The C-Suite’s AI Mandate

Executives across industries are pushing for AI adoption, and enterprise AI translation is becoming a critical focus for global businesses. While consumer tools like ChatGPT make AI appear effortless, applying it to high-stakes translation tasks is far more complex.

The lessons below, drawn from leaders at Nimdzi Insights, Smartling, and Zoom, reveal how to turn the AI mandate into a competitive advantage.

1. “Just Use ChatGPT” Is Risky

Using consumer-grade AI tools for enterprise translation is a flawed strategy. ChatGPT and similar LLMs aren’t designed for precise translation, producing twice as many errors as purpose-built engines. Manual copy-paste workflows are unscalable, error-prone, and lack process control. Outputs are generic, ignoring brand voice, style, and terminology. Additionally, LLMs can “hallucinate” facts, and sharing sensitive content with public tools risks confidentiality. Mature organizations integrate AI into controlled, secure platforms, not standalone chat interfaces.

2. The Real Revolution is the Workflow

The biggest gains from AI come from end-to-end, automated workflows, not incremental model improvements. Modern workflows combine:

• Custom-trained engines
• AI learning from human edits
• Glossaries and translation memory management
• Automated post-editing and QA
• Hallucination detection

This approach delivers tangible results: 3 times more content translated, 60% lower cost per word, 4 times faster delivery, and 30% quality improvement. By focusing on the process, companies turn AI into a strategic asset rather than a tactical tool.

3. Shift from Cost to Revenue and Risk

Localization has long been treated as a cost center, focusing on “per-word” rates. Executives care about impact: revenue, customer engagement, and risk. Reframing the conversation can include:

• Linking localization to revenue gains, e.g., localizing German content drives €1M incremental revenue
• Demonstrating customer preferences: 75% prefer content in their native language
• Reducing churn: translating onboarding materials can significantly cut early churn
• Quantifying risk: not localizing can put millions at risk
• This perspective positions localization as a strategic driver of business outcomes.

4. AI’s Power Is Expansion, Not Just Cost-Cutting

AI efficiency enables growth, not just savings. Companies can:

• Double language coverage without extra budget
• Translate previously ignored “long-tail” content, improving customer experience
• Simultaneously launch products globally
• Reinvesting AI-generated savings into expansion transforms localization from a cost function into a strategic growth engine.

5. Start Small, Learn, and Measure

High-risk projects may seem tempting, but they are dangerous for new AI teams. Start with internal or support content to test, refine, and gain confidence. Measure key metrics from day one: cost per word, turnaround time, and AI-human workflow efficiency. Early wins build momentum and credibility, preparing teams for more critical, customer-facing projects.

From Magic Button to Strategic Engine

Enterprise AI success depends on strategy, workflow design, and alignment with business goals—not on one-click tools. Leaders who integrate AI into optimized, automated processes and link results to revenue and risk will turn AI into a true engine for global growth. The key question is no longer whether to use AI, but how to wield it for scalable, measurable impact.

The post Beyond the Hype: 5 Surprising Lessons from Enterprise AI Translation appeared first on Globalization Partners International.

UN Arabic Language Day also known as World Arabic Language Day (WALD) was originally established by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2010 and celebrated every year since 2012.

December 18^th is significant to the UN, as this is the day the General Assembly approved Arabic as one of six official languages.

About the Arabic Language

Today we are celebrating the Arabic language’s contributions to humanity. The Arabic language was the first language of:

• Algebra
• Astrology
• Chemistry
• Medicine

Over 7000 words in the English language are either Arabic or derived from Arabic such as; cotton, coffee, saffron, tuna, and giraffe.  The Arabic language is complex, and a poetically verbal and written language, spoken by approximately 1.5 billion people around the world, with around 300 million native speakers.

According to Babbel Magazine,  it is the 5^th most widely spoken language in the world. A total of 22 countries use Arabic as their official language.  There are three categories of Arabic styles: Classical Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic, and other local styles (Amya or Darja).  The most common form of written Arabic is the ‘Modern Standard Arabic’ (MSA). MSA is widely used across all Arab countries, as it is an easily transferred style of writing.

