How do product managers bring their products internationally? What's their focus? Their pain points? Where does localization fit into the equation?  These questions and more in this episode of Localize the World.

Middlebury Institute Professor David Mohr talks internationalization, language, culture, technology, and how they all intertwine to make or break international customer experience.

His specialty, drawn from over 20 years of internationalization work at Adobe, has been in bringing software applications to European and Middle Eastern markets with an eye for cultural relevancy. David teaches several classes that center on having global audiences in mind: 1 on Designing for Internationalization and Culture, another on Software Internationalization, and two programming classes. David currently lives in breezy Monterey, California with his husband and two adorable children.

Lessons learned:

- If you are localizing at the same time you’re internationalizing, you’re putting on your snowboard bindings at the same time you’re going down the hill.

- If I can understand your language, I can see your world-view.

Today we are joined by my fellow graduate school classmate, Linka Wade. We talk about: Kyle's unique journey from chemistry and math to localization, some musings on audiovisual localization, and what it’s like being neurodivergent.

You can find Kyle's writings on Linkedin at:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-chow/

Today we are joined by my fellow graduate school classmate, Linka Wade. We talk about: life as a translation and localization management student at Middlebury, aspects of game localization like indie games, dialogue translation, and the Game Developers Conference that just happened back in April! This episode has a lot of laughter and a lot of nuggets so I hope you enjoy my conversation with Linka.

What’s the localization process look like for marketing?

What do you localize and why?

How is translating marketing stuff different from regular content and what skills does that require?

What “oopsies” have there been in international marketing campaigns and how do you prevent that?

We answer these questions and more in this interview with 10-year localization veteran, Yelena Proskurin. Yelena has worked as Localization Project Manager for SDL, GoPro, and Whatsapp. Now she’s at the Middlebury Institute to teach future localization students how to do it right in international marketing.

Today we are joined by Korean interpreter, Christie Song, who will share with us her experience of being an interpreter and her advice to budding interpreting professionals.

Today I share the most humiliating moment of my life.

How is this related to localization and language? Find out in this week's episode. You'll gain a new appreciation for interpreters and a new side of yours truly. But I'm not ashamed to say it happened. On the contrary, I'm glad it happened because I'm a stronger person and wiser person for it.

The LTW podcast is on a mission to demystify the localization industry, starting with the definition of localization.

Whenever I tell people I study "localization," I'm hit with a "Wow that's cool! ...What is localization?"

After having to explain and re-explain localization to every person I talk to, I've honed in on a couple of definitions of it. Today, I want to share some definitions that have helped me understand localization and give a prime example of L10N.

Sources listed:

Creating a more Accessible Localization Definition, Nataly Kelly

Episode 10 - Rachel Carruthers, Head of Internationalisation & Localisation @ CanvaThe International Expansion Podcast with Ramsey Pryor

This $1 billion startup is changing how artists work, CNN Money

How Canva Powers the World's Creativity Through Localization, Slator

The General Theory of the Translation Company by Renato Beninatto and Tucker Johnson

*Fun fact, I used Canva to create my logo art! :)

What to expect? 

Lots of conversations as we navigate the landscape that is L10N together.

Lots of humble ahhs and ooohs as I learn from professionals how localization actually works in the real world.

Breezy talks and fun vibes, as if you were listening in on a conversation at the next table over at your local coffee shop.