Posted on Wed, Mar 10, 2010
BLOG POST BY: Vanny, Quote Manager for the Translation division
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Translation can be a costly endeavor especially when translating into multiple languages. To help our clients maximum their budget without sacrificing quality translation, we provide cost-effective solutions to meet their needs. I want to share just a few best practices that will help you better plan and budget for your translation project.
Write With an International Audience in Mind from the Start
If you anticipate your document being translated in the future, plan for it now. Write your English copy with an international audience in mind. Remember that many English words can have more than one meaning. It is also important to clearly identify your target audience. Are there certain reading levels, literacy issues, industry specific terminology, possible regional dialects that need to be addressed? To that end, make sure that your message is conveyed clearly, without any abstract ideas, colloquialisms, or culturally sensitive material that may pose an extra challenge for your translation team. Also, proofread carefully to make sure all English (or source) grammar is correct.
The concept of writing with an international audience in mind may also apply to the layout of your document. For most languages, the text may expand up to 30% when translating from English into the target language. Also, some languages such as Arabic and Farsi have a right-to-left text orientation, or require special fonts that may require more space. If the English layout is not designed to accommodate text growth or special fonts, this may drive up the formatting cost to fix. Many common layout issues can be avoided if the designer plans ahead and is aware of the issues involved when laying out a document intended for translation. Visit our DTP Best Practices for more.
Develop Pre-Translation Tools: Standard Glossary & Style Guide Development
For projects with a high volume word count and are complex in overall project scope, we recommend developing a standard glossary and style guide to help ensure consistency. These pre-translation tools will help save money and time for subsequent projects that may require updating or new translation.
A translation glossary is a reference for proper terminology. It helps eliminate the guess work on how to translate terms that are specific to your industry or business, or just to adhere to stylistic preferences. If there is terminology within your organization that needs to be standardized or translated in a certain way, this should be addressed before any translation work begins.
A style guide is a set of rules to help determined the tone of translations, visual and textual style, reading levels, fonts, use of metrics, and how to handle linguistic issues such as text expansion, grammar, etc.
Investing the extra money and time upfront to develop these translation tools can help you in the long run. Most importantly, these tools ensure that you will receive quality and consistent translation on budget and on time!
If you would like to learn more about other cost saving tips, feel free to email us at blog@ctslanguagelink.com or check back in with our blog for more to come!
Talk to you soon,
Vanny
Posted on Wed, Feb 17, 2010
BLOG POST BY: Keri, DTP specialist
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I've learned some things about global communication since I've been here at CTS. One of the main things--and probably my favorite thing--is that true communication takes forethought, not an afterthought. If you want to be a class-act communicator, you have to think like your target audience, explore their culture, learn how they learn, tailor your message to meet there needs. This is often called cultural adaptation. For instance, if you want to translate your company's training manual into Japanese and Spanish, you may need to make sure that the tone of your English manual will sit as well with your Japanese-speaking collegues as it does with your Spanish-speaking collegues. If not, you may wish to consider re-writing part or all of your manual using a tone your Japanese readers will respect (for something like a training manual, they would use a formal tone).
How much time you are willing to invest in global communication depends largely on your motivation. Are you translating just enough information to, say, comply with government mandates? In that case, your motivation would be pure and simple bare-minimum compliance. Or, are you at the opposite end of the spectrum where you realize that global is where it's at? You are motivated by the realization that there is a very large world out there that needs to know what you know, to be part of what you have to offer.
In our production department here at CTS LanguageLink, we can recognize projects motivated by the former and by the latter. And we would never judge--we want to translate everything for everybody. But it it a breath of fresh air to get a project where it's obvious that the client did their homework and wants to produce materials that will really reach their target audience on all levels. These are the clients we know are motivated by a genuine desire to communicate. And that motivates us to be just a little bit more excited about our jobs.
As a bit of a side note, I've been interested in this level of communication since about a year ago when one of our business partners, Dr. Andrea Edmundson, CEO of eWorldLearning, Inc., gave a presentation here. What her company does is fascinating, and I say that free of charge--this is not a plug in any way. If you are interested in learning more, her company's website is simply www.eworldlearning.com.