In addition to a variety of spoken styles and locales, the Arabic language has a vast writing system.  The main features of the Arabic script:

• Words are written from right to left.
• Arabic calligraphy is regarded as one of the most beautiful art forms in the world.
• Other languages, such as Persian, Kurdish, Malay, and formerly Turkish, are written using Arabic characters.
• Numbers written left to right.
• There are no capital letters.
• Each letter in the Arabic alphabet can have four different forms depending on its position in a word – independent, initial, medial, and final forms.
• Letters are always joined in Arabic writing, except in rare cases.
• There are approximately 12.3 million words in Arabic, compared to 600,000 in English.

How People Are Celebrating Today

World Arabic Language Day 2024, themed (Arabic Language and AI: Advancing Innovation While Preserving Cultural Heritage) will be celebrated on December 18 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. The event features expert-led discussions on AI’s role in enhancing Arabic’s online presence and preserving its heritage, ending with a stunning light calligraphy show.

Globally, people honor the day with poetry readings, cultural exhibits, and digital campaigns showcasing Arabic’s beauty. Initiatives like the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Programme further highlight the language’s global significance, fostering innovation and cultural exchange.

How You Can Celebrate

You can learn a few simple words in Arabic and practice these daily.

Reference:

World Arabic Language Day 2024 | UNESCO

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Throughout history, translation has played a significant role in communicating culture and knowledge between people. Students, scholars, and religious figures have traveled between countries and borders to transfer the sciences of astronomy, arithmetic, agriculture, religious beliefs, and cultures into other languages.

This is something that has occurred between all civilizations and people, and it still happens today, though advances in translation technology have greatly facilitated the process.

As translation has become mainstream with the development of a robust global economy, there is a greater need for professional translators.

Professional Translators

Translation is not simply the conversion of one language to another. It is a mixture of science, art, and skill.

Let us emphasize the word professional. Simply speaking a language is not enough to provide professional translations.

Basic Translator Skills

The translator must:

• Be fluent in both the target and source languages, including grammar. As a rule, a professional translator should only translate into their native language. Translations should read as if they were originally written in the target language, a native speaker is more apt to produce this quality of translation. Additionally, living in-country or frequently visiting, allows the translator to stay current with changes in the language.
• Be familiar with the culture of the people of the two languages. This will enable the translator to correctly translate the content from one language to another. If the source text is full of idioms, the translator needs to understand how to convey the meaning to the target audience.
• Be a subject matter expert (SME) of the text to be translated. It is advisable for a professional translator to choose a specialty or related specialties. It is impossible to translate all topics, and listing too many specialties on your resume can actually be a flag to the agency reviewing your credentials. If you love marketing, specialize in marketing, and if gaming is your passion, translate for the gaming industry. Many times, a person will study a topic in college and then decide to become a translator and specialize in that field.

As a translator, you need to stay current with industry terminology which is easier when you specialize.

• Have a literary sense to be able to translate literary texts properly and adequately.
• Be able to adapt or transcreate expressions that may seem unimportant, incomprehensible to the culture, or unacceptable in the religion. Translations should read as if they were originally written in the target language. As a translator, you can offer your cultural expertise to the client if the content needs to be adapted to the Arab culture.
• Be very familiar with the holy books and texts, as you may be required to brief or rephrase, using quotes from the Qur’an, the Bible, or the Torah.
• Ask questions and research. If you do not understand something in the source file, do the research and/or ask the question, get the clarity you need in order to accurately translate.
• Review your work. Before you hit send and deliver your project, reread your translation, is it complete, did you adhere to the glossary and/or the translation memory, did you check spelling, grammar, and punctuation?
• Have a well-developed resume. While you may not be able to say who you have translated for, you can specify the type of translations, subject matters, and volume of translations. Be as specific as possible and avoid irrelevant or even not enough information. Your resume is your billboard, market yourself well.

Practical Training

In addition to formal education in translation and continuing learning classes, the modern translator also needs to learn the tools of the localization industry. With the rise of computer-aided translation (CAT) tools, translators need to develop their skills and capabilities and be familiar with or master some of the mainstream tools such as MateCAT, OmegaT, SmartCAT, MemoQ, Poedit, Wordfast, and Trados. It is also recommended to become familiar with platforms like Smartling, GlobalLink, and GPI Translation Portal. You will not be able to have all the different applications as this is cost prohibitive, so research or ask your peers what systems they recommend. As you become more established, you can make investments and purchase a program. If the company is using a translation management system (TMS) they may offer direct training.

