Localizing a Covid phone app: A university class experience

Warburton, Kara; Krishnan, Kamya Bharthi

doi:10.1075/jial.21007.war

Article published In:

Localization in Healthcare and Medical Settings in the Advent of COVID-19
Edited by Minako O'Hagan and Julie McDonough Dolmaya
[The Journal of Internationalization and Localization 8:2] 2021
► pp. 110–136

Localizing a Covid phone app

A university class experience

Kara Warburton | University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

Kamya Bharthi Krishnan | University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

In this paper we describe how a COVID-19 phone app was localized by students of the MA program in Translation and Interpreting at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The project presented unique challenges including the urgency and short time-lines, less-than-optimal internationalization of the source code, limitations of the CAT tool, and the use of an open-source platform and crowd-sourced agile development model, in addition to particular linguistic aspects related to the new specialized subject matter, limited string context, and potentially sensitive data. On the other hand, it offered the opportunity to experience a real-life localization project, which had important pedagogical benefits for translation students. These and other aspects are described and suggestions proposed to enable similar projects to run smoothly.

Keywords: COVID-19 phone app localization, real-life localization, internationalization, localization pedagogy, Japanese, capstone project

Article outline

1.Introduction
2.Background
3.Key Concepts
4.The Localization Process
5.Description of the Safer Illinois App
6.The Agile Model
7.Localizing the app
8.Working in GitHub
9.Completing the Japanese Localization
10.Issues and Challenges
- 10.1Lack of Context
- 10.2Function and Tone
- 10.3Strict Formatting
- 10.4Code Dependencies
- 10.5Hidden Attributes
- 10.6Presence of Unused Strings
- 10.7String Concatenation and Placeholders
- 10.8Cultural Adaptations
- 10.9Issues with the English
- 10.10Terminology
- 10.11Comments on Issues and Challenges
11.Conclusion and Recommendations
12.Future Work
Notes
References

Published online: 28 March 2022

https://doi.org/10.1075/jial.21007.war

References (17)

References

Anastasiou, Dimitra and Reinhard Schäler. 2010. Translating Vital Information: Localisation, Internationalisation, and Globalisation. Journal Synthesis. Available from [URL]

ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials). 2014. ASTM F2575-14, Standard Guide for Quality Assurance in Translation, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA.

Dias Esqueda, Marileide. 2020. “Training Translators for Video Game Localization: In Search of a Pedagogical Approach.” Revista Brasileira de Linguistica Aplicada, 20(4). Belo Horizonte, Brazil: Faculdade de Letras – Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais.

Dunne, Keiran J. 2011. “From vicious to virtuous: Customer focused translation quality management using ISO 9001 principles and Agile methodologies.” In Translation and Localization Project Management: The art of the possible, edited by Keiran J. Dunne and Elena S. Dunne. 153–187. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Esselink, Bert. 2000. A Practical Guide to Localization. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Folaron, Debbie. 2020. “Technology, technical translation and localization.” In The Routledge Handbook of Translation and Technology, edited by Minako O’Hagan. 203–219. Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY: Routledge.

Giammarresi, Salvatore. 2011. “Strategic views on localization project management: The importance of global product management and portfolio management.” In Translation and Localization Project Management: The art of the possible, edited by Keiran J. Dunne and Elena S. Dunne. 17–49. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

GitHub Guides. n.d. Accessed June 2021. [URL]

Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). 2011. Terminology Used in Internationalization in the IETF. Accessed October 2021: [URL]

Kiraly, Don. 2005. “Project-Based Learning: A Case for Situated Translation.” Meta. Volume 50, Issue 4, 1098–1111. Montreal: Les Presses de l’Université de Montréal.

Levitina, Natalia. 2011. “Requirements collection: The foundation of scope definition and scope management in localization projects.” In Translation and Localization Project Management: The art of the possible, edited by Keiran J. Dunne and Elena S. Dunne. 95–118. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

LISA (Localization Industry Standards Association). 2003. The Localization Industry Primer. Second edition. Accessed June 2021. [URL]

. 2007. The Globalization Industry Primer. Accessed October 2021. [URL]

Melby, Alan. 2019. The Overt-Covert Spectrum in Translation (v2e-AKM). Unpublished discussion paper circulated to the ASTM F43 Working Group.

Nord, Christiane. 2018. Translating as a Purposeful Activity: Functionalist Approaches Explained. London: Routledge.

Roturier, Johann. 2015. Localizing Apps: A Practical Guide for Translators and Translation Students. London: Routledge.

Schäler, Reinhard. 2009. “Localization.” In Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies, 2nd Edition, edited by Mona Baker and Gabriela Saldanha. 157–161. London: Routledge.

Cited by (3)

Cited by three other publications

Vajjhala, Narasimha Rao & Kenneth David Strang

2024. 2024 IEEE World Engineering Education Conference (EDUNINE), ► pp. 1 ff.

O’Hagan, Minako & Julie McDonough Dolmaya

2023. Introduction to Digital Translation: International Journal of Translation and Localization . Digital Translation 10:1 ► pp. 1 ff.

Warburton, Kara, Ka Wai Lee & Tyler Harding

2023. Localizing a phone app. Digital Translation 10:1 ► pp. 88 ff.

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 4 july 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.