Chillistore announces that they have been acquired by Argos Multilingual, but will remain a separate and independent subsidiary. More details here!
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Inclusive language and gender-neutral language are usually discussed as a package; and while they ideally go hand-in-hand, they are not the same thing. Inclusive language acknowledges diversity. It doesn’t polarize, but appeals to all. Using inclusive language means understanding the history and original intent behind the words you use. For example, using “indigenous” creates a safe, respectful environment for indigenous peoples.
Neutral language indicates language that’s not directed toward a particular sex or social gender. For example, in English, there’s the term, “LatinX,” which is the gender-neutral way of discussing people who identify as Latin American.
When it comes to in-country copywriting, we sometimes have to make tough decisions between using inclusive language, remaining gender-neutral, and accurately conveying the original message. Something could be gender-neutral but not inclusive, and vice versa. And, the unfortunate reality is that inclusive and gender-neutral content is still content — it’s susceptible to changes and decisions based on SEO. AKA if the word choice comes down between inclusive and gender-neutral, the SEO-preferred option usually wins.
These decisions are especially difficult in certain romance languages, where words are assigned genders. In Brazilian Portuguese, the word “employee,” for example, is “funcionário” — the “o” at the end denotes that grammatically, it’s a male word. To make this word gender neutral would require changing its ending. In English, we’re sometimes able to do this with words like “LatinX” (mentioned above) because it is, technically, pronounceable (although still not easy for screen readers to pronounce). However, in Brazilian, “funcionárie” would be difficult to pronounce via a reader, for example. Automatically, you’re marginalizing a visually-impaired person, in favor of a gender-neutral word.
The reverse can also be true, due to cultural constraints. While many companies have started implementing “parental leaves” after having children, Brazilian law still only outlines rules for maternity leave. Although most companies make parental leave accessible for all, it’s still not written in law. Say you’re writing an article about this and want it to be inclusive — pretty difficult when the law itself excludes certain groups! For accuracy’s sake, you’ll likely need to stay true to the law. However, you could also boost inclusivity by adding a section on how other people (non-binary, trans etc.) might obtain the same benefits.
Inclusivity and neutrality are crucial to successful, considerate communication. However, factors like SEO can make word choice that much more complicated. While SEO doesn’t hold intrinsic value in the same way as neutrality and inclusivity, it can impact a client’s choices. Perhaps a non-neutral word is what will generate more SEO attention? Perhaps the inclusive phrasing changes the original intent of the content, and so the client opts to stick with an SEO-friendly version? These choices are difficult, and while they ultimately rest with the client, we do our best to mend the gaps.
Our Language Ownership Program pairs experienced inclusivity and neutrality reviewers with writers, and trains them to produce more inclusive, neutral content. The idea is that if everyone is trained in the nuances between inclusivity and neutrality, then the content’s quality will increase significantly. Awareness and proposed solutions make writers’ jobs easier, and help create more universal content. So, while remaining inclusive, neutral, and SEO-conscious is a lofty goal, training will limit how often inclusivity and neutrality fall to the wayside.
Christmas! For some, it’s the most wonderful time of the year, complete with gifts and excitement. For others, it’s a religious celebration. And for others still, it’s a combination of the two. “The holidays” mark an exciting time where the pace of life slows, and time with friends, family, and delicious food comes to the forefront. While some Christmas traditions have global overlap, others are completely unique to certain countries and cultures. We’re taking a look at how Christmas is celebrated around the world.
In the US especially, Christmas means Santa Claus, lots of presents, endless parties. While some people opt to attend church and embrace the religious components of the holiday, many others simply opt into the commerciality. Kids make lists for Santa; adults run around buying gifts for dozens of friends and family members; and kids (or adults, we don’t judge!) leave cookies and milk for Santa on Christmas Eve. These traditions are well-represented in movies and TV, but they’re not necessarily universal.
In Poland, a delicious, grand meal takes center stage! The twelve-course meal represents Jesus’ 12 disciples, and brings together family and friends before evening mass. On Christmas day, people again attend church and visit friends.
Christmas Eve is more celebrated than Christmas day, because Christmas day is intended to be a day of worship. On Christmas Eve, parents sneakily decorate Christmas trees to surprise their children. People also exchange gifts on Christmas Eve, as opposed to Christmas morning.
Russia doesn’t celebrate Christmas on December 24th and 25th. Instead, they celebrate on January 7th, and then receive New Years presents from “Grandfather Frost.”
In Norway, the Christmas festivities get an extra day of attention! People here celebrate on the 24th, 25th, and 26th…because why end the fun early?? Julenissen (Santa Claus) and his gnomes deliver gifts on the 24th. The 25th is for relaxation and worship, and the 26th is for fun!