Unfortunately, the current learning curriculums in many translation schools are focused on the basic preparation of a good translator. Still, it is not making them ready for the translation market.

Currently, there is no dedicated department for localization engineering and translation technologies in Middle East Universities.

So, the current top-performing Arabic translators in the translation market gained this additional experience by themselves after their education or perhaps sought their education at other universities.

Conclusion

Just because you speak a language does not make you qualified to be a translator. You need to have a passion for language and specialize in an industry so that you are a subject matter expert. A professional translator generally translates full-time, though starting out, you may need another job while building your portfolio. Perhaps you are lucky, and that job is in the industry you want to specialize in. Many agencies prefer translators with at least five years of translation experience.

Translation takes practice and dedication. If you are just starting out or thinking about a career in translation, look for translator groups to join and learn more about the localization industry. Look for volunteer translation organizations such as Translators without Borders, volunteering is a great way to gain experience and build your resume.

If the information we’ve provided is applied to several translation courses, imagine how much information they will transfer to the target language in a particular field. Also, imagine how much time scholars and scientists could save by only studying the translated text rather than translating it themselves. This will increase the number of scholars in the nation that is studying that field and lead to qualitative advances in that field, which means prosperity and progress for the people, and all this is thanks to translation.

In our next blog, we will cover some essential tips for translators who decide to work as individuals based on experience gathered from current senior Arabic freelance translators with hands-on experience in the field.

References

• The Role of Translator in Intercultural Communication
• Introduction: Science and Practices of Translation
• Training Translators

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Targeting Arabic speakers will provide you with a great opportunity to grow your client base and increase your business. Although there are more than 420 million people in the world who speak Arabic, the companies that have translated their content from English to Arabic are only about 5% of the websites on the internet today.

Not translating content into Arabic could result in many missed opportunities. Mobile phone usage and gaming are on the rise among Arab consumers. By targeting this audience through the translation of your website into Arabic, you can open new markets and increase your revenue.

How the Translation of Your Website Can Advance Sales

English speakers represent 25% of the total internet users, so by simple calculation, 75% would prefer to surf the internet in their native language. Here you can envision the return on investment by translating your site into Arabic, as it will achieve access to 182 million users in the Arab world.

Selecting the Right Language Partner

Now that you have decided to translate your site into Arabic, the next step is working with a knowledgeable localization company that understands the process and all the nuances of website translation.

Here are some points to consider before you start translating:

1. Define your target region(s) and audience. Since there are different Arabic dialects and cultures in each country, you want to be sure your translation is targeted to the correct demographic.
2. Is the layout of your web pages suitable for the target language?
3. Is any of the content on your website language-dependent?
4. Make sure that your CMS will support Arabic.
5. Decide what content should be translated.
6. Decide if you will need SEO work on your content

When you have this defined, you can begin planning with your translation provider, who should be well-versed in website localization and will guide you through the process.

1. Discuss with your language provider the project workflow.
   a. How should you supply content?
   b. Can they work with your CMS?
   c. What are the options to import translations back into CMS?
   d. How will online QA of the imported translations be performed?
2. Supply web content files to your translation provider according to your discussions in item 1. They will review the files and confirm that there are no technical issues and that the files will be able to revert to the native file format.
3. Your provider should review your English website content and make sure it’s appropriate for the Arab culture and provide recommendations for modifications if needed.
4. Your translation provider may suggest a quick, small pilot run to make sure that all will go smoothly once the translations are delivered. This will help avoid any surprises and if there are issues, allows you time to resolve them without negatively impacting your launch.
5. Ask for a detailed delivery schedule so you are clear on the steps that your language provider will follow and now what tasks you may need to perform.
6. Translation workflows often include a client translation review phase which allows your Arabic resources to review the translations and provide feedback on the terminology used within your organization. Make sure that your reviewers will be able to check and provide feedback to your language provider on time to avoid any delays. Your translation provider should discuss with you how the review process will work and how the content will be supplied for review.
7. Confirm the review phase if this will happen on the translation files and will it be reverted to the translation provider to globally change through the files.
8. Before publishing your website, an online quality audit (QA) should be performed on the staging server. Your translation provider can complete this task and provide any feedback. There are several ways online QA can be completed and your provider should discuss this with you at project start.

