Agencies, Bureaus, and Companies

ABC-1 (T, 1:30-3:00pm) - ALL
Translation Company Division Annual Meeting
Steven P. Iverson, acting administrator, ATA Translation Company Division and president, Iverson Language Associates, Inc., Milwaukee, Wisconsin

ABC-2 (T, 3:30-5:00pm) - ALL
The Same Difference—Translation into or from British and American English
Josephine Bacon, translator and interpreter (French and Hebrew into English), and owner, American Pie, London, England

Even language professionals, including teachers of English as a Foreign Language, do not appreciate the differences between American English and the various other dialects of English, especially British English. Even native English-speakers do not realize the confusion that can be caused when the "wrong" English is used. This session will highlight important differences in all the main areas of translation (general, legal, technical, commercial, medical, etc.). This discussion is designed to help agencies and translators to be on the lookout for potential sources of confusion, e.g., words like "pavement," "sash" (in architecture), "ground" (electrical engineering and electronics), and problems such as date, punctuation, and grammatical differences.

[CANCELED]ABC-3 (F, 10:00-10:45am) - ALL
Agencies versus Companies versus Freelancers
Richard Gray, CEO, Richard Gray Financial Translations Ltd., London, England

The presentation questions the effectiveness of the classic agency-freelancer translation business model. It underlines the importance of knowledge-sharing in the translation process and argues that the increasing use of memory-based translation tools, which enable companies to harness the common knowledge of their translators, will favor an in-house company model. The speaker draws on his own experiences as a freelancer with agencies in Spain (citing real examples of the agency world in Madrid and Europe between 1990 and today) and now with his own company in the United Kingdom.

[CANCELED] (F, 10:45-11:30am) - INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED
Quality Control—What it means for You and Your Clients
Janeen Haase, account manager, ForeignExchange Translations, Providence, Rhode Island

Quality control is essential to every type of business. In the translation/localization industry, the importance lies not only in one area of the industry (i.e., "the product"), but throughout the many components of our service to our clients. In order to produce high quality translations, we must first be able to track our deliverance of quality in customer service to our clients, which includes our understanding of each client's specific and varied needs, our ability to create a functional relationship that fosters excellent communications, and our ability to find realistic and reasonable solutions for our clients. Tracking and ensuring the quality of our service and our relationship with our clients is the first, and perhaps most important, step in quality control. The presenter will outline the processes and guidelines that have worked well for her.

ABC-4 (F, 10:00-10:45am) - ALL
Listen First, Then Act: How up-front language analysis can make or break localization projects
Claudia Lenschen-Ramos, strategic planner, Berlitz GlobalNET, New York City

This presentation will focus on the use of an up-front "language analysis" as a critical step in the process of delivering large translation/localization projects on time, within budget, and with exceptional quality. By including "language analysis" in customer solutions, Berlitz GlobalNET has improved physical deliverables as well as positively affected the overall business relationship with the client. The material will be presented within the context of an American company facing the challenge of creating culturally neutral content that can be localized easily.

[CANCELED] ABC-5 (F, 1:30-3:00pm) - ALL
Cakes and Dark Ale Everyday—Or Maybe Not. A Day in the Life at a Translation Company
Sedef Olcer, managing director, Global Languages and Cultures, Inc., Chicago, Illinois

As the need for translation services grows exponentially, the symbiotic relationship between end-users, freelancers, and translation companies (TCs) becomes more and more important. Although the services freelancers provide are clear and tangible, the role of a TC in this industry is not always as clear. This presentation aims to demystify the value TCs add to the final product and their contribution to the process in general. We invite all TC managers, owners, and coordinators to commiserate, and freelancers to take a peek inside our not-so-enviable world.

[CANCELED] ABC-6 (F, 3:30-4:15pm) - ALL
TV Dubbing and Subtitling: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Juan B. Botero, senior consultant, Botero, Nichols & Cohen, Inc., Englewood, Colorado

This presentation will feature some hilarious, embarrassing, and often incredible bloopers that have gone out to audiences through cable and satellite television. Although unintended, these gaffes illustrate the need to implement quality control procedures and a unique level of awareness of the subtleties of cultural differences between countries that produce feature films and the territories that are targeted for their consumption by viewers. The presentation will include actual footage of these eye-opening examples, as well as practical suggestions on how to approach translation companies that provide these services in order to assist presentation attendees interested in freelance or full-time work.