Japan may not celebrate Christmas in either the commercial or religious senses, but it does use the holiday as a time to spread joy and happiness. Japan embraces the trees and lights of the holiday, and even believes in Santa Claus. There’s no gift exchange, but there are plenty of ways to spread holiday cheer.
Music plays a large part in Greece’s Christmas traditions. On Christmas Eve, children sing carols and play instruments, sometimes in exchange for money from onlookers. While there are Christmas trees on the islands, a more classical tradition is to decorate wooden ships. The city of Thessaloniki displays a giant Christmas tree, as well as three large ships, each year.
Christmas in Mexico spans from December 12th to January 6th, and the “Posada” tradition (Spanish for “Inn”) is a major one. Communities might set up a total of nine posadas, in honor of Mary and Joseph looking for a place to stay. Children move from home to home, singing and asking for a place to stay. Each night, a new home becomes the designated posada, where there will be dancing, singing, and lots of eating!
Do you celebrate Christmas? Let us know some of your cultural traditions!
Arbitration: it’s not just about who’s getting the vacation house and who’s getting the fine china in the divorce. When it comes to LQA, arbitration is key to maintaining quality output — and it’s a process we at Chillistore are always working to understand and improve.
When we talk about “arbitration,” we mean the stage that can arise after the initial translation, review, and rebuttal phases.
Let’s start from the top: translators translate. Chillistore then receives translations, which we review via our Language Quality Assurance (LQA) process. Our primary goal with LQA is to “Inspect and Adapt.” We’re continuously identifying areas that need improvement; testing new solutions; and changing our approaches to match our findings. Our review process is a prime example of this.
Reviewing a translation doesn’t mean marking certain aspects “wrong” or “incorrect,” and marking others “correct.” In fact, that’s the least helpful way to review a translation — it’s an arbitrary, vague way to assess material, and doesn’t allow room for explanation or creativity. Reviewers score errors (the more errors, the lower the score), and a translator’s goal is to have as few errors as possible.
One a translation has been reviewed, we send it back to the translator, who then has the option to rebut our findings. This is the Rebuttal Stage, and it’s key to making the translator feel involved in the entire feedback process. It would be easy for a translator to simply mark the changes with which they agree or don’t agree, but that wouldn’t be very thorough or specific. Again, we ask translators to choose from a predefined list of causes; they categorize the “Root Case” of the “error,” and provide a “Definition” — AKA what type of error is being addressed, and what may have been the cause. This system helps with data analysis, and information exchange, and makes the entire process more thorough and higher quality. If the translator remains dissatisfied with any elements of our review, in comes…arbitration.
So often, arbitration can be a drawn-out, costly way to mitigate disagreements. Perhaps the LSP pulls in a third person to review the content and arbitrate — a “too many cooks in the kitchen” response. Or, sometimes, the client might be brought in to deal with languages they don’t speak, leaving room for error. With either of these less-than-ideal approaches, there tends to be frustration, very little productivity, and a lot of back-and-forth.
We’ve noted the major slow-downs that arise during arbitration, and have made it our mission to do things differently. We don’t have all of the answers, but we’re moving toward a smoother experience for everyone.
First, we assign a Chillistore Language Owner who will be responsible for a specific case. The LO assesses the arbitration process, and looks for gaps and pain points. They then discuss their findings with translators and reviewers face-to-face — we firmly believe that direct human interaction helps people stay open-minded and tolerant of other perspectives. After all, we tend to behave differently when we know there’s a human on the other end of our rants.
Our LOs then schedule a follow-up meeting, which they moderate. Translators and reviewers can use this time to address their concerns, with the help of a well-informed, well-trained third party. The end goal of these meetings is to come to some sort of agreement. Reviewers can agree to keep or revert some of their findings, while translators can concede or refuse theirs. Hopefully, the LO’s presence and knowledge will be a helpful tool during this meeting.
After the meeting, LOs document their discussions and action items in very specific terms. For example, an LO might write: “Translator will focus on using a more concise and compact style of writing,” or, “Proofer will comment corrections with more detail.” These are firm action items, and the LO’s record of them helps keep all parties accountable.
We acknowledge that arbitration is a very human process, and thus, there’s plenty of room for human errors and inconsistencies. Not every case is the same, and not every response can be identical to its predecessor. Our overall goal, however, remains consistent: to reduce the client’s stress and involvement, while providing them with the quality they seek. In this way, we truly do act as an extension of your team.