Quality

Translation quality and accuracy are extremely important to your success in the new market, that’s why you need to make sure that your translation provider is following the right approach.

GPI, an ISO certified (ISO 17100:2015) company, follows a specific process designed to provide the best in quality translation services. To provide the perfect translation quality we:

1. Automated review through different CAT tools (Trados QA tool, Xbench) which captures: Tag mismatch, Numeric mismatch, Double blank, repeated words, missed translation and, CamelCase Mismatch also the Typos and Key Term Mismatch.
2. Translation, editing, and proofreading by separate linguists to ensure the translation is complete and error-free, and that the style and tone of voice of the content reads as if was originally written in the target language versus translated.
   If your translation provider is not discussing the review and approval process with you, you should ask questions and make sure they will meet your needs.

Conclusion

• Managing Arabic website translation is more than just converting one language to another. A change in semantics or a slight cultural difference can cause significant damage to your brand in that region. Therefore, it is crucial to thoroughly qualify your translation provider; you need to make sure that you are getting the best translations from an expert in this field.

• GPI is a team of language, technology, project management, and business professionals with over 20 years of extensive experience in translation services. We work closely with our clients to understand their needs and develop a plan to meet their translation goals. We advise our clients who are planning to enter the Arab marketplace to discuss their goals and language needs in advance. We want to be sure you understand the steps of the website translation lifecycle, what adjustments may need to be made to your website structure to support Arabic, and if any adjustments need to be made to the source content to adapt it to the target market.

This information is invaluable when developing your Arabic marketing campaign. The adage, “you only get one chance to make a first impression” cannot be stressed enough when entering the global market.

• Let the above-mentioned points guide you in the selection process of a translation partner. Proper planning and an experienced language services provider at the onset are key to a successful launch in the Arab market.

References:

The Effect of Back Translation on Students’ Translation Achievement
Steps to Website Translation Success GuideBook
Website Localization and Translation

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What is Interpretation?

Interpretation is the act of explaining, reframing, or showing your own understanding of something.
The person who orally translates one language into another is called an interpreter because he is explaining what a person is saying in one language to someone who does not speak that language. So what are the factors to confirm before managing interpretation projects?

Interpretation is considered one of the most difficult professions, and this is proven by a study conducted by the World Health Organization, where this profession ranked third on the list of the most difficult professions in the world (after astronauts and pilots of high-speed aircraft). This is due to the many problems and difficulties that the interpreter encounters when performing their work.

At the forefront of these difficulties, the fact that the interpreter is required to translate and to follow up on what he hears at the same time, as the speaker can not stop to wait for the interpreter or to give him some time, which is the main problem that interpreters face in their different languages.

Types of Interpretation

As translation includes different theories and subject matters, there are also several types of interpretation:

• Simultaneous Interpreting
• Consecutive Interpreting
• Whisper Interpreting
• Escort Interpreting
• Telephone Interpreting

We will define and cover all of these in detail in our upcoming blog about interpretation. For now, our main focus is about the list of factors that we need to confirm in order to start our interpretation project on the right foot and not to face any surprises. As always this is based on GPI experiences and best practices that we have applied, followed, and developed through our interpretation projects in different countries (USA, Argentina, UK, Italy, Egypt, UAE and Qatar).

List to Confirm for Interpretation Project

Here are the items to confirm, and will explain why it’s important to have this information before starting any interpretation project.

1. Language combinations

It’s a must to know which languages (and dialects) you will require interpreting support for, sometimes you have multilingual interpreters who can fit into different positions.

2. The event topic

The event may be very specialized with its topic, so you will need subject matter experts to cover this field. It can be a medical interpreting topic also the client may provide reference material.

3. Location of the event

You need to know where the event is occurring as you may not be able to provide interpretation support in this country due to distance, cost factors, or risk factors which may include a war field or a prison.

