Jun 26, 2023 | Blog, Interviews, Language Services, Projects, Tips for Translators
A translation project manager deals with many parties, including translators, editors, proofreaders, and clients. Their task is to hold it all together. The importance of effective translation project management lies in its ability to foster seamless coordination between these different individuals or teams, ensuring their alignment and focus on the project’s objectives. Translation project managers manage logistics, timelines, and communications. Therefore they facilitate efficient collaboration while mitigating the risks associated with miscommunication or delays. Working in translation project management: An interview with the CEO of LingoStar, Lenka de Graafova We recently interviewed Lenka de Graafova, M.A., CEO and Managing Director of LingoStar Language Services Inc. Lenka has a deep passion for world cultures and languages. Together with her team of multilingual translators and project managers, she manages foreign language projects for Canadian clients. Lenka talks about her experience in providing translation services in Canada and explains how to manage a high volume of multilingual translation projects. How and why did you create LingoStar? [Start of interview] I’ve got a translation background and I’ve worked in a translation company in London, UK. Before that, I lived in the Netherlands and had the experience of being a translator and interpreter of Czech and Dutch. Then I worked in London as a translation project manager, where I experienced the project management aspect of the job and learned how to negotiate with clients, contract translators, and manage projects in many languages. At the time, I thought it was an interesting development to grow from a translator to a project manager. When I moved to Canada in 2004 and started looking for a language-related...
May 28, 2023 | Blog, Language Services, Projects, Translation
What is project management and how does it relate to translation? Project management in translation is the automation of the work process, i.e. the removal of so-called manual tasks that can be repetitive and tedious. It allows the translation agency to manage several projects at once – which requires a great deal of organization – and to have better control over ongoing projects. It also facilitates the creation of real collaboration within teams. The aim of project management is therefore efficiency. Among its many benefits, it allows the company to centralize its linguistic resources and thus ensuring consistency between the various translations. Project management is the link between the organization’s goals and objectives and its projects. In other words, it ensures that the original budget is not exceeded and that the project is completed on time. There are seven parts to corporate project management: 1) Risk Study: Identify and assess the potential risks of the project 2) Project Estimation: Calculate project costs, resources, and time 3) Project Reviews: Monitor the progress of the current project portfolio 4) Project Management Training: Share and interact with project managers 5) Escalated Issue Management: Being aware of urgent issues 6) Time Tracking: Develop a time-tracking system 7) Information System: Create a management platform shared with the team You can read more about general project management here >>. Why use an agency for project management in translation? Working with either translation agencies or freelance translators has its advantages and disadvantages, and the choice between one or the other will depend on your specific translation needs. However, here are our top 5 reasons why you should...
Jul 27, 2022 | Blog, Communication, Language Services, Language Varieties, Translation, Worldwide
Discover Dutch and Flemish The Dutch and Flemish languages have many things in common. But they also have differences. Dutch is the official language of the Netherlands and one of the three official languages of Belgium. The population of Flanders, a northern Belgium region wedged between the North Sea and the Netherlands, speaks Dutch. However, the variant spoken here is known as Flemish. Flemish speakers account for 59% of the Belgian population. There are four principal Flemish dialects in Flanders. There is Brabantian, Limburgish, East Flemish, and West Flemish. But how do Dutch and Flemish differ from one another? Main differences between Dutch and Flemish The variations of this language don’t lay in grammar. The differences are in vocabulary and pronunciation. Usually, there are no changes in grammar; but in some dialects, the word order can change a little. Dutch speakers generally tend to pause between words; in Flemish, the words are often strung together. Let’s talk about the differences in pronunciation. Even those who don’t speak the language can perceive a variation in the pronunciation of different words. This is because the pronunciation of Flemish is more similar to French than Dutch, as Dutch leans more towards English. One example of this is the scraping G. The further you move south (from the Netherlands to Belgium), the sound of the letter G becomes softer, more like the French sound of the letter. The flow of words also becomes more relaxed. So we could say that Belgium has the softest version of Dutch (at least if we don’t take into account the African variants of the language). Do Dutch...
