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Language in Business / 

Language as Business
 
Presentation Abstracts

Kent State University

Institute for Applied Linguistics

October 8-10, 1998

1998-10-02  
 

Austraat, Bjorn, Teaching Localization

The explosive growth of the software localization industry has led to an equally rapid increase in demand for qualified human resources. Berlitz is one of the providers of localization training to the software localization industry. Additionally, graduate schools for translation and interpretation, such as the Monterey Institute of International Studies, provide a growing amount of localization training to their T&I students.

As localization is a vast field and its technical challenges can be quite intimidating, my courses are designed to greatly reduce the anxiety and stress associated with exploring a highly sophisticated, technical field. I call my method of teaching “brain-compatible”. It is based on the idea that new material can only be efficiently absorbed if it is presented in a way that is “compatible” with the biological and psychological needs of the learner.

These fundamental principles of learning are often violated in technical seminars. Techno-babble, peer competition, and an intimidating environment contribute to an adrenalized, “fight-or-flight” situation that makes learning very difficult, if not impossible.

In my presentation I will discuss the mind-body connection of learning stress; why you can never, ever learn anything completely new; methods for creating an optimal hormonal balance conducive to learning; techniques to change expectation states; getting active buy-in from your students; and other tips and tricks to make learning more successful for you and your audience.

I will also present a “layered” skill portfolio for instruction and testing of localization resources. The portfolio is divided into various degrees of tool proficiency and engineering knowledge and could serve as a starting point for the development of a unified testing and certification program.
 


 
Bjorn Austraat is a recognized expert in the area of software localization and internationalization.

He holds a Masters Degree in Conference Interpretation from the University of Vienna and a Masters Degree in Translation and Interpretation from the Monterey Institute of International Studies.

Bjorn teaches highly successful software localization, translatability and localizability seminars for Berlitz International and at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. He is one of the founding members of the Berlitz Interactive Group, a division of Berlitz International specializing in multimedia and web site localization.

Bennett, Winfield Scott, Machine Translation

For some people the term “machine translation” conjures up images of a soulless computer grinding out mistranslations at the expense of human translators.  Or, perhaps worse, machine translation will turn highly skilled translators into translation drones forced to live with the inadequate output from the computer.  Certainly, the 50+-year history of the technology has been filled with false promises, fears, half-truths, paranoia and myths – in addition to the facts and reality.

This presentation will clarify the reality of the technology including a discussion of both valid and false issues involving machine translation.  Those attending will gain insight into what can reasonably be expected from machine translation systems at their best and how they can aid professional translators in their work.
 

Dr. Winfield Scott Bennett has been a part of the machine translation community for nineteen years.  Beginning in 1979 with the Siemens-sponsored  METAL project at the University of Texas at Austin, he has worked in research and development, marketing and sales and customer support.  In 1993 he ended his tenure with Siemens and moved to Logos Corporation, where he was responsible for linguistic development, customer support and quality assurance from 1994 to 1997.  In 1997 he became Director, Institutional and Government Relations.  This year he became the Director of Marketing, a position which includes his institutional and government responsibilities.   He has published a number of papers on both theoretical and practical issues of machine translation and organized the TMI conference in Austin.   Because of his experience and interest in various aspects of  MT, he has been secretary of both the Association for Machine Translation in the Americas and the International Association for Machine Translation.


 
Broekmate, Henri, Integrated Applications Environments for Software Localization
 
Henri Broekmate is Vice President for Marketing and Sales for Trados Fine Translation Tools.

Budin, Gerhard, Terminology Management & Quality Assurance in Terminology Management

Based on previous experiences and ongoing international research, the paper will present a methodological outline of quality-oriented terminology management. This approach is indispensable for any type of quality assurance procedures in language and translation engineering.


 
Gerhard Budin holds a position equivalent to that of an Associate Professor at the University of Vienna, Austria. He teaches and conducts research in the Departments
for Translation Studies and Philosophy of Science. His primary areas of concentration include terminology, technical communication, technical translation, and language
engineering.
 