The LocWorldWide 44 sessions took place on June 8-10, and the “Up Close and Personal” panel video was live! This panel marked the third installation in the series, led by Argos Multilingual’s Kathleen Bostick. It featured VP of Localization at Hubspot Nataly Kelly; Managing Director & SVP of Global Programs and AI at TELUS Siobhan Hanna; and VP of Product, International and Globalization Anna Schlegel. Each panelist discussed their individual journeys as high-powered women in the workforce. Here’s a quick overview:
Nataly’s interest in language and localization stems from her love of Spanish, which she embraced at a young age. She’s never been one to develop a set “career plan,” but instead, leaned on her instincts and took opportunities as they became available. She discusses how important her colleagues can be to her overall happiness, and how some of her best learnings have come from other women in the industry. She hopes to leave a strong legacy, while also empowering others to build on what she starts.
Throughout her career, Siobhan has coupled deep operations knowledge with extreme customer focus. In her presentation, she discusses the hard work, frequent change, and informal mentors that have helped shape her career. Along the way, a mentor shared a motto with her that would continue to inform her journey, and she shared with the LocWorldWide panel: any role worth taking must be: ⅓ “I can do this in my sleep”; ⅓ “This is challenging and feels like a stretch but I want to go for it”; and ⅓ “This scares me.” If all three of these factors are present, then the opportunity is worth pursuing. Siobhan has certainly pursued qualifying opportunities.
Anna’s impressive career journey has led to countless accolades and success stories. Her greatest strength is coming into a new company and leaning on her gut and instinctual visions. In doing this, she can automatically visualize where a company needs to go and how to bring it there. Anna emphasizes the importance of staying balanced and healthy, especially given her role as a mother to a child with autism. She encourages women to make choices that keep them grounded, so they may learn from and teach others.
Argos Multilingual’s CEO Véronique Özkaya joined SlatorPod to discuss Argos’ recent acquisition of Venga Global — a Language Service Provider (LSP). Venga’s data-driven capabilities round out Argos’ list of services, which include localization, marketing-driven content services, and translation quality services (Chillistore).
Véronique discusses how she moved from inexperienced translator/reviewer, to sales person, to Argos CEO. Having been in the industry for several years, she’s witnessed major shifts in translation and customer expectations. The explosion of technology, coupled with the ways in which content is created and distributed, have forced companies to adapt. Thanks to e-commerce, organizations have learned that neglecting to think outside of their domestic markets creates a major barrier to entry. Understanding where customers are headed and what tools they need to reach their goals is what separates companies from the competition.
Here’s the link to the Slator podcast, where you can learn more about Argos’ acquisition of Venga.
They both end in “-ion.” But what exactly are the differences between “translation” and “adaptation”? The key resides in the liminal space between “words” and “meaning.”
We regularly have clients who bring us translated content and tell us it “won’t work.” It’s awful! I can’t understand what it’s saying! How will I ever present this?! Maybe they have a Powerpoint deck they asked translators to translate, and maybe those translators did, in fact, translate the deck. Where, then, is the disconnect?
Unrealistic expectations can be a major downfall when it comes to translated work. Clients naturally want content to be creative and original, and they think that asking for translation will be enough. The reality is that translators are paid (per word) to translate hundreds of strings of words in a short period of time. They are not instructed or paid to creatively approach content in a way that will appeal to the client’s market. They are paid to translate, not to adapt.
Adaptation can sometimes be what clients think they’re asking for when they ask for translation. We recently had a client come to us with a deck that had been translated from French to English. In the final product, there were expressions that didn’t quite make sense in English; some of the word choices were confusing; and a few of the references weren’t resonating. They had paid for a translation, but what they actually needed was adaptation. The content needed to be translated, yes, but it also needed to be thoroughly vetted for cultural nuances that would dictate an audience’s understanding.
So, how do we avoid unpresentable decks and disappointed clients? Communication is key. We work diligently to gain an understanding of the clients’ goals and expectations. The more transparent our communication, the better. Who’s your target audience? What’s the desired tone of your content? What are the specific pain points you need us to address? What can be especially helpful is when our clients prepare creative briefs, in which they outline: which concepts they like; which concepts they don’t like; and what they’re hoping to gain from our services. We can then match the content we produce to the client’s expectations.
It’s not just the client’s job to be clear! We also need to openly communicate what we do and how we do it. For example, we’ll explain what translations are, what they can and cannot do, and any and all limitations surrounding translations. We’ll then explain what’s necessary for adaptation, and how adaptation will elevate their offerings. We want to be an extension of your team, which necessitates us understanding your team and its goals as thoroughly as you do.
Only once we’ve communicated can we adapt.
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