managers, and it’s a ready-to-go solution for various needs. As a con, workflows, features, and layout are not as customizable as in other tools, but overall it’s a flexible and complete product for starters and veterans.

Wordfast Pro

Lighter and more affordable than the other two tools, Wordfast has the advantage of being compatible (and having official support) not only with Windows, but with Mac and Linux, so users can dispense with virtual machines or emulators. Its UI looks simpler and cleaner, but Wordfast Pro isn’t compatible with as many formats as the other tools. On another note, Wordfast Pro can integrate with Wordfast Server, an application for secure online translation memories and glossaries that allow real-time collaborative work among linguists. Despite being practical and useful, this feature can hinder integration between other CAT or QA tools, since users can’t have access to the TMs and TBs as editable files.

Memsource

While the three tools above are more focused on desktop-based solutions, Memsource is one of the most popular translation management systems based on the cloud. It has a lightweight editor and portal, offering TMs, TBs, quality management, and a preview mode. It has mobile integration through mobile apps for PMs and linguists, and a user-friendly interface that makes the software intuitive for both vendors and managers. One of its cons is that Memsource exports MXLIFF files, their native file, which is not easily supported by all the other localization tools.

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Deciding which tool best suits your needs can be a tough call sometimes, since the choice depends on the client’s needs, usual workflows, resources used, etc. It’s always better to ask for advice from your localization partner before starting working on a certain tool. This way, everybody prevents potential setbacks and comes up collectively with the best solution.

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Discover how Game Developers Can Make The Localization Process Easier
16/08/2022

How Game Developers Can Make The Localization Process Easier

Posted on | by Jacqueline De Marco | Leave a Comment on How Game Developers Can Make The Localization Process Easier

When preparing to launch a game in a new locale, going a step past translation into localization is necessary to help a game connect with a new audience on a deeper level. The localization process not only translates the source material into a new language, but makes important adjustments to the content to take historial, religious, and cultural elements of the game into account. To make the localization process simpler from the get go, here are some steps game developers can take when handling the source language and development. 

1. Keep Future Localization Needs in Mind From Day One

If game developers can attempt to foresee any potential locales a game will be launching down the road, they can make the future localization process much simpler. It’s important to know what game elements are cultural and try to predict any “cultural clashes” with other markets that may occur. If you already know which elements could be problematic, you can later focus on adapting those to the new market or just avoid that market altogether and focus on launching in markets that are more similar to yours.

To predict promising locales before launching, it’s important to analyze the target market in terms of game genre preferences, growth in the last few years, potential revenue, and other key elements. What works for other developers will not necessarily work for you. You have to keep the unique characteristics of the game and the target market in mind. It’s a question of finding the ideal match for your game. This research can help you get an idea of what your future localization needs might look like. 

2. Keep Small Details in Mind

While it’s understandable why elements that could cause offense, such as religious or cultural references, may be your priority when creating a game that is primed for localization, you don’t want to forget the small details. You may need to adapt dates, time, numbers, and units of measurements during the game localization process. The formats for dates and units of measurement tend to differ across most languages, so as small as these details are, it’s important you keep them top of mind. 

3. Watch Out for Text in Images

If there is any text used in images, it’s likely you’ll need to localize that text as well. If you’re planning to launch in many different locales, it may save your localization team a lot of time and effort if you can avoid enriching images with text. Your graphics team will also be impacted, as they will have to redesign any images with text from scratch. In some cases this effort may be worth it, but you’ll want to think carefully before adding text to too many images. 

4. Build a Glossary Early On

Whether or not you’re planning on localizing your game content, creating a glossary early on in the game development process is key for maintaining consistency throughout the game. Having one will also make the localization process go much smoother. A glossary contains in-game terms and concepts such as character names, items, statuses, and artifacts that need to be preserved consistently. Being able to reference this glossary throughout the game development and localization process will keep everyone on track.

Internationalization, which is the design and development of a product or type of content keeps localization in mind from the get go. Setting up an internationalization process right away can help prepare your game for the localization process. For example, from day one you can avoid the use of concatenations in English that are extremely challenging for localization as they don’t transfer to most languages.

5. Communicate clearly

To help the localization team succeed, game developers need to be willing to communicate. It can be helpful to assign a point of contact that the localization team can turn to with any questions about the game. That way, the entire development team doesn’t have to worry about fielding questions and the localization team knows exactly who will be able to assist them. Another option you have available to you is implementing query sheets, which can facilitate organized and effective communication between everyone involved in a project. A query sheet is usually an online form or spreadsheet that tracks important details, status updates, and questions and answers about a project. This is a great option if you’re localizing the same game into multiple languages at the same time.

On any type of localization project, it is helpful to make any assets such as images, videos, walkthroughs, screenshots, and term bases with descriptions available to the localization team. That way, they have every resource they need to do the best job possible. Style guides can also be a valuable resource for the localization team.

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Discover How Localization can Boost Growth in the Learning and Development Industry
09/08/2022

How localization can boost the Learning & Development Industry Growth

Posted on | by Jacqueline De Marco | Leave a Comment on How localization can boost the Learning & Development Industry Growth

The learning & development industry saw a big uptick in a need for their products during the pandemic, when suddenly countless workplaces sent all of their employees home to work remotely. Learning & development specialists devote a lot of time and resources into creating their educational materials, which are then used by companies to help train their employees. When these training are available in more than one language, companies can extend these training materials to more of their employees. Being able to offer their courses in more than one language can help L&D companies in this industry expand rapidly.