Jul 26, 2021 | Blog, Language Services, Traditions, Translation
Invitation to Classical Chinese Poetry has been one of the most ancient and significant genres of literature all over the world. One of the reasons is its ability to express millions of delicate feelings. Chinese poetry is written in a way that enables readers to enjoy the beauty of the language. There have been many attempts to translate poems from Classical Chinese to English. As a result, these poems have become more popular around the world. In this blog post, we focus on Chinese poetry and try to explore its depth through a poem from a prominent Chinese poet so read on! What is Chinese poetry and why is it so attractive? With its long history, China has one of the richest cultural backgrounds in the world. Some of the very first elements of their cultural heritage appeared in the form of poems. Those poems used Classical Chinese (also known as Literary Chinese). They are far different from any modern form of the Chinese language we know today. So why haven’t they all been forgotten by now? In fact, many people still love and study these poems today. It is due to the sophisticated and beautiful way in which they express ideas and provide profound insights into life and beauty. Classical Chinese to English Although translating Chinese ancient poetry is an extremely challenging task, there have been many attempts to translate poems from Classical Chinese to English. Thanks to those contributions, we now have access to the world of old Chinese poetry. We’ve picked one of the highly appreciated poems translated from Classical Chinese to English so that you...
Apr 11, 2021 | Blog, Communication, Language Services, Tips, Translation
Learn how to produce multilingual subtitles in your YouTube videos Have you ever considered adding multilingual subtitles to your YouTube or company videos in English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Arabic, Russian or any other language? Do you see yourself or your company as a global communicator and multilingual content creator? Would you like to gain more exposure in different countries where people do not speak English as their native language? In this blog post and video tutorial, learn the basics of subtitling using YouTube Studio and how to easily add English and multilingual subtitles. Learning how to subtitle a video in other languages can be a lengthy process. There is not just the actual translation but also specific subtitling rules to follow. There are various subtitling programs, as well as different ways to display subtitles. Looking to hire professionals to add subtitles to your videos? Get a free translation quote here >>. How can you manage to learn it all? At LingoStar, we’ve used YouTube Studio to translate subtitles from English into French, Spanish, and Czech. We’ll show you the easy way to start creating your subtitled videos in foreign languages. By doing so, you’ll be able to attract viewers in multilingual communities both in your own country and worldwide. Are you ready to become a global entrepreneur? You’ll also find out how to use the closed caption option in YouTube where subtitles can be turned on and off. Furthermore, you’ll get to know about the differences between closed captions and embedded subtitles and how to handle both versions before publishing them on YouTube.YouTube offers the option to add subtitles...
Mar 25, 2021 | Blog, Language Services, Translation, Worldwide
The problems women of colour face in France… France is a country rich in cultural diversity, partly shaped by its immigration. In this article, we shine the spotlight on women of colour in France, the problems they face and their struggle. It will allow you to understand why, increasingly, women of colour are leading the fight against racism in France. Women of colour in France, and around the globe, are victims of both sexism and racism. In society, on social media, at work… Being different is stigmatized when it should be seen as something positive… A study published by France Stratégie (an institution planning the social, economic, environmental and cultural development of France) has shown that, in France, men have more working opportunities than women. And among all these men, Caucasian men have more opportunities than the others. So what about women of colour? Mentalities might be evolving but, unfortunately, racial and gender discrimination in the world of work is still deeply rooted. An example of discrimination against women of colour at work The French website Abenafrica contains numerous stories testifying to this sad reality. A 23-year-old woman from Martinique – a French overseas territory – explained that she had a team meeting at work. She entered the room and was about to close the door. Her boss said “Oh no, please, don’t close the door! It’s really hot today, just like in your country!” Her name is Émilie. She was born in Paris. France IS her home country. This is just one of the many examples witnessing the discrimination women and people of colour face every day. And...
