Department of Translation and InterpretingMaastricht School of Int’l Communication

Zuyd University (Hogeschool Zuyd)Maastricht, The Netherlands

The cooperation between (translator) training institutions and the Localisation industry:

a report of a small-scale survey.

Marcel Thelen(with the assistance of Han van de Staaij)

Limerick, 21 September 2004

2

Contents of presentation

1. Background2. Objectives of survey3. Target group4. Collecting addresses5. Institutions6. Questions in questionnaire7. Response8. Summary of salient results9. Discussion10. Conclusions11. Recommendations12. Detailed results

Background

1. LttN objectives:To source teaching material in the form of tools and programmes in the area of localisation and related areas from the localisation industry

2. Duties within LttN

3. Situation at own institution

4. Never before survey carried out like this one

4

Objectives of survey

1. L10N training at (translator) training institutions

2. the relation between (translator) training institutions and the Localisation industry

3. L10N needs and means of (translator) training institutions

To study:

5

Target group of survey

(Translator) training institutions at:

1. Research universities

2. Professional universities

6

Collecting addresses

• Via websites with translation institutions

• Including personal mailing lists

• Excluding websites in Japanese, Chinese and other languages that did not give clues as to where to look for information

7

Institutions

• 347 different institutions

• From 45 countries

• From all continents

8

Countries included

9

Response:

• Very disappointing;

• from 25 institutions from 13 countries:

• 5 institutions did not fill in the questionnaire and indicated that they did not (or no longer) have a L10N programme

10

Responding countries

Per continent:

Australia: 1

Europe: 16

North America: 7

Asia: 1

11

Summary of most salient results (1)

• LttN programme? 6 Yes; 4 No; total 20

• Level:BA + MA: 3BA: 4MA: 6;PhD: 0other: 2MA + other: 1

12

Summary of most salient results (2)

• Mode of delivery:full-time: 6part-time: 3other: 6part-time + summer school: 1

• Place in curriculum:regular: 8optional: 7regular + optional: 1

13

Summary of most salient results (3)

• Objectives of L10N programme:use of L10N tools with translating: 16software development : 0QA testing and engineering: 1Theoretical backgr. (cult. divergences): 10

• Student placement:Yes: 8No: 4

• No answer: 4

14

Summary of most salient results (4)

• Nature of placement:study: 1work: 7combination: 2

• Number of ECPsvarying from 3 to 8; 3 North American credits

15

Summary of most salient results (5)

• Type of award after programme:a separate certificate: 3.5a separate diploma: 0 a specific statement on their diploma: 4.5other: 8

• Entrance requirements:Yes: 6No: 10

16

Summary of most salient results (6)

• Final attainment levels:Yes: 5No: 11

• Cooperation with education institutions in the area of L10N training:Yes: 9No: 4no answer: 1

17

Summary of most salient results (7)

• Type of cooperation with other educational institutions in the area of L10N training:student placements: 2staff placements: 1workshops by partners: 5research: 5curriculum development: 4other: 4no answer: 7

18

Summary of most salient results (8)

• Cooperation with L10N / translation bureaus in the area of L10N training:Yes: 14No: 2

• Type of cooperation:student placements: 9staff placements: 0workshops by partners: 8research: 3curriculum development: 4other: 3no answer: 2

19

Summary of most salient results (9)

• Cooperation with L10N software developers in the area of L10N training:Yes: 11No: 5

• Type of cooperation:student placements: 5staff placements: 1workshops by partners: 5research: 3curriculum development: 2other: 4no answer: 7

20

Summary of most salient results (10)

• Where do lecturers / trainers on the L10N programme derive their expertise from:placements: 2courses: 6private study: 13other: 7

21

Summary of most salient results (11)

• Need / desire to make arrangements at an international level with L10N software developers? price arrangements:Yes: 12No: 4 other form of cooperation:Yes: 11No: 5

22

Specification of need for price arrangements (1)

• Price arrangements already existing with some developers, but not yet all; full versions of software is needed for realistic courses, not only demo versions

• We consistently arrange very advantageous licensing agreements that guarantee us free software and pay a base rate for software support. Companies consider our graduates to be the future leaders of the industry and are more than eager to collaborate with us

• Price reductions• Lower prices for localisation tools• No specification given

23

Specification of need for price arrangements (2)