You stay classy, communicators.
Comments or questions? Email blog@ctslanguagelink.com
~Keri
Posted on Sun, Feb 14, 2010
BLOG POST BY: Linguistic Resources Department, CTS LanguageLink
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恭喜發財
This Sunday, begins Chinese New Year, often called "Lunar New Year" and is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. Here is a very brief history and explanation of the significance of this holiday and celebration.
THE CHINESE NEW YEAR
The Chinese Lunar New Year is the longest chronological record in history, dating from 2600 BC, when the Emperor Huang Ti introduced the first cycle of the zodiac. Like the Western calendar, the Chinese Lunar Calendar is a yearly one, with the start of the lunar year being based on the cycles of the moon. Therefore, because of this cyclical dating, the beginning of the year can fall anywhere between late January and the middle of February. This year it falls on February 14th.
The Chinese Lunar Calendar names each of the twelve years after an animal. Legend has it that the Lord Buddha summoned all the animals to come to him before he departed from earth. Only twelve came to bid him farewell and as a reward he named a year after each one in the order they arrived. The Chinese believe the animal ruling the year in which a person is born has a profound influence on personality, saying "This is the animal that hides in your heart."
THE YEAR OF THE TIGER
Year of 2010 is the Year of a Golden Tiger, which begins on February 14, 2010 and ends on February 2, 2011. The Tiger is the third sign in the cycle of Chinese Zodiac, which consists of 12 animal signs and is a sign of courage. This fearless and fiery fighter is revered by the ancient Chinese as the sign that wards off the three main disasters of a household: fire, thieves and ghosts. In many Asian cultures, the tiger features as a manifestation of courage, power, passion and royalty.
New Year Greeting:
恭喜發財
Chinese translation:
Wish you prosperity.
May you be happy and prosperous!
Wishing you a prosperous new year!
For more on the Chinese New Year, here are just a couple sites we like:
http://www.theholidayspot.com/chinese_new_year/zodiacs.htm
http://www.history.com/content/chinesenewyear/traditions-and-symbols
Which animal is hiding in your heart?
Questions or comments, email us at blog@ctslanguagelink.com
Posted on Thu, Feb 04, 2010
BLOG POST BY: Andrea, our eLearning specialist, CEO of eWorldLearning, Inc.
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I often tell clients that they need to recognize their own cultural values when they are trying to do business in another country or market to different cultures. In general, I get the ‘yes, we know' response. However, the reality is that, while we may recognize these differences, we don't adapt easily - because of our own cultural values - and subsequently, companies either lose existing customers or completely ignore new market opportunities.
Here's a recent example from the news:
In many non-U.S. countries, there is a strident rivalry among cricket teams. Recently, a well-known American company, Kentucky Fried Chicken, ran an advertisement in Australia showing a "...white Australian cricket fan subduing boisterous black West Indians fans by sharing his fried chicken." In my experience with culture, this was a very clever and appropriate way in which to get the attention of Australian cricket fans...and the fans of KFC. However, when some Americans viewed the ad, they were ‘offended' because they felt it represented a common derogatory stereotype of blacks, based on our history of slavery. Well, that may be the case in the U.S., but such a comparison in Australia was meaningless! See it here: KFC ad
How does this relate to opportunities in other markets?
Here's a prime example that I often encounter:
Training companies want to offer or market their courses (classroom-based or online) internationally. However, they do little or no ‘market research' on what is appropriate or desirable in another country or culture. In addition, they often cluster groups of countries or cultures together as being similar, (i.e., all Asian countries, all Latin American ones, etc.). Either approach is hazardous. For example, consider the leadership traits we extort and value in American leadership courses: Empowerment, achievement, decision-making, and so forth. However, in contrast, some of the most desirable leadership traits in China are holistic thinking, indirectness, and wisdom. How then, will an American leadership course reach a Chinese market? Yes, the Chinese will read your materials and maybe even review a course, because they have a keen interest - academically - on how western leadership practices work. However, the key challenges are:
Will they BUY your course?
Will they LOVE your course?