Cowan, Rory

Rory J. Cowan is currently Chief Executive Officer of LioNBRIDGE Technologies, an international software localization and testing services company. Prior to LioNBRIDGE, he was interim Chief Executive Officer of Interleaf Inc. (NASDAQ), a document automation software services company.

From 1995 to 1996, Mr. Cowan was Chief Executive Officer of Stream International Inc. (1996 worldwide revenues: $1.6 Bn).  In addition to his responsibility at Stream, Cowan was an Executive Vice President and member of the Management Committee for  R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company (NYSE), a position he held from 1991-1996.

From 1991 to 1994, Mr. Cowan was responsible for Asian business development and led Donnelley’s Information Resources Sector, consisting of all Information Technology & Communications businesses, Metromail Corporation, as well as the Networked Services Sector, consisting of the Book, Documentation Services, and Financial business units (1994 world-wide revenues: $1.6 Bn).

He joined R. R. Donnelley in 1988 as Senior Vice President of the Documentation Services Group, and later became Group President. Prior to Donnelley, he was President and Chief Executive Officer, CSA Press of Hudson, Massachusetts, a 1986 acquisition of R. R. Donnelley.  He also held positions at Compugraphic Corporation, in Wilmington, MA and London, England.

Mr. Cowan received his A.B. in 1979, and M.B.A. in 1981, both from Harvard University.  Mr. Cowan, his wife (Charlotte C. Cowan, MD), and three children reside in Concord, MA.

He serves on the Boards of Directors of NewsEdge Corporation, Interleaf, Uniform Information Services, WebLine Communications, and LioNBRIDGE Technologies.

Dianetti, Robert, Document Generation And Management: QA for Tech Writing LPM

Robert Dianetti is a freelance technical writer based in the Cleveland/Akron area and is president of the Northeast Ohio Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication.
 

Esselink, Bert, Language, Culture and Product Issues in Software Localization

The presentation will quickly introduce software localization, and discuss the fundamental issues and non-issues that software developers and localization vendors are dealing with today. It will briefly introduce existing localization training programs, and skills that will be expected from the “localizer of the future”.

Bert Esselink has been active in localization since 1990. After graduating in technical translation and doing coursework in computational linguistics, he worked for several years as a software translator, localization engineer, and technical project manager. In 1996 he joined Alpnet in Amsterdam as Localization Manager, training new engineers and localization specialists and coordinating all technical aspects of software localization projects. His first book, A Practical Guide to Software Localization, will be published in October 1998 by John Benjamins.
 

Feick,Tracey, Quality Assurance in Language Management

The quality of a translation project can be defined as displaying the following characteristics: accuracy in meaning, proper linguistic style for a given product and given market, correct “delivery” of the language, timeliness, consistency and meeting of client needs.

This quality level is best achieved through a three-pronged approach. First, provide both basic and on-going training so that good people are empowered with the toolsets to do a good job. Training, which includes all those involved in a translation project, leads to the highest success rates. Second, follow a process that guarantees a quality output. The process must have steps that address each of the quality factors and there must be checks built into the process to assure compliance and to allow for problem correction and continual process improvement. Third, remember to continuously communicate with all members of a translation project team. While a very basic tenet, communication is often the first thing to go when a projects gets hectic.

Language management programs developed with a focus on training, a quality process, and strong communications provide the best methodology to assure a quality product.

Tracey Feick currently serves as Vice President of Operations for global integration of all Language Management International operations centers and has overall responsibility for worldwide quality standards. Additionally, she serves as dean of LMI University, which provides training programs for clients, employees, translators and interested parties within our industry.

Prior to assuming this position, Tracey  managed day-to-day operations of The Corporate Word, LMI’s North American operation. She also spent seven years in project management. Her experience includes managing numerous multi-lingual localization projects.

