yin zheng-portfolio 2014 fall

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Yin Zheng writing &designportfolio

6316 Monitor StreetPittsburgh, PA [email protected] (US)86-010-18611056099 (CHN)

Yin Zheng’s Portfolio| 2 3

Table of Contents

Writing Design

Technical InstructionIndesign Tutorial: Howo to Format your Paragraph?

Poster DesignSeries of Phobias: Acrophobia, Orphidiophobia and Nyctophobia

Feature StoryBeautiful Coincidence in Life: Chenxue Bo, A Chinese Writer In The English World

Magazine DesignLet Us Be Your Eyes: Vizwiz, An Identification Application for Visu-ally Impaired People.

Client ReportTranslation Industry Analysis: Industrial Trends and Future Outlook of Professional Translators

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Yin ZhengYin Zheng

EducationCarnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh,PA | Expected Dec.2015M.A in Professional Writing GPA: 4.0/4.0

Beihang UniversityBeijing, China | Jul, 2014Outstanding GraduateB.A in EnglishGPA: 3.8/4.0

Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsbrugh,PA | Fall 2012Exchange ProgramGPA: 4.0/4.0

Relevent CoursesWriting & CommunicationStyleRhetorical GrammarProfessional and Technical WritingMultimedia Storytelling*Software Documentation*Using and Planning Document*

DesignCommunication Design Document Design*

CSPython*

SoftwareAdobe IndesignAdobe IllustratorAdobe PhotoshopMicrosfot OfficeHTML/CSS

LanguageChinese: Mother TongueEnglish: FluentGerman: Two-year study

Professional Experience

PR & Copy Writing Intern | Feb. - Apr.2014Weber Shandwick, Consumer Team | Bejing, China

• Translate,write and edit English briefing book• Draft communication plan and launch branding

campaign

PR Intern | Jul. - Oct. 2013Fleishman Hillard Internationl Communication Beijing, China

• Draft proposed scheme and creative plan for customers, including Omega and Mido.

• Write and edit advertorials about beauty, luxury and fashion

• Implement press events and projects.• Collect daily clipping and make monthly report

Assistant to University President | 2012-2014Beihang University | Beijing, China

• Propose and organize activities for students• Collect student’s opinions and draft proposals• Receive foreign guest and provid translation services

Volunteer ExperienceVolunteer | Oct. 2014IEEE Professional Communication Conference Carnegie Mellon University | Pittsburgh, PA

Consecutive Interpreter | Apr. 20132nd Beijing International Film Festival | Beijing, ChinaServed as VIP English-Chinese interpreterat the closing ceremony

HornorsAwarded the Beihang Outstanding Graduate,2014Awarded the 1st Prize Beihang Scholarship, 2011-2012, 2012-2013Awarded Beihang Honored Student, 2012-2013Awarded UNIQLO Scholarship, 2012-2013Awarded Guanghua Fellowship, 2012-2013Awarded the 1st Prize in 21st Century Cup National En-glish Speech Contest (Bejing&Tianjin Area), 2011

Technical WritingGlobal Communication Design

Technical WritingGlobal Communication Design

* Courses offered in Spring 2015

A tech savvy, bilingual writer, translator and communicator with strong interest in front-end development, user-experience design and technical communication. I have 8-year Chinese news writing experience and I am currently looking for opportunitties to transit to a tech-writer.

4125190955 | [email protected] | [email protected]

To whom it may concerned,

I am Yin Zheng, a master student in Professional Writing program at Carnegie Mellon University. I am writing to apply for the 2015 summer technical writing intern in your corporation. With my bilingual professional and technical writing background, communication skill and passion for computing technology, I believe that I could contribute my strengths to your team and learn from the World ’s Most Innovative people here.

My interest in technical writing came to birth while I was exchanging in Carnegie Mellon University in 2012. In my professional and technical writing class, I took a group project of writing and designing a technical instruction book for Tartantrek, a job-searching web for Carnegie Mellon students and alumna. My teammate and I spent days getting familiar with the whole website, figuring out the function of each button and page, and forming the content of the manual. To better satisfy our readers’ needs, we also made user-test, inviting students to go over the website following the instruction we made to check whether or not the instruction can be relied on as a effective tool. From this project, I got my first glance at technical writing. It is a really interdisciplinary field, which requires proficient writing skill, independent learning and problem-solving ability, and some design strategies ,which all help to convey the most digestible information to the audiences. Back to China, I tried to apply my coursework to practice, enhancing my communication skill via Internship.

In 2014, I worked as a freelance writer for Climate Organization, creating brochure for the 2014 China Energy Trip, introducing the energy-saving technology and green fuel in China. To understand this new field and articulate it to my readers, I did plenty of research work, interviewing CEOs from some energy firms in China and university professors majored in environmental engineering. I found myself could well collaborate and communicate with these experts, which I know is also essential in technical writing career. I’m more than pleased to work with engineers, product managers and marketing specialists, from whom I could not merely absorb new knowledge but also get to know how to make a better piece of writing.

Now, my courese in Carnegie Mellon University pave me solid foundation of rhetoric grammar and styles. I have touched on different writing genres in my professional writing projects and learned document and graphic design principles and strategies via my communication design course. Beside, i am expanding my horizon to computing science. I am currently teaching myself html, CSS and javascript. The next semester, I will take the programming class. I belive the more I learn about technology, the better I could communicate with the people in IT industry.

I would like to devote myself to this area, using verb and visual elements to help readers understand the seemingly complicated technology, lending them a hand when they are in despair. I sincerely hope that I could get an opportunity to work with the intellectuals in this place. Please refer to the attachment for my resume and feel free to contact me if there ’s any further information needed. Thanks for your consideration!

Sincerely yours,

Yin Zheng


Professional writers should know how to use verbal and visual elements to effectively communicate with readers. Verbally, we choose proper rhetorical styles and apply correct grammar to our articles. Visually, we design our document with professional software’s like Adobe InDesign, Photoshop and illustrator to create clear document hierarchy.

To help future professional writing major student better take control of the document design software, I develop a tutorial documentation on how to format their paragraphs in Adobe InDesign CS6.

This tutorial includes a welcome page, get-prepared section and two instructional parts instructing people to set paragraph spacing and indent the paragraphs. To help readers skim and navigate along the document, I use color contrast, screen shots and zoom-in squares to highlight the important procedures. Also, I include the “Attention” and “Tips” part to provide references.

This project allowed me to put myself into the readers’ shoe, thinking for readers needs and experimenting the most effective way to convey the essential information.

• Date Oct 2014• Audience MAPW Student at Carnegie Mellon Universoty• Skills: Technical Writing, Document Design,• Software Adobe Indesign CS6. Adobe Photoshop CS6

Technical InstructionInDesign Tutorial: Howo to Format your Paragraph?1 Adobe Indesign CS6

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Formating the Paragraph

Adobe Indesign CS6

Yin Zheng MAPW2014


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Formating Your Paragraph

As a Professional Writing major students, our daily life is filled with words, sentences and paragraphs. We use proper grammar and style to ensure our documents are concise, clear and understandable.

However, these are not enough! To effectively communicate with your audience, you should also use some visual elements to create clear document heirarchy.

Have no idea how to do it? No worry! Following this tutorial, you will be able to format your paragraphs with the powerful document design software- Adobe Indesign CS6.

Start from here, you could control the spacing with Adobe Illustrator Indesign CS6. You will be able to:

• Control Paragraph Breaks• Set up Indent

Want to create some document like this? Let’s start the journey!

WELCOME TO INDESIGN

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Adobe Indesign CS6

GET STARTED

To format your paragraphs, the first step is to switch from the Character Formatting Mode to the Paragraph Formatting Mode.

1. Use double click into the frame.You could see two icons on the left corner, which indicates the Text Formating Mode and the Paragraph Formating Mode.

2. Click at the Paragraph Tool at the left corner.Now you are at the Paragraph Formating Mode and your control panel should be like this:

TipsYou can also go Type>Para-graph to use the Paragraph Panel,which is more conve-nient.


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CONTROL PARAGRAPH BREAKS

To build clearer document heirarchy, we usually apply different space between paragraphs. In this section, you are going to set up and control the paragraph breaks with the Control/Paragraph Panel.

1. Select the Text with the Selection Tool

2. In the Contorl/Paragraph Panel, input the appropriate

values for Space before and Space After .

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Adobe Indesign CS6

SET UP INDENT

In your document, there might be numbering lists, bullet points or paragraphs. To format them, we use the Indent.

In this section, you will be able to:

• Set Whole Paragraph Indent/First-line Indent

• Set Hanging Indent

• Reset Indent

You will work with:

• Tab Panel

• Control Panel

• Paragraph Panel


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When formating paragraphs, we usually apply the following three major indent-settings:

Whole Paragraph Indent

First Line Indent

Hanging Indent

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Adobe Indesign CS6

1. Whole Paragraph& First Line Indent

You could control the left/right indent and first line indent with Tab or Control Paragraph panel.

Using Tab

2. Go to Type>Tabs and display the Tab Box

3. Drag the Indent Markers to make changes:• To indent the first line, drag and move the upper

marker.

1. Select the Text with the Selection Tool or Type Tool


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TipsTo better control the value of indent, you can input the appro-priate value of indent for X.For example, if you want to set the whole paragraph indent for 0p10, you can:

1. In Tab panel, Select the upper indent marker2. Input “0p10” in the box behind X.

• To indent the whole paragraph, drag the lower marker to move both markers .

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Adobe Indesign CS6

Usig Control/Paragraph Panel

2. In Control/Paragraph Panel, input appropriate value based on your needs:

• To indent the first line, input the value in the First Line Left Indent Box .

• To indent the whole paragraph, input the value in the Left/Right Indent Box



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Hanging Indent

Hanging Indent means that all of lines except for the first line are indented. You could create a Hanging Indent with the Control/paragraph panel.

