Working Methodology
In order to be successfully engaged in this workflow, the students have to have good translation and ICT skills, understand principles of terminology, translation memory, project management and software localisation as well as a good command of terminology management, translation memory, project management and software localisation tools.
As software localisation is more complex than translation, special attention has to be paid to folder management, tracking of the different files and file versions.
Moreover, the project manager has to have a full understanding of the components of the software to be localised and of the natural order for their localisation.
For the purposes of this exercise, simple software should be localised, such as free, open source software like Notepad++.
Throughout the project, all members of the teams should communicate and exchange ideas. To facilitate their communication they could create and/or join existing forums on the topic.
Roles
Different roles will be assigned to students or groups of students, according to their number and the number of available PCs.
Client
The teacher will play the role of the client. He/she will give students the original materials to be used throughout the project (reference materials, TMs, termbases, glossaries, links, etc.) as well as a localisation brief, where working languages (according to students' background) and prices per words are determined.
As clients, teachers will have to review students' work, mark corrections, and give students their work back for updating. According to the client's corrections, each student or group of students – will then have to update his/her work (e.g. translation, translation memory or terminology database, depending on the assigned roles).
Project managers
One group of students will be responsible for preparing the translation project. Among the tasks to be completed by project managers:
- Scheduling the localisation project according to client's specifications: this means setting deadlines at the beginning of the project and defining the working languages
- Filtering of data relevant for this project and exporting the data: this includes pre-existing resources, such as translation memories, translations for alignment, terminological databases, etc.
- Assigning tasks to groups of students: senior translators, translators, and QA specialists
- Creating a folder structure for projects
- Sending files for alignment to other members of the team (e.g. senior translators)
Senior translators
Will be responsible for doing terminology research (searching for specific glossaries, etc.), for doing (manual or automatic) terminology extraction from the materials given by teachers, and for aligning previous translations or reference materials in order to constantly update termbases and translation memories for the project. Senior translators will also define the style standards to be used in the localisation project.
Project managers
- Creating the project with the relevant localisation tool
- Analysing and pretranslating the software using the existing TM updated by senior translators
- Counting words and making a quotation for the "client" according to the working languages and the standard line price
- Preparing resources by using the L10N tool, creating a LocKit with the necessary materials for all team members (relevant TM and termbases) and its delivery.
- Monitoring the project by communicating with other groups to keep track of progress
Translators
Will have to use the materials contained in the LocKit to translate the new project created by the project manager within the software localisation tool. Since the main focus is not on translation, only a few strings should not be included in the original TM, so that students can actually translate them.
Senior translators
They will review the work of translators, make changes if needed and update TMs and termbases after translation is completed.
Project managers
Will generate the target version of the software application using the L10N tool.
QA specialists
These students will test the translated software, focusing not only on the translation quality but also on the software functionalities. This involves resizing dialogue boxes if necessary and checking menus and tab functionalities.
Senior translators
If any changes regarding translation or terminology have to be made by QA specialists, these changes should be reflected in the TMs and termbases. Senior translators' tasks at this stage are the updating and merging of TMs and termbases.
Project managers
Will receive the translated version of the software, together with the updated translation memories and terminology databases. Finally, they will deliver the final product to the client on time.
At the end of the course, in groups, students can deliver short presentations about their localisation tasks in the project, the problems faced and the advantages and disadvantages of working in teams. These presentations can be followed by class discussions.