Katie Botkin
Katie Botkin is a freelance writer with a master’s degree in linguistics. She has worked in the localization industry since 2008. Additionally, she is the executive director of a land-use nonprofit specializing in planning for a more resilient future.
The Challenges and Opportunities of Sports Localization
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.
The Reverse Midas Touch
In the United States, global business is precarious due to the Trump Administration’s fluctuating tariffs and unpopular foreign policies. Two leaders in the American language sector weigh in on the impacts of tariff uncertainty, emerging budget constraints, and targeted consumer action.
Lady Gaga accepts role of CTO for top MT provider
In a new career shift, Lady Gaga, née Stefani Germanotta, has announced that she will be taking on the role of chief technology officer...
Iyuno Completes Acquisition of SDI Media
Iyuno Media Group completed its acquisition of SDI Media today, forming the world's largest media localization provider. The announcement came with a new company...
Tribes Lead the Way in COVID-19 Vaccinations
Across the United States, various First Nations tribes are way ahead of their state and federal counterparts in COVID-19 vaccinations. After being hit particularly...
Deaf Community Petitions for White House ASL Interpreter Removal
The Deaf community in the United States, as well as American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters and devotees, welcomed this week's news that the Biden...
Iyuno Media Group set to Aquire Rival SDI
In a major reconfiguring of the media localization landscape, UK-based media localization provider Iyuno Media Group announced today that it is acquiring its largest...
Newly-Founded Entertainment Globalization Association Shares Strategy
The newly-minted Entertainment Globalization Association (EGA), just created last week, has set its sights on publicizing the role of localization in the entertainment industry.
The...
Straker Wins Major Contract with IBM
Shares of New-Zealand based Straker Translations (ASX.STG) jumped almost 45% today — November 11 in New Zealand — on the announcement of a strategic...
Red Talk, Blue Talk
Whatever the causes, in the United States, conservatives and liberals have splintered into factions that speak different languages, in an almost literal sense — and it seems to be a trend that is spilling over into the rest of the world as well.
The linguistics of refugee response
Irene Scott of Translators without Borders (TWB) speaks via Skype from Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. She describes the area outside the city as rolling hills where wild elephants once roamed — now home to one of the largest refugee populations in the world, tent cities housing around 600,000 Rohingya people who have fled across the border from Myanmar.
Poems from the Edge of Extinction
Review
Poems from the Edge of Extinction
An Anthology of Poetry in Endangered Languages
Katie Botkin
A eulogy and a battle cry for endangered languages everywhere
Katie Botkin is...
The health of American individualism
Focus
The health of American individualism
Coronavirus response and national protests highlight fractured US policies
Motoko Hunt
Katie Botkin is the editor-in-chief of MultiLingual magazine. She grew up...
Geopolitics
News
Geopolitics
Federal Police Presence in Portland Highlights Fragmented American Cultures
Katie Botkin
Portland, Oregon, is known for its bicycle culture, its book culture, and its general funkiness....
The Descent
Geopolitics
The Descent
Turkey went from democracy to dictatorship in a matter of months, and has stayed that way. One refugee explains how it happened.
Katie Botkin
Katie...
Babel: Around the World in Twenty Languages
Review
Babel: Around the World in Twenty Languages
Vivid snapshots of the world’s top 20 languages
Katie Botkin
Katie Botkin is a freelance writer and the managing editor...
Now You’re Talking
REVIEW
Now You're Talking
The history of voice has a few interesting cross-cultural implications
By Katie Botkin
In Now You’re Talking, professor of acoustic engineering Trevor Cox weaves...
Top 10 Worst Localization Influencers
Nimdzi's top localization influencers list has garnered a lot of online debate and commentary over the past few weeks. Who's on it? Who's not...
Federal police presence in Portland highlights fragmented American cultures
Portland, Oregon, is known for its bicycle culture, its book culture, and its general funkiness. It has a reputation among many of its residents...
Featuring translators into the new year
Translation, of course, is the life blood of global commerce and what we do. We acknowledge it, but don't always actually feature translators when we talk about globalization. However, Move the World with Words, a coffee table book featuring translators from around the world is out from Smartling, and I like that they've chosen to showcase these linguists in their brand strategy both online and offline.
Localizing for holidays in a changing world
Something we don’t talk a lot about when we talk about localization is keeping up with changing cultural ideology. Thanksgiving is a prime example. Held the fourth Thursday of November every year in the United States, this year the holiday is celebrated tomorrow, and the days surrounding it are often treated as holidays as well.
Nyepi and global internet
The entire island of Bali, Indonesia, grinds to a halt one day a year. It is Nyepi, the Balinese New Year, a Hindu holiday and the national day of silence and self-reflection.
Localization and Mobile in Asia
It’s happened: the most populous country in the world has almost reached peak smartphone saturation among internet users. 788 million people are mobile users, a whopping 98 percent of the country’s total user base,” Statista notes. This “illustrates just how efficient China has proven at rolling out network coverage as well as how mobile technology has become an indispensable facet of everyday life in the country.”
Moravia and new directions
Common Sense Advisory had an insightful post about Moravia's recent change in ownership to now-majority shareholder Clarion and influx of $100 million in revenue.