2. In the Control/Paragraph panel, specify a left indent value greater than zero.

3. In the Control panel, input a negative value for the first-line left indent .

Attention!Before adjust the value for the first-line left indent, pleasemake sure your left indent value is greater than zero, otherwise Illustrator cannot fullfill the task


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Adobe Indesign CS6

Reset Indent

There will be times you want to reset the indent. Here are two ways for you to choose:

Using Tab

2. Go to Type>Tab, pull up the Tab Box

3. Drag the upper/lower indent marker to the “0”place and reset the indent again.


1. Select the Text with the Selection Tool or Type


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Using Control/Paragraph Panel

2. Input “0” in all of the indent box based on your needs and reset the value again.


For the observer portrait project, I wrote about Chenxue Bo, an MAPW alumni who came from the same undergraduate school as me. I knew her two years ago while I was on my exchange program in Carnegie Mellon. Bo is now working as a staff technical writer in Oracle, Santa Clara, CA.

In this article, I focus on the three beautiful coincidences in Bo’s life, highlighting her studying and job-searching experience in Unit-ed States.

To better portrait the feature, I interview Chenxue. Through quotes, picturesque language and narratives, I try to show people a vivid image of Chenxue Bo, a Chinese writer who try to make a place in United States,

This project allowed me to combine creative writing strategies like scenario writing and story telling with journalism writing skills, building a three-dimensional features to my audience.

• Date Aug 2014• Audience General readers• Skills Interviewing, Observer Portrait Wrting• Software Adobe InDesign CS6. Adobe Photoshop CS6

Feature StoryBeaitful Coincidences In Life: Chenxue Bo, A Chinese Writing In the English Wrold

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“It’s unbelievable that I am taking writing as a ca-reer. As a nonnative speaker with few technology background, I never thought that I could get a job in Oracle--as a technical writer--in the Silicon Valley.” Chenxue stressed at every single phrase with excit-able tremor in her voice. Though not talking with her face to face, I could imagine her smiling with sat-isfaction at the other end of the phone.

In her latest facebook photo, she’s wearing a ironed white-collar blouse, having her long hair cut to bobbed shoulder-length.She’s darker than before. Her skin is beautifully tanned by the California sun-shine, a big bright smile animating her face. She has changed a lot ever since the last time I met her two years ago when she just entered Carnegie Mellon as the first-year master student in Professional Writ-ing. Now she looked much more professional, confi-dent and joyful.

“So, how did all of these things happen?” I asked.

“Well…” Chenxue paused for a while, as if gathering past memories, “thanks to the beautiful coincidences in my life.”

Chance Meeting With Carnegie Mellon, Love Affair With Professional Writing

“It’s Carnegie Mellon!” Chenxue cheered, almost dropping off her iphone.

In February, 2012, Chenxue received her first offer letter from the English department of CMU. She was admitted to the Professional Writing Program with a 30,000-dollar tuition remission scholarship, which was a great deal for her and her family. That was , as she described, like a ray of sunshine shedding into the chilly morning.

“It was like a dream. I had never expected that I could be in a writing program.” Chenxue recalled, mouth lifting. For her, it might be the most exciting moment over the past 25 years.

In fact, Chenxue had never take writing as her top choice.Her love affair with professional writing began all by chance.

With 6-year study in Tianjin Foreign Language School ( a fancy Chinese middle school that’s well known for its English education) and 4-year study in the English department of Beihang University, Chenxue was always sure that she wanted to pursue a master degree in a English-spoken country, particularly the United States. However, like many other English major students in China, she entangled with her major choice. “ Compared with those science major students,our choices are so limited. I was wondering what I could do with a degree in English.” Chenxue recalled. For weeks, she glued to the chair, spending whole day attentively staring at the screen, looking through the universities’ admission pages, trying to find out the suitable programs.

After careful consideration, she decided on the field of Education.In China,it is fairly common for English major students to pursue a master or Phd in TESOL(Teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages) or Second Language Acquisition. The reasons are clear: first,education programs doesn’t have any restriction on majors; second,the courses are closely related to linguistic and cultural study, which is not hard for English major students . Beyond these, Chenxue also concerned about the career, “ I thought being a English teacher is fine. At least I could realize my social value by contributing to the English education in China, helping more students to go abroad.”

She would have never swerved from her “teaching career” if she had not come across the Professional Writing program in Carnegie Mellon. One day, when randomly looking over the universities’ websites, she noticed there was a link to the Professional Writing Program of Carnegie Mellon University.Professional Writing, that’s a new term for most Chinese, for none of our universities has a writing program.Could writing be a major? With curiosity,

Beautiful Coincidences in LifeChenxue BoA Chinese Writer in the English World

“ Coincidence is God’s way of being

anonymous.” Albert Einstein


Chenxue clicked at the hyperlink. That click, as she recalled, took her to a marvelous journey.“I was shocked by the interdisciplinary courses offered in this program.”Chenxue told me,voice rising in excitement, “For the first time, I knew that writing covers such a wide range of subjects.It’s not merely about writing.” Impressed by the practical and interdisciplinary features of the Professional Writing Program there, Chenxue decided to apply for Carnegie Mellon. For her, it was an adventure. Even though she had two-year journalism writing experience at Beihang students news center, she was unsure about her English writing skill. “ Writing in English… could be a challenge.” said Chenxue, “I never thought I could be admitted, but I still wanted to have a try. It is a great program, I will not miss it!”

With a palpitating heart, Chenxue handed in her writing samples and application informations one week before CMU’s application deadline. After three-month waiting, she received her admission letter.Meanwhile, she was also admitted to the edu-cation programs in University of Pennsylvania and Boston University. Without hesitation, she aban-doned accepted CMU. “I was one hundred percent sure that I wanted to do writing and I would follow my heart.” Chenxue recalled. I could almost imagine the determined smile on her face.

She Came, She Saw, She Conquered, She found A Path

August 2012, time for international Student ori-entation. The silent campus was lit up by fresh faces, mostly Asian, mostly Chinese.

Young talents from Chinese top-tier universi-ties crowded into Carnegie Mellon. They curiously looked around the campus, excitedly taking photos in front of the symbolistic statue “walking to the sky”,fervently talking about their goal to become the world’s top computing scientists, advanced software engineers and specialists in other technology-related field. Chenxue stood there, quietly looking at these students burning with ambitions. She was not part of this Chinese tech-society. “ I was the minority of

minority group.” Chenxue murmured, there’s sort of despair and loneliness in her voice.

She became even more nervous after taking part in the departmental orientation. “I was the only non-native speaker in the writing program. I thought there would be very few, but I never expected I was the only one.” she said, “It would be a hard battle.”

It was a hard battle. While studying in CMU as an exchange student, I witnessed her struggle through-out the first busy semester Like all of the other Chi-nese students, she was incredibly hard-working,al-ways being the last one to leave the cluster room. I remembered her lonely figure at the escort stop in those late nights. She stood there under the faint yellow streetlight, carrying a large backpack on her thin shoulder, heads lowering, hair dangling at her forehead.

She waved to me wearily, “ How are you doing?”

“ It’s ok. I’m just exhausted.” I answered, “Too many work.”

“We were learning English writing with those peo-ple who are using English ever since they born, so we have to work harder.” She gently pat my shoulder, “Carry on! We will make it!”

Back to those days when I was devastatingly struggling with my projects and long, difficult read-ings, feeling disappointed and homesick, she always encouraged me with a loving smile, just like my el-der sister. Both from Beihang, both studying in En-glish department of CMU, we shared empathy with each other. She told me to keep on, but seldom talk-ed about how much pressure she was shouldering. Every time when I asked about her schoolwork, she always nodded without facial expression, “qi chuan xv xv” It was hard to find a English word to express the same meaning. It was like you were running to keep up with a train. The train roared fast, never stop, never waiting for a second. You had to keep running, running and running, never get a chance to take a break.

Besides study, Chenxue was more worrying about her future. Chinese students in engineer major always felt curious about her, kept asking her what

she was going to do with a writing major.Every time, Chenxue fall into silence.“They all knew what they wanted to do, but I didn’t” said her, “ There are many choices for me, journalism, public relations, editing and publishing...I just didn’t know which I am interested in. I had to find a path.”

“Were you, at that time, interested in tech-writing?” I asked.

“No, absolutely not. I thought that’s job for tech-nerd.” there’s laughter at the other end of the phone.

But things changed, all by accident. In the first semester, Chenxue attended a required professional seminar every Friday afternoon. In each seminar, there would be several guests from various writing or communication-related careers sharing their working experiences. One day, a senior technical writer from salesforce.com came to the seminar, introducing about the technical writers’ daily work, how they deal with the complicated software documentation, use multi-editorial and design softwares to create documentation or vedio tutorial, and what it is like to work in an IT environment. Chenxue was deeply impressed. She used to regard technical writing as mundane repetitive work, but her understanding was thoroughly refreshed by the speech that day.She realized that technical writers was not that uncreative, they were, in fact, constantly searching for new methods to convey the most digestible information to their customers. “It’s cool to do something related to writing but far beyond writing!” Chenxue told me.

Fascinated by the speech, Chenxue eventually landed on Technical Writing field. To further enhance her tech-writing proficiency, she took the web design and software documentation courses in the second semester.All start from zero, Chenxue, for the first time in her life, dipped her toe into the technology field.“ It’s hard to believe I could architect a web page on my own, it’s hard to believe that I could use HTML, CSS and javascript codes, it’s hard to believe that I am writing about a software.” Chenxue wrote in her renren post (Chinese facebook) on May 2013, never concealing her strong sense of fulfillment.

By then,She was a step closer to her goal of being

a qualified technical writer. Thanks to the second beautiful coincidence, she discovered herself a new path.

Zigzag Path, Dramatic Turn

Fall 2013, It was the last semester for students on 16-month programs,the craziest time of the year, the final time for setting up for the future.

To stay or to go back, that is a question for most international students after completing their education in the United States. To stay, one has to have to find a job – or at least an internship – within three months after their graduation in order to obtain Optional Practical Training (OPT) status, which allows them to stay for another year legally (or up to 29 months for certain science and technology students). By the day that OPT expires, if they are still not able to find an employer to sponsor their working visa(H1B1), they have to leave the United States.

