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Chapter 2 Evolution of the language industry

  • Anne-Maj van der Meer
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Handbook of the Language Industry
This chapter is in the book Handbook of the Language Industry

Abstract

Various business processes, methods and technologies have shaped the evolution of the language industry over the past several decades, resulting in the current technologized translation, localization and globalization landscape. In order to prepare for future developments, it is important to obtain an overview of the past and present state of the industry. Understanding more about the changes over the past few decades and those currently in progress, from translation memory and CAT tools to massively multilingual neural machine translation systems, can help us evaluate the sustainability of the translation industry ecosystem. This chapter considers various translation business models and how sustainable they might be as well as what can be anticipated for the near and more distant future. For example, what are some of the challenges, threats and opportunities that we have already encountered and might soon be presented with? What new job profiles have emerged recently, and how can the right talent be fostered to respond to these opportunities? Throughout the evolution of the language industry, developments in machine translation have been pivotal, but they are creating increasing inequalities in the ecosystem that need to be addressed in order to keep the industry healthy.

Abstract

Various business processes, methods and technologies have shaped the evolution of the language industry over the past several decades, resulting in the current technologized translation, localization and globalization landscape. In order to prepare for future developments, it is important to obtain an overview of the past and present state of the industry. Understanding more about the changes over the past few decades and those currently in progress, from translation memory and CAT tools to massively multilingual neural machine translation systems, can help us evaluate the sustainability of the translation industry ecosystem. This chapter considers various translation business models and how sustainable they might be as well as what can be anticipated for the near and more distant future. For example, what are some of the challenges, threats and opportunities that we have already encountered and might soon be presented with? What new job profiles have emerged recently, and how can the right talent be fostered to respond to these opportunities? Throughout the evolution of the language industry, developments in machine translation have been pivotal, but they are creating increasing inequalities in the ecosystem that need to be addressed in order to keep the industry healthy.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface to the Handbooks of Applied Linguistics Series V
  3. Contents VII
  4. Introduction: Contextualizing language industry studies 1
  5. Part 1: Contexts and technological resources
  6. Chapter 1 Charting the language industry: Interview with an industry observer 17
  7. Chapter 2 Evolution of the language industry 33
  8. Chapter 3 The institutional language industry: Intercultural mediation at the European Parliament 49
  9. Chapter 4 Artificial intelligence, automation and the language industry 71
  10. Part 2: The human factor: Professional profiles
  11. Chapter 5 MT developers 101
  12. Chapter 6 Language technology developers 121
  13. Chapter 7 Translation and localization project and process managers 143
  14. Chapter 8 Terminology managers 179
  15. Chapter 9 Revisers and post-editors: The guardians of quality 203
  16. Chapter 10 Video game localizers 225
  17. Chapter 11 Transcreation: Beyond translation and advertising 251
  18. Chapter 12 Audiovisual translators 271
  19. Chapter 13 Media accessibility specialists 295
  20. Chapter 14 Legal translator profiles 321
  21. Chapter 15 Technical translators 349
  22. Chapter 16 Translators in medical and health settings 375
  23. Chapter 17 Heritage tourism translators 403
  24. Chapter 18 Language awareness in humanitarian responses 431
  25. Chapter 19 Distance interpreting as a professional profile 449
  26. Chapter 20 Conference interpreting in AI settings: New skills and ethical challenges 473
  27. Afterword 489
  28. Contributors to this volume 495
  29. Index 501
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110716047-003

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface to the Handbooks of Applied Linguistics Series V
  3. Contents VII
  4. Introduction: Contextualizing language industry studies 1
  5. Part 1: Contexts and technological resources
  6. Chapter 1 Charting the language industry: Interview with an industry observer 17
  7. Chapter 2 Evolution of the language industry 33
  8. Chapter 3 The institutional language industry: Intercultural mediation at the European Parliament 49
  9. Chapter 4 Artificial intelligence, automation and the language industry 71
  10. Part 2: The human factor: Professional profiles
  11. Chapter 5 MT developers 101
  12. Chapter 6 Language technology developers 121
  13. Chapter 7 Translation and localization project and process managers 143
  14. Chapter 8 Terminology managers 179
  15. Chapter 9 Revisers and post-editors: The guardians of quality 203
  16. Chapter 10 Video game localizers 225
  17. Chapter 11 Transcreation: Beyond translation and advertising 251
  18. Chapter 12 Audiovisual translators 271
  19. Chapter 13 Media accessibility specialists 295
  20. Chapter 14 Legal translator profiles 321
  21. Chapter 15 Technical translators 349
  22. Chapter 16 Translators in medical and health settings 375
  23. Chapter 17 Heritage tourism translators 403
  24. Chapter 18 Language awareness in humanitarian responses 431
  25. Chapter 19 Distance interpreting as a professional profile 449
  26. Chapter 20 Conference interpreting in AI settings: New skills and ethical challenges 473
  27. Afterword 489
  28. Contributors to this volume 495
  29. Index 501
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