Newsletter - Events
CSU Localization Certification Program in Marseille, France (March 31-April 2, 2008)
Daniel Carter, Merger and Acquisition Consultant
Have you wondered why nearly 200 people have attended the California State University (CSU) Localization Certification Program over the past 2 ½ years? This was one of my questions to the participants in Marseille, France.
Participants in our most recent program included industry veterans with up to twenty years of experience in one or more aspects of the industry, but it also included a number of newcomers.
From its inception, GALA and the Localization Institute have been partners in organizing and producing the Localization Certification Program. The program includes three components: 45 hours of online self-study, a three-day seminar, and a certification exam. The first of the two seminars in 2008 was the session I attended in Marseille last month. There will also be another session from June 16-18 in St. Louis, USA.
· Online material. The online material includes videos, PowerPoint slides, lecture notes and sample tests. If you are interested in getting a sneak peak, there is a short sample of one of the videos on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg4qcVDbyEQ or you can look at the sample material at http://rce.csuchico.edu/localize/demo/demo.html. All of the online material has been revised and updated for 2008 and I heard comments from participants ranging from “good” to “excellent.”
· Three-day seminar. The three-day seminar is packed with lectures, interactive discussions and hands-on tools trainings.
· Certification exam. On the third day of the seminar, there is a one-hour exam that participants have to pass to receive their certification.
Seminar topics in Marseille included both business and practical hands-on training in tools like Trados, Catalyst and Passolo. Some discussions challenged participants to think about how current industry events might be changing the industry and will affect their organizations a few years down the road. For instance, Gary Muddyman, CEO of Conversis Global, spoke about thinking outside of the box to expand the narrow range of services where localization is often pigeon-holed. Prof. Boris Bartikowski spoke about the significance of cultural issues in the design and localization of websites. Prof. Klaus-Dirk Schmitz, from the Cologne University of Applied Sciences, spoke about the principles and importance of terminology and terminology management. Inger Larsen spoke about both sides of the recruiting fence, including information both for companies hiring staff as well tips for job seekers. Leif Sonstenes, from Locatech, covered issues in documentation, while Angelika Zerfass, Daniel Zielinski and Patricia McKenna each gave 2 ½ hour hands-on training sessions in Trados, Passolo and Catalyst, respectively. Stephane Vinuesa from Lionbridge discussed workflow and current issues in project management. Finally, we had the pleasure of listening to Bert Esselink, author of A Practical Guide to Localization, to close the seminar with a stimulating discussion forcing the participants to think about the current state of their own organization and how to build their localization department or organization when returning back to their jobs after the program.
If you’ve read this far, I think you’ll realize that there was a lot of information covered between the online coursework and the three-day seminar. So, why did the participants join the program in Marseille? I spoke to many of the participants and the reasons varied: some were sent by their employers to learn more about the localization field so that they can do their jobs better and to bring new ideas and improvements back to their organizations. For others, they were looking for knowledge to help with job advancement within their organization. And some of the rookies were interested in learning more about opportunities in localization as well as in getting an advantage in their search for a job in the industry.
I hope to see some of you or your colleagues at one of our future seminars. For information about the program, visit http://rce.csuchico.edu/localize/.
Daniel Carter is a founding member of GALA and was on the GALA Board of Directors from 2002 until 2005. He is the GALA representative to the Localization Certification Program Advisory Board. He is also founder and CEO of MedCom International and he works as a facilitator for mergers and acquisitions between translation and localization companies