Chenxue’s Chinese friends (mostly computing science and electronic computing engineering students) were already anxiously looking for jobs. They squeezed into the crowded Technical Opportunity Conferences (TOC) and Electronic Opportunity Conferences (EOC), spreading out their resumes, talking to the recruiters and scheduling interviews. Most of them had already got internships during the last summer in world’s top IT enterprises like Google, Facebook, Amazon and Oracle. Some of them had been pre-hired by the employers.

While these promised engineers were talking about their latest interviews and job offers they received, Chenxue was always listening quietly, having nothing to say, having nothing share.Last summer was a failure. 26 resumes handed out, less than 10 replies. She had taken 6 interviews, but heard from none of them.“ My Chinese and American friends kept receiving offers from fancy corporations, but I had nothing. Opportunities were all for engineer students. Very few non-technical positions were merely for US citizens. I didn’t know where to go and what to do.” Chenxue sighed, “ I


was thinking perhaps it would be better to go back. I knew there were plenty of high-paid and decent jobs for me in China, but I wanted to accumulate some experience here. At least, I had to try.”

Chenxue kept on job hunting, uploading her resume and cover letters on Tartantrek (a job-searching website in CMU), going to job-searching websites like Glassdoor and Indeed, attending TOC and BOC (Business Opportunity Conference). She couldn’t count how many resumes she had sent out, perhaps 30, maybe 40. There were very few interviews and offers, but not to her interest.

She remembered the late night after TOC, she sat on the bed, looking into the round moon hanging on the dark sky. She missed Beijing, missed her parents, her carefree lives in Beihang. Maybe, it was a mis-take to come here.

Nevertheless, life was always filled with dramatic turns. One day, when she was checking her andrew mailbox, a piece of recruitment information attract-ed her attention. “Oracle Technical Writer Wanted”, she could not remove her sight. How did Oracle recruiting team get her e-mail? Chenxue suddenly remembered she had once left my resume to Oracle in TOC several months ago. At that time, she was applying for a technical writing internship, but Or-acle only wanted full-time employees. The recruiter asked her to leave the resume, telling her they will contact her if there was any suitable position. “ I gave them my contact information but never expected to hear from them.” Chenxue told me, “When they re-ally emailed me, I was sort of astonished.”

By then, one of Chenxue’s undergraduate school-mate who was studying in the Language Technology Institute (LTI) of CMU had just been hired by Oracle as a software engineer. Chenxue told him about her interest in working in Oracle and he kindly offered to refer her to the department of technical commu-nication. After two weeks, she had the online inter-view with the senior technical writer in Oracle. One week later, she got the on-site interview with the senior manager. Several days later, she received the official inform from Oracle. She was ulti-mately hired as a technical writer.

“Hard to tell my feeling…” Chenxue paused for about 3 minutes, there’s too much emotion in the long blank moment. “Wu Wei Za Chen” she said in Chinese. Still, it’s hard to find a English word equivalent to this meaning. Chenxue had so many painstaking experience before finally moving to the right track. She had doubted her choice and struggled with the peer pressure. She had been skeptical about herself and disappointed at her current condition. She was almost in despair when a door suddenly opening for her, unexpectedly, dramatically and miraculously.

Now, Chenxue has been working in Oracle for almost 9 months.Life went on qutie smoothly. “ I enjoy my new life and career here in California. I am doing what I want to do with groups of nice colleagues.In Oracle, I communicate with the engineers, marketing managers, public relation agents, usability testers, designers and customers, from which I learned a lot. Also, I get to put my bilingual skill into practice. While writing technical documentation in English, I could help the localization team to polish their Chinese translation copies. I feel satisfied and fulfilled now.” Chenxue said, there’s pride in her voice.After long-hiking on zigzag mountain pass, she eventually moved on to the broad, straight road.

I could still vividly recall the warm summer night in Pittsburgh two years ago, Chenxue and I stood in front of the statue “walking to the sky”, looking up at those static figures climbing up along the skyhigh pillar.“They are on the track to a brilliant future. I don’t know if I can get my path here.” Chenxue said to me.

Now, she’s already on her track to success. She said her path was paved by beautiful coincidences. Yet, for me, they are more like potential opportunities.

To be Continued...

written by Yin ZhengAnother Chinese Writer in the EnglisWorld


Currently, the English department and Mordern Language De-partment are considering drawing on each other’s strength.,Dr. Chris Neuwirth, Head of the English Department and Dr. Susan G. Polansky, Head of the Modern Languages Department, requested this report in order to better understand and assess the needs of the translation industry.

Two other MAPW students and I form this documentation on translation industry analysis. Based on our research result, we nar-rowed down to five industries: business and retailing, governmental and legal, healthcare as well as science and technology. To under-stand the trends and the future needs in translation industry, we in-terview experts in each translation fields and search for jobs in the wild, summarizing the key responsibilities and skills required in the industry. Based on all the evidences we found, we provide our rec-ommendation to the heads of both departments.

In this project, I interviewed people from business translation and technical translation industry. Also, I did research and wrote about the science and technology industry analysis. Beside, I made all of the appendixes, organizing our job-searching and interview notes into charts.

• Date Dec, 2014• Audience Head of English and Mordern Langauge Dpt.• Skills Interviewing, Team-work, Management,Research• Software Adobe InDesign CS6. Googledoc

Client ReportTranslation Industry Analysis: Industry Trends and the Employment Outlook for Professional Translators

3 Translation Industry AnalysisFinal ReportIndustry Trends and the Employment Outlook for Professional Translators

Catherine DoughertyM.A. Candidate in Professional Writing

Elli Anne KarrasM.A. Candidate in Professional Writing

Cecilia ZhengM.A. Candidate in Professional Writing

December 2014


Executive Summary

Introduction

Methodology Industry Segmentation Job SurveysInterviews

Translation vs. Localization

Top Languages

Segmentation of the Translation Industry Business, Retail, Marketing and Advertising Government and Legal Science and Technology Healthcare Language Service Providers

Summary

Recommendations

Professional Acknowledgments

Appendix A Full Interviews

Appendix B Job Listings

Appendix C: Glossary of Terms

Appendix D: Organizations

Appendix E: Certifications

Appendix F: 2015 Translation Industry Conferences

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789

101112

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Table of Contents Executive Summary This report’s purpose was to explore the potential value of a Master of Arts in Translation, a joint program between Carnegie Mellon University’s English Department and Modern Languages Department. Dr. Chris Neuwirth, Head of the English Department and Dr. Susan G. Polansky, Head of the Modern Languages Department, requested this report in order to better understand and assess the needs of the translation industry.

Rapid growth is predicted for the translation, localization and interpretation industry in the next several years. Between 2012 and 2022, the employment growth of translators and interpreters is projected to grow 46%. This growth is the result of increasing globalization and increased cultural diversity in the U.S.

This report examined the top segments of the translation industry, using industry research and analysis, expert interviews, and a job survey. In order to explore whether Carnegie Mellon University should create a Master’s in Translation program, this report

1. Provides an overview of the top segments of the translation industry

2. Compares existing jobs in each segment

3. Determines core job skills for translation service

In sum, research indicates that employment opportunities will continue to grow across the translation industry. However, while employment projections are positive, work within the translation industry will require not only language skills but also additional expertise related to a specific field and familiarity with translation technology.

In creating a MAT, this report recommends that CMU’s English and Modern Languages Departments consider the importance of information technology, field expertise, usability of translated information, industry experience, and localization. This report also recommends narrowing the focus of the MAT and/or partnering with a third department at CMU to capitalize on CMU’s science, technology, and engineering strengths.

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Executive Summary

Introduction

Methodology Industry Segmentation Job SurveysInterviews

Translation vs. Localization

Top Languages

Segmentation of the Translation Industry Business, Retail, Marketing and Advertising Government and Legal Science and Technology Healthcare Language Service Providers

Summary

Recommendations

Professional Acknowledgments

Appendix A Full Interviews

Appendix B Job Listings




Appendix F: 2015 Translation Industry Conferences


Introduction Carnegie Mellon University’s English and Modern Language Departments have rich combined 116 year histories. Currently, the two departments are considering drawing on each other’s strengths in a combined effort to create a Master of Arts in Translation (MAT) degree. Translation as it relates to “translation studies” refers to the process between two natural languages when words from one natural language are replaced with those from another language. A large share of work happens in multilingual international contexts across natural language boundaries. Globally integrated enterprises generally have a presence in 80-170 countries. The growing need to generate meaningful exchange via global communication necessitates language translation.

The Translation Services Industry is expected to grow in upcoming years. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook forecasts the market for “interpreters and translators” will grow 46% between 2012 and 2022. This is a much better projection than the 11% job growth across all industries. According to one global market research company, the Translation Services industry has proven to be virtually recession proof. Public and private sector language initiatives have grown into a $25 billion enterprise in the United States. Its continued growth is attributed to immigration increasing cultural diversity and globalization driving international trade and Internet commerce. The head of the English department, Chris Neuwirth along with the head of the Modern Languages department, Susan G. Polansky commissioned this report which outlines the top segments of the translation industry as well as surveys industry professionals to determine core job skills. We use this report to

1. Provide an overview of the top segments of the translation industry

2. Compare existing jobs in each segment

3. Determine core job skills for translation service

Our findings serve as a recommendation to aid CMU’s English and Modern Languages departments as they try to design an optimal Master’s in Translation program for the current translation industry.

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Methodology This report examines the translation market and emerging industry trends in order to help CMU decide whether it should consider implementing a MA in Translation degree.

Methodology A. We determined the major market segments within the translation industry in order to define the industry environment. B. We surveyed jobs to see which skills employers are looking for when they hire a translator.

C. We interviewed industry professionals about the most relevant skills they believe a translator needs and asked them whether an MA in translation would be valuable in their respective field.

Part A (Industry Segmentation)We used a combination of an IBISWorld translation industry analysis, a PwC translation benchmark-ing and comparative analysis.

Part B (Job Surveys)To pinpoint employers’ overall expectations for a translator’s skill set, we identified the job respon-sibilities and required skills that appeared most frequently. We studied # job descriptions related to translation in the four largest market segments • Business, Retail, Marketing, and Advertising • Government and Legal • Science and Technology • Healthcare

Part C (Interviews) In this part of our investigation, we emailed industry professionals, introduced ourselves, and re-quested their participation.

