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Translation, Localization And Internationalization
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The words translation, localization and
internationalization sound similar and many
people use them interchangeably. However, there
are subtle differences that set them apart from
each other. Understanding them in their context
is important for people and companies that want
to make their business reach a global level. Out
of all the three terms, translation is the
easiest to understand as it basically involves
the conversion of existing text from one language
to another. But the rest two are slightly
different and this blog will help you learn the
similarities and differences between the three.
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Translation

• It is the process where the meaning of a content
  piece is communicated in another language.
  Translation is a very meticulous task and
  requires advanced knowledge of both the source
  and target languages. If it is not done correctly
  or by an inexperienced translator, the output
  might not communicate the appropriate message and
  it could also end up being a word-for-word
  conversion. There are also chances that the
  translation could be confusing, offensive or
  humorous, which could affect the reputation of a
  brand. For example, Arabic as a language has
  several linguistic differences and if the
  translation is not done properly, it could offend
  the target audience. The translation may, at
  times, fail to consider cultural preferences as
  the process strictly follows the text and message
  of the source language. To overcome this issue,
  localization is recommended.

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Localization

• Localization is giving a culturally-appropriate
  feel to the content so that it can suit the
  target audience of the region where it will be
  used and sold. Arabic is the official language
  but it has linguistic differences that vary from
  country to country. It becomes important to know
  the dialect that is spoken in the target region
  or country. For global businesses, their success
  isnt solely dependent on language translation.
  Adapting the content to meet the language
  preferences, and cultural and functional norms
  are very important, which is possible with
  localization. The process involves a
  comprehensive inclusion of regional variants and
  cultural customs. Some other important factors
  include the depiction of time, date, currency,
  phone numbers, etc. For example, red is a very
  powerful color in India and it has several
  meanings, including fear, power and fire. Hand
  gestures in images can be considered offensive in
  certain parts of the world.

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Internationalization 

• Internationalization, also termed as
  globalization by some people, involves design and
  development of an application, product or
  document content that helps the process of
  localization. It addresses issues that may arise
  when a translation is done from a right-to-left
  language to a left-to-right language, different
  currencies and alphabets, language expansion,
  etc. This is done to make the content adaptable
  for the target language. The other essential
  changes that are done during the process of
  internationalization is making illustrations for
  documents where it is easy to change the text in
  another language.

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• Both internationalization and localization have a
  common goal which is globalization. If a business
  develops a product or service and wants to make
  it available in different regions, they are
  trying to globalize their offerings. To
  summarize, localization and internationalization
  are separate functions and the latter involves
  methodologies and practices that help the former.
  They help in creating a better user experience
  for people from different parts of the world.

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THANK YOU

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• or Email us at info_at_dtplabs.com