Localization Today

Interview by  Cameron Rasmusson As an outdoor sports enthusiast and lover of languages, Martina Russo eventually combined her two passions into a specialized localization agency for action sports brands. She and her team strive to ensure their clients speak authentic lingo regardless of regional differences; after all, when lives can depend on choosing the right gear and following accurate instruc...

Challenges and innovative approaches By  Martina Russo The quickly evolving nature of action sports language poses unique challenges for translation professionals who must capture not only literal meaning but also cultural context and authentic community voice — all while upholding the technical precision that ensures clarity and safety. The author, who is profiled in this issue, details innovativ...

By  Katie Botkin Despite some unique challenges, sports localization offers many intriguing possibilities for language companies going forward, particularly in emerging sports. This article provides an overview of some of the most exciting opportunities in today’s sports localization landscape.

By  Chandan Kumar In a multilingual nation like India, language can function as both a celebratory performance of identity and a mechanism for exclusion. The author highlights intensifying linguistic conflicts across India in the age of mass media and argues that linguistic politics must be conducted with care, sensitivity, and an awareness of India’s deep pluralism.

By  Tim Brookes Alice Mazzilli practices a graffiti-like visual art form called jamigraphy — or jamming with calligraphy — that combines writing, painting, music, and movement. This article tells her story while exploring the value and beauty of imperfect handwriting.

"World Ready" is the new name and mission of GALA's annual conference. The Executive Director, Allison Ferch, explains this significant conceptual change in this episode. We discuss why the industry must move beyond AI hype to manage new complexities, and how the new “Ready” framework (Tech, Market, People, Risk) provides a path forward. Get an inside look at the GALA World Ready 2026 conference i...

What happens to the language industry’s talent pipeline if MIIS’s Translation & Localization Management program shuts down? In this episode of Localization Today , we speak with Prof. Eva Klaudinyová —Program Chair of TLM at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies—about the program’s legacy, STEM-driven curriculum, and why its alumni are so job-ready across Big Tech, LSPs, and public...

What does it take to ship products that feel local everywhere? In this Localization Today episode, host Eddie Arrieta talks with Anna Albinson , CEO of Gridly , about the “Localization Triathlon”: AI for speed and scale, automation for flow and reliability, and humans for creativity and cultural fit. We dig into connected workflows (one source of truth instead of silos), the rise of the orchestrat...

In this episode, we sit down with Vassilis Chamalidis, CEO of Alpha CRC, a company at the forefront of combining deep tech with human collaboration. He shares a powerful vision for the “augmented human,” a professional equipped with an ecosystem of AI tools to work faster, smarter, and more consistently. We explore where to embrace automation and where human expertise, cultural nuance, and true cr...

By  Iryna Modlinska When expanding into new markets, brands that introduce centralized control over multilingual content grow with greater consistency and confidence. This article presents an actionable plan for developing a localization framework that gives brands direct control over messaging, enabling them to communicate technical and design differentiation that justifies premium pricing global...

By Brian McConnell Based on his experience helping technology startups build localization programs, the author shares common pitfalls that emerging companies often encounter when localizing their products — and presents strategies for avoiding them. He concludes with a call to language service providers to appeal to emerging businesses early in their development.

By  Manuela Rosso-Brugnach  and  Laÿna Droz By exploring how different linguistic traditions frame human relationships with the natural world, the authors illustrate how language influences our views on sustainability and argue that embracing multilingualism has tangible impacts on how environmental challenges are addressed.

How three siblings transformed linguistic talent into tech influence — and grew without growing apart By  Jose Palomares Originally from Peru, Karla, Karina, and Kathy made their way to the United States and eventually reached the top of the localization industry. This is their story: one of resourcefulness over resources, of lifting while climbing, and of proving that sometimes the most revolutio...

By  Belén Agulló García  and  Carme Mangiron Universal design aims to create environments and products that are usable by as many people as possible, regardless of age, size, ability, disability, or background. The authors argue that universal design in video games should be an intrinsic part of creating an excellent user experience rather than an afterthought.

By  Jace Norton The author discusses the role of AI in Indigenous language access, arguing that AI has little practical value for Indigenous language interpretation largely because Indigenous and other low-resource languages lack the massive datasets needed for AI to function effectively for interpretation and translation.

By  Ewandro Magalhães Prompted by his own experience of co-authoring an article with AI, the author explores a “fourth type of translation” — that between human and machine. He considers the protocols for AI collaboration: At what point does assistance cross into ghostwriting? When does augmentation become abdication?

Explore how Pinterest and RWS collaborate to deliver culturally resonant user experiences worldwide. Moderated by Eddie Arrieta (CEO, MultiLingual Media), the discussion features: Francesca Di Marco – Head of Internationalization, Pinterest Maureen Lalaymia‑Phillips – Program Director, RWS Group Hear their strategies for best practices, effective collaboration, and the future of global UX.

In this episode, Anne Marie Coliander, co-founder and conference organizer of the Nordic Translation and Interpretation Forum (NTIF). Since 2011, NTIF has provided a platform for the Nordic and Baltic language industry to share knowledge, strengthen relationships, and highlight the region’s unique challenges and opportunities. She reflects on her 30+ years of experience in the industry, the import...

Forrester’s first-ever Wave for Translation Management Systems is here—and it just made language tech a board-level conversation. In this episode of Localization Today , Eddie Arrieta sits down with Georg Ell (CEO) and Jason Hemingway (CMO) of Phrase , named a leader in the inaugural report with top scores in 21 of 26 categories. We unpack why the Wave matters now, how AI, orchestration, and quali...

Adobe’s Ankush Sharma (Sr. Director & Head of Globalization Engineering) breaks down how his team delivers multilingual experiences at scale—across 100+ languages—by embedding MT and GenAI into Adobe’s platforms. We dive into the shift from pilots to production, human-in-the-loop quality, multimodal (text, image, video) workflows, and the real gains in speed, cost, and cultural relevance. Anku...

Founder & CEO of TBO — and Juntos co-founder — Charles Campbell joins us to unpack what Vamos Juntos Mexico City revealed about Latin America’s role in our industry and what’s next for Buenos Aires (March 2026). We cover enterprise buyer momentum, why events in the Global South matter, and a clear-eyed take on AI’s real impact (8% revenue dip, 25% cost savings), hiring, and skills. Plus: venue...

We speak with Helena Batt (TED Conferences) and Guy Piecarz (Panjaya) about TED’s move from subtitles to AI-assisted, human-reviewed dubbing across 115 languages. They unpack why dubbing delivers experience—not just information—how consent and clear labeling are built in, and what it takes technically (speech separation, context-aware translation, timing, emotional fidelity, and lip-sync).

Translate beyond segments. In this episode, we dig into “segmentless localization” with Burroworks’ founder & CEO, exploring the Free Flow Editor’s context-rich approach to translating whole pages and posts—not line by line. You’ll hear when this method outperforms classic CAT (blogs, social, email) and when it doesn’t (UI), how vector-based memory differs from TMs, how MT/LLM suggestions pair...

By  Yana Kolesnikova The author presents a case study from ride-hailing app inDrive, detailing how the company addressed a problem with its Spanish-language localization strategy. After analyzing peer apps and gathering user feedback, inDrive was able to successfully adjust its messaging for Latin America and Spain.

By  Wojciech Wołoszyk  and  Marta Domaszk The authors detail a method for determining whether texts are human-written or AI-generated.  The approach combines computational analysis, linguistic expertise, and a weighting system to provide a probability assessment rather than a binary classification. This nuanced approach is valuable in professional contexts in which content authenticity has signifi...