(F, 4:15-5:00pm) - ALL
The Source-Language Editor: A Critical Role in Translation Quality Control
Elizabeth Abraham Gomez, president, Your Mother Tongue Inc., Toronto, Canada

Generally speaking, translation error has two roots: 1) the translator is working into a second language rather than into his/her mother tongue, and 2) the mother-tongue translator misinterprets the source text. Traditionally, the editor of the translation has the same mother tongue as the translator, and is therefore susceptible to the same misinterpretation of the original. A mother-tongue translator is essential for avoiding the first principal source of translation error. A source-language editor, or "back-translator," is required to avoid the second cause for error. The role of the source-language editor is to ensure that the translator properly interpreted the original and to check for omissions. Refining the final draft is left to the proofreader, a native speaker of the target language.

ABC-7 (F, 3:30-4:15pm) - ALL
Build a Successful Internship Program
Evan Cohen, internationalization and global release manager, Information Builders, New York City

Today, there is a serious shortage of qualified applicants for most translation and/or localization positions. Through our internship program we have educated, trained, and created positions within our company for both in-school and recent graduates to serve as translators, project managers, technical writers and editors, and language engineers quality assurance personnel. Information Builders, a software company in New York City, has created a very successful internship program to fulfill our localization needs. This workshop will provide a forum for the exchange of models and experience for creating an internship program.

[CANCELED] ABC-8 (F, 4:15-5:00pm) - ALL
Mediating Language Services Online: A Changing Marketplace
Erick Derkatsch, president and co-founder, Lexelnet Inc., New York City; and Jeremy Kassen, co-founder, Lexelnet Inc., New York City

In the networked economy, the Internet allows for the replacement of traditional "middlemen" by Web-based applications functioning as sourcing and procurement tools. In the case of translation services, such applications must address the buyer's concerns regarding quality, timeliness of delivery, and project management. In doing so, such applications must also satisfy the needs of service providers beyond just offering another translator database to agencies. Lexelnet.com is a Web application that offers a solution to the problems confronting agencies, buyers, and sellers of translation services through its fully transactional language market space. This presentation will address the current and planned features of such a system.

[CANCELLED] ABC-9 (S, 8:00-9:30am) - ALL
How Can the Client-Translator-Editor Triangle Work like a Quality Circle?
Virginia Eva Berry-Gruby, president, EBG Associates, Lakewood, New Jersey; João Roque Dias, technical translator, Lisbon, Portugal; and Lucien Morin, senior technical writer, Sulzer (US) Metco, Inc., Westbury, New Jersey

The translation industry tends to create triangular patterns of communications between client and translator, editor and translator, or editor and client. Some firms use the third corner to act as gatekeepers. Others facilitate the free flow of information all around. Which approach better suits the client? Can editors benefit from improved three-way communication with client and translator? ll the translator gain better insights through direct contact with the client? Panelists representing each function weigh the pros and cons of a more open approach and discuss their respective roles. Members of the audience are invited to share their views nd experiences.

[CANCELED] ABC-10 (S, 8:00-8:45am) - ALL
Everyone is in Sales (whether they know it or not!)
Jeffrey Hoffmann, vice-president, marketing, GlobalDoc, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia

Though we generally only consider sales and marketing personnel responsible for lead and sales generation, the promotion of a translation company and its services is a team effort. Project managers, desktop publishers, and even administrative and other support staff help make the next sale through their actions, especially when they involve direct communication with clients. Independent translators have a dual responsibility: to sell themselves as a resource to a translation company, but also to help that translation company continue to obtain work. This session will discuss how working together can ensure the continued success of all parties involved.