4. Date of the event

Ideally, you want to schedule interpreting support as far in advance as possible, and at minimum this needs to be determined at least one month before the event. Any less time than that, you cannot guarantee an experienced interpreter’s availability (and equipment if needed) and costs may be higher due to the shorter notice.

5. Number of attendees

This factor will determine many things later like the room size, number of headsets, sound systems and finally the number of interpreters.

6. Exact hours of the event

The agenda needs to be confirmed as this will determine the number of interpreters needed for the event.

7. Meeting room dimensions and shape

This will help to decide which devices should be in the room Tables and booths.

8. Type of interpretation

Based on this we will determine what type of technology will be required.

9. Required equipment

One of the success factors we need to provide the right equipment according to the room size and number of attendees, room dimension, and the meeting/event agenda.

10. Dress code and gender preferences

As an interpretation and translation provider you need to ask your client about the acceptable dress code for the event and the gender preferences according to the country and place of the event.

Summary

Seasoned interpreters acquired their skills through experiences and challenges they faced during their interpretation projects. As an interpretation and translation provider, GPI will be able to help you define the right scope of your interpretation project. By asking the right questions and covering items and topics you may forget or be unaware of, all the mentioned points can be a success or failure factor.

References

nam.edu/language-interpretation
bmcinthealthhumrights.biomedcentral.com/articles
bls.gov/media-and-communication/interpreters-and-translators.

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There is no doubt, due to the growing supply and quality of video games in the global market, as well as the age diversity of players, companies developing video games are looking for ways to maximize their sales. Statistics showed that the video game market in 2021 generated total revenues of $180.3 billion, up 1.4% from 2020.

Reports indicate that electronic game applications have attracted millions of virtual players globally. In order to reach this larger group of users, video game developers should consider the ROI for providing their games in multiple languages. Let me show you the steps to consider before translating a video game.

Steps to Consider in Video Game Translation

The initial step is what we call the Preparatory Stage. It is about studying the target market(s), translation history of the project, and the mistakes to avoid from operational and linguistic perspectives. Here we will try to cover all questions and queries:

1. The first question, which is very common in the translation industry is: what language(s) will the game be translated into, and what is the preferred dialect in the target region or country? For example, if the client decides to translate the game into Arabic, does the target country prefer Classic Arabic or a local dialect like Saudi or Egyptian? The same applies to French. Does the client prefer French for France or Canada?
2. How will the target language impact the UI and message windows, are they set up to accommodate expanding or contracting text? For example, some languages, such as Russian, need longer sentences to express the same content in English. Some languages, such as Arabic, Hebrew, and Persian are right to left reading languages. These languages are bidirectional and are different from European languages.
3. Are any parts of the game language dependent? If any functionality is dependent upon how the user inputs data (i.e. date formatting or input language), this dependency should be removed to avoid issues in functionality.
4. How will captions, HUD (heads-up display), and speech be handled? Will you need voice-over services, or will you provide subtitles for spoken word? Key points to discuss with the translation team about voice-overs include:

• Do they provide this service, or will you need to work with a studio?
• Will the actor scripts need to adhere to timestamps?
• Regarding voice-over talent, identify the gender, age, and tone for the characters.
• Can they provide samples of the actors (voice performance tests), and sound quality?

Gamers’ Culture & Locale Factors

When determining the language, the translation team may advise the developer about the cultural differences to consider without affecting the basics of the game.

1. Are there any aspects of the game that may be culturally inappropriate in the target region which would negatively impact the success of the game in that market?
2. As a game developer, you must provide the translation team with key details such as the target age group of the game, as well as the type of game. These are important to decide what type and level of language (in terms of style and tone of voice) to use. The language used by footballers might differ from the language used in strategic games.
3. Does the translation team you are considering have experience in video game translation and internationalization?

SME According to the Game Category?

1. In order to successfully translate, the translator needs to have context for the words. If they are just provided strings of content, the translation may not be as good as it would be if the translator knew how that content will be used in the game. Be sure to provide training and reference materials to the translation team to provide them sufficient context of all game scenarios.
2. This training may be in the form of recorded videos to be shared with the translation team. A context reference must be available if the translator has any doubts about any word/phrase in the game content.
3. The translator should be a good player to provide you with the best creative translation suitable for the game situations.
4. To ensure content quality and consistency, the translation team will review the latest terminologies (glossary development) and rules of the game genre before starting translation.

