This episode focuses on best practices for efficient project management, including setting realistic timelines, using translation memory, and providing appropriate source files to ensure accurate estimates and high-quality translations. It also clarifies common terminology and the importance of considering cultural nuances and language dialects.
We also discuss a practical guide for beginners in localization, offered by the language service provider RWS.
Finally, we touch points about a scholarly chapter by Miguel A. Jiménez-Crespo on localization, exploring its evolution from a primarily software-focused process to a broader theoretical paradigm in translation studies.
FAQ: Localization, Internationalization, and Translation
1. What is localization and how does it differ from translation?
Localization (L10n) is the process of adapting a product or content to a specific target market or locale, taking into account linguistic, cultural, and technical considerations. It goes beyond simple translation by making a product feel like it was originally created for that target market. Translation is a component of localization, focusing on the linguistic conversion of text from one language to another, whereas localization involves adapting visual elements, date/time formats, currencies, and more to suit a specific audience.
2. What are globalization and internationalization, and how do they relate to localization?
Globalization refers to the broader business strategy of creating products that can be sold in any market with minimal revisions, focusing on marketing and branding for a global audience. Internationalization is the technical preparation of a product to make it easily adaptable to different markets. It involves designing software and content to handle various languages, character sets, and regional settings. In essence, internationalization is a prerequisite for effective localization, ensuring that a product can be easily adapted to specific locales, contributing to the overall globalization strategy.
3. What are locales and why are they important in localization?
A locale is a combination of a language and a geographical region, with associated cultural implications. Locales are crucial in localization as they determine the specific linguistic and cultural adaptations required for a particular target audience. They encompass not just language but also regional conventions such as date and time formats, currency, number formats, and even color schemes. For example, adapting a product for French in France is different from adapting it for French in Canada, even though they share the same language.
4. What are some key technical considerations in software localization?
Software localization requires a meticulous technical approach. It involves handling double-byte character sets for languages like Japanese, Chinese, and Korean, ensuring that the user interface can accommodate text expansion, adapting date/time and currency formats, and being mindful of different numbering conventions. Proper separation of text strings from the code, using resource and header files, is essential to allow for efficient translation and prevent errors. Additionally, hotkeys and keyboard shortcuts need adjustment to the target language and local standards.
5. How does localization address linguistic variations within the same language?
Localization takes into account different dialects or "flavors" of the same language. For example, Spanish has distinct variations like European Spanish, Latin American Spanish, and Mexican Spanish. Each of these variants has different vocabulary and expressions. Localization should aim for in-country native translators with expert subject knowledge to ensure that the appropriate language dialect is used for the target market.
locallinguists.com