Will they require all their employees to take it?
Will they ADOPT your techniques?
My challenge is to find the true innovators who recognize an undervalued market by being willing to address - and embrace - cultural differences as opportunities.
If businesses can at least become comfortable with the values of learners in other countries, they can begin to compete in a global market. I am waiting for some elearning or training company to be the first to capture this market! Simple CULTURAL ANALYSIS can show how a course will or will not work for learners in another culture or country...such as knowing whether it's easy for them to understand, if the context is culturally relevant, and so forth. That's why we - eWorld Learning, Inc. - work so closely with CTS LanguageLink. In addition to translation and localization, we offer CULTURAL AUDITS of any educational materials destined for another country or culture. We review courses, materials, manuals, etc. from the perspective of instructional design to the media used (sound, audio, images) to the types of learner assessment techniques used. All of these aspects of teaching and training are different in other countries and cultures.
My question is: "What can we do to convince American companies that addressing cultural differences in learning is critical - to their success as businesses and to the success of their learners?" Hope to hear from you soon.
More questions or comments on this subject? Email us at blog@ctslanguagelink.com
Regards, Andrea
Posted on Tue, Feb 02, 2010
BLOG POST BY: Pam, our Chief Operations Officer
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As a language services company, clients frequently ask us to provide "certified" interpreters and/or translators for specific projects and languages. Many times, it's obvious that the client has heard the term "certified," but may not fully comprehend what this means or the limitations of such.
My first blog in this series will focus on translator certification programs, while the second will address interpreter certification. But first, a basic definition of the difference between the work of an interpreter versus that of a translator for, although the terms are often used interchangeably, there is a significant difference in the skill set required for each.
Translation: A translator's skill set is with the written word and being able to capture the essence of a source language document and communicate its meaning in the target language, using that language's rules, spelling and sentence structure. Typically, translator certification exams focus on a translator's comprehension of the source language text, translation techniques, and writing skills in the target language.
Interpretation: An interpreter works with the spoken word, transferring speech from a source language into a target language. Typically, interpreter certification exams focus on an interpreter's ability to hear, analyze and faithfully render meaning from one language to another using the oral, rather than written, mode of communication.
Unlike many other professions such as lawyers, doctors, and architects, there is not an official national or board exam professional translators must pass in order to become "certified". However, linguists may pursue certification through state programs, translation associations, or colleges and universities. Bear in mind that certification may be limited to certain language pairs as illustrated in the programs below. That said, finding a "certified" translator for some languages may be impossible due to the limited certification programs in place.
Translator Certification Programs: The premier translator certification program in the United States is administered through the American Translators Association (ATA). Currently, the ATA only certifies the following language pairs:
From English Into English
Chinese Arabic
Croatian Croatian
Dutch Danish
Finnish Dutch
French French
German German
Hungarian Hungarian
Italian Italian
Japanese Japanese
Polish Polish
Portuguese Portuguese
Russian Russian
Spanish Spanish
Ukrainian
Other organizations, such as the State of Washington Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) and the Canadian Translators, Terminologists and Interpreters Council (CTTIC) also administer certification exams in a limited number of languages. For example, Washington State DSHS offers translator certification from English into Cambodian, Chinese, Korean, Laotian, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
Additionally, some colleges and universities, such as the Monterey Institute of International Studies, offer degree programs in translation and interpretation. Others, such as New York University (NYU), offer actual translator certification. Again, these programs are only offered in a limited number of languages. For example, NYU provides translator certification in the following language pairs:
From English to: French, Portguese, Spanish
Into English from: Arabic, French, German, Spanish
The conclusion to be drawn from all of this is that, for some languages, such as Spanish, translator certification programs are available through many different avenues and there is a wealth of certified translators with expertise in various subject matter areas. For the majority of language pairs, such as English into Farsi or Hindi or Somali, there is no US-based translator certification program available.
Those clients who request translator "certification" for these types of language pairs are virtually asking for the impossible. In these circumstances it is far better to rely on the language services company to find a qualified, professional translator with expertise in the subject matter area than to insist that the agency find a "certified" translator.
