LATEST ISSUE
April 2025
Regulated Industries: Change and compliance
In this issue, we examine language professionals' role in heavily regulated industries, such as healthcare and law, in which effective communication is paramount, as well as explore the potential effects of Trump’s order instating English as the official language of the United States.
Issue sponsored by TOPPAN Digital LanguagePost Editing
R
egulation isn’t exactly a topic that encourages calm conversation. It might not be the most polarizing of the public issues, but the battle lines between the big business impulse for unconstrained operation and the governmental responsibility for public well-being are clearly drawn.
In March, the United States saw that tension expressed in a relevant issue for the language industry: President Donald Trump’s order instating English as the official language of the United States. The executive order threw into question decades of established policy regarding language access, established by the U.S. Supreme Court to be a constitutionally protected right. Following the announcements, language professionals wondered what it meant for their government contracts. We break down the expert analysis in this month’s cover story.
Then there are the heavily regulated industries in which linguists must abide by strict guidelines to ensure effective communication. From healthcare to law to education, these are industries where insufficient rigor can have catastrophic consequences. Imagine the possible consequences for limited English proficiency (LEP) individuals not understanding the correct dosages and procedures for their medical care; it could literally be a matter of life or death.
Our articles and columns this month explore the regulated industries in detail, from managing the pace of change to using artificial intelligence (AI) without risking compromise. We hope the April edition of MultiLingual magazine provides useful guidance for your work, and as always, we look forward to seeing you again next month.
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Event Recap
ELIA Together 2025
Shaping the future of translation in Barcelona
The European Language Industry Association (ELIA)’s Together 2025 event, held on February 20–21, in Barcelona, Spain, focused on the future of translation, including discussions on AI, automation, and the continued importance of the human element. In one of the workshops, attendees got to try their hand at building their own custom AI assistants.
African Languages in the Digital Age
The 2005 African Languages Conference (AFLC) 2025, under its theme “Harnessing African Languages for Digital Transformation and Social Justice,” aimed to promote and preserve African languages and advance language and digital rights. The conference was held at the University of Port Harcourt during African Languages Week, February 2025.
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PAST TENSE
A Voice Beyond the Microphone
The author discusses the often misunderstood profession of interpreting, focusing on the psychological landscape of interpreters, the pressures they face, and why they may be perceived as difficult, unresponsive, or even arrogant.
Perspectives
Arabic Speakers Deserve High-Quality Machine Translation
Machine translation engines often struggle to produce accurate, consistent, and culturally sensitive output in Arabic. In this article, the author argues for improving the technology through corrective and preventive measures to enhance its efficacy for Arabic.
Successfully Implementing eConsent for Multilingual Clinical Trials
By Melissa May
For clinical trials involving linguistically and culturally diverse patient populations, successful eConsent implementation goes beyond simply digitizing consent forms. A successful implementation strategy includes regulatory compliance, data privacy, and cultural sensitivity.
Regulated Industries
Risk, Regulation, and Managing the Rhythm of Change in Regulated Industries
By Mimi Moore
This author discusses the challenges and complexities of managing change in regulated industries, particularly medical device manufacturing, highlighting the reasons for the perceived slowness of these industries to adapt and emphasizing the need for regulatory scrutiny, risk management, and patient safety.
Embracing AI in Regulated Industries Without Compromising Meaningful Access
By Ryan Foley
Although AI can enhance language services in regulated industries such as healthcare, legal services, government, and education, human expertise remains essential to ensure accuracy, safety, and compliance in critical situations.
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Language Access
Bracing for Impact
Language access in the Trump era
On March 1, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order declaring English the official language of the United States. The author reflects on the degree to which the executive order will reshape language access in the United States and how these changes might affect language service providers.
A Historical Framework of Language Access Rights in the United States
An interview with Michael Mulé
Interview by Deema Jaradat
In this interview, Michael Mulé of the U.S. Department of Justice discusses the historical framework of language access in the United States, common counterarguments, and the use of automatic translation technologies in language access contexts. Interviewee Deema Jaradat provides key takeaways and shares some closing thoughts.
Sponsored Content
The Roadmap to Regulation
TOPPAN Digital Language prepares for EU AI Act implementation
Supported by TOPPAN Digital Language
The EU AI Act aims to establish a safe and regulated market for AI, using a risk-based approach with prohibitions and regulations for different risk categories. Companies need to adapt and prepare for these regulations now, especially regarding high-risk applications.
We Taught AI to Speak Human. Meet Lara.
Supported by Translated
20% higher quality, significantly faster translations, seamless scalability, and remarkable fluency: Translated’s Technology Evangelist Kirti Vashee explains how Lara empowers localization managers as strategic partners in global enterprise initiatives.
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