Move the World with Words
35 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 4 years ago - ★★★★★ - 8 ratingsThe world moves on words.
There are over 6,000 languages in the world. Every single one of those billions of people can only be reached with, you guessed it, words.
Language translation for websites, mobile apps, web apps, videos, marketing channels, and even an email just saying Hi is so much more than making your organization intelligible to speakers of other languages.
It’s actually about creating a meaningful, sincere connection with humanity.
With professional translation, we instantly form comprehension, connection, and a spark of relationship that can actually change the world.
The world moves on words. We can move the world with words.
Let’s connect.
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Episodes
Season One Recap w/ Adrian Cohn
August 12, 2020 05:30 - 3 minutes - 6.62 MBWe’ve come to the end of season 1 of the Move the World with Words podcast. We’ve talked to dozens of translators, interpreters, and transcreators from all over the world, and all over the industry. The bad news is, we’re taking a break for a bit. Because this show takes time to produce, and we want to make sure we’re delivering the highest quality content possible. The good news is, we’re coming back with another podcast in the meantime. Welcome to The Loc Show. A podcast all...
Table Tennis & The Beatles w/ Ella Wexler
August 05, 2020 05:30 - 10 minutes - 19.3 MBIt can be really easy to paint a particular group of people with a broad brush. All engineers have a hard time with people. All artists are cerebral and in their own heads all the time. And while there may be a shred of truth to some of those assumptions, for the most part one can’t label an entire group of people in any certain way. And over the course of the last 32 interviews with translators, we’ve certainly seen that reinforced. Ella Wexler was a guest on the Move the Wor...
Translating in a Black Box w/ Eugenia Tietz-Sojolskaya
July 29, 2020 05:30 - 23 minutes - 43.2 MBWhat do you do when you have to translate with no context? When you have a job to do, but perhaps you’re working with an agency, and you don’t know how your translation is going to be used. Or where it’s going to be used. Or who is going to be accessing it. Unfortunately, it’s part of the job, but that doesn’t mean that it ever gets easier. “As a translator, you’re not creating content. You’re working with what you have. The good and the not so good,” said Eugenia Tietz-Sojols...
A New Kind of Birth: From Midwife to Translator w/ Julie Burns
July 22, 2020 05:30 - 11 minutes - 21.8 MBIf you’re a parent, you know there are few things more beautiful than watching a child come into the world. One minute, they’re not here. And the next, the new reality is one that includes them. It’s this respect and awe of the miracle of birth that actually led Julie Burns into the world of translating & interpreting. Julie was a guest on the Move the World with Words podcast recently, and what a story she has. She talked all about: -Fleeing Guatemala with her family due to po...
Dreaming in French: Falling in Love with Language w/ Meghan Konkol
July 15, 2020 05:00 - 20 minutes - 38.2 MBDo you dream in a different language? Most of us don’t even think twice about the language we dream in, but on a recent episode of the Move the World with Words podcast, we talked with Meghan Konkol about just that. Living abroad, and dreaming in another language. How did she know that a career in another language was for her? She started dreaming in french. Meghan was a guest on the Move the World with Words podcast recently and talked with us all about: -Her first time dr...
From Children’s Books to Patents w/ Jennifer An
July 08, 2020 16:00 - 16 minutes - 29.9 MBWhat makes a high school student pursue a career in translation? For Jennifer An, it was a move with her mother. Jennifer says, “We were watching a Korean drama, and the English subtitles were so terrible. I looked at my mom and said, ‘I could do better than that.’” “So she said, ‘Then why don’t you?’” So began Jennifer’s journey into the world of translation & interpretation. Jennifer was a guest on the Move the World with Words podcast recently and talked all about: -Why s...
Interpreting for the Vulnerable w/ Janna Davis
July 01, 2020 05:30 - 13 minutes - 25.6 MBThe doctor’s office is a vulnerable place. It’s like going to the car mechanic. Nobody goes to the doctor because they enjoy going to the doctor. Typically, they go because something is wrong. Now imagine you’ve got to go to the doctor and you don’t speak the language. You’re scared, vulnerable, and something is wrong, but you can’t understand what the technician is saying or communicate what you’re feeling. That’s where someone like Janna Davis comes in. She was a guest on th...
The Difference Between Translation & Transcreation w/ Delfina Morganti Hernández
June 24, 2020 05:30 - 44 minutes - 81.4 MBWe’ve all read them. Translations that are dry, lifeless, and to be honest, kind of boring. Maybe it’s the fault of the original text. After all, medical or legal translation can only be so creative. But every now and then, someone like Delfina Morganti Hernández comes along and breathes fresh air into the industry. Delfina is a transcreator, and an advocate in the industry for everybody that makes their living with words. In her own words, “If we don’t market ourselves, who else w...