If you have any questions, send me an email at blog@ctslanguagelink.com
Until next time,
Pam
Posted on Tue, Dec 22, 2009
BLOG POST BY: Vanny, Quote Manager, Translation Division
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As Quote Manager for the translation services division, I talk to many customers throughout the day about their new document or website translation and localization projects. I educate our clients and prospects on the process and consult with them to provide the most cost effective solutions. In some cases for those who are new to working with languages, it may be a bit daunting how involved the process can be.
Based on my experience working at CTS LanguageLink, it is commonly assumed by those new to translation that it is simply a task of translating text in a given file and turning around a foreign copy. As I've learned in my time here, there is much more to the process of translation then simply translating the written text.
There are so many variables to consider such as text expansion, context, formatting, font issues, file format (Portable Document Format file versus native file), etc., all of which has to be taken into consideration when putting together an accurate translation quote.
All of this brings me to today's topic, why native files are needed (and preferred) for translation and are much more time and cost efficient to work with from the get go.
Oftentimes I receive a Portable Document Format (PDF) file for a quote request, which will suffice for the purpose of quoting. But in order to complete the translation project, the native file is required before any translation can begin. Simply put, Portable Document Format (PDF) files are viewable and printable on any platform and are not "live" files, which makes it very limiting to complete any text and formatting modifications, edits or changes. With that said, PDF files are not feasible for translation; however, the native "live" file, that the PDF file was created from, will allow for text and formatting modifications, edits or changes. Therefore, it is always best, and will at some point be required, to work with the source or native files for translation.
Here are my Top 5 cost benefits for providing native files from the start:
1) Providing native files will save time and budget from having to recreate the English template for translation.
2) It makes it easier to tackle the formatting challenges that text expansion, double-byte languages, left-to-right languages, embedded graphics may pose. Without seeing how files and graphics have been created and built in the source layout program (In Design, Quark, Pagemaker, Illustrator etc. ), we are not able to accurately quote the formatting time required.
3) An accurate word count performed by our translation memory TM software program can only be done with native files. Our TM will identify repetitive text within a document, which a discounted leverage text rate can be applied to.
4) The TM will develop a "memory" of units of text already translated for subsequent or updates projects. This translates (no pun intended) into minor revision costs and leverage text rates.
5) Time savings can be significant. Often we are waiting on files to get a project started. When native files are actually made available, the project scope may have changed significantly compared to the "ballpark" estimate.
These are only a few cost saving tips to help you maximize your budget. Stay tuned for more cost saving tips for your translation projects! Just remember that the native files are the best format for quoting and translation, with the PDF just for reference. ~ Vanny
More questions? Email me at blog@ctslanguagelink.com
For more information about our Translation process, visit: http://www.ctslanguagelink.com/translation_process.php
Posted on Tue, Dec 15, 2009
BLOG POST BY: Sarah, Interpretation Division Manager
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IVR is a technology widely used throughout the telecom industry. What does it stand for and what does it mean? How does it help or hinder? This blog article is intended to help explain how IVR technology is used in the telephonic interpretation setting, and why it has become a preferred solution for many customers.
IVR stands for Interactive Voice Response
Wikipedia Definition: Interactive Voice Response(IVR) product, interactive technology that allows a computer to detect voice and keypad inputs. IVR technology is used extensively in telecommunications. IVR allows customers to access a company's database via a telephone touch tone keypad or by speech recognition, after which they can service their own inquiries by following the instructions. IVR systems can respond with pre-recorded or dynamically generated audio to further direct users on how to proceed. IVR systems can be used to control almost any function where the interface can be broken down into a series of simple menu choices. In telecommunications applications, IVR systems generally scale well to handle large call volumes.
You're probably already all too familiar with this technology. When you call your bank, the electric company, your credit card company, your airline carrier, the list goes on and on... you are rarely connected to a live operator without first listening to a number of phone "prompts". This can be very frustrating while you keep hitting "0" over and over again until you either finally reach a live operator, who cannot help you because you didn't select the correct prompt, or you get disconnected. Although IVR systems can be frustrating in many instances to the end user, there are applications in which it is extremely beneficial, and if used properly, can save precious time and money.