• We would be open to suggestions, but prices are critical since our translation program has a very limited budget

• Yes, but so far not at an international level

• Academic licenses

• Price cooperation is very important. Start-up costs and licensing are quite prohibitive

• No costs preferred

24

Specification of need for other arrangements (1)

• We want them to do lectures and workshops• internships for students would also be a good idea• Workshop organisation by software developers• No specification given• Interested in internships, or guest lecturers, etc.• Yes, but so far not at an international level• We already have cooperation agreements

25

Specification of need for other arrangements (2)

• Compatibility of different platforms most important; objective reviews of software; development of light versions for translators of lesser known languages

• Training and materials and support• R&D cooperation• Staff placements, workshops by L10N software

developers, joint curriculum development

26

Summary of most salient results (12)

• What L10N tools are used in the L10N programme?Trados: 15Déjà Vu: 6Star Transit: 8SDL: 8Catalyst: 9Passolo: 11Wordfast: 5other: 5 All with academic licenses

27

Summary of most salient results (13)

• Software for machine translation used in L10N programme?Yes: 4No: 12

28

Summary of most salient results (14)

• Conditions imposed on academic license for:

Trados Yes: 9 No: 6

Déjà Vu Yes: 4 No: 2

Star Transit Yes: 5 No: 3

SDL Yes: 6 No: 3

Catalyst Yes: 6 No: 3

Passolo Yes: 8 No: 3

Wordfast Yes: 5 No: 0

other Yes: 2 No: 4

29

Specification of conditions imposed on academic licenses (1):

• Use for teaching purposes only, link on website of institute to developers

• We may use our licenses in our labs and on our staff machines with the understanding that we do not use them for commercial purposes

• No specifications given• Publicity for one company, no use for commercial

purposes for other tools• Used for academics only

30

Specification of conditions imposed on academic licenses (2):

• Number of users, use limited to classroom training, etc.

• Licenses, numbers and prices differ for each product. Conditions, if any, are minor services such as allowing our name to be entered in the manufacturers’ reference customer lists etc.

• Used for education purposes only• Certain cooperation agreements• For academic use only

31

Summary of most salient results (15)

• Budget for acquisition of tools / products:Yes: 11No: 5

• Budget ranges:from € 350 p/license to€ 1500 p/programme

32

Summary of most salient results (16)

• Institution familiar with LttN?Yes: 10No: 6

• Wish to become a member?Yes: 11No: 5

33

Discussion of results (1)

• fear of spam / unsolicited e-mails• reluctance to fill in questionnaires• lack of time• time of mailing of questionnaires• mode of distribution of questionnaires• type of questions• number of questions

Possible causes of low response:

34

Discussion of results (2)

• Not the right type of (translator) training institutions included

• Unfamiliarity of (translator) training institutions with localisation

• Industry not familiarising (translator) training institutions enough with L10N

• (translator) training institutions not interested in localisation

Possible causes of low response:

35

Conclusions (1)

• [At least some] (translator) training institutions feel the need to cooperate with the localisation industry and/or would welcome to expand the existing cooperation

• Low budgets seem to prevent such institutions from acquiring L10N software and to include a L10N training programme in their curriculum

36

Conclusions (2)

• The L10N industry appears to feel the need to cooperate with (translator) training institutions and some companies are already slowly trying to establish academic networks around them or are setting up series of training workshops for the academia

• Yet, there still seems to be a great distance between (translator) training institutions and the L10N industry

37

Recommendations (1)

1. Let LttN and the L10N industry get in touch and discuss the future of L10N training at (translator) training institutions

2. Let LttN make itself much more known to (translator) training institutions

3. Let LttN pave the way for a new survey among (translator) training institutions

38

Recommendations (2)

4. Let a new survey be carried out possibly by both LttN and the L10N industry

5. At the same time, let the L10N industry make the importance and ins and outs of L10N much more known to the world

6. At the same time, let the L10N industry contact (translator) training institutions

39

Epilogue

• LttN, (translator) training institutions and the L10N industry need each other

• (translator) training institutions deliver the customers of tomorrow of the L10N industry

Department of Translation and InterpretingMaastricht School of Int’l Communication

Zuyd University (Hogeschool Zuyd)Maastricht, The Netherlands

Thank you for your attention !

Marcel Thelen(with the assistance of Han van de Staaij)

Limerick, 21 September 2004