2024-01-05
by Pisana Ferrari

“cApStAn at a scale”, Jan Denys, CEO, and Steve Dept, Founding Partner

No comparative surveys without comparable data Twenty-four years ago, cApStAn started developing, testing, fine-tuning and implementing methods to ensure comparability between different language versions of tests and questionnaires. That was our core activity and it still is. Tests and questionnaires are measurement instruments. They measure knowledge, skills, attitudes, trends, or opinions. They link data points …

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2023-12-18
by Pisana Ferrari

“Navigating the Seas of Linguistic Quality: A Chronicle of cApStAn’s 22-Year Odyssey” 

I am Andrea Ferrari, an Italian national, born in Peru. I was exposed to a multicultural environment from early on, living and studying in Canada, Italy, Australia, Greece, and Belgium. I earned a degree in Business Engineering from the Solvay Business School, Brussels, did a stint with a major multinational (Procter & Gamble) but switched …

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2023-12-13
by Pisana Ferrari

Steve Dept, Founding Partner of cApStAn LQC, is the new Chair of the ITC Membership Committee

We are thrilled to share the exciting news that on Thursday 7 December 2023, cApStAn Founding Partner Steve Dept took over the responsibility of chairing the International Test Commission (ITC)’s Membership Committee. Steve will take over this role from Peter McQueen. The role involves recruiting and retaining members, but also assisting in capacity-building activities through …

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2023-11-20
by Pisana Ferrari

“What it takes to build a boutique language solutions provider: a cApStAn founder nails it”

Founders of boutique language solution providers are often overrated and cApStAn is a case in point in this regard. I am Steve Dept, a linguist by training—though not a translator—and a polyglot, initially because my parents travelled a lot: before the end of secondary school, I had attended 14 schools in 4 different languages. While attending German …

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2023-10-09
by Pisana Ferrari

I.C.E. Exchange coming up soon! Visit us at booth #229

If you are attending the I.C.E. Exchange 2023 in Colorado Springs, USA, we shall be delighted to welcome you at our booth (# 229) for a chat with cApStAn Founding Partner and Head of Strategic Partnerships Steve Dept, Business Development and Marketing Lead Devasmita Ghosh, and Project Manager Nela Manojlovic. For over two decades, cApStAn has been involved in translation …

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2023-06-21
by Pisana Ferrari

Currently recruiting: Language Industry Technical Solutions and Innovation Manager

Technical solutions and innovations manager cApStAn is a high-profile language service provider with a holistic approach to multilingual projects: this ranges from translatability assessments to preparation of glossaries and translation guidelines, to delivering translations that are fit for purpose. We specialize in translation and adaptation of data collection instruments (assessments, questionnaires, simulation exercises, psychological tests). …

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2023-06-20
by Pisana Ferrari

Multilingual Skills Assessment Translation series, part 4: Maximising fairness, reliability, and validity in multilingual tests after translation

This is the 4th issue in our “Multilingual Skills Assessment Translation series”. The primary objective of this series is to provide a comprehensive illustration of the complexities inherent in test translation. By doing so, we aim to underscore the immense value derived from establishing a robust linguistic quality assurance design. This episode takes a closer …

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2023-06-16
by Pisana Ferrari

Introducing the Translation and Adaptation Chapter of the ITC/ATP Guidelines for Technology-Based Assessment

This article by Steve Dept, Founding Partner of cApStAn, was originally published on the ATP Global website and is part of a series supporting the ITC/ATP Guidelines for Technology-based Assessment. The article can be downloaded at this link The myth that a well-crafted test with robust psychometric properties is, in theory, always portable across languages …

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2023-06-13
by Pisana Ferrari

Multilingual Skills Assessment Translation Series, Episode 3: Empowering Translators with Translation Technology and Support

Welcome to the third episode of our “Multilingual Skills Assessment Translation Series”. The primary objective of this series is to provide a comprehensive illustration of the complexities inherent in test translation. By doing so, we aim to underscore the immense value derived from establishing a robust linguistic quality assurance design. In this episode our translation …

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2023-06-06
by Pisana Ferrari

Multilingual Skills Assessment Translation Series, Episode 2: Unveiling the Secrets of Pre-Translation Preparations

Welcome to the second episode of our “Multilingual Skills Assessment Translation Series”. The primary objective of this series is to provide a comprehensive illustration of the complexities inherent in test translation. By doing so, we aim to underscore the immense value derived from establishing a robust linguistic quality assurance design. In this episode, we unveil …

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2023-05-30
by Pisana Ferrari

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Bias Reduction: DEI-BR Analysis and Adjustment of survey questions

Awareness of diversity, equity, inclusion and bias reduction (DEI-BR) in surveys is growing, becoming increasingly indispensable as it ensures the reliability of any data collection instrument. cApStAn is a language service provider with a 20+ year experience in partnering with organizations who administer surveys in multiple languages and cultures. Our initial contribution to DEI-BR started …

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2023-05-29
by Pisana Ferrari

Multilingual skills assessment translation series, Episode 1: Unlocking the power of existing translations from a previous test cycle

This is the first episode of an informative series on good practice in skills assessments translation. It is based on cApStAn’s extensive experience in the multilingual assessments on which we have worked with reputable testing organisations. The purpose of the series is to illustrate the complexity of test translation and the added value of a …

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