Project History & Expertise Factors

1. If the game has been translated into this language previously, talk to your translation team about how to handle the update process. The developer should provide the translation team with access to the existing translations. If a translation memory (CAT) tool was used by the previous translation team, ask them to send you the translation memory files. These can be used by the new translation team to maintain consistency.
2. If the game has been translated into other languages, the developer should provide the translation team with all the references and/or previous language-related questions to save time and facilitate the process.
3. As an experienced games translator, you must choose the appropriate tool for translation according to the type of the game and the format of the translation files. For example, Passolo can provide a real-time display of what has been translated so that the translator sees if the length of the sentence used corresponds to the displayed space or needs to be redrafted in another way to fit in.

These questions are a guideline that can be used and further developed to reach the best result in translating video games. There are additional issues that must be considered:

• How will future updates be handled?
• How will the language files be handled?
• Who will perform the final tests of the translated version?

These issues might be determining factors in the success or failure of your video game translation project.

Conclusion

The current technological revolution and pandemic restrictions have contributed to a growing video game market that can further profit from reaching international clients in their native language.

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Before we start with what are the required qualifications for an Arabic translator, we need to define who is the Translator and what is special about the Arabic language.

The translator is the one who performs the initial translation process transforming information from one language into another. The most basic criteria for success in this phase are the quality of the translation and asking yourself was the information accurately and clearly conveyed in the target language.

As we explained before in many of our blogs detailing how rich, flexible and special the Arabic language is. One of the main properties of Arabic is a wide range of vocabulary, we can look closely at the dictionaries of various languages, and not find a lexicon as extensive as the vocabulary of the Arabic dictionary. This fact naturally adds some burden on the average Arabic translator. Professional Arabic translators must have high qualifications in order to have mastered any language pair i.e., English-Arabic, Arabic-English, Hebrew-Arabic, Chinese-Arabic, etc…and make a living as an Arabic translator.

So, before you decide to assign your Arabic translation project to just any translator or LSP, you need to meet with or review the credentials for the translation team making sure the team holds all the required experience and skills. Even if you are not an Arabic speaker, at least you can recognize the Arabic translators, even represented by a designated Language Lead possess the linguistic skills and mindset to successfully manage and translate your content.

7 Basic Skills and Qualifications for an Arabic Translator

• Your Arabic translator should be very skilled at the source language. He is supposed to understand all the different styles and their grammar rules, also capable of understanding the meaning or any hidden meanings of the source language/writer.
• Any good Arabic translator should be aware of the source language culture and ideally has deep-dived into the culture beyond the language aspects. Not understanding differences between source and target language cultures can lead to critical problems in accuracy and understanding of the translation.
• Of course, good translators should be fully aware of, and skilled in, composition with Arabic grammar. Your target audience should not spot any grammar or spelling mistakes with your translated text. While style preferences are subjective, at a minimal a translation should be error-free in this regard.
• A working professional Arabic translator should focus on just a few subject matters, sometimes one very narrow subject matter. They should be a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for your subject matter. Legal, Medical, Hospitality representing broad fields, and real estate law, cardiac medicine and culinary being narrow subject matters within these broad fields.

5. A good Arabic translator is a translator who adheres to impartiality and objectivity in the translation process. The translator must convey the information as it is, away from his personal whims and opinions.
6. Is your chosen Arabic translator skilled using Computer Assisted Translation tools (CAT tools)? It may be easy to spot all inconsistencies, typos and missing translations or wrong values comparing to the source in a small translation, but with projects involving hundreds of pages, it is near impossible. Professional translators and teams utilize several automated tools to systematically scan and proof translations to avoid a variety of mistakes from misspelling, grammar, incorrect terminology and inconsistent text.
7. Last but not least, the non-linguistic qualifications may be even more important than the actual act of translating. Does your chosen Arabic translator deliver projects on time, do they ask the right questions upfront, do they conduct solid research on any topics or terms needed, do they verbally communicate well as needed in collaborative meetings.