Tracey regularly consults for our clients on issues such as cultural assessments, localization, global writing and document design. Tracey has presented papers on a variety of topics related to technical translation at both client sites and professional conferences nationwide.

Before joining The Corporate Word, Tracey served as managing editor and production manager for a technical trade publishing company in Taiwan. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in East Asian Studies from Middlebury College. She has also studied and traveled in both Asia and Europe. Tracey is fluent in Chinese and conversant in German.

Gillen, Mike and Langewis, Chris  Teaching Computer Applications for Translators

Michael Gillen is an Assistant Professor and Head of the Russian Program at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. He specializes in translation of Russian and English and holds both his MBA and a BA in Russian Studies from the Monterey Institute of International Studies.

A freelance translator and interpreter of Russian-language scientific and technical materials since 1976, Professor Gillen owns a language services company that contracts to provide translation, interpretation, training in translation and interpretation, and related language-support services to North American companies doing business in Russia and Eastern Europe.

Professor Gillen is a consultant on translator and interpreter training to the International Academy of Business and Banking in Togliatti, Russia, and is involved in efforts to improve the business climate in Russia by providing higher-quality business-related translation and interpretation services.

Professor Gillen supervised the development of a Russian language version of the court interpreter’s training course developed by Professor Holly Mikkelson.  Professional affiliations include the American Translators Association and ASM International.

email: Mgillen@miis.edu

Chris Langewis brings over 20 years of international software business experience to the table, consisting of management as well as sales and marketing positions.  Translation tools became a specialty as a result of the business demands generated by successfully building various global product marketing groups.  Prominent positions include International Product Manager at Symantec, Inc., Vice President of Marketing at Logos Corp, and President and co-founder of Globalware, Inc.

These positions involved linguistic tools developments and localization programs which are still in motion today.  Present activities include teaching Computer Assisted Translation at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, serving as a consultant in CAT tools to various major companies, and working with a promising Silicon Valley Translation Tools startup company.  Mr. Langewis studied Economics and Business Administration at Cal State University, Hayward.
 

Lockwood, Rose, The Results of a Market Study in Globalization and the Language Industry

Rose Lockwood is Managing Director of the Equipe Consortium, a network of analysts and consultants specializing in language technology and multilingual information systems. The consortium is based in Cambridge, England, and works with academic and commercial organizations throughout Europe. Equipe is able to apply its specialist knowledge of  IT platforms and environments to provide leading-edge market research and analysis in all areas of language technology.

Rose is an analyst and consultant with 15 years experience in the field of  Information Technology and the author of a large number of market reports and studies in the fields of office and language technologies.

She is also Executive Editor of The Language Engineering Journal, a major online news resource for the language industry produced as part of the LINGLINK project, which supports the Language Engineering sector of the European Union's Telematics Application Programme (TAP).
 
 

Lynch, Clove, Language Technology Management
 
The localization tool market is changing rapidly, both driven by and driving customer expectations. Yet what is the relationship between the amount the localization industry invests in this technology and the rate of return on that investment? What can suppliers and consumers of localization services realistically expect from technology solutions without reliable return-on-investment data from the industry at large? How can the promise of competitive advantage, faster time-to-market, lower costs and higher profit margins be measured against the potentially unreliable and largely undocumented “real” performance of translation tools?

Currently, few data exist to help answer these questions. Tool use in localization is on the rise and projected to keep rising. However, at least one study has shown that while translation tools are expected to produce better quality deliverables, they do not always reduce production costs for suppliers or their clients. This discrepancy must be reconciled, or at the very least quantified. This talk will discuss management of the tool implementation process as an integral part of localization process control, quality assurance and customer satisfaction.
 

Clove Lynch manages the Translation Tools department at International Language Engineering Corporation (ILE). He has extensive background in translation memory technology, terminology management and localization project management, and is an ATA-accredited translator with both freelance and in-house translation experience. He holds a Masters Degree in Translation Studies from Kent State University and has published various articles on terminology management.

