Aaron Edwards

Tired of your custom plugin and theme translation files getting wiped out every time you use the WordPress auto-updater? Install and activate this plugin and 
WordPress will look for missing translation files in the WP_LANG_DIR where you keep your WordPress translation files.
<h4>UPDATE</h4>
In WordPress 3.8 and greater this plugin’s functionality is included in core. You can put translation files in: 
* Plugins: /wp-content/languages/plugins/textdomain-locale.mo 
* Themes: /wp-content/languages/themes/textdomain-locale.mo
A free plugin by Aaron Edwards of <a href="http://uglyrobot.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">UglyRobot Web Development</a>.

Translation Preserver

A simple plugin that helps preserve your custom plugin translations through auto-updates by allowing you to put them in your WP languages folder.

unclego

Lets you have your backend administration panel in english or any installed language, even if the rest of your blog is translated into another language. Language preferences can be set per user basis in user profile screen.
Tested on MultiSite.
Deals with frontend ajax requests
Notice: 
After release of WordPress 4.7 this plugin is a bit obsolete.
In WordPress 4.7 users are able to select their preferred locale (language) when editing their profile. Plugin add exact same functionality to pre 4.7 WordPress.
I still maintain it for people with outdated WordPress sites. And the plugin is still usefull for sites with outdated plugins that not obey get_user_locale(). 
<a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2016/11/07/user-admin-languages-and-locale-switching-in-4-7/" rel="nofollow ugc">More info</a>

Admin Language Per User

a must have for multilingual sites

Switch your backend administration panel in any installed language per user basis.

Translation Preserver vs Admin Language Per User