3 Key Things to Know if You Want a Career in Translation w/ Karen Leube
June 17, 2020 04:30 - 25 minutes - 47.6 MBWe’ve talked a lot on the podcast about how the translation industry has changed. Over the course of the last 35 years, it’s evolved in ways that we never would’ve thought possible. But one thing that never changes is the need for translators. As long as there are words, there will be translators. Which begs the question, what do you need to know if you’re heading into translation as a career? What are the most important things to know? We talked with Karen Leube about -W...
Location, Location, Location w/ Marina Ilari
June 10, 2020 05:30 - 21 minutes - 40 MBWhat are the two most important pieces of a quality translation? More than anything else, these 2 pieces will take your translations from blah to brilliant. From flat to phenomenal. Odds are if you ask 100 translators this question, you’ll likely get a lot of different answers. After all, translation is an art form, not a science. But for Marina Ilari, the answer is simple. Context & localization. Marina was a guest on the Move the World with Words podcast recently, and we tal...
Defeating Imposter Syndrome as a Translator w/ Victoria Bañales
June 03, 2020 05:30 - 17 minutes - 32 MBLet’s talk about qualifications. As a translator, specifically one that’s ATA certified, you’re incredibly qualified. You’ve got to go through a lot to get that certification. But what do you do when you start to doubt those qualifications? When you think, “I study language, what qualifies to me to interpret medical documents? I don’t know the first thing about medicine.” It happens to everyone. That’s why we loved our interview with Victoria Bañales on the latest episode of t...
A Translator’s First True Love: Poetry w/ Sharon Neeman
May 27, 2020 06:00 - 10 minutes - 19.1 MBThey say that poetry is the language of love. There are so many things that are hard to say, so they are said with poetry. So many writers and poets will tell you that they don’t know what they think or what they are trying to say until they write it down. So when we met Sharon Neeman, we knew we had stumbled on someone truly special. We got to sit down with Sharon and talk all about: -Her love of poetry and translating poetry -Why she used to wake up at 3AM and work a half a d...
Why Technology Should be Embraced, Not Feared w/ Anne-Marie Colliander Lind
May 20, 2020 05:00 - 17 minutes - 31.4 MBWhat technology are you resisting? 30 years ago, translators were using typewriters, and were hesitant to make the jump to computers. 10 years ago, those same people were hesitant to utilize CAT tools. Now? What are translators hesitant about today? It’s machine translation. Why? What are we so afraid of? Anne-Marie Colliander Lind was on the Move the World with Words podcast recently, but she has one thing that sets her apart from the rest of the guests we’ve had on. We ...
The Invisible Translator w/ Jill Sommer
May 13, 2020 05:30 - 28 minutes - 51.3 MBTranslators should be invisible. Not in a “Harry Potter cloak” sort of way (though that would certainly be handy at times.) But in an ideal world, the translator’s work should fade into the background, and it should appear as if there was never a translator at all. It’s why translators truly are the unsung heroes of the world. Because the world wouldn’t function without them. Take our latest guest, Jill Sommer for example. She came on the show recently to talk all about: -...
Translation & Pilates: A Match Made in Heaven w/ Eva Stabenow
May 06, 2020 06:00 - 21 minutes - 40.2 MBAs translators, we spend a lot of time sitting. At our desks, at coffee shops, at conferences, in the car, or on airplanes. Most of our job is sitting. So it should come as no surprise that a lot of us would end up with posture problems. Chronic pain in our backs, necks, shoulders, and joints. But what do you do if you feel like your chronic pain is keeping you from doing the work that you love? Eva Stabenow, was a guest on the Move the World with Words podcast recently, and talk...
It all Started with a Pen: The Love of Language w/ Cristina Silva
April 29, 2020 06:00 - 26 minutes - 49.4 MBIt all started with a pen. Do you still use a pen to write? Not a cheap, dollar-store pen, but a proper pen. There is a weight to the words when you use a proper pen, like a Mont Blanc, to write words on a sheet of paper. They mean a little more than they normally would. We chatted with Cristina Silva on a recent episode of the Move the World with Words podcast, and discussed: How she fell in love with language Her response to her dad making her get a job at 15, and why sh...
A Student’s Perspective on Translation w/ Leqi Sun
April 22, 2020 06:30 - 13 minutes - 24.1 MBWe’ve talked to a lot of professional translators on the Move the World with Words podcast. One demographic we haven’t spoken with, at least not yet, is a student. Someone who is studying to be a professional translator or interpreter. Someone who spends their days not working with clients, but going to class, studying, and practicing the art of translating in hopes of making it their profession. We sat down with a graduate student from Middlebury Institute of International Studies ...