Clove Lynch
ILE Corporation
5700 Flatiron Parkway
Boulder, CO  80301 USA
Voice (303) 245-7585
Fax (303) 245-7973
email: clovel@ile.com
 

Massardier-Kenney,  Françoise, Curricula for Training Translators, Tech Writers, and Information Specialists (A Panel Discussion of Training Specialists)

This panel will focus on the best ways to provide future translators, localizers, language engineers, and project managers with training that addresses the needs of the language industry with respect to internationalization (computer science), localization (translation) and globalization (international business). Questions central to the discussion will include: What are the minimum specialized knowledge components that need to be covered (skills profile)? Considering the rapid changes occurring in language as business, is it better to focus on general learning skills or are there specific tools that students should master? Which general principles should be emphasized? What tools or kinds of tools are most important?
 

Françoise Massardier-Kenney received her Ph.D. from Kent State University in 1986. She has particular research interests in the translation and study of 19th century French literature, gender and feminism in translation and the pedagogy of translation.
She is the author of Translating Slavery (with Doris Kadish), of articles on translation pedagogy, gender in translation and George Sand studies.

She translates work in the field of psychoanalysis, political science, literature and business. She is the general editor of the American Translators Association Scholarly Monograph Series. Dr. Kenney teaches courses in research methods, literary and cultural translation and legal and commercial translation. As coordinator of the Translation Group within the KSU Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies, she has taken a proactive role in exploring future directions for curriculum and courseware planning.
 

 
 Melby, Alan, The LISA Education Initiative (LEIT)

Many large high tech companies are members of LISA (Localization Industry Standards Association), including Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Microsoft, and Oracle, as well as a number of large translation/localization companies, including Mendez, LMI,  BTS, AlpNet, and LionBridge. Through LISA, these companies have requested that education provide better training for new hires. This paper will report on a survey of existing courseware and industry needs, along with an analysis of the two and recommendations for improving the match between what business needs and what education provides.


Alan K. Melby is a professor of linguistics at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. He is chair of the ATA Translation and Computers Committee and a USA ANSI representative on ISO (International Organization for Standardization) Technical Committee 37 working group for Computer Applications. He is the co-author of ISO FDIS 12200:1998, Computer Applications in Terminology — Machine-Readable Terminology Interchange Format (MARTIF), and has been instrumental in the development of TMX, an interchange format for translation memory systems developed within the framework of the LISA OSCAR Special Interest Group.

Alan has been involved in the development of computer tools for translators and in the design of terminology management systems and data models. He is the originator of the LEIT project and a dedicated scout master.
 

 
Morgan, Jane, Language Project Management

You can have the best system in the world for managing a project, the most sophisticated organizational set-up, but if the basic elements of communication are not in place, a project can fail and with it a relationship with a client or a supplier.

This paper looks at the pivotal role communication plays in the project management of a translation/localization project.
 


 
Jane Morgan is owner of Morgan Consulting & Training, an organization dedicated to meeting the needs of translation professionals and corporations involved in multilingual documentation. She is also an adjunct professor at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, where she teaches a course in Translation Management.  Jane holds a B.A. in German and Spanish from Thames Valley University, England and an MBA from the University of Redlands.

Moore, Corinne, and Smith, Brian, The Role of Controlled Language and Structured Documents in an Efficient Translation Process

Many companies are expanding into global markets and discovering that translation costs are enormous.  In order to contain these costs, companies have begun to look at the way text is produced, stored and re-used, and to identify areas that are barriers to cost efficiency.  In a global business environment where words and text are tangible expenses, terminology and text management become critical. In the area of terminology management, Controlled English (CE) can be used to increase reusable text and reduce expensive terms such as synonyms and ambiguous terms. A CE also improves quality for domestic readers, and encourages a more consistent presentation of the corporate image.

To manage larger blocks of text,  Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) document management systems enable the efficient large-scale re-use of entire sections or chapters of documents. Diebold, Incorporated has been proactive in establishing both CE and SGML systems in order to effectively manage translation costs, as well as other costs associated with document management.