Dear NAME:

My name is Catherine Dougherty. I am a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). On behalf of CMU’s English and Modern Language Departments, I am currently researching the translation industry and assessing the viability of a Master of Arts in Translation.

As part of my analysis, I am hoping to gain insight from industry experts such as yourself. Would you be interested in providing your opinion concerning the growth and development of the translation industry?

If you are available, I would love the opportunity to schedule a brief phone interview. If you prefer email, I would be happy to send you three interview questions by email. You can reach me by phone 415.595.2726 or by email [email protected].

Thank you for your time, energy and expertise. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely, Catherine Dougherty

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Interview QuestionsAll of our email inquiries included these interview questions.

1. Do you think a MA in Translation would be valuable in your current industry/occupation? Would such a degree require an area of specialization or focus?

2. Would your company prefer to hire a candidate with a MA in Translation?

3. What abilities/skills set would you expect from a translator with a MA in Translation?

We posed these questions to find out whether industry professionals thought a MA in Translation would be a valuable asset in their field and the skills they believe translators must have.

Dear NAME

Thank you so much for your quick reply to my LinkedIn message. And thank you for agreeing to answer my interview questions by email. I appreciate your time and energy.

Carnegie Mellon is considering creating a MA in Translation, but the committee would like to know more about the translation industry, in particular (industry).

We are specifically interested your answers to the following three questions, but would greatly appreciate any perspective you can provide.

1. Do you think an MA in Translation would be valuable in your current industry/ occupation? Would such a degree require an area of specialization or focus?

2. Would you or your company prefer to hire a candidate with a MA in Translation?

3. What abilities/skills set would you expect from a translator with a MA in Translation?

Additionally, would it be okay if I included your name and a brief bio in our report?

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to ask.

Thank you,Catherine Dougherty

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Interviewees Business, Retail, Marketing, and Advertising

Name: Jessica HermannyEducation: MA in Translation (German), University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Title & Employer: Product Change Control Tech, Caterpillar, Inc.

Name: Jose Luis Bonilla SanchezEducation: BA in Translation and Interpreting (French and English), University of GranadaTitle & Employer: Language Specialist Supervisor, eBay Inc.

Government and LegalName: Lynn LarsenEducation: MA in Translation & Interpretation (Japanese), Monterey InstituteTitle & Employer: In-house Japanese to English Patent Translator, Chen Yoshimura LLP

Science and TechnologyName: Wnzhong WuEducation: MA in Translation, University of Westminster-UKTitle & Employer: Professor of Chinese-English Translation, Beihang University,

formerly with BMW, Ford and CCTV

Name: Nafen DuEducation: MA in Translation and Interpretation, Beihang University Title & Employer: Intern, Airbus

Name: Rachel ZhaoEducation: MA in Translation and Interpretation, Beihang University Title & Employer: Technical Writer and Translator, National Instruments

HealthcareName: Paloma De Las CasasEducation: BA in Translation and Interpreting, University of Granada Title & Employer: Lead Vendor Manager-Life Sciences and Corporate Translations,Merrill Brink International

Name: Carmen CrossEducation: BA (Arabic), Ohio State University, MA in Near Eastern Studies, Ohio State Uni-versity, MS (Arabic Language, Literature and Linguistics), Ohio State University Title & Employer: Translation Professional & Linguistic Consultant, Independent

In addition to these four industry segments, we also spoke to someone who works for a language service provider or translation services company.

Language Service Provider Name: Tamaray StarlingEducation: BA English, Communications University of California, DavisTitle & Employer: Project Manager – Software Development, Luz, Inc.

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LSP


Translation vs. Localization Before beginning a discussion about the translation industry, it is important to discuss the difference between translation and localization. Though the terms translation and localization are often used interchangeably, there are significant differences between these two terms.

Translation is the process of changing words or text from one language to another. Rendering one source text into a target language should create an identical copy, including the same words and terminology. This kind of precision is particularly important for legal and medical translation.

Localization is the process of adapting a translation to a target audience in a specific region or country. In contrast to translation, localization does not create an identical copy of a source text – it is not a literal, word-for-word translation. Instead, localized content is adapted in order to convey the same meaning in the target language and culture. Localization may also move beyond text. The localization process may include using the proper format for addresses, dates and time; converting to local currencies; changing color choices and graphics; and rethinking the physical structure or packaging of a product. Localization requires not only language fluency, but also an understanding of local idioms, cultures and customs. Localization is often used for marketing materials, websites and social media.

Top Languages Economic trends and geopolitical events affect the language market, but in the current market there is a high demand for

—English—Spanish—Japanese—Arabic

Additionally, the global influence of the BRIC countries - Brazil, Russia, India and China - is increasing at a rapid rate, so languages spoken in those countries are also in demand.

—Portuguese—Russian—Hindi —Mandarin Chinese

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Segmentation of the Translation IndustryTop Industries The translation industry has remained relatively untouched by recent economic downturns and demand has grown in the past few years. According to a study by Common Sense Advisory (CSA), a translation industry think tank, the global translation industry was estimated to be $33.5 billion in 2012. And, as of 2012, CSA calculated that the translation services market was projected to grow at an annual rate of 12.17%.

IBISWorld, a global business intelligence organization that specializes in industry market research, also conducted an industry analysis. They reported each industry’s share of the 2014 translation market.

31.5% Business, Retail, Marketing, and Advertising

30.4% Government and Legal

10.2% Science and Technology

9.3% Healthcare

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Business, Retail, Marketing, and AdvertisingThe business segment makes up approximately 31.5% of the translation market. Corporate globalization and overseas expansion is expected to move business and retail to China, Brazil, Russia, India, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. Multi-lingual enterprises engaging in business and trade motivate more content translation.

Major brands looking to globalize are also shifting their marketing strategy to focus on localizing content. Due to an increasing need for localization, companies are investing in translators who can adapt content for customers with different languages and cultures.

Based on jobs listed in Appendix B, we found people in this industry often translate materials like:• Websites• Internet commerce communication• Advertising copy• Market research• Product promotional content

Experts Weigh-InTo find out what skills employers are looking for in business translation, we interviewed industry professionals:

“There’s more of a focus on why it’s translated for a specific audience. A good translation can make a huge difference in how content is received.”Jessica Hermanny, Product Change Control Tech, Caterpillar, Inc. (Milwaukee, WI)

“We hope they have interest and knowledge in the e-business industry.”Jose Luis Bonilla Sanchez, Language Specialist Supervisor, eBay (San Francisco, CA)

Based on our background research, interviews with industry professionals and job surveys, we found that in addition to foreign language fluency, translators working in the business field require the following abilities and skills:

Information Technology• Work with CAT tools, approve translations and maintain memories• Conduct human and machine translation• Use translation & terminology tools• Use computer-assisted project management tools• Use Translation Management Systems (TMS) and industry-standard or proprietary localization

management, productivity, and/or debugging tools preferred• Know Content Management Systems and web localization tools

Field Expertise• Understand business principles and processes

Usability of Translated Information• Conduct language analysis

Industry Experience• Perform hands-on translation and editing tasks• Write documents and give presentations in foreign languages• Manage projects

Localization• Convey the full meaning of the source language into the target language by using plain language• Represent linguistic and cultural nuances in cross-functional meetings• Localize marketing materials• Translate grammatically and syntactically to comply with the target language rules

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Government & LegalThe government and legal segment makes up approximately 30.4% of the translation market. Translation is especially important when negotiating with foreign powers, communicating at international conferences, and interpreting local regulations.

Based on background research, interviews with industry professionals, and the job descriptions listed in Appendix B, we found that the work of government and legal translators often includes

• Electronic Intelligence documents• Military Action communications• Immigration cases• Patent violations• Intellectual Property rights

Experts Weigh In:To find out what skills employers are looking for in government and legal translation, we interviewed industry professionals:

“The MA in Translation must involve mainly technical translation, with a bit of training in CAT...We generally look for people with patent translation experience, but I believe people with a MA in translation are very easy to train and a good investment.”Lynn Larsen, Patent Translator, Chen Yoshimura LLP (Santa Clara, CA)

“If you are doing legal translation, then have a law degree or have been a paralegal for a while. You need a specialty in an area of translation.”Jessica Hermanny, Product Change Control Tech, Caterpillar, Inc. (Milwaukee, WI)

Based on our background research, interviews with industry professionals, and job surveys, we found that in addition to foreign language fluency, translators working in the government and legal field require the following abilities and skills:

Information Technology• Perform machine translations using industry standard translation tools• Use some type of CAT tool (such as Wordfast, Trados, MemoQ)

Field Expertise• Understand the protocols applicable in court settings and legal proceedings• Know the structure of the court system• Be familiar with the interpreters’ code of ethics and the laws that govern it• Have valid security clearance

Usability of Translated Information• Communicate well

Industry Experience• Apply human and machine translation to foreign language documents• Know litigation or transactional processes• Have a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree

Localization• Provide accurate idiomatic translations of non-technical material using correct syntax, colloquial,

slang and expression from English to the target language and vice versa• Provide the cultural and ethnic content of translations / interpretations• Possess vocabulary ranging from formal discourse to colloquialisms and slang


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Science and TechnologyScientific and technical translation services make up approximately 10.2% of the translation market. With the rapid development of technology, the demand in this area will keep growing in the future. Scientific and technical translation mostly covers the translation of scientific, engineering and technical documents. It also covers localization and translation services for the information technology industry including website localization and software globalization.

