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An Interview with Eric Tordeur, International Translation Producer for Yahoo!

1. What is your title and role?
I am the International Translation Producer at Yahoo! Inc. I am based in Santa Clara and manage the whole translation and localization process for Yahoo!.

2. Do you speak any foreign languages? Is this helpful in your job?
I am fluent in a few European languages and I am learning Korean. I am also a professional translator and that proves to be useful when you want to localize the Yahoo! sites in several languages. As a translator, I understand the implications of such a process, the several steps, and the linguistic/cultural hurdles on the way.

3. What is more important for your kind of job, language skills vs. technology skills?
What is particular to Yahoo! is that we do not translate content per se as we rely on local providers. However, we translate some of our products and services such as Yahoo! mail, auctions, chat. Sincerely, both linguistic and technology skills are extremely useful. In other words, how can you localize the shopping site in German if you don't understand HTML on one hand, and the German culture and language on the other hand?

4. For individuals considering a career in the field of multilingual web management, what skills and experiences should they seek?
Linguistic skills are a must as language, and in particular its structure and the culture it conveys, is the ultimate vector of communication. Technical knowledge is a must to better understand what is behind a web page and how the different elements interact with each other.

5. Which countries/languages does Yahoo! currently deliver its site in?
We have a site in 22 countries (including Japan, France, Germany, Korea, Mexico) and in 14 languages

6. Who is your translation vendor?
We have a contract with Lernout & Hauspie. There are of course a lot of good translation vendors on the market, but we chose Lernout & Hauspie because they are global and present in all the countries where Yahoo! has production and development offices. Also, working with a company that can offer linguistic solutions such as translation memory, glossary tools, is always a plus.

7. What are the characteristics that a localization vendor must have to be considered as a Yahoo! vendor?
I believe that presence in the local markets, high engineering skills, and, in the light of the booming Internet industry, ability to efficiently localize web pages and offer real multilingual solutions to Internet companies, will definitely make the difference. Because of the nature of our business, our deadlines can be very tight as competition is fierce. Our products must have a local flavor to attract our foreign customers, and we are extremely meticulous when it comes to quality. We also believe that translators and editors should be based in their home countries and, therefore, immersed in their respective cultures to ensure that our products are truly localized.

8. What was the first language that Yahoo! added, when was the site launched, and why was that language chosen?
Japanese was the first language added because Japan was culturally ready and the market was definitely open. Yahoo! Japan was launched in 1996 and is our largest office outside the United States.

9. In your experience, which foreign languages are difficult for U.S. companies to deal with on the web?
You won't be surprised if I tell you that Asian languages such as Chinese, Japanese, and Korean are difficult not only because of the cultural differences, but also because of the challenges that their writing system represents from an engineering point of view: they use double-byte characters.

10. What are some of the major cultural mistakes companies make when creating multilingual web sites?
One of the most typical mistakes is the translation of content when it is not really relevant to the local sites. Another one is to rely on staff that was never exposed to foreign culture and foreign languages to manage the localization process.

11. From a translation-management perspective, what is your advice for organizations considering investing in a multilingual web site (i.e., how can they effectively and efficiently manage that process)?
Finding an excellent vendor or hiring locals to translate their sites, basing decisions on what local customers want and what they are interested in, and learning to be patient: Few countries work at the same pace as the US.

12. Is the Internet age affecting the localization and translation industry? If yes, how?
The localization industry is definitely maturing. We have gone a long way since the translation of business cards, contract letters, or scientific reports in a simple text format. Now, localization companies must deal with software resource files, filters to parse HTML formats, Java applets, translation memory. Project managers and translators now need to acquire technical knowledge that goes far beyond their traditional linguistic skills to better meet their clients' needs.

13. In what areas do you see the field of web localization changing in the near future?
The world is getting more and more global, localization tends to be more and more mission-critical, and needs are more and more specific, localization companies will have to be very attentive and definitely focus on what we can call the "new frontiers" of globalization. E-commerce is taking off in the USA and, eventually, in other parts of the world. Wireless technology is also booming, especially in Europe and Asia: Users around the world can already use the Internet on their cellular phones, a technical challenge that localization companies cannot miss.

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