The implementation of these new processes, however, has not been easy, quick, or inexpensive. We will discuss the business case, practical aspects, development, tools, and implementation of the CE and SGML systems, based on experience at Diebold.
 

Corinne Moore is the Translation Analyst and Controlled English Administrator at Diebold, Incorporated. Moore has an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Linguistics from Cornell University, and a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Washington. She has worked in language engineering in the areas of Controlled English, checker development, lexicography and glossary development, text processing, and speech synthesis.
 


Brian Smith is the Senior Technical Editor and Translation Coordinator at Diebold, Incorporated.  He received his M.A. in French from Bowling Green State University, where he taught undergraduate courses in French. His experience abroad includes an academic year in France. Smith has worked as a technical writer, and is a member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC).
 

O'Neill, Mary, Project Management and ISO 9000
 
The ISO 9000 family of international quality standards offers a conceptual framework to customers, suppliers and vendors with regard to quality-related issues. The main purpose of the presentation is to familiarize participants with key ideas of ISO 9000 as they pertain to the language industry. The number of translation companies holding ISO 9001 or 9002 registration is on the rise, and this trend can be expected to continue. But even without the goal of full registration, providers and users of translation and localization services can benefit from a shared understanding of the 20 points of ISO 9001/2. Compliance with the standard is one way of demonstrating a company's commitment to customer satisfaction and quality and as the process is put into place, other benefits, such as increased profitability and cost savings to the customer may be realized as well. The ISO points discussed will include management responsibility, quality system, contract review, purchasing, process control, inspection and testing, corrective and preventive action, and training.
 

Mary J. O'Neill is co-founder and president of Translingua, Inc. a full-service localization company based in Columbia, Maryland. She holds her Ph.D. degree in German Literature from Washington University in St. Louis and was the recipient of a DAAD grant from the Federal Republic of Germany and a Title IV NDEA fellowship from the US government. She has taught on the faculties of Washington University, Dartmouth College, the Wirtschaftsschule Dr. Buhmann in Hannover, Germany, and the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

In 1982 she was awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to develop a core course entitled World Language Communities, which focuses on the languages of the world in contact and conflict. She has translated two books on music theory, and researched, wrote and directed a video documentary on German immigration to Maryland.

She is an accredited member of the American Translators Association and sits on the Professional Development and University Accreditation committees of the ATA. She has had specialized ISO 9000 training for Documentation, Internal Auditing, and Lead Assessor and participates in the State of Maryland ISO 9000 consortium. Dr. O'Neill will chair a panel discussion on ISO 9000: A Quality System for the Translation Industry? at the 1998 ATA Annual Conference at Hilton Head.

Mary J. O'Neill, Ph.D.
Translingua, Inc.
5457 Twin Knolls Road
Columbia, MD 21045

Phone: 410-730-9700
Fax: 410-730-9736

email: moneill@translingua.com
 

Reuther, Ursula (LETRAC), Integrating Language Technology in Translator Curricula

Industrial companies are using sophisticated software tools in all areas of document creation, terminology management and translation. Changes in these commercial environments have not yet been fully reflected in the training of translators and technical writers who need to develop appropriate skills and knowledge in information and communication technology to satisfy the requirements of their prospective employers. LETRAC is designed to remedy these shortcomings in translator education.

LETRAC (Language Engineering for Translator Curricula) is a research project funded by the European Commission within the Telematics Application Programme belonging to the sector of Language Engineering (LE). It aims at improving the current situation in translator training by establishing a common basis for the elaboration and inclusion of LE and IT components in translator curricula.

The project work includes a joint analysis of existing translator curricula in Europe and of the needs in the academic context formulated by students, teachers and decision taking bodies. In parallel, a systematic investigation of the requirements in the professional market is being carried out. On the basis of this user requirements analysis, a common set of  “Language Technology” curriculum elements will be defined, thus leading to more practice-oriented training and to more compatible curriculum elements throughout Europe.