Here's how this technology is applied in the telephonic interpretation setting:
The CTS LanguageLink IVR system allows a telephonic or over-the-phone interpretation customer to automatically select the language desired for a telephone interpretation call, then is connected immediately to an interpreter without any interaction with a live attendant. So, for our customers with very high volume requests, this feature is very appealing, as it helps manage call volume in a much more efficient manner. Faster connect time to an interpreter means better service to the limited English proficient (LEP), or non-English speaking end client.
Implementation of an IVR solution reduces the amount of time required by the user or customer in two vital areas: 1. Bypassing the call center queue and avoid the wait for a live attendant has shaved on average 8 seconds per call. 2. Connect time to the interpreter is even faster, on average by 2 seconds per call.
In addition, the gathering of customized data for billing and reporting is more accurate as the IVR does not make clerical errors as the account information is entered directly in to our database.
We continue to add more customers to the IVR solution for their ongoing interpretation needs, as this has quickly become the preferred solution as it's very simple and easy to set up and utilize, and the benefits are quick to outweigh any initial doubts or hesitation that a new customer may have.
For more information about IVR use for telephonic interpretation, contact me at blog@ctslanguagelink.com
~Sarah
Posted on Mon, Dec 07, 2009
BLOG POST BY: Kara, Director of Marketing
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With the holiday season well under way, it's always a nice time to reflect on the year and take time to appreciate those in our lives, both personally and professionally. It's been a tough year for many of us and here at CTS we're all thankful we've been able to weather this tough economic storm fairly well. We feel very lucky to have such a strong and loyal customer base that have helped us get through some rather challenging times. We are hopeful that your organization and/or business will flourish in 2010. We are looking forward to a bright new year ahead!
In the past, we‘ve received referrals for new clients which we have relied on to help grow our business. We haven't had a formal "customer appreciation program" until recently. With our 20th anniversary fast approaching in 2011, we're planning to launch some innovative programs and initiatives. We want to make sure that our referrers understand how much we value the power of their testimonials. That is, after all, the best kind of advertising a company can ask for. So, as part of our new customer appreciation program, we're very proud to launch our referral program. We hope you will enjoy it!
It's pretty simple:
- All current and former customers are eligible. Or, if we haven't done business with you yet, you can also earn a gift card.
- All freelance contractors, business partners, and vendors are eligible.
- For every referral that results in a new customer relationship, the referrer will receive a $25 gift card of choice.
Also, there is no limit on the number of gift cards you can receive. So, enjoy free shopping on us, and have fun with this! ~Kara
If you want more details, contact us, or email us at blog@ctslanguagelink.com
More information about this program is posted on our website.
Posted on Tue, Nov 17, 2009
BLOG POST BY: Keri, DTP specialist
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It's hard to explain to people what I do for a living. Possible explanations:
I do desktop publishing.
I'm a graphic designer.
I'm a layout artist.
I'm a formatter.
But I don't feel like any of these answers are satisfactory. 1) No average Joe knows what desktop publishing is. 2) I manipulate graphics all the time, but I'm not a designer (I primarily only work with projects other people have designed). 3) I told one girl I was a layout artist (which really is my title), and she said, "Oh, so you, like, lay out while you paint or something?" And 4) the term "formatter" just sounds super bland.
Here's the long explanation for what I really do-and I'm happy to explain it to you because it's awesome. I work in the Production department at CTS LanguageLink. No, I don't speak any other languages, but hey-in an assembly line, the guy who tightens the bolts is just as important as the guy who actually puts on the tire, right? Essentially, I prep files for translation and format the files once they're translated. At this point in a face-to-face explanation, I typically pick up the nearest piece of English literature and point out the obvious, "See how this is in English? Let's say you wanted it translated into Russian but you still want it to look exactly like the English. Somebody has to do that. And that's what I do. I take translated text and format it to look like the original."
Still sounds boring to you? Well, the whole process is just a means to an end really-the end being that I get to be part of global communication on a daily basis. GLOBAL COMMUNICATION. How many people get to go to work and have that far reaching of an affect?