Are there anything Machines Can’t Do? w/ Jennifer Mosby
April 15, 2020 07:00 - 21 minutes - 40.2 MBMachines can do all sorts of incredible things. They can turn on your lights, set your heat, or give you directions in the car. But can you rely on them to translate? As technology continues to evolve, machine translation is becoming more and more inevitable as a service. Thankfully, Jennifer Mosby, along with a host of other translators, doesn’t think it’s time to panic just yet. She was recently a guest on the Move the World with Words podcast and talked all about: Why she on...
Working for Free: A Translator’s Passion w/ Diana Biser
April 08, 2020 07:00 - 15 minutes - 27.9 MBWhat’s that old saying? Love what you do, and you’ll never work a day in your life? Most people will tell you that that quote is misleading. Of course you can love what you do, but it’s still work, right? It depends on who you ask. Diana Biser was a guest on the Move the World with Words podcast recently, and our conversation was incredible. She talked to us all about: loving the work so much that she used to do it for free, why it’s challenging to read books without wanting to translate ...
Context is King w/ Susanne Kraetschmer
April 01, 2020 07:00 - 23 minutes - 43.5 MBContext is king. So often, particularly in the world of translation, translators are asked to translate without any context. Maybe they’re given a set of phrases and have to translate those. But they might not have any idea HOW these phrases are being used, or in what context. This is especially true when it comes to marketing translation. Susanne Kraetschmer is a freelance translator specializing mostly in apparel and marketing translation for some of the largest companies in the world. ...
Transcreation: What Is It? w/ Robin Limmeroth
March 25, 2020 07:00 - 20 minutes - 37.1 MBTranscreation. Wait, what? Are we just inventing new words now? Not exactly. On a recent episode of the Move the World with Words podcast, we sat down with Robin Limmeroth to talk about: what exactly is "transcreation?" what it was that got her hooked on translation as a career, how she stays on top of the trends in Germany, and what "Move the World with Words" means to her. You can find out more about the passionate translators who Move the World With Words by subscribing to our podcas...
Mistakes? I’ve Made a Few w/ Dagmar Jenner
March 18, 2020 07:30 - 16 minutes - 29.3 MBWe’ve not talked a lot about mistakes. And it makes sense why. Nobody likes to think about their mistakes. Often times we dwell on them, beat ourselves up over them, and go out of our way to avoid even the hint of a mistake. But when you’ve been in the translation business for nearly two decades, mistakes are bound to happen. Because translation isn’t an exact science. It’s an art form. On a recent episode of the Move the World with Words podcast, we sat down with Dagmar Jenner, and talke...
A Teacher’s Take on The Translation Industry w/ Alan Campbell
March 11, 2020 07:00 - 13 minutes - 23.8 MBHow does the old saying go? "Those that can't do, teach?" While that may be true for some things, it most certainly isn't the case for our latest guest on the Move the World with Words podcast. Alan Campbell might spend his time these days teaching and training the next generation of translators, but his background proves that he has a wealth of experience. He was a guest on the Move the World with Words podcast recently and talked all about: his time in the Army that led him to translati...
Machine Translation: It’s Not the Enemy w/ Dr. Hadeer Aboelnagah
March 04, 2020 08:00 - 21 minutes - 40 MBAre you sharing what you're learning? And if not, what's holding you back? We sat down with Dr. Hadeer Aboelnagah on a recent episode of the Move the World with Words podcast. She spent 30 hours traveling across the world to be at a conference, so we jumped at the chance to learn from her. We talked about; why machines translation isn't the enemy, her role as a university professor and how she helped her students, and why sharing your learning is the most crucial element to translation. ...
The Bright Side of Working with an Agency w/ Rosalie Henke
February 26, 2020 08:00 - 25 minutes - 47.1 MBWe talk a lot on the Move the World with Words podcast about freelancing. An awful lot of translators have made a very respectable career out of freelance translating. But it's not without its headaches. The headaches can come with things like accounting, invoicing, chasing clients down, and periods of having no work. But on the most recent episode of the podcast, we talked with Rosalie Henke, who does a lot of her freelance work with us here at Smartling. We talked about: the bonuses of ...
Why You Need to Master Both Speaking and Writing w/ Ibrahim Alkhaldi
February 19, 2020 08:00 - 26 minutes - 47.8 MB"We tell ourselves stories in order to live." The prolific author Joan Didion said that, and nowhere is that more true than in the world of interpretation and translation. On a recent episode of the Move the World with Words podcast, we talked with Ibrahim Alkhaldi about: What makes a good translator, what makes a good listener, and the challenges of a career focused in Healthcare interpretation. You can find out more about the passionate translators who Move the World with Words by subsc...