Conclusion

As you can see from the above, identifying Arabic translators and/or teams that are qualified for your project is not easy, nor a decision to take lightly. The Arabic language is very rich, with many dialects and fluid meanings for many words, just as the pool of Arabic translators is very diverse, with many dialects and levels of experience. You need to do your homework when it comes to finding an Arabic translator, and you should hope your Arabic translator has been doing their homework over the years, so they are good at what they do

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Most developers code their applications in their mother tongue, then they consider translating or localizing their software. This software development practice depends on the home market for the software publisher as a starting point, and then the popularity of their apps among users and potential markets for new users across the globe.

It is important before starting to translate or localize your software for new locales (country, language, culture), you must consider some software localization best practices to ensure successful marketing and adoption of your application in the target markets you are going after.

Some key questions to ask if you want to follow software translation best practices. 

1. What are the TL’s (Target languages and locales)?

a. Does the software to be localized support the selected TL’s or will it require some amendments and changes to operate them, as some languages ​​such as Arabic, Hebrew, and Persian may not be supported in the app?
b. What is the target country, and is there a locale to be considered? Classical Arabic is used in newspapers in all Arab countries, but if the app targets a region or a specific country and the client wishes to use a local version of the language, this should be taken into consideration. Similar to the case with Spanish that may be targeted towards Europe or Latin America, in addition, French that may be targeted to Europe or Canada.

2. Have you translated similar software or documentation into languages which can be leveraged as reference material for developing a glossary of terminology for the current application you are translating?  Are their previous translation memories that could be used when translating the new app?

3. What is the most appropriate CAT Tool for translating the application? To answer this question, the type of application to be localized must be identified as each CAT Tool can perform the task of translation better based on the app itself:

a. If the application contains interactive forms, tools such as Passolo or Catalyst Alchemy might be the tools of choice and considered the best practice for translating the software.
b. If the application contains data or (placeholders), Trados Studio might be the right option and best practice for translating the software to preserve the locations of such values.

4. What are the best practices for testing the localized software? Several factors to be considered include:

a. Will the translated version of the software be installed for testing?
b. Which devices are required for installing the software and performing the tests?
c. Which translators/testers/QA specialists will test the application from a functional perspective and which from a linguistic perspective?
d. Who will develop the test scenarios and scripts?
e. What is the best way to share the (bugs) between the translation/testing team and the developer team?

Conclusion 

Following the best practices with software localization takes a commitment to planning and practice. While this blog doesn’t cover all the best practices in detail, it should give you a good start on what to think about as you plan your next software localization effort. Look for future GPI blogs on software localization topics to help you enter and succeed in new global markets.

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Some people think small translation projects do not need to have any formal quality assurance steps performed on them before delivering the project.  These people think one translator, reviewing his or her own work, is sufficient to ensure 100% quality on a translation.

Well, I am sorry to tell all you QA minimalists out there, but from my 18 years in the translation business and starting out as a Hebrew-Arabic translator and interpreter, with some degrees in Translation and Interpretation, QA is to be embraced, not skipped, no matter if you are translating a business card or book series.

A Formal Translation Quality Assurance Process (QA)

Even small translation requests should be managed the same way as the large ones.  Steps in the  QA process should always include:

1. Understanding your target audience.
2. Understanding your client’s preferences to style and terminology.
3. Reviewing the source document for any questions or issues.
4. Having a minimum of two sets of qualified eyes reviewing the translation.
5. Seeking and securing a client’s review & approval.

Each step in the process ensures a better, more accurate and fluid final product.  This process is aided by the use of checklists whether homegrown within a translators reference library or translation agency’s QA department, or integrated into a translation project management and/or editing tool.

Translation quality is really only guaranteed by adhering to a process and using a team approach, EVERY TIME you complete a translation.

Sure, there are those translator creative and writing geniuses’ out there that spit out perfect translations every time on shorter projects, but those professionals are rare. And even they welcome and recognize that a translation quality assurance (QA) process and the team ensure they do their best work always.

Human Translation and Translation Technology to the Rescue

We all know that today we have two main tools in providing translation services.  The human tools and technology tools.

Human Translation Tools

By leveraging the human tools or more accurately teams, translation quality assurance is guaranteed by using qualified translators, qualified editors and qualified project managers collaborating together to produce final polished translations.

This team approach will guarantee the final translated text will transfer the exact message in the source content and even go beyond mere translation so the reader feels the translated text was originally written in the target language.