Though it may sound a bit tedious, let me tell you about the process anyway.
So it starts out like this: we get a project from a client who wants a file translated into some language. (Did I mention that in my 3 years here I've learned of more languages than I ever knew existed? The possibilities for translation are seemingly endless!) The project manager brings it to Production where we prep it for translation. Sometimes the prep stage goes quickly; sometimes it's rather drawn out or complicated. For instance, if I'm prepping an InDesign file, I have to make sure that the file-no matter if it's a 1-page file or a 100-page file-is clean of all extra spaces, extra tabs, and soft returns and that all the text is properly style-sheeted (if I may use that as a verb). Once the file is scrubbed to exacting standards, I run the file through a program that converts it to a file type that the translator can use. At that point, my work on that particular job is done until the translator sends back the fully translated file.
Then comes my favorite stage of the project-formatting. If I'm going to get to be creative at all, it's in this stage, because it's often a feat of brilliance to be able to fit all the translated text back into the amount of space that the English fit in to. Why is that an issue? Well, because many languages expand as much as 30% from the original English. If the client wants the pagination to match the original document entirely but didn't leave enough white space, I go from formatter to creative problem solver to (sometimes) magician. Can I shrink the font size? Reduce leading? Reduce the margins? Increase column width? Reduce gutter width between columns? Shrink graphics? Delete graphics? And after all that, sometimes the translated text still won't fit, so I have the project manager ask the linguist if there's any way to be any less chatty.
Then after a bit of tweaking here and polishing there, we end up with a finished product the whole team can be proud of-and most importantly, that our client can be proud of.
If you want to get a message out to the world, here are some tips for effective global communication from the Production side of things that I've learned along the way:
1. Keep the design simple. Leave enough white space to accommodate at least a 30% text expansion.
2. Use simple fonts that can handle all the characters of your possible target languages. Or, be prepared to see that we replaced a fancy font for one that does support all the characters (diacritical marks, etc) of your target language.
3. Pick graphics that are culturally appropriate for your target audience.
4. Keep your text free of clichés, puns, proverbs, and expressions that only make sense in English. For instance, "The early bird gets the worm" is a proverb we use in English to mean "whoever gets there first has the best chance of success." However, it's more than likely that your Somalian audience has no such proverb in their culture-so to literally translate that phrase would make no sense at all.
5. Create style sheets with no overrides in your documents whenever possible.
6. Keep all text live in all files (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, etc.). If you must outline text for any reason, be sure to keep a copy of the live text version. Outlined text would have to be rekeyed for translation.
7. As an addendum to #5, do save all your native files. Sometimes we receive a PDF but no native file, so we end up having to rebuild the client's template from scratch.
8. Unlock any password protected files before submitting them for translation.
9. If you decide to do the layout on your own, try to arrange for a proofreader proficient in the language to check on punctuation, line breaks, and to verify the text has been placed properly.
10. Consider cross-platform conversion issues. Use OpenType fonts as much as possible. Most PC fonts do not match Mac fonts. For some languages, it will be easier to find a typesetter who is using a PC to do their work. Also, nearly all of the translators will be using PC fonts, and the fonts they use may not be available in certain combinations of applications and platforms.
There you have it. My job in a large nutshell. I love this industry. And I love the fact that anybody can get involved. There are plenty of things to say, plenty of ways to say it, and plenty of languages to say it in. Don't be shy.
~Keri
Questions? Email me at blog@ctslanguagelink.com
Read more CTS LanguageLink DTP Best Practices here.
Posted on Fri, Nov 06, 2009
BLOG POST BY: Dan, our DIT
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So, you are thinking about going global. All you need to do is translate your website and marketing materials and you are ready to go, right? Unfortunately, it's not that simple. In this article, we will discuss the concepts you should understand before launching off into globalizing your company or localizing your product.
Globalization
Globalization is the adaptation of marketing strategies to regional requirements of all kinds.
Once you decide to go global, you need to understand that there are fundamental differences in cultures that go beyond language. If you don't understand the differences, your marketing campaigns will struggle and ultimately fail.