Based on jobs listed in Appendix B, we found people in this industry often translate materials like:• Manuals (operating, safety, installation)• User Interface text• Technical Proposals• Technical Reports• User Guides/ Technical Instructions• Technical Training Materials• Patents

Experts Weigh-InTo find out what skills employers are looking for in science and technology translation, we interviewed industry professionals:

“Many multinational corporations in China prefer hiring people with a Bachelor of Science or Master of Science/Engineering degree. They believe that these students can better understand the complex technical terms and can translate the documents more accurately.” Rachel Zhao, Technical Writer and Translator, National Instruments (Shanghai)

“Basic skills would be thorough linguistic and cultural competence in both languages, knowledge of tools, and a general idea of the state of the industry. The most important thing is people should know how to use the Computing-Assisted Translation Tool and have strong post-editing skills.”Wenzhong Wu, Professor in Translation, Beihang University (Beijing)

Based on our background research, interviews with industry professionals, and job surveys, we found that in addition to foreign language fluency, translators working in fields related to science and technology require the following abilities and skills:

Information Technology• Use CAT, machine translation, and post-editing tools• Know about web globalization, software localization, and mobile application localization

Field Expertise• Understand science and technology concepts (mechanical engineering, computer science, biological

engineering)• Have a Bachelor of Science degree

Usability of Translated Information• Understand different user levels and write to the appropriate level• Tailor complex technical concepts for foreign audiences

Industry Experience• Communicate with clients, engineers and vendors• Communicate cross-culturally in business settings• Work with teams in translation, development, and maintenance of technical information for

international audiencesLocalization

• Know about web globalization, software localization, and mobile application localization

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HealthcareThe healthcare segment makes up approximately 9.3% of the translation market. Increased globalization is pushing the healthcare industry to overcome language barriers. Based on our research, we found that translation needs in the healthcare segment fall into two main categories: medical translation and pharmaceutical translation.

We found medical translators often translate these materials like:• Physicians’ advice and diagnoses• Patient information• Hospitals’ informational brochures• Patient care directions

We found pharmaceutical translators often translate these kinds of materials:• Clinical Trial documentation• Regulatory applications and approvals• Labels and literature that accompanies drugs and medical devices

Experts Weigh-InTo find out what abilities and skills employers are looking for in healthcare translation, we interviewed industry professionals:

“I would expect them to understand the basic issues in translation (target audience, how to minimize translation loss and professional etiquette when working with clients).”Carmen Cross, Translation & Linguistic Consultant, Independent (Virginia Beach, VA)

“Main gaps we are seeing...knowledge of CAT tools (Trados Studio, XTM, Across, Catalyst, etc.), how to respond to quality complaints in a constructive way...and ability to ask/raise relevant questions during the project.”Paloma De Las Casas, Lead Vendor Manager, Merrill Brink International (London, England)

Based on our background research, interviews with industry professionals and job surveys, we found that in addition to foreign language fluency, translators working in the healthcare field require the following abilities and skills:

Information Technology• Know CAT tools (Trados Studio, XTM, Across, Catalyst, etc.)

Field Expertise• Know of medical terminology• Prefer certification (National Board of Medical Interpreters or the American Translators Association)

Usability of Translated Information• Identify, prioritize, and complete translation of documents• Provide interpreter services for patients, families, staff, visitors, physicians, and others regarding

consents, medical treatments, discharges, instructions• Interpret and translate consults, consents, protocol information, educational presentations, medical

instructions, and communication of test results for patients, medical staff, and support services• Facilitate solutions for patient problems

Industry Experience• Know hospital, clinic or lab environments

Localization• Understand target audience, how to minimize translation loss, and demonstrate professional

etiquette when working with clients• Inform staff about cultural differences and prepare cultural information presentations


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LSP

Language Service ProvidersAlthough Language Service Providers were not identified as an independent segment of the translation industry, we believe it important to include them because according to another report there are 25,000 Language Service Providers (LSPs) in 152 countries. This PwC report indicated that the industry is distributed throughout the world, but highly concentrated in the U.S., Canada, Western and Northern Europe, China, India and Japan. The PwC report found that each of these countries has more than 500 LSPs and estimates that half of industry revenue comes from written translation services.

Based on Common Sense Advisory’s research, the top five language service providers are:• Mission Essential Personnel• Lionbridge Technologies• HP ACG• TransPerfect/Translations.com• SDL

Experts Weigh-InTo find out what abilities and skills Language Service Providers are looking for, we interviewed an industry expert:

“We would expect base level knowledge of current translation and localization technologies. We have pretty advanced tools where we dissect translations and store them and use them…We’d expect familiarity with terminology.”Tamaray Starling, Project Manager – Software Development, Luz, Inc. (San Francisco, CA)

Summary In sum, research indicates that employment opportunities will continue to grow across the translation industry. However, while employment projections are positive, work within the translation industry will require not only language skills but also additional expertise related to a specific field and familiarity with translation technology. Translators need both professional education and information technology proficiency. There is no consensus as regards the computational skills of a translator, but current and future technological trends necessitate that a professional translation education program include information technology training.

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RecommendationsBased on our research findings, we would recommend that if CMU were to establish a MAT program, it would need to take the following into account:

Information Technology• Industry analyses, interview responses and the job survey indicate that technology plays

a huge role in translation work. Translators must be familiar with translation software, especially the top three industry standard translation tools. If possible, translators should also have some familiarity with web design and programming language.

Field Expertise• Both industry experts and the job survey specified that the translation industry increasingly

expects a high degree of technical specialization or an area of expertise.

Usability of Translated Information• Translators must also recognize and understand the importance of user experience.

Industry Experience• Interview subjects indicated that a MAT would be valuable, but experience would

outweigh a MAT. There is an increasing expectation that translators having training in a specific field, such as medicine or engineering.

Localization• Increased globalization is leading to an increased demand for localization. In addition

to language skills, translators must recognize cultural differences, act as mediators between different linguistic and cultural regions and transform foreign ideas into understandable and meaningful local messages.

Due technology’s increasing importance in the translation industry, the English and Modern Languages Departments might consider capitalizing on CMU’s strengths in engineering, science, and technology and partner with a third department to create the MA in Translation.

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Professional AcknowledgmentsWe would like to thank several people whose guidance was essential to the success of this project, Dr. Chris Neuwirth, Dr. Susan Polansky, and Dr. Necia Werner. We would also like to thank to the industry professionals who generously shared their time and expertise, Jose Luis Bonilla Sanchez, Carmen Cross, Paloma De Las Casas, Nafen Du, Jessica Hermanny, Lynn Larsen, Tamaray Starling, Wnzhong Wu, and Rachel Zhao.

Works

De Palma, Donald A., Hedge, Vijayalaxmi., Pielmeier, Helene., and Stewart, Robert G. “The Language Services Market: 2014.” Common Sense Advisory, Inc. Cambridge, MA: June 2014.

Diment, Dmitry. “In plain language: Increasing globalization and expansion overseas will drive demand.” IBISWorld Industry Report 5413: Translation Services in the U.S. June 2014.

“Federal Interpreters.” United States Courts. n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2014.

Frost and Sullivan. “Impact of Natural Language Processing in Key Applications (Technical Insights): Bridging The Gap Between Human And Computer Through Applications Across Industries.” Mar. 2014.

“Lend Me Your Ears: US Military Turns to Contractor Linguists.” Defense Industry Daily. August 22, 2013. Web. 22 Nov. 2014.

“Moravia Highlights Top 2014 Language Industry Trends.” Close-Up Media, Inc. 27 Jan. 2014.

“Office of Language Services.” U.S. Department of State. n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2014.

“Pfizer Healthcare Launches New Translation Service for Patients.” Irish Medical Times. 15 Mar. 2013.

Piekkari, Rebecca and Susanne Tietze. “The Gift of Tongues: Translation Work in Multilingual Organizations.” Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings (2014): 886-891. Business Source Premier. Web. 12. Nov. 2014.

PR Newswire. “Language Translation Software: Market Shares, Strategies, and Forecasts to 2019. PR Newswire Association LLC. 3 Feb. 2014. Web.

PwC. “Translation Bureau Benchmarking and Comparative Analysis Final Report.” 15 May 2012.

Xiong, Wenxin. “Information Technology Training in Translator Professional Education.” National Research Center for Foreign Language Education Beijing Foreign Studies University. 2010.

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Appendix A: Full Interviews

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Do you think a MA in Translation would be valuable in your current industry/occupation? Would such a degree require an area of specialization or focus?

Yes, I don’t think I would have gotten my current job without my degree. I work in a very technical position currently, and that is one negative of my degree, none of my professors were qualified to teach technical language or writing. I had to take a test for my current job, translating technical mining language. I think there’s a huge need for a technical translation degree. Yes, focus, ideally, I would think, it seems the best translators have a good grasp in another field and then translate in it. You need a translation track next to it. Translation with no specialties is rather aimless. (JH)

Depends on the subject. (JLBS)

A MA in translation can be a great benefit, but it depends entirely on the focus of the MA. Just to be upfront, a MA in translation studies or literature is almost useless for being a professional translator...the reality is that 90% of ALL translation work is technical in nature, and being a translator also requires a good amount of computer knowledge to use tools that dramatically enhance the translator’s productivity...By technical translation, I mean translation that focuses on fields such as biology, genetics, electrical engineering, electronics, and the like. There are several universities that are famous in the professional translation world for their MAs in translation that are technically-oriented: the Monterey Institute of International Studies (where I received my translation/interpretation MA from), Kent State University, the University of Bath (in the UK), and Newcastle University (also in the UK). In short, a MA in Translation would be very valuable in my profession, because there are so many freelanc-ers, which makes it a very crowded and competitive market, but the MA in Translation must involve mainly technical translation, with a bit of training in CAT (computer-assisted translation) tools. Otherwise, the MA may as well be any other liberal arts degree. (LL)

Yes, I think it is important, especially for those who would like to work in China. Also, it is crucial to get some certificates, for example CATTI. (WW)

Yes. It is valuable. An area of specialization will be a plus for language major students. (ND)

No, this is not enough. (RZ)


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In my opinion, a MA in Translation would be very good for those serious trans-lators who did not start out as a translator but entered the profession from another field. For instance, I know a former nurse who is now a translator. A MA in Translation would also be a good option for those translators wishing to have official credentials in translation. It would be a good idea if students could choose from different tracks, e.g. medical, financial and even language, instead of just obtaining a general MA in Translation. So, the MA could include topics that are relevant to translation in general and then have tracks for various spe-cializations and languages. I realize it would be difficult to find enough students for a MA in Russian to English Medical Translation; however, the tracks would allow you to offer the languages and specializations on a rotating basis (or any other preferred way). I am very interested in obtaining official credentials in Russian to English medical translation. I have asked colleagues and posted messages, but still have not located any dedicated program either in the U.S. or abroad. (CC)

Yes, definitely. As a Vendor Manager this is something (along with theexperience) we always look at before getting in touch with potential freelance translators. Main gaps we are seeing when we work with freelance translators:- Knowledge of CAT tools (Trados Studio, XTM, Across, Catalyst, etc.)- How to respond to quality complaints in a constructive way- Providing root cause analysis and preventive and corrective actions- Communication with clients in general- Ability to ask/raise relevant questions during the project- Medical translation and specific clinical trials- Pharmacovigilance translations- Back-translation and reconciliationLately we are also looking for resources with experience in Machine Translation Post-Editing. This is a new area, the skillset is a bit different than the transla-tor´s and it seems there’s no official certification, so we encounter that not all resources who claim to have experience in this area are good post-editors(PDLC)

I think a MA in Translation would be valuable if it’s more of a linguistic kind of course, if you specialize in a certain language pair. I work in the localization industry and we have an entire department that looks for qualified linguists and having that kind of degree that would distinguish you as a professional linguist – it would set you apart as a freelancer or help you get hired to a larger compa-ny payroll. Absolutely, specialization and focus would make you a better candi-date. Usually when employers are looking to hire translators, they already have a particular space in mind, for example, if you specialize in medical pharmaceu-ticals, or have legal expertise, or software knowledge. Terminology can be so different between those fields and knowledge can definitely set you apart. (TS)

LSP



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Would your company prefer to hire a candidate with a MA in Translation?

