Thanks, Translators! The Importance of Translation for Connecting The World

By: Sophia Eakins

Where would the world be without translators? At Lionbridge, we rely on the hard work and dedication of our translators every day.  Everything from video game scripts to instruction manuals to medical labels demand delicately crafted translations. The importance of properly translated content cannot be overstated as it helps connect our world.

For insight into the world of translation, we spoke to someone who spends every day at Lionbridge working with translators. Jean-Patrick Le Bihan started his career as a Lionbridge translator. He is now an integral member of our Community Management team.

Jean-Patrick, is there a story behind that name?

JP: It represents my two nationalities: French on my father’s side, and Irish on my mother’s. Growing up in a bilingual French/English household definitely influenced my love of language and decision to work in the translation industry.

Community Management, what does that role entail?

JP: One important role of Community Management is to act as a welcome committee for our translators. We are their first point of contact and first resource. We help them get acclimated to the world of Lionbridge. I’ve found that even small things – like sending welcome packages – go a long way towards building meaningful relationships with new translators. When I’m not on-boarding new translators, I help with the development of programs including  the Lionbridge job board the Lionbridge Community Portal.

Can you tell us more about the job board?

JP: We use the job board to connect translators with projects. It is especially helpful in encouraging a new generation of translators to find work. To foster this emerging talent we are optimizing a job board that connects translators to jobs that match their unique interests and skillsets.

You also mentioned the Lionbridge Community Portal, what is the purpose of that?

JP: We want to build a community at Lionbridge. The Community Management team was assembled with the vision of creating a community for our employees and translators. We used to break down our department into different programs for interpreters, testers, etc. Now, we are all in one team. That’s ninety employees, spanning over thirty nationalities – all collaborating and working together.

In addition to being able to connect and share, we are optimizing a service support section. With this feature, translators can log a ticket to be routed to either committee managers, employee support, or Project Management. This is an important medium for translators to give and receive feedback.

One of my favorite additions to the Community Portal is the option to build a profile, including adding a photo. People have a lot of fun with it – you see a lot of pets, friends, family, etc. It’s powerful get to know people through their passion.

Do you think your personal experience as a translator has influenced how you interact with Lionbridge translators?

JP: Definitely. For one, I know translation is arduous, detail-oriented work. Our translators are extremely hard-working people. I do everything I can to make their experience a good one.

What do you see for the future of translation?

JP: There’s no doubt that the translation industry is changing. Chiefly, we can already see development of tech tools and more efficient methods of translation. However, there is always going to be a need for human experts. International Translation Day is about recognizing these invaluable members of our team and the importance of translation for connecting the world.

Want to join Lionbridge on our mission to break barriers and build bridges? Learn more about who we are and sign up to be a Lionbridge translation partner.