(S, 8:45-9:30am) - ALL
Working with Teams of Translators
Michael Kambas, co-founder, Greek Translation Services, San Juan Capistrano, California

Topics to be covered during this session include: handling high-volume projects with short deadlines, selecting compatible translators and editors, and building effective teams. Time will be allotted for Q&A after the discussion.

ABC-11 (S, 10:00-10:45am) - ALL
What Every Project Manager Wants From a Subcontractor
David Moyer, senior account executive, M² Limited, Montgomery Village, Maryland

How can new translators break into the industry? How can experienced translators distinguish themselves from the rest of the crowd? As a project manager for a translation agency for the past five years, I have had the opportunity to work with hundreds of talented and fascinating translators. Other than the rate charged for services, there are many factors that can increase a freelance translator's marketability. I will outline the specific traits a project manager looks for when deciding which translator to hire for a project and offer some suggestions for continued improvement in those areas.

(S, 10:45-11:30am) - ALL
A Proposal for the Measurement of Quality in Technical Translation
Riccardo Schiaffino, manager of Italian and French translation teams, J.D. Edwards, Denver, Colorado; and Franco Zearo, senior technical translator and global engagement consultant, Lionbridge Technologies, Boulder, Colorado

Relying on completely subjective criteria for the evaluation of translation quality may no longer be sufficient in technical translation, especially when dealing with large volumes of translation in multiple languages. The presenters suggest several methods to achieve a more objective evaluation of the quality of technical translations. Among the methods suggested are using checklists and controlling how much the translation conforms to the approved terminology.

[CANCELED] ABC-12 (S, 10:00-11:30am) - ALL
Project Managers: The Unsung (and Sometimes Unhinged) Heroes of the T&I Industry
Amanda Ennis, freelance German>English technical/medical translator, cultural trainer, and adjunct faculty member, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio

Using data gleaned from extensive telephone interviews and the presenter's own experiences, this interactive presentation will discuss what project managers actually do, what skills and training they need to be successful, which skills new hires often lack, what project managers like and dislike most about their jobs and why they leave their positions, and the impact their work has on the industry as a whole. If you supervise project managers, are a project manager, work with project managers, or have ever thought about becoming a project manager, this session is for you. A discussion will follow the presentation.

[CANCELED] ABC-13 (S, 1:30-2:15pm) - INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED
Flash Localization Projects Made Easy
Shaunessy O'Brien, Web specialist, ForeignExchange Translations, Providence, Rhode Island

Every Flash localization project is a complicated puzzle that may consist of several of the following: text, graphics, sounds, video, or animation. During localization, Flash projects often need to be taken apart completely and reassembled in the target languages. Leveraging of previously translated text is difficult, if not altogether impossible. Sound and video carry further complications related to the voice talents used, synchronization, sound effects, and dubbing. To make matters worse, there is virtually no standard way of building a Flash project. The speaker will present the easiest way to localize a Flash project.

ABC-14 (S, 1:30-2:15pm) - ALL
The Freelancer-Translation Company Relationship in the Dawning Age of E-commerce
Scott Bass, president, Advanced Language Translation, Rochester, New York; and Frieda Ruppaner-Lind, ATA-accredited (English<>German) independent German translator, Leawood, Kansas

As increasingly more translation companies delve deeper into e-commerce, many have opted to streamline their operations by communicating with their translation vendors through Websites or "portals." What impact has this had on these relationships that are the cornerstone of the translation industry? To what extent is the translator/company relationship becoming increasingly depersonalized? What advances truly benefit all involved? Which have been detrimental to translators? To companies? This panel presentation will address the current and emerging trends in technology that will continue to shape our industry.

(S, 2:15-3:00pm) - ALL
Translating for an International Corporation (In-house and Freelance)
Ilona Helen Volmer, director of sales and marketing, Siemens Language Service, Velbert, Germany

Translation departments of large, internationally operating companies have individual structures, processes, and rules. Nevertheless, in many cases, these processes and rules are universally applicable. What process is used to manage a translation project? What qualifications (acquired knowledge and talents) does an in-house translator need to be successful working for such a company? What is required of freelance translators who work for translation departments of large companies? How do you apply for jobs within such companies, or seek work from them as a freelancer?