Peer to Peer Magazine

March 2012

The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association

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ask the vendor We've Got Connections! ILTA's Connected Community is the doorway to a wealth of information. In addition to our very popular e-groups (for ILTA members only), the forum provides snapshots of recent publications, events and job postings. You'll see our bloggers active on the space, and you can utilize any number of social networking tools to get you connected to your ILTA peers! The Connected Communities are going mobile soon – watch for announcements! Get connected today connect.iltanet.org So what is an IT department supposed to do? Visit. Listen. Don't assume. And don't take a cookie-cutter approach unless it is absolutely required and you know it will work. The rollout plans and desktop upgrades may be absolutely perfect for domestic offices but not for the foreign ones. All those forms and macros might not be needed in the foreign office, yet they require a level of support and customization that is not readily available. Think in terms of a pool of remote users who all happen to work in one place. Peel back everything that is unnecessary and provide what is needed in the simplest, most self-sufficient way possible. Language, Language, Language name. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sue Pasfield company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Capensys website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.capensys.com We offer the following advice to firms with international support needs: • Have Classroom Trainers Who Speak the Language: Delivering training in the local language encourages optimal user reaction to a new system. Ideally, the trainer would be a native speaker. If a trainer only has limited fluency in the target language, he/she can deliver the training in English and understand any questions when asked in the local language. This makes it easier for the trainees to ask questions and relaxes the class. If in doubt, arrange for an informal interview with key staff from the local office to see if the level of language skills provided by the trainer will be acceptable. • Provide E-Learning and Quick References in the Target Language: Provide any e-learning and quick reference guides in the target language (at least for your main offices). The translation should be done by someone who is a native speaker. It should be someone who knows IT and has experience working with law firms. You may have an inhouse translation team that is great at translating points of law, but they might not have the right vocabulary for translating IT training. When choosing a voice to do audio recordings, check with the native speakers to ensure the accent is acceptable and that it is not irritating to the local ears. People can be sensitive about accents. • Plan Your Design To Accommodate Language Translation Differences: When designing or purchasing an e-learning module, make sure that you have enough space to accommodate the material when translated. For example, German can run 25 percent longer than English. E-learning modules where the training instructions are presented in vertical panels works very well, as these allow for easy expansion of text. 22 Peer to Peer

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