No, it was a very unusual need that they had and it was originally a contract translation need that they had for 6-12 months, but my degree made me look more serious. (JH)

Yes (MT, literature, game localization, internationalization, specifically eBay: e-biz). We hope they have interest and knowledge in the e-business industry. (JLBS)

Our firm would prefer the translator to have some type of translation creden-tials, and since a MA is basically the highest you can get, it would work quite nicely. We generally look for people with patent translation experience, but I believe people with a MA in translation are very easy to train and a good investment. As you can imagine, the pool of specialized Japanese to English patent translators is rather small, and the average translator comes from a very liberal arts background (as do I), which means that a MA in Translation can go a very long way in convincing an employer to take a leap of faith in training them. For many desirable in-house positions, a MA is almost a must, which I suppose applies to most professions now, not just translators. (LL)

I think for Chinese local corporation, we really prefer people with certain degree. However, I have worked in several multinational corporations which do not require such a degree. I think the top essential things are your language proficiency and background knowledge in a specific field. (WW)

Many multinational corporations in China prefer hiring people with a bachelor of science or master of science/engineering degree. They believe that these students can better understand the complex technical terms and can translate the documents more accurately. (RZ)

I believe that this degree would have to have a particular focus so it can be di-rectly applied to the student’s language pair. Each language/specialization has its own idiosyncrasies that can only be addressed in a program with a special-ization/focus. (CC)

We only work with freelancers, but yes, this is one of the requirements to be compliant with EN-15038. (PDLC)

Yeah, definitely. Experience also goes into consideration, but having a MA would never hurt you. (TS)LSP


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What abilities/skills set would you expect from a translator with a MA in Translation?

If you are doing legal translation, then have a law degree or have been a para-legal for a while. You need a specialty in an area of translation. You should also have computer and technical skills. Know how to use CAT tools. You should be conversant in it. (JH)

This is not that important. We prefer candidate with quick and strong learning skills, aptitude to technology, specific interest in e-business and fluency in more than two languages. (JLBS)

I would expect someone with a MA in translation to have a wide but shallow range of experience with various technical fields, and to be able to use some type of CAT tool (such as Wordfast, Trados, MemoQ, etc.). It would also be ideal if the person with a MA knows what field in which they would like to spe-cialize, and has had an internship or professional experience in this field (in my case, I had a fellowship at the UN, as you probably know). It is entirely possible for people to accomplish all these in two years of a good MA in Translation program. The school’s connection and relationship with businesses is also very important; sometimes the brand of the translation MA can be as important as the MA itself. (LL)

If you would like to go into technology field, you should at least understand CAT and some basic translation softwares. I think the most commonly-used one is Translation Memory. Also, you should have an aptitude to IT. We like those people who have a strong learning ability. (WW)

CAT skills, software skills like Trados, Antconc. etc. You need to be able to work under pressure and you need translation and interpretation skills. (ND)

Understand basic software, strong technical and scientific background, high language proficiency (RZ)

Good communication, attention to detail, good knowledge of CAT tools,specific knowledge on a specialized area such as medical. (PDLC)

I would expect them to understand the basic issues in translation (target audience, how to minimize translation loss and professional etiquette when working with clients). I would also expect them to be aware of the linguistic particularities of their language pair(s). (CC)



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We would expect base level knowledge of current translation and localization technologies. We have pretty advanced tools where we dissect translations and store them and use them…We’d expect familiarity with terminology, knowledge of various translations of common drug names. Just to give you a little more background, the people we tend to hire are usually moonlighting as translators or are retired doctors. They have backgrounds in the sciences. Luz is very small and very specialized, so we’re very selective about area exper-tise...Does that person have the formal education to back up their translation, besides just the language? (TS)

LSP


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Additional Interviewee Comments

Coming from CMU, with the technology ties, MAT degree is a great idea and a there is a big gap to fill. (JH)

There is also a Master’s in Translation and Management. It’s a project management, business management path at the Monterey Institute. According to my sources, the Monterey Institute only recently came out with this major. It’s very, very new. It’s only in the last few years that they’ve discovered and recognized that localization is an area and could make it a translation management degree. (TS)

LSP


Appendix B: Job Listings

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BusinessTranslation Project Manager Anzu Global LLCNew York City, NY Job Description

Our client, a well established and internationally operating Fortune 500 Com-pany, is providing global solutions for integrated communications. They are looking for a dynamic candidate with experience in Translation Project Manage-ment to join their in-house team.

Education Required: Must have a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree or de-gree in Translation/Interpretation or equivalent experience

Experience Must be fluent in English, additional languages a plus. Must have 2-3 years prior experience in translation project management.

Skills Proficient computer skillsCAT tool experienceCustomer service Translation project management

Localization SpecialistAsk.comOakland, CA

Job Description

Ask.com is expanding its global footprint and now has a presence in 25 coun-tries. We are looking for a native language speaker of Norwegian, with a passion for the Internet to help evaluate and improve our foreign language sites. The work will include site evaluation, translation, market research, and language analysis. It is a great opportunity to gain practical skills and contribute to Ask.com’s international business.

Education Required: High school diplomaPreferred: Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree in linguistics, foreign language, and social science

Experience Required: Native speaker of NorwegianSkills Passion for the Internet, technology, and global markets

Ability to evaluate websites Ability to conduct market researchAbility to localize marketing materials Ability to conduct language analysis

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French-Canadian TranslatorThe Reynolds and Reynolds CompanyHouston, TXJob Description

The translator will be responsible for translating the software, software manuals, and marketing materials from English to French-Canadian.Degree is preferred but not required

EducationExperienceSkills Fluent in French

Language SpecialistNetflixLos Gatos, CA

Job Description

Join the team responsible for localization at Netflix. We are looking for experienced linguists with the ability to translate and customize marketing, UI and content materials for the target market. We are looking for highly motivated individuals with the right mix of technical, organizational and communication skills to provide localization for the Netflix experience in the following languages: Arabic, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, Italian, Polish, Spanish, and Hungarian. Native fluency, localization experience and creative writing in one or more of the above languages are essential. Knowledge or prior experience in the film/entertainment industry is definitely a plus.

Education Degree in Applied Linguistics, Translation and/or equivalent experienceExperience Experience with translation & terminology tools

Working with CAT tools, approving translations, and maintaining memoriesWorking with external vendorsRepresenting linguistic and cultural nuances in cross-functional meetingsHands-on translation and editing tasks

Skills Native fluency in one of the languages mentioned aboveBasic knowledge of Content Management Systems and web localization tools


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Governmental and LegalProfessional TranslatorLegal AdvantageBethesda, MarylandJob Description

Legal Advantage LLC, an established high-growth company based out of the Washington DC area, is looking for freelance professional translators (Native) in languages (i.e. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and English) who can translate from English to Foreign lan-guage and vice versa.

Education Required: Academic degree in one of the relevant fields including Life Sciences, Mechanical, Electronics & Electrical, IT and Legal.

Experience Required: At least three years of experience in translation with a specialization in Life Sciences, Mechanical, Electronics & Electrical, IT and Legal.

License/Certifications

Required: At least three years of experience in translation with a specialization in Life Sciences, Mechanical, Electronics & Electrical, IT and Legal.

Foreign Language TranslatorA-T SolutionsHuntsville, AlabamaJob Description

A-T Solutions is seeking a Foreign Language Translator for our Huntsville, AL loca-tion supporting the Missile Space Intelligence Center.

Education Required: Must have a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree or be a graduate of the Defense Language Institute with a specialization in Russian lan-guage with relevant work experience

Experience Required: Minimum 2 years experience in human and machine translation of Russian language documents

License/Certifications Required: TS/SCI security clearanceSkills Ability to perform machine translations using industry standard translation tools

Russian Translator/AnalystTASC, Inc. (+ Intelligence Community)McLean, VAJob Description

The candidate will support our important intelligence customer and provide translation support and review of open source data for several inter-agency com-mittees. The candidate will support analysis and product development and work closely with other departments to develop a coordinated research effort.

Education Bachelors DegreeExperience Minimum of 10 years related work experience

Minimum 3 years work experience in the intelligence communityHave lived in/resided in RussiaExperience in open source online research and open source publication review

Skills Fluency in Russian to include: writing, reading and speaking/translation abilitiesOther Must have a valid security clearance

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Swedish Linguist for the GovernmentCWU, Inc. Clearwater, FLJob Description

CWU, Inc. is seeking full-time Swedish linguists to provide language support to the U.S. Government (OCONUS). A successful candidate must be able to inter-pret and translate documents as well as verbal communication from Swedish to English and vice versa.