Translation Quality Assurance Technology Tools

No denying here, translators love their tools!  And they should. In the last 10 years alone,  writing, editing and translation tools have improved greatly. CAT tools like (Across-Déjà vu-MemoQ- Multicorpora- SDL Trados Studio- Transit- Wordfast) Editing Tools like (ErrorSpy, QADistiller, Xbench and Verifika) all have great features to enhance the sharpness and consistent application of QA with a translation.  Even the creation of customized QA reports above standard spell checkers and terminology managers helps with the quality of output with translations.

And for sure these types of tools and their reports can upgrade your translated text from good to really good in the eyes of your clients,  especially when working on large volume projects where you have different translators working on many different files under the same project.

However, these tools will have their limitation and they cannot guarantee a client receives a desired style or tone necessarily.  That goes back to why human tools are still the most important part of the quality assurance process.  The humans will ask the right questions up front, along the way and take the final read of a translated text before delivery.

The Bottom Line with Translation Quality Assurance (QA)

Translation QA is always going to be a hot topic and rightfully at the center of any translation services discussion. While standards and tools will keep evolving, there are two facts that will remain unchanged.

1. No matter how big or small the project is, your translation provider should apply a solid Translation Quality Assurance process to ensure the desired quality outcome.
2. No QA tool can replace the professional human reviewers, translation QA tools may help translators work more expediently and accurately, but it’s a must to apply the human touch to reach perfection.

The post Why Is Quality Assurance (QA) Necessary For All Translation Projects appeared first on Globalization Partners International.

The Arabic language is one of the fastest-growing languages on the internet and is ranked 12^th for the number of translated websites overall. Over 420 million people speak Arabic across the world. With the rising demand for Arabic translations, especially for websites, we thought we should provide some tips to get the best Arabic translations possible. After all, while there are a lot of Arabic website translations, many of them aren’t well structured. With some changes to your website localization process, you can quickly make improvements to your translations.

#1 Know Your Audience so You Use the Right Dialect

Arabic, like many other languages, has different dialects spoken across the Middle East. The best way to reach as many internet users as possible is to use Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), which is commonly used and understood across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. However, if you want to target specific regions, you need to provide content that uses the specific dialect spoken in that particular region.

#2 Conducting a Cultural Correctness Assessment is a Must

Content in Arabic, whether on a website or in other types of content, has many cultural considerations. In general, the MENA region is a conservative and sensitive community when it comes to culture, religion and history. So conducting a cultural correctness assessment, which includes things like evaluating the appropriateness of images, text and references, is a must.

Without going through this step, you may offend your audience and lose potential business. The content simply must be user-friendly for your target audience.

#3 Be Succinct and Catchy

Online readers have a shorter attention span than ever before. They don’t have the time or desire to spend much time searching for what they’re looking for. As a result, don’t have too much information, and avoid long and non-catchy openings.

Make your sentences, paragraphs and messages as short and engaging as possible to draw their attention. It’s not about how much content is there; copywriting is the art of saying some meaningful with few yet engaging words.

#4 Avoid Jargons

If you use jargons, you’re limiting the accessibility of your website to specific audiences. Speaking your target’s audience language and using common terms will keep your target audience interested and your website informative.

#5 Consider Linguistic Details

When providing web copy into Arabic, consider some linguistic challenges like the left-to-right direction (LTR) of Arabic, which affects the layout of the website.

It’s important to localize the layout as well so the content flows in the proper direction. Another challenge is that Arabic text expands, and so you need to carefully consider this in the website template to avoid any truncated text.

#6 Online QA & Testing

An online QA checklist will take linguistic items and more into consideration. QA online testing is a very crucial step, as it ensures the integrity and functionality of the website. After the content is uploaded to the Content Management System (CMS), a QA expert must go through the QA testing to ensure zero linguistic, functional, contextual or cultural issues.

Conclusion

Your website content is a powerful marketing tool for your brand, as no customer will choose a brand that describes their products/services poorly. So, investing in a thorough website translation process is the best way to ensure your Arabic business success and make your products/services stand out from the crowd.

The post Six Tips for Translating Websites into Arabic appeared first on Globalization Partners International.