For example, company "A" manufactures and distributes beer in the United States. The marketing department produces a commercial involving their beer, NFL football players and cheerleaders. In the U.S., men are the highest consumers of beer; they typically follow the NFL and enjoy seeing the cheerleaders promote their favorite football teams. This is a very effective approach.
In an effort to expand their market share, Company "A"'s marketing department has identified Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as an emerging market and they want to be among the first beer suppliers in this region. At first glance, Dubai is a rapidly expanding marketing with a high demand for luxury goods in what appears to be a very westernized city. Can they leverage their marketing efforts in the U.S., specifically the commercial described above, in Dubai? Absolutely not and here's why:
- Product Relevance: While beer is widely consumed in the U.S. and very much a part of our culture, consumption of alcohol in most parts of the Middle East is forbidden. Does this mean you should not try? Maybe, maybe not. Not only is Dubai becoming more commercialized, they are also a popular tourist destination for many people around the world. The government of Dubai may allow consumption of alcohol at hotels and resorts. These questions must be answered before deciding to enter a target market.
- Product Associations: Many people in Dubai may be aware of the NFL in the U.S., but it will more than likely have little to no effect on their decision to buy your product. Are sports an integral part of the culture? Would a person in the target culture relate alcohol and sports together in a positive context?
- Appropriateness: All of us in the U.S. know that cheerleaders wear very little for the purpose of getting the attention of men. By including cheerleaders in the commercial, men will be more likely to watch the commercial from start to finish, instead getting up to use the restroom or changing the channel. Marketing 101, right? In Dubai, women are not allowed to expose themselves to other men, so this tactic may prompt them to change the channel or shun your product all together.
These are just a few pitfalls to consider when Globalizing a product.
Internationalization
Internationalization is the engineering of a product to enable efficient adaptation of that product to local requirements.
If you are a software development company with the intent to internationalize your product, you should consider the following:
- Text Encoding: Is your software Unicode enabled? Have you eliminated the use of legacy encoding schemes that do not support foreign language characters?
- Text Externalization: Is your user interface text externalized to a resource file? Resource files will allow you or your end-users to handle the text translation without looking at a line of source code.
- End User Configuration: Enable the end user to easily select their desired regional or language preferences. For example:
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Dates and time format
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Number format
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Currency
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Collation
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Time Zone
Keeping internationalization in mind at the beginning of the software development life cycle will save you time and money in the long run.
Did you know? Internationalization is commonly referred to as "I18N" where 18 is the number of characters between the "I" and "n" in Internationalization.
Localization
Localization is the process of adapting software and accompanying materials to suit a target-market locale. A common misconception about localization is that is simply involves translating the user interface and documentation from the source to the target language. In almost every case, the process if far more involved. A successful localization project will account for the following:
- Text Expansion: When translating from English to another language, the translated text will expand up to 30% over the original English. How will the user interface elements such as labels, text boxes, and menus handle the expanded text?
- Date Formats: If your content contains dates, what format will you use? For example, how would you interpret the date 1/7/2006? Does it mean July, 1st 2006 or January 7th, 2006?
- What is the first day of the week?
- Length of the year?
- Week number?
- What year is it? For many people, the current year is not 2009.
- Font Orientation: Will the fonts render horizontally or vertically? Is the text read right-to-left or left-to-right?
- Segmentation: In English, we use a space to delimit words, periods to delimit sentences and carriage returns to delimit paragraphs. Keep in mind the segmentation rules for different languages.
- Politics: Maps - in the case of the Middle East, account for who *owns* which regions. For example the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and the Golan Heights may be occupied by the Israelis, the Palestinians or both at any given time.
- Other Potential Issues
- Color Schemes
- Time Zones
- Paper Sizes
- Phone Numbers
- Address Formats
- Temperatures
- Units of Measure
- Collation
Did you know? Localization is commonly referred to as "L10N" where 10 is the number of characters between the "L" and "n" in localization.
Stay tuned for my next blog article, Web sites 101. Until then! Or, you can email me at blog@ctslanguagelink.com
-Dan