From Pseudo-translation to Pseudo-localization

Do you like having teenagers handle your medical insurance problems?

Why would you have college students localizing your product?

I've posted several articles on pseudo-translation, which is a science. Pseudo-localization, or the practice of pretending you have good localization processes in place when you're really having exchange students review or--ack!--translate your product and Web presence is not science. It's short-sighted.

I can't say for sure, but I think it has to do with what most people perceive as a black box around foreign languages, especially in the U.S. We're not xenophobes, but we are by and large linguaphobes, and most of us freeze like a deer in the headlights when the prospect of dealing with a foreign language arises.

Frankly, though, it's easy to fall into the practice of pseudo-localization, especially in technology companies. Young employees for whom English is a second or third language are becoming the norm, and while their cultural diversity and mental models are a boon for product development and global reach, are they really suited to translating?

No.

Inside that black box is what people have to do to become accredited translators, and to build and maintain their reputation. They're not fussing about Web-based translation portals and fast, cheap, young translators because they want to cling to their jobs. They're fussing about it because the product quality is lousy, and most Americans don't care.

You're an American localization project manager: Have you ever been in a company for more than three months without hearing, "Why don't they all just learn English and save us this headache? Har, har, har."

Better-cheaper-faster is a triangle, and you can't cover all three corners with the same solution.

So, by all means hire that French exchange student or that Chinese H-1B to work on your localization project. But make sure you get at least one other pair of accredited eyes to review it.