Keep reading to learn more about how localization can benefit the learning & development industry.

Popular Learning & Development Trainings

Digital training materials have become increasingly important for corporations as they make it easier to conduct training for their employees. Typical trainings include courses on how to be safe on the job, how to perform their duties, etc. While these general trainings still occur, training focused on diversity and inclusion, soft skills, and how to improve employee wellbeing have become more relevant. To better understand what types of learning & development materials can benefit from localization, let’s look at a few different popular types of learning & development training.

It’s worth noting that the following topics are strongly culture related. This is why localization is a better fit than translation in this case, as a localization specialist can adapt the content in a course to be suitable for the specific target audience that will be taking the course.

  • Diversity and inclusion training. These days, companies are revisiting their values, training programs, and hiring practices to create a more inclusive workplace. Localized diversity and inclusion training can help them reach their goals in this space more effectively.
  • Employee wellbeing efforts. In light of the Great Resignation, companies have a lot of motivation to try to retain their employees. Companies can incorporate employee well-being into their learning & development materials. These trainings focus on the skills and habits employees need to feel content at work and in other areas of their lives. Localization can help make these learning materials more thoughtful.
  • Soft skill development. There are a lot of soft skills we don’t learn in school that we need in the workplace to thrive. Companies who invest in teaching their employees soft skills through learning & development can build a stronger workforce.

How Localization Can Maximize Learning & Development Trainings

Localization goes a step past translation by taking the target audience’s unique language and cultural habits and preferences into account. This more custom approach can be a game changer in the learning & development industry and can maximize the usability of their educational content. Large companies get more bang for their buck when they invest in multilingual courses, as they can accommodate their global workforce when they offer training. Everyone benefits when more thought and care is put into creating learning & development resources.

As an added bonus, by having access to localized learning & development materials, companies can create a more unified and stronger company culture even if their workforce is spread across the world. This is especially relevant considering that remote working remains popular even after pandemic related workplace closures have come to an end.

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The Right Voice-Over Narrator for Audiobooks
02/08/2022

How to Find the Right Voice-Over Narrator for Audiobooks

Posted on | by Jacqueline De Marco | Leave a Comment on How to Find the Right Voice-Over Narrator for Audiobooks

Anyone who likes to hit the treadmill or who frequently gets stuck in bumper to bumper traffic is probably familiar with the ease and convenience of audiobooks. Listening to books is a great way to squeeze in a little recreation time while folding laundry or wrapping up mindless work tasks. 

It’s easy to see why audiobooks have grown so much in popularity in recent years. In the first quarter of 2017 alone, audiobook sales rose by 28.8% and in 2016, 24% of Americans listened to at least one audiobook, which was an increase from the 22% of people who reported doing so in 2015. 

With so much interest in audiobooks growing over the years, this leaves a lot of room for authors and publishing houses to benefit from this trend. Almost any book has the potential to become an audiobook, but for it to be effective, it has to be done well. There’s a lot more to making a good audiobook than just reading it out loud. The voice-over narrator in particular plays a key role in the success of an audiobook. 

Skills Audiobook Narrators Need

The bulk of the audiobook experience for the reader centers around the narrator, which is why it’s so important to work with an experienced narrator who is up to the task. These are some of the skills you should look for when hiring an audiobook narrator. 

  • Acting ability. A good narrator doesn’t simply read text, they act it out. When someone narrates an audiobook, they need to embody different characters and be able to authentically relay their stories. Having a background in acting can make accomplishing this task much easier. 
  • Voice abilities. To differentiate between characters, the narrator will need to alter their voice, to make it clear which character is speaking. They may even need to adapt accents or speak in different dialects. While no listener expects one narrator to completely change their voice for each character, they won’t be able to follow the story if the narrator doesn’t use a variety of voices. 
  • Stamina. Narration is a tiring task and one that requires stamina and a decent amount of breath control. Recording days can be long and tiring, so you’ll want to work with a narrator who is experienced working on these types of projects and who knows what to expect during a day of recording. 
  • Research. A narrator who is also a good researcher will be most effective at their job. The whole process will go a lot smoother if the narrator does some leg work and reviews the text in advance to confirm they know how to pronounce all the words. That way, they won’t stumble through the narration any time a new name or place they haven’t heard of before comes up in the text. 

How to Find the Right Narrator

To find the right narrator for an audio project, it’s important to compare work samples of any narrators you’re considering for the job. Here’s a few things you should pay attention to when reviewing those audio samples. 

  • Their voice. This seems like a no-brainer, but the narrator has to have the right voice for the project. No matter how good they are at their job, sometimes they may sound too young or too old for a role. They may have a flair for the dramatic or pronounce words in a specific way that doesn’t work for the tone of the book. Pay close attention to their voice to get a gauge if they can help your specific text come to life.
  • Their speed. How fast do they speak? Do they speak too fast for anyone to understand? Or too slow to keep the audience’s attention?
  • Their equipment and surroundings. If your narrator will be recording the audiobook using their own equipment in their own recording space, make sure you pay close attention to background sounds, echos, and other factors that can be influenced by their location or technology. 

Every book (or audiobook) is unique, which is why it’s only logical to be in doubt about what narrator to choose. If you’re about to embark on a project like this one, feel free to reach out to the Terra team and get advice and suggestions for your specific project. The last thing you want is for a great story to fall flat because the narrator wasn’t the right fit!

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