Communicaid Language Solutions

Language accessibility is a lifeline connecting people to care, justice, and opportunity ⬇️ Just like we don’t question the need for ramps to access buildings, we shouldn’t view language services as optional or charitable. When someone can’t communicate, even temporarily, it’s like facing an invisible barrier that stops them from fully participating in society. The cost of ignoring that barrier is high. In healthcare alone, communication errors waste billions of dollars every year: delays, misdiagnoses, and misunderstandings that harm both people and systems. We shouldn’t view Language access as a cost. It’s an investment in equity, efficiency, and trust. In this clip from my LocDiscussion with Carol Velandia, MBA, CHI, PMP, MSW ⚖️ Founder & CEO of Equal Access Language Services and board member of Vamos Juntos - Association of Language Services of Latin America and the Caribbean she explains why we need to reframe how we see language accessibility. What would change if we all viewed language access as essential infrastructure?

How Africa Is Designing Ahead In Localization 🔥🔥🔥⬇ When we talk about Africa in the language industry, we often default to two narratives: that it’s emerging, and that it needs support. But what if we’ve been framing it all wrong? "Africa has been up and coming for 20 years. We’re done waiting. We want to lead and set the tone for what works." In my conversation with Johan Botha, COO of Folio Online & Folio Translation Consultants and co-founder of the Association of Language Companies in Africa (ALCA), a different narrative came through, one that was grounded not in deficit, but in innovation. One built not on what Africa lacks, but on what it knows. Johan described how African language professionals aren’t waiting for someone else’s tools to fit their realities. They’re designing their own solutions, from mobile-first workflows to small, hyper-specialized language models. Not because it's trendy, but because it’s necessary. That necessity, as it turns out, is a powerful source of invention. More than a frontier to be “developed”, Africa sees itself as a collaborator with its own blueprints. It doesn’t need inclusion for inclusion’s sake. It needs to be seen and engaged with as a co-architect of the multilingual future. That’s why ALCA 2025 in Cape Town is more than just another conference. It’s an invitation to listen to a continent that’s already shaping localization in ways many global players haven’t even imagined. It’s a chance to stop designing for Africa and start designing with Africa. By the way, if you go, make sure to bring a jacket and something warm because August is winter in Cape Town... Check out the full conversation in my article below. If you care about localization, AI, and the future of multilingual technology, I hope you’ll give it a read and share it with someone who needs to hear it. Let’s stop treating African intelligence as an exception. It may just be the future.

Creativity Was Always My First Language…(Localization Came Much Later 🤷🏼)... What’s Yours?🔥🔥🔥⬇️ For over a decade, before I ever set foot in the language industry, I spent my evenings in front of a canvas, immersed in oil paints. But for the longest time, I kept that part of me strictly separated from my professional life. In translation, I led teams, managed workflows, drove strategy…but I didn’t do anything artistic much beyond that. Everything changed about five years ago when I mustered up the courage to start contributing here on LinkedIn. For the first time in my career, I tapped into a part of my brain that had long been dormant in business. I thought there was no place for it and I was dead wrong. I never expected how energizing and joyful it would be to bring some art into my professional life. The BEST things happen when we are true to ourselves. I discovered that being an artist in localization can be a great advantage! We live in a hyper-sterilized world that’s aching for authenticity. Today, I’m more convinced than EVER that social selling, guerrilla marketing, human storytelling, and a bold creative spirit are desperately needed in the localization industry… or in any industry really. And yet… so much of the content put out here feels templated, risk-averse, not very personable…simply “forgettable”…. Why is that? Why Is Localization Marketing So Afraid of Imagination? Why are we so reluctant to show the human side of what we do? I believe our industry has room for more soul, originality, personality… So, what’s your unexpected localization superpower? What essential part of yourself have you yet to bring into your work? Why are you not sharing it with us here? Here’s mine: brush in hand, oil paint on canvas. And yes, that creativity now shapes everything I do in marketing and beyond! Don’t Be Afraid of Who You Really Are! In order to truly shine you have to be your unique self, agreed?

The best translations don’t just carry information: they carry meaning, nuance, and human connection. For a message to resonate it needs to evoke the right emotion. Translating a voice goes beyond just words! That’s how humans have the unique ability to connect through language and emotions. Artificial Intelligence is a fantastic tool, but it can never replace the magic of human touch, wouldn’t you agree? To effectively translate you need to also grasp the context in which a message is delivered. Machines have a tough time doing that because they are not sentient. Because in the end, words don’t just communicate. They make us feel…

Localization is a big part of my life, but she is not my only passion. 🤷🏼🤠⬇️ It’s easy to let LinkedIn become one-dimensional just work, work, and more work. But we’re all more than the sum of our jobs, right? For me, beyond the world of translation and LangOps, I have a deep passion for anything with an engine….especially aviation. Flying in a B-17 was a dream come true, and I couldn’t resist capturing the experience on canvas. Oil painting lets me slow down and see the details in a way that a roaring engine never could. What about you? I know so many of you professionally, but what else makes you tick? What would be the most surprising thing about you?