In this paper the needs and requirements identified within the project will be presented, taking into account the various aspects of target groups involved. In addition, a preliminary version of the curriculum elements will be outlined.


Ursula Reuther is a Senior Researcher at the IAI (Institute for Applied Information Sciences) in Saarbruecken. She has a degree (“Diplom”) in Translation Studies and Applied Linguistics from the University of Saarbruecken.

She has worked on several European and national NLP research projects, her main activities being design, development and implementation of German grammar and transfer modules in various formalisms and for different applications, e.g., MT systems, Controlled Language applications and CALL systems. She also worked on linguistic specifications for modeling the German language in a unification-based typed feature structure formalism.

Ursula Reuther
IAI
Martin-Luther-Str.14
D - 66111 Saarbruecken
Germany

Tel: +49 681 38951-28
Fax: +49 681 38951-40

email: ursel@iai.uni-sb.de
 

Rogers, Margaret, Language, Text and Terms: Information or Communication?

Specialist texts and terminologies (in the sense of codified collections of terms) enjoy a close relationship: texts are needed to create terminologies and terminologies are needed not only to create but also to understand new texts in an efficient way. But the relationship between texts and terminologies is a complex one: text is language in use and terminologies are systematic in more than one sense. While texts — as language used in a specific situation such as a journal article, a user's manual, a product specification, etc. — may be described as 'communicative,' terminologies may be viewed as 'informative' in the sense that they are abstractions and as such, unrelated to a particular situation of use.

Such differences between use and system are highlighted by computerized methods of term elicitation during which word forms identified in texts are related to lexemes. In this paper, I would like to examine some of the implications of this relationship, particularly for language professionals such as translators who are on the one hand overwhelmed by irrelevant information and on the other hand have  high expectations that the information they need is out there somewhere.


Margaret Rogers is Head of German and Deputy Director of the Centre for Translation Studies in the Department of Linguistic and International Studies at the University of Surrey in the UK. She teaches language, translation and terminology to language and translation students at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Throughout the 1990s she has collaborated with Khurshid Ahmad, who leads the University's Artificial Intelligence Group in the Department of Computing, as
co-manager of a number of European Commission funded projects in terminology. Her publications are in terminology (particularly in relation to text), translation and language learning. She recently founded a network for terminology within the Institute of Translation and Interpreting, one of the principal associations for professional translators in the UK.

Margaret Rogers
Department of Linguistic & International Studies
University of Surrey
Guildford
Surrey  GU2 5XH
UK

Tel.    +44 (0)1483 300800 ext. 2832
Fax     +44 (0)1483 259527

email:   m.rogers@surrey.ac.uk
 

Schmitz, Klaus-Dirk, Historical Perspective on Programs in Language Engineering

The historical development of university programs in language engineering is very closely associated with the development of computer technology and software applications in this field. Research projects in machine translation that started in the mid fifties at North American universities, application-oriented implementations of terminology databases in the language departments of large companies and organizations, and the wide spread of PC-based linguistic tools at almost every work station have had an important influence on the development of university courses in language engineering.

The main objectives for setting up and/or modernizing curricula in the field of language engineering were:

The paper reports on the different types of development in the field of language engineering and its influence on university programs for different curricula. It is focused on the past and present activities in Germany, although similar developments have taken place in other European countries and the United States.

Klaus-Dirk Schmitz  was born in 1951. After studying computer science & mathematics (diploma) and applied linguistics & information science (Dr. phil.) at the University of Saarbrücken, Klaus-Dirk Schmitz worked for several year in research projects dealing with machine translation, computational tools for translators and teaching language engineering. Since 1992, he has been  a full professor for translation-oriented terminology science in the Department of Languages at the Fachhochschule Köln (Cologne University of Applied Sciences).

