Web Localization

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Web Localization

• Online Document Translation

Source Fernando Delgado
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Web Localization

• Web Sites often need to
• Target different non-English speaking users.
• Provide information which is region-specific.
• Adapt content for cultural context.
• Localization
• Translation and cultural adaptation of website
  content, architecture and functionality.

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Issues in Localization

• Business Requirements
• Translation Solutions
• (Language) User Expectations

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Business Requirements

• Organizations need
• An efficient way to obtain and update document
  translations.
• A consistent document format/style across
  languages.
• A standardized business vocabulary.
• A localization effort that is tailored to the
  target market/audience.
• Solutions
• Language-specific glossaries for terminology.
• Document templates to be used across languages.
• Regional and dialect-sensitive translation
  efforts by specialists.
• Regionally-appealing graphics/format.

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Business Requirements

• Key Questions
• Is localization of content purely a linguistic
  problem, or do graphics/content have to be
  localized?
• How linguistically diverse is the target
  audience?
• Is this a one-time translation need, or a
  continuing, evolving project component?
• Is the content of translation specialist in
  nature, or general?
• What is the rhetorical style of the content for
  translation?
• What are the pros and cons of available
  translation solutions?

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Translation Methods

• Machine Translation
• Translation Memories
• Language Expert

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Translation Methods

• Machine Translation
• Fully automated translation using source and
  target language dictionaries, linguistic parsing
  algorithms and statistical corpuses
• Inexpensive and quick systems are currently
  available online
• MT engines perform well when calibrated and used
  for restricted domains where vocabulary and
  linguistic ambiguity is controlled (e.g.,
  meteorology)
• General MT still in research phase so far no
  products exist for successful general document
  translation
• Of special importance to localization MT engines
  ignore differences between local varieties of
  global languages

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Translation Methods

• 2. Translation Memories
• A type of inter-lingual glossary used by
  professional translators to facilitate the
  translation of standardized documents.
• TMs include ready-made translations for
  frequently encountered words and phrases in a
  given corpus (in tech-speak, strings).
• Translation Memories are easily tailored to
  organization-specific needs.
• Perfect for organizations with few in-house
  translators but large volumes of translation
  requests and/or numerous translation projects.
• Potential Problems
• Expensive to obtain and time-consuming to tailor
  to specific needs.
• Translators need to be trained on software.

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Translation Methods

• 3. Hand Translation
• Old classic bilingual translator/subject expert
  with dictionary.
• Often the best choice for specific, complex
  translation projects.
• Translation can be fine-tuned for very specific
  audiences.
• Potential Problems
• Bilingual translators with subject expertise may
  be hard to find.
• Translation talent demands a high hourly wage
  especially for non-western languages.

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Web Localization

• Translation reality
• Few web localization efforts only use machine
  translation.
• Most use a combination of tools to make websites
• My specific experience with web localization
• Aided in the localization/translation of an HR
  training site for Aon Services Corporation in
  order to accommodate training needs for Mexico
  City, Bogota and Buenos Aires offices.
• Assisted in the localization/translation of HR
  online surveys into European French and Latin
  American Spanish.
• Intranet/Content Development Emphasis

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Language User Expectations

• Web site users want
• Content written in the their specific variety of
  the language spoken.
• Content written in naturalistic language.
• Web site users dislike
• Obvious machine translations of content.
• Reading non-local varieties of native language.
• Attitudes towards web site will suffer if above
  holds.

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Language User Expectations

• Hispanophone example
• In formal writing, there are substantial
  grammatical and vocabulary differences between
  Peninsular (European) Spanish and Latin American
  Spanish that need to be respected in online
  content translation.
• For more formal writing online, there is
  theoretically no difference between Mexican and
  Argentinian Spanish.
• In less formal writing however, Latin American
  Spanish breaks down into several different
  categories with different preferred vocabularies
  and rhetorical styles (akin to the difference
  between Australian and American English).

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Language User Expectations

• Conflicting requirements
• Some want each word in document to be in local
  language.
• Some use English terms for tech and business
  jargon and find translations of these terms
  awkward (e.g. website , framework, etc.).
• Some international businesses have key words (or
  acronyms) that should not be translated in
  intranet sites since they form part of company
  culture.
• Questions to ask
• Is the user group composed of young
  English-speaking professionals?
• Is the user group composed of traditionalists who
  are anti-Americanization?
• What language is appropriate for mixed audiences?
• Are there company-specific constraints/rules to
  be followed?

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Web Translation

• Strategies Knowing the target audience is key!
• Dont assume any knowledge of English on the part
  of web users.
• Use local journalistic convention and rhetorical
  styles.
• Dont forget translation is for website online
  language may differ.
• Think beyond national varieties of language.
• The social, educational and professional class of
  audience may have distinctive online way of
  communicating.