The Linguist

20 The Linguist Vol/64 No/1 ciol.org.uk/thelinguist FEATURES Dariush Robertson explains how working with industry leaders to reverse engineer university localisation courses helps prepare undergraduates for the world of work I spent over a decade in the localisation industry working as a linguist, which involves translating or reviewing content during the production stage of a localisation project. What surprised me the most was that the IT skills needed for this role were far simpler than expected yet the required translation skills and cultural knowledge were more complex. Having transitioned to working full- time in academia, this was something I aimed to address when designing and delivering content on the Translation and Localisation MA at Newcastle University. To balance industry-relevant IT with linguistic skills, it is essential that instructors understand the differences between the roles of linguists, project managers and localisation engineers. While they all work in the production stage of a localisation project and use computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools, they focus on different tasks which require specific skills and qualifications, and this should be reflected in the classroom. There is, however, a tendency for localisation modules to be IT-heavy, cover more CAT tool tasks than is necessary for linguists, and miss some of the more creative and linguistic skills essential for localisation linguists. Delineating roles in localisation One practical way to understand the requirements of each localisation role is by checking the many job posts for localisation linguists, project managers and engineers. They list the essential skills, knowledge and qualifications for each role, which can be broadly divided into two categories: the linguists and the non-linguists. To clarify, the 'non-linguists' may be able to speak other languages but do not typically perform linguistic tasks. The linguists are the translators and reviewers (also referred to as linguistic quality assurance reviewers), proof-readers and MT (machine translation) post-editors. These roles typically require translation skills, the ability to work in a team, excellent cultural knowledge of the source and target languages, creativity, and knowledge of CAT tools. It is now more common for a degree related to translation or localisation to be a requisite. Project manager and localisation engineer roles do not have the same linguistic requirements. My research with Chinese-to-English translation teams at Keywords Studios demonstrated that project managers set up projects on CAT tools, including the creation of translation memories (TMs) and term bases (TBs), and linguists mainly translate and review. 1 The teams localised culturally specific content in video games, and there were no instances in which the project managers translated or changed the translations. This is reflected in the many online adverts for project managers, which do not list translation skills but do include the ability to set up projects in a CAT tool, as well as interpersonal and cost management skills. Unlike the role of localisation linguists, these roles do not require a degree in translation or linguistics. As far as I know, there is only one MA course specifically for localisation management (at Middlebury University in California, USA). In the case of localisation engineers, most adverts include the ability to recognise and extract localisable content from the original files, perform IT-related troubleshooting during the production stage, and convert all localised content back to the original format. This involves a greater level of proficiency with CAT tools and many other types of software than the linguistic roles. According to Benjamin Adcock, the Global Localisation Engineering Manager at Keywords Studios, a localisation engineer would likely either have a background in localisation, with advanced CAT skills and the ability to code, or a more IT-based background, perhaps with a degree in computer sciences plus experience with CAT tools and the localisation industry. He highlights how the IT skills and knowledge for this role are beyond the capabilities of most linguists and project managers. The work involves utilising a range of complex software, or even building bespoke software scripts to extract localisable content and convert it back to its original format after the translation stage. For technically demanding projects, it is more likely that a localisation engineer would be setting up the projects than a project manager. Adcock also notes that as processes become more complex, and automation more prevalent, engineers are becoming more involved in project creation and management. Another way to stay up to date with professional practice is to collaborate with industry. At Newcastle's annual Keywords Studios Online Video Game Localisation Workshop, a diverse team of localisation professionals speak to students, researchers and academic staff about current industry Rethinking localisation

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