Making the Connection: Cultural Clarity in the Nordic Languages w/ Tess Whitty
February 12, 2020 08:00 - 34 minutes - 62.6 MBWe talk a lot on the Move the World with Words podcast about translation. Obviously. But what happens when you're a translator for a part of the world where a LOT of English words and phrases just simply don't translate? Not that there aren't words for the things you're using. But culturally, it just doesn't make sense. This is something that Tess Whitty runs into an awful lot, being an English to Swedish translator. She was a guest on the show recently and talked all about: what sort of ...
A Coat is Never Just a Coat w/ Denise Jacobs and Liza Tripp
February 05, 2020 08:00 - 29 minutes - 54.1 MBThose that can't cook pastries, translate. That's not how the saying goes, but at least in Liza Tripp's case, that was exactly what happened. She left after chocolate, but before wedding cakes. It wasn't until graduate school that she found Denise Jacobs, and began a partnership that would take them both places they never dreamed. The world of fashion translation. They were both guests on the Move the World with Words podcast recently and talked all about: their journeys into fashion t...
Time for Yoga: A Past ATA President Gets Free Time w/ Corrine McKay
January 29, 2020 07:30 - 19 minutes - 36.2 MBWake up. Put on your fuzzy slippers, and walk down the hall to your home office. Fire up the laptop, pour the coffee, and settle in for the day. Sounds like the ideal work situation, right? Not for everybody. Corrine McKay started her career as a freelance translator with her sleeping baby on her lap, cold calling every translation company in Colorado asking for work. She was a guest on the podcast recently and talked all about: her time as ATA President, her advice on getting into tra...
The Human Side of Translators w/ Sandy Jones
January 22, 2020 08:00 - 21 minutes - 39.4 MBWhat do you do when you encounter a word that you need translated? Odds are, you open the Google Translate app on your phone and get your answer, right? It's quick, east, and will get the job done. But no matter how good machine translation gets, there's one thing it lacks. One thing that it will never have. Humanity. On a recent episode of the Move the World with Words podcast, we sat down with Sandy Jones to talk about: the life of a patent translator, how she keeps herself educated ...
Interpreters: The Unsung Heroes w/ Judy Jenner
January 15, 2020 08:00 - 26 minutes - 48.4 MBWhen was the last time you thought about an interpreter? Odds are, unless you've been arrested in a foreign country and needed a good court interpreter, it's probably been a minute. Right? But Judy Jenner is out to change that. She was a guest on a recent episode of the Move the World with Words Podcast, and had a lot to say about: the role of the interpreter in our current culture, the times in her life when she's had to own up to her failures, and how she decided in Middle School...
The Life of a Professional Interpreter w/ Pency Tsai
January 08, 2020 08:00 - 23 minutes - 43.3 MBWhen was the last time you cursed in front of a judge? If you're Pency Tsai, and your job is to be a full-time language interpreter, it probably happened more recently than one might think. Pency was a guest on the Move the World with Words podcast recently, and talked to our team all about, among other things: life as a full-time interpreter, why she leaves in all the swear words- no matter who she's talking to, how she rests and recharges, and why she thinks competition in the industr...
Staying Connected to the Language w/ Emily Safrin
January 01, 2020 08:00 - 28 minutes - 52 MBPortland, Oregon is a predominantly English-speaking city. In fact, most of the Pacific Northwest is anchored pretty solidly in English. So how does a freelance Spanish-to-English translator stay connected to the language? In a part of the country where it would be so very east to get by with English, how do you stay sharp? Emily Safrin was a guest on the Move the World with Words podcast recently and talked all about: why she prefers her home office, how she stay connected to the language...
How Two Translators Are Taking Brands’ Messages to Latin America w/ Gabriela Ortiz and Ariana Loker
December 25, 2019 08:00 - 30 minutes - 56.4 MBWe know very little about the farmer who grows our coffee beans. We're probably not entirely sure how our clothes are knit together. We may not know the engineer who designed our smartphones. But here at Smartling, we're on a mission to uncover the lives of at least one contributor to global commerce- translators. We're elevating not just the work, but the everyday lives of translators around the globe. We want to know: what are their hobbies? What are their favorite restaurants, their fa...
Why You Should Listen to Move the World with Words
December 16, 2019 15:26 - 14 minutes - 26.2 MBIf commerce is driven by words, global commerce is fueled by translation. But have you ever met a translator? They have interesting and challenging roles to play in our global economy. When you spend your life and career helping other people tell their stories, you often don't get the chance to tell your own. To let the world know that you've got things to say as well. That's where the Move the World with Words podcast comes in. In addition to writing and releasing a book, we tal...