From 1991 to 1997, he was the president of the Association for Terminology and Knowledge Transfer (GTW=Gesellschaft für Terminologie und Wissenstransfer) which is organizing the TKE Conferences (TKE'93: Cologne; TKE’96: Vienna; TKE=Terminology and Knowledge Engineering). Since 1997 he is the Secretary General of the Association.

Klaus-Dirk Schmitz is the president of the Council for German-Language Terminology (RaDT=Rat für Deutschsprachige Terminologie), the vice-president of the International Network for Terminology (TermNet), the German Terminology Association (DTT=Deutscher Terminologie-Tag), and a member of the several Advisory Boards.

He is very much involved in terminology standardization, i.e., as a member of the Advisory Board of the Terminology Committee of the German Standards Association (DIN) and as a member of several German and International Standards Committees for computational aids in terminology (DIN-NAT/AA5, ISO/TC37/SC3).

The main interests of Klaus-Dirk Schmitz are concentrated on all activities dealing with terminology and computers, such as terminology management programs, modeling term banks (data categories and entry structures), terminology interchange, and, of course, terminology teaching.

Prof. Dr. Klaus-Dirk Schmitz, Fachhochschule Köln, Fachbereich Sprachen
Mainzer Straße 5, D-50678 Köln, Germany
Tel.: 0221/8275-3272, Fax: 0221/8275-3312

email: kdschmitz@fh-koeln.de
 

Shreve, Gregory M., The Institute for Applied Linguistics and the Language 2000 Project: What is the Language Industry? Why Should I Be Interested In It?
 
The onset of the new millenium will bring a great many new challenges to those of us who work what we have come to call “the language industry.” During the course of this conference we will hear from our colleagues in that industry about their new initiatives, their innovative solutions to old problems and detailed descriptions of their wonderful new products and services. I know that I will be excited by what I hear during this conference. Yet, as a person responsible for training those who will have to bear the challenges of the next decades, I am concerned. We are a young and dynamic business sector, growing, as they used to say, “like Topsy.” In our headlong rush to success and profit in one of the most dynamic business sectors in the world today, we may have forgotten to provide for the future.  In this paper, I want to describe some of the problems I foresee looming ahead for the industry, such as a critical shortage of appropriately trained language professionals, and to outline some possible solutions for them, including closer academic-corporate partnerships and industry-wide training initiatives.

Gregory M. Shreve is a Professor in the Department of  Modern and Classical Language Studies (German Translation) at Kent State University and the Director of the Institute for Applied Linguistics. He specializes in translation theory, empirical translation studies, computer-assisted translation terminology studies and software engineering.

Shreve holds a Ph.D. in Anthropological Linguistics (Ohio State University) and a postdoctoral Certificate of Advanced Study in computer and information science (University of Pittsburgh).

He is co-founder (with Albrecht Neubert) and director of the Institute for Applied Linguistics, home of one of America's leading graduate professional translator training programs and of the American Translator's Association monograph series. In 1993 he held the Karl Brugmann Chair of Linguistics and Translation at the University of Leipzig, Germany. A leading American proponent of empirical translation studies, he is General Editor of the monograph series Translation Studies and the occasional papers series Kent Forum in Translation Studies.

He has written, co-edited, and co-authored several books, including The Genesis of Structures in African Narrative (with Ojo Arewa), Translation as Text (with Albrecht Neubert), Text and Meaning (with Gert Jäger and Klaus Gommlich), Basic Issues in Translation Studies, (with Albrecht Neubert and Klaus Gommlich), and Cognitive Processes in Translation and Interpreting (with Joseph H. Danks).

email: gshreve@kent.edu

Smith, Brian, See Moore, Corinne


 
Sprung, Robert,   Multilingual Challenges to MDD Fulfillment: A Case Study
US firms are rushing to meet the multilingual requirements of the EC’s Medical Device Directive (MDD).
The presentation includes nuts-and-bolts case studies from leading medical-device manufacturers Johnson & Johnson Professional and Ethicon Endo-Surgery illustrating the obstacles—and real-life solutions—to the at-times cryptic MDD requirements.
The Challenges Presented:

Robert Sprung is chairman and founder of Harvard Translations, Inc., a Boston-based technical translation and foreign-language consulting company. He is also General Editor of Language International, a publication covering language issues for documentation professionals.