Even Global Brands End Up Sounding Local 🤩⬇️ Which pronunciation of a familiar brand name has surprised you the most abroad? What works in one language or culture doesn’t always resonate the same way somewhere else. What seems like a universal constant, global car brands, turns into a playful symphony of accents, interpretations, and even entirely different pronunciations. While the laughter in this clip is genuine, the lesson is serious: This simple game highlights a core truth about localization: even the "universal" always has a local touch. • Pronunciation changes meaning. • Familiarity changes perception. • Cultural context changes connection. Our world is increasingly global yet deeply diverse. Getting localization right isn’t just about avoiding missteps; it’s about creating moments of shared understanding and trust. So next time you think, “That brand speaks for itself,” remember this car ride and the laughter.

Remember: You Are Never Alone in Translation 🙏🏻⬇️ Yesterday, a colleague reached out to me for advice on a delicate professional matter. It reminded me just how supportive our language industry truly is, yet I often see many of us hesitant to seek help when it’s needed most. Why is that you think? In a field where most work from home, it’s easy to feel isolated and lose focus amidst distractions. Even without roommates like “Timmy”… The weight of delivering quality work while managing multiple demands can be overwhelming. How do you keep focus? I was grateful to be a sounding board for my colleague and shared with her a simple yet powerful principle: “Count it all joy.” Our challenges, no matter how tough, shape us into something stronger. We talked about the metaphor of a $5 bar of steel. Left as is, it's worth just that—$5. But turn it into horseshoes, and it’s worth $12. Transform it into hypodermic needles, and its value skyrockets to $3,500. And if you craft it into balance springs for fine watches? That same bar is now worth $300,000. So, what changes its value? Heat, pressure, twisting—each step of the process refines it further. The same is true for us. Our trials, the difficulties we face, are what make us more resilient and valuable. The challenges we encounter in our profession aren’t there to break us—they’re refining us. The trials of our faith produce patience. Patience, perseverance, and progress come from the process. Let’s not shy away from reaching out for support when we need it. We’re all in this together, and through the fire, we become invaluable. Keep fighting the good fight Localizrsss! How do you manage to keep focus among the distractions?🤷🏼🤩

It’s a bit counterintuitive: Dieter Runge explains why he believes human interpreters bring many irreplaceable strengths to the table.🔥🔥🔥⬇️ In this LocDiscussion segment, Boostlingo’s co-founder Dieter J Runge touches on the necessity for interpreters to adapt and develop new skills in response to technological advancements, while also reaffirming the enduring value of human qualities in interpreting. "I mean, it's the same as everywhere, right? Like, we're all going to have to upskill over time. But listen, human interpreters bring many irreplaceable strengths to the AI-enhanced environment, right? "Cultural competence—human interpreters understand subtleties of culture, tone, and context that machines struggle to grasp. This is especially important in situations where misinterpretation can have significant or even severe consequences. You know, you take a look at a medical or legal setting—you can't get it wrong. "Interpreters have, to use a term, emotional intelligence. They can read the room; they can read the emotional states of both speakers. As far as I know, there is no AI yet that can do this. I'm never going to say never, but interpreters can read the emotional states of both the speakers and the listeners, and they can adjust the tone and style to match the needs of that situation. This is something that is not yet capable of being done, at least in my understanding—not effectively yet."

Did you know translators read faster than most people? 🔥🔥🔥⬇️ At least, that is what a study from the University of Trieste, Italy claims. Let’s find out: Are you able to follow the pace in the video all the way to the end? If you are, did you know, it is very likely due to your extraordinary language skills… There is evidence that multilingual individuals tend to develop cognitive advantages, including faster reading speeds in their native or dominant language, compared to monolinguals. Incredible, right? Our reading speed in a second language may also improve with extensive use. Translators, especially those who work frequently with specific subject matter, also develop a higher reading speed due to their deep familiarity with the vocabulary and context of the texts they translate. This is sometimes referred to as domain-specific reading. So in case you ever feel “not quite enough” as a linguist, may this be a another reason to illustrate just how amazing you truly are! Today let’s celebrate, the brilliance of linguists and translators – the so often unseen heroes of Localization who bring the world closer together through their skills and cognitive superpowers.

How can we make localization more attractive to buyers? 🔥🔥🔥⬇️ In a recent post, Patrice Dussault, s.a.h., b.a. reminded us that, for too long, translation services have been seen as "cost centers"—a necessary, but often undervalued, part of doing business globally. This narrow view makes traditional language services vulnerable to budget cuts, especially when seen as one-directional broadcasting mechanisms unable to facilitate continuous engagement. It got me thinking: how can localization get recognized better going forward? Taking advantage of new technologies, the language industry has now the opportunity to enable continuous dialogue. Customers might finally have the ability to talk back in whatever language they choose. Unlike traditional translation, LangOps is multidirectional, empowering businesses to optimize customer experience, expand global reach, and drive multilingual engagemen —all while improving operational efficiency. So it might be counterintuitive but the key to make human translators more valuable might well be in some of the AI automation we are going through right now. And LangOps might well be the “Missing Link” to get the recognition localization deserves as the revenue generator we have always been. What do you think?