EducationExperience Must have at least (2) years experience with interpretation / translationSkills Able to conduct accurate translation, transcription and interpretation

Able to provide accurate idiomatic translations of non-technical material using correct syntax, colloquial, slang and expression from English to the target lan-guage and vice versa.Able to provide the cultural and ethnic content of translations / interpretationsDocument exploitation skills

Other Must have a valid security clearance (this position requires CAT III Top Secret/SCI)


HealthcareSupervisor, Medical Interpreter/TranslatorThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHouston, TexasJob Description The primary purpose of the Supervisor, Medical Interpreter/Translator posi-

tion is to supervise assigned employees, including performing evaluations, hiring, training, developing and scheduling. Participates in planning, devel-oping, executing and evaluating processes. Assists with strategic planning. Interprets and translates consults, consents, protocol information, education-al presentations, medical instructions and communication of test results for patients, medical staff and support services. Facilitates solutions for patient problems. Informs staff about cultural differences and prepares cultural infor-mation presentations as requested. Acts as administrator of protocol consent database

Education Required: Bachelor’s degree in a foreign language or related field.Experience Required: Four years of medical interpretation experience to include two

years of supervisory/team lead experience. May substitute required education degree with additional years of equivalent experience on a one to one basis.Preferred: Fluency in one or more of the following languages: Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, Turkish, Vietnamese, French, or American Sign Language.

License/Certifications

Preferred: Certified by the National Board of Medical Interpreters.

Interpreter/TranslatorCatholic Health InitiativesLouisville, KYJob Description This position will provide interpreter services for patients, families, staff,

visitors, physicians, and others regarding consents, medical treatments, discharges, instructions, and other concerns as needed. Also responsible for the process of identifying, prioritizing, and completing translation of documents from English/Spanish, Spanish/English. May also facilitate the translation of documents in other languages as well. Other duties include assisting the supervisor in problem-solving with patient and family communication needs and proactively identifying opportunities for improving services to our limited or non-English speaking patient and family population.

Education Associate or Bachelor Degree in a Social Science field or Language highly preferredSuccessful completion of hospital approved translation/interpretation training program highly preferred (40 hours minimum)

Experience Prior experience in medical interpretation and translation highly preferredLicense/Certifications

Successful completion of a nationally recognized certification process highly preferred.American Translators Association (ATA) certification highly preferred.

Skills Knowledge of Medical Terminology required

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Science and TechnologyLanguage InstructorLockheed MartinFort Meade, MarylandJob Description The Language Instructor will deliver foreign language or English language

training. They need to be proficient in one of the following languages: Russian, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Pashto, Persian Farsi, Russian, Spanish, Urdu, Western Punjabi, and Hebrew.

Education Required: Must have a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degreeIn lieu of the Bachelor’s degree, an additional 4 years of directly related expe-rience teaching language to adults may be substituted

Experience Required: 5 years experience teaching adult language education and methodology 3 of the 5 years experience shall include: Preparing and presenting face-to-face language instruction within a formal language environment, preferably with a focus on translation, grammar, listening, and reading comprehension, speaking and writingFor teaching English, experience should focus on teaching grammar, syntax and writing in English

Skills 6 months experience using appropriate language fonts, keyboards, and lan-guage training software Be able to use basic classroom technology and computer applicationsDesired skills: SIGNIT or Intelligence Community experience

Technical Translator (English-French)SirsiDynixLehi, UtahJob Description The Technical Translator is a key member of our documentation team,

responsible for the translation, development, and maintenance of technical information for international audiences.Translates source documents into FrenchGathers technical information for product releases by researching available product information, such as design specs and prototypes, as well as interviewing remote and local technical expertsPerforms and implements technical and peer reviews of product documentationResearches and understands document standards in specific international locales while ensuring consistency of product-specific or industry-specific elements between localesUnderstands different user levels and writes to the appropriate levelAdheres to department and company standards, including templates and style guides

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Skills Native or near native fluency in French (verbal and written skills will be tested; certifications preferred)Excellent written and verbal communication skillsAbility to write for different audiences, especially in a professional environmentAbility to manage multiple translation and documentation projects simultaneously

Technical Translator (Japanese)ConfidentialNewport Beach, CAJob Description The Technical Translator / Interpreter will be responsible for assisting teams

with accurate, timely, and efficient communications with external clients and vendors. The qualified individual must have professional experience in trans-lation, proofreading, and interpretation and be familiar with cross-cultural communications in business settings.

Education Bachelor’s degree in related discipline and / or a minimum 7 years of profes-sional experience in translation, proofreading, and interpretation (Japanese / English)

Experience Experience in simultaneous interpretation is a plusSkills

Must possess fluent verbal and written skills in both Japanese and EnglishStrong language comprehension and knowledge of business practices and culture both in Japan and the United StatesProficient working knowledge of Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel and PowerPoint are a must) and DTP / template formattingAbility to work in a fast-paced environment, handle multiple tasks, and set work priorities to complete assigned tasks by established due datesAbility to work independently as well as part of a team with minimal directionExcellent communication and interpersonal skillsKnowledge of wireless telecommunication terminologies is a plus (Wi-Fi, towers, network deployment)ATA certification is a plusAbility to travel for off-site meetings

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Language Services ProviderLocalization Project ManagerMoravia WorldwideRosario, ArgentinaJob Description Moravia is seeking a Localization Project Manager with project manage-

ment experience to join their Argentina team. The candidate will be respon-sible for all phases of the project delivery life cycle, which begins with proj-ect formation and initiation, and completes upon project closure. Scope of duties includes accurate production of deliverables per customer specifica-tion, on time and within budget, in addition to active management of scope, schedule, budget, issues, personnel, risk, communication, and quality.

Education University degree or equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted

Experience Experience in the localization industry as a Project ManagerExperience with computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools and project management tools. Any experience with Translation Management Systems (TMS) and industry-standard or proprietary localization management, pro-ductivity, and/or debugging tools preferredExperience with managing outsourced suppliers/partnersExperience with budget tracking, forecasting and reporting

Skills Advanced MS Office skillsExcellent spoken and written EnglishAbility to work with technology and grasp new concepts quicklyKnowledge of foreign language(s) beneficial

Translator CHSMoravia WorldwideNanjing, ChinaJob Description We are looking for a full-time, Simplified Chinese Translator to join our team

in Nanjing. The Translator converts written material from the source lan-guages into the target language, ensuring that the translated version con-veys the meaning of the original as clearly as possible. The target language is the translator’s mother language.

Education Bachelor degree in translation or extensive experience in the fieldExperience Experienced translator, proven delivery ability of quality content in a fast-

paced environmentFamiliarity with translation memory software

Skills Native Simplified Chinese or Japanese speakerFluent in EnglishPerform translations that are grammatically and syntactically compliant with the target language rules (using CAT tools)Conveys the full meaning of the source language into the target language by using simple and straightforward languages.

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German ReviewerMerrill Brink InternationalWashington, DCJob Description Merrill Corporation is currently seeking German language reviewers for

an ongoing review project. Candidates must be committed for at least 12 weeks with no significant time off requests. Qualified candidates must be licensed in DC. Previous German Document Review experience is preferred.

Education U.S. law degreeExperience 2+ years of experience (litigation or transactional)Skills Fluency in German (all qualified candidates will take a language proficiency

test)Excellent communication skillsDC barred


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Terms DefinitionsTranslation Memory A software that stores words, phrases and paragraphs of trans-

lated text to help in the translation of future documents.

Computer-aided Translation (CAT)

A form of translation in which a human translator uses computer software to facilitate the translation process; also called com-puter-assisted translation.

Localization The process of translating a website or marketing materials into a local language in order to move into a region.

Machine Readable Language A language dictionary in an electronic form that can be loaded in a database and queried via application software.

31


WorldwideTranslator-Interpreters Network

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/Translators-Interpret-ers-network-112247/about

Translators Without Borders http://translatorswithoutborders.orgInternational Association of Profes-sional Translators and Interpreters (IAPTI)

https://www.iapti.org

United StatesAmerican Translation Association(ATA) http://www.atanet.org

ChinaTranslation Association of China (TAC) http://www.tac-online.org.cn/en/


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Organizations LinkThe National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters

http://www.certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org/

NYU offers a Certificate in Medical Interpreting http://www.scps.nyu.edu/academics/depart-ments/foreign-languages/academic-offerings/noncredit/certificate-in-medical-interpreting.html


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34

Appendix E: 2015 Translation Industry Conferences

Date & Location

January 9, 2014Roehampton,United Kingdom

March 25-27, 2015Porto, Portugal

March 27-28, 2015Warsaw, Poland

March 28-29, 2015Monterey, California

April 13-15, 2015Shanghai, China

April 24-25, 2015Rockville, Maryland

May 27-29, 2015Alicante, Spain

June 1-2, 2015Berlin, Germany

November 4-7, 2015Miami, Florida

Event Host

University of Roehampton

Universidade do Porto

The Translation and Localization Conference

Monterey Institute of International Studies

Localization World

International Congress on Medical Interpreting

University of Alicante

TAUS

American Translators Association (ATA)

Theme & Details

Legal Translation Symposium

Challenges for University Programmes and Language Service Providers

The Translation and Localization Conference: Experts at Work

Monterey Forum 2015: Educating Translators, Interpreters and Localizers in an Evolving World

The Internet of Things

United We Are Stronger

IV International Conference on Corpus Use and Learning to Translate (CULT)

Taus Industry Leaders Forum - The Human Language Project

ATA 56th Annual Conference


4In the Communication Design Fundamental (CDF) class, we learn to use image, typog-

raphy and text to convey abstract concept to audience. The series of three posters illustrate the fears and phobia: Acrophobia (fear of height), Nyctophobia (fear of dark) and Orphid-iophobia (fear of snake)

To design the three posters, I did background research, collected materials and got inspi-rations from the wild.

To elaborate on the emotion behind the three phobias, I used specific typography to create the form, select color palettes to build the atmosphere, traced animals and figures to solidify the concept. Meanwhile, I also wrote text to describe the feelings related to these phobias.

This design project allowed me to combine the typography, text, image and color togeth-er to express abstract concept. Also, I got more and more comfortable with Adobe Illustra-tor CS6 while making my posters.