A professional linguist, he frequently speaks and writes on language and labeling issues. Mr. Sprung received his A.B. from Harvard College, summa cum laude in Classics and German. He continued his studies under a George C. Marshall scholarship at Cambridge University, earning an M.A. in Modern Languages with honors.

Mr. Sprung is active in the Society for Technical Communication and the American Translators Association. He contributed a chapter to Designing User Interfaces for International Use, a book on UI design from Dutch publisher Elsevier.

Wright, Sue Ellen, Language Technology and Language Engineering

Within the localization environment, language engineering and the language engineer tend to play a specific role involving the integrated management of internationalization and localization projects throughout the product life cycle, from the development stage to final, post-localization product testing. Consequently, the language industry frequently sees the narrow view of language engineering as it pertains to the software and document localization process.

This paper will not only define the parameters of language engineering with respect to globalization, internationalization, and localization. It will also:

Focus areas treated in the paper include:

Sue Ellen Wright is Associate Professor of German in the Institute for Applied Linguistics and is associated with the Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies at Kent State University. She is a member of the LISA Education Initiative Taskforce (LEIT). She is chair of the TermNet Editorial Board, Chair of the USA ANSI Technical Advisory Group to ISO Technical Committee 37, Terminology (principles and co-ordination). She is also chair of the ATA Terminology Committee and is an ATA accredited translator for German to English. She has served as convener of ISO Work Groups for terminological data categories and the Machine Readable Terminology Interchange Format (MARTIF). She is the co-compiler with Gerhard Budin of the Handbook of Terminology Management.

Sue Ellen Wright, Ph.D.
Institute for Applied Linguistics
Satterfield 109
Kent State University
Kent OH 44242 USA

Tel: 1 330 673-0043
Fax: 1 330 673-0738
email: swright@kent.edu


 
Zeng, Marcia, Multilingual Issues in the WWW Search Engines' Globalization Process
 
The World Wide Web search engines in 1998 have been involved in a competition for globalization and localization.  Major search engines, such as AltaVista, Excite, HotBot, InfoSeek, and Yahoo have developed new services including regional editions, search by language/region features, translation of search query or webpages, etc. Multilingual processing has emerged as a key issue in the search engine technologies.

This presentation will provide an overview of the globalization and localization services/products developed by the major search engines, explore popular approaches used by the search engines, such as regional interfaces, domain filtering, and domain detection,  and analyze new challenges in searching, limiting, displaying, and interface designing associated with multilingual processing. The presentation will also address the importance of Unicode Standard applications. Webpage design tips to help the increase of indexing and searching hits for non-English and multilingual web products will also be shared.


Marcia Lei Zeng is an Associate Professor in the School of Library and Information Science at Kent State University.  She holds her M.A.from Wuhan University in China and her Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh. Her major research interests include knowledge organization and representation, multilingual information processing and publishing, information retrieval, indexing and abstracting, and database quality control.  She has received several research grants and research awards, including the1992 American Society for Information Science Doctoral Forum Award.  Her scholarly publications include over 40 papers and two books as well as many international conference presentations.

Prof. Zeng currently serves as a member of International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Classification and Indexing Section Standing Committee, Special Libraries Association (SLA) Cataloging Committee, Advisory Committee of the “Chinese Library Classification,” etc. Recent research projects
include a visual terminology database for medicinal herbs; a pilot digital library project for a historical fashion collection at Kent State University, where specialized thesauri and metadata have been studied under her supervision; and HTML-based templates for publishing thesauri and indexes on the WWW.
 
Marcia Lei Zeng
School of Library and Information Science
Kent State University
Kent, OH 44242-0001

email: Zeng@slis.kent.edu
 
 

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