• Date Nov, 2014• Audience General audience• Skills Document and Image Interacation• Software Adobe Illustrator CS6, Adobe Photoshop CS6

Poster DesignSeries on Phobias and Fears: Acrophobia, Nyctophobia, Orphid-iophobia

Yin Zheng’s Portfolio| 66 67ACROPHibia: fear of height | part of a series on phobias and fears

fear of Height

Yin Zheng’s Portfolio| 68 69Nyctophobia: Fear of dark | part of a series on phobias and fears

fear of dark

Don’t dare to walk outside alone in dark night

fear of night animals, including bats, owls,spiders

always go to sleep with your light on

always think about the danger hidden in the dakrness

believe that there wll be ghosts in the dark night

you might be nyctophobia

Yin Zheng’s Portfolio| 70 71OPhiDIOphobia: Fear of Snake | part of a series on phobias and fears

fear of snake


5For the final project in CDF class, I redesigned my science recommendation writing.

This writing is about Vizwiz, a free iPhone application designed for visually impaired people. It is developed by Prof. Jeffery Bigham, an associated professor in human-com-puting interaction institute of Carnegie Mellon University.

I see my potential audiences general, non-expert readers with little background knowl-edge of mobile application development and human-interaction design. To help my readers understand the application, I use both verbal and visual strategies: Verbally, I combine creative writing with science writing, using a lot of visualization to guide read-ers put themselves in certain environment; visually, I use images and info-graphs to show the working procedures of the back-end of VizWiz. To create clear document hierarchy, I used colors, different font sizes and paragraph indents. Meanwhile, I also use pull-out quotes and side bar to show important quotations and works-cited information.

The project allowed me to apply all of the design principles to the real practice. I am able to use typography, document hierarchy, image-text interaction, color palette and grids to present information to my readers.

• Date Dec, 2014• Audience General, non-expert readers• Skills Document Design, Communication with non-expert• Software Adobe Illustrator CS6, Adobe Indesign CS6

Magazine DesignSeries on Phobias and Fears: Acrophobia, Nyctophobia, Or-phidiophobia


Vizwiz: An Identification Application for Visually Impaired People

Written and Editted by YIN ZHENG

“Tap on the screen and take a photo.” A woman’s voice popped up in the quiet 61C bus. Following the sound, I saw an elderly blind man in the front row holding an iphone in one hand with the other hand fumbling into his bag and then taking out a bottle of brown liquid which seemed like a kind of tea. He slowly moved his iphone, groping for the position of the bottle and then tapped on the screen. “click-click” the voice of photo-taking. “Speak out your question and tapped on the screen”, the invisible woman spoke again. I curiously looked at the old man who lowered his head, getting closer to his phone, “What’s in the bottle? Tea or Water?” He asked in a loud voice. Almost everyone on the bus was looking at him, craning necks to see what’s going on there. “We think you have a bottle of tea.”The woman suddenly spoke again. “Aha, that’s great.” The old man murmured, a smile playing around his mouth.


What the old man was using on his iphone is called Vizwiz, an identification application

designed for blind or visually impaired people. This application was developed by Prof.Jeffrey.P.Bigham and his team in 2010 at the Human-Computing In-teraction (HCI)Technology Institute of the Roch-ester Institute of Technology. It aims at providing visually impaired people with real-time answers to their visual questions.With this device, visually im-paired people are able to locate and take photos of the surroundings, speak out the question and then receive real-time answers from remote web workers or members on their social network. Since mid-2011 when Vizwiz has been commercialized , it has helped over 5000 blind iphone users, answering 50,000 vi-sual questions within merely one or two minutes and the number is still growing.

Multiple Destinations, Quick Helper

Over the past decades, researchers had developed various visual assistive devices.

Portable devices such as GPS navigators, light detectors and barcode readers are created to help blind or visually impaired people to identify their surroundings. However, these devices have two limitations: First , these devices are too expensive to afford.Second, these computing-powered devices cannot identify all of the visual problems human-beings encountered in their real lives, which may led to lots of inconveniences. To tackle with the above problems, Prof. Bigham and his team attempted to connect human intelligence to computing technology and build this free iphone application to help visually impaired people with their visual problems.So, how could it be possible?

VizWiz combines automatic image processing, remote web workers, and a user’s contacts(friends on facebook, twitter, linkedin or even email contacts) to answer questions. Users could select to whom they want to send their question.

For automatic image processing, VizWiz adopts a image recognition software called IQ Engine. Once the user upload a photo, it can immediately identify the objects in it. However, for photos that are blurred or vague, IQ engine may be unable to recognize the

Jeffrey Bigham is currently the associate professor in Carnegie Mellon’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute. He investigates crowd-powered technologies, enabling groups to do things individuals can’t and leveraging the on-demand labor of people to perform tasks beyond the capability of today’s computers. He and his team developed the VizWiz application while he was working as the associate professor in HCI of University of Rochester.

VizWiz is a free Iphone application aiming at providing visually-impaired people with nearly real-time answer to their visual problems. It can be free downloaded at app store. More information could be found at www. vizwiz.org.

primary object. Therefore, we need web-workers, the human-beings, to identify the things.

For web workers, Vizwiz cooperates with members from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk Marketplace (a crowdsourcing Internet marketplace that enables individuals or businesses to coordinate the use of human intelligence to perform tasks that computers are currently unable to do.). Once the user opens and activates their application, it starts to ping its remote server to indicate that there will be a question. Then, the server will start recruiting a remote web worker online to help identify the objects if necessary.

To ensure that web-workers could provide instant answers to those visual problems, Prof.Bigham and his team wrote a computing program named “quickTurkit”, which ensures that there are always people answering the questions before the users submit their questions. When user start taking picture, Vizwiz signals that there will be a new question coming. At this time, “quickTurkit” starts recruiting remote web-workers and keep them busy answering the previously-asked questions from users. In this sense, when user send out their question, the web-workers can immediately receive it and make a reply online. Therefore, The waiting time is reduced and the efficiency is dramatically improved.

Automatic Image Processing

Online Crowd Agents

Socialnetwork Contacts

“ VizWiz is designed to have low latency and low cost, making it both competitive with expensive automatic solutions and much more versatile.”

Prof. Jeffery Bigham


Get your iPhone and Try

Vizwiz is easy to download, learn and control. All of the guidances are provided via VoiceOver(

a screen reader exclusively integrated in IOS and OSX system, which can be activated by certain gestures). Therefore, blind or visually impaired people could follow the vocal instructions to take photos and submit their questions.

• Supposing you want to check out the name of the canns.

• First make sure your Iphone is connected to Internet.

• Then, tap on your screen and activate the VoiceOver, open your Viwiz. Once the app opened , there will be a “camera”button showing up. You just follow the voice instruction, holding your camera towards the can and double-tap the screen. You could hear the sound of camera taking the photo.

• After that, a new screen will load with a Record button. Still, follow the instruction, double-tap the screen and you could feel the phone vibrating. It’s time to speak out your question, for example “What is inside the can?”. When you finish, double click at the screen.

• Once your question is recorded, you could choose to whom you want to send the question. Choices are made via toggle switches. Follow the voice guidance, double tapping at the switch you want to choose and then press “send”. (You could always return to the previous screen, there’s always a “back”button.)

• After you send out your question, the “View Answers” screen will be loaded. You could close your App for a while waiting for the answer. The Voice Over will tell you “ New Answers Available.”when there’s a reply. Once you get your answer, just pull down your screen and the Voice-Over will read it for you.

How Vizwiz work to get your visual problem answeredfrom “Vizwiz: Nearly Real Time Answers to Visual Problem”


New Needs, New Improvements

To examine whether this application is effective or not, researchers did usability

testing among 11 iphone users aged 22 to 33. They were asked to follow the Voice-Over instructions to take photos, ask questions and send to certain destinations. Participant asked in total 82 questions with photos, but only 55 photos could be answered from the photos taken. The problem was that the photo they took were either too dark or too blurry to recognize. To fix this problem, Prof. Bigham and his team involved the darkness and greyness detector in the Vizwiz 2.0. If the user takes a photo that’s too blurry or too dark, they will be warned by the Voice-Over, so that they could take another photo.

Also, based on users’ needs, Prof.Bigham and his team developed an extension for VizWiz named “VizWiz::LocateIt”, which, as its name indicated, could help users to locate the objects. If a user want to locate a particular object in his or her room, he or she could take an overview photo of a place and send to the server. Then, the remote web-worker can help identify the target object. With this information, “LocateIt” can orient the user to approach to his or her target.

Future Possibilities

Vizwiz explores new ways to provide visual assistance for blind and visually impaired

people by combining human-intelligence with computing technology,enabling them to get their visual problems answered in nearly real-time from real people.

In the future, Prof Bigham and his team will continue to searching for new methods to improve the user-interfaces for blind people. They will try to figure out a way to help blind people to take clear and beautiful pictures just like we normal human-beings. Also, they will work on to expand new worker pools. They are currently looking for volunteers to take part in their VizWiz Social, welcoming more people outside to help the blind and visually impaired users.

From Vizwiz, we could see the fabulous miracle created by the marriage between human-powered services and mobile devices. It is not simply a visual-assistance tool, but a model for future assistive technology.

Jeffrey P. Bigham, VizWiz: Nearly Real-Time Answers to Real Questions (2010)

http://www.vizwiz.org/

http://assistivetechnology.about.com/od/ATCAT1/qt/Use-Vizwiz-Iphone-App-For-Fast-Answers-About-Whats-Around-You.htm

http://www.mediaaccess.org.au/sites/default/files/me-dia/20110529sp.mp3

https://www.apptweak.com/vizwiz/iphone/switzer-land/en/app-marketing-app-store-optimization-aso/report/439686043

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1419712&page=2

http://www.shorecomms.co.uk/web/panasonic_kxt-da100_and_kxtda200.aspx

Jeffery P. Bigham, Vizwiz:: Lockit (2010)

University of Rochester Official Website

University of Carnegie Mellon Oficial Website

Google Scholar

Google Image

Works Cited

Technology can provid assistence to visually impaired people today.from Scientific American

yin zheng-portfolio 2014 fall

Documents