Language localization (from the Latin. Locus - place) - translation and cultural adaptation of the product to the characteristics of a particular country, region or group of population. Moreover, the "product" means any product or service. Localization is the second phase in the framework of the overall process of internationalization and localization. It also provides a comprehensive study of the target culture, necessary for the correct adaptation of the product to the needs of individual markets.
Often, the localization process comes down to the translation and cultural adaptation of software , video games or websites . Much less often this term is applied to the translation of texts, which, however, also implies cultural adaptation. Localization of the product can be carried out not only in countries and regions where the population speaks a foreign language, but also in cases where the language remains the same, for example, different dialects of Spanish in Spain and Latin America , in which idiomatic expressions differ. Similarly, the choice of idiomatic expressions can vary in different countries where English is the official language ( United States , United Kingdom or the Philippines ).
For localization, the abbreviation L10N is sometimes used (in which L is the first letter, 10 missing letters and N is the last letter).
Content
General process: internationalization, globalization and localization
At the core of internationalization, globalization and localization are two main technical processes.
(material from the LISA website.) [1]
The first step is internationalization. It covers the planning and preparation stage of the project, during which it adapts to the international market. The goal is to destroy all cultural characteristics so that the product can easily adapt to any language environment or country. If regional features have not been completely removed at the initial stage, this should be corrected during localization, which will lead to additional time and cost. In some cases, a product that has not been globalized cannot be localized.
At the second stage, the product is directly adapted to a specific market. In accordance with the classification proposed by the Localization Industry Standards Association or LISA, localization includes the following aspects: linguistic, physical, business, cultural and technical. At the end of this stage, testing is carried out to verify compliance with quality standards to ensure that the product works correctly and meets customer expectations.
According to the definition proposed by LISA, globalization “may be better represented as a cycle than as a linear process” [1] . To globalize means to think in advance about the project and methods of product promotion, taking into account a multinational audience, to avoid increasing costs and quality problems, as well as save time and reduce the amount of effort spent on localization in each country and region. Localization is an integral part of the overall process of globalization.
Translation and localization
Localization is often viewed as a “high level translation”, but it does not reflect the importance and complexity of this process, as well as all that it includes. Although it is sometimes difficult to draw the line between translation and localization, in general, localization is carried out largely for extra-textual components of a product or service, but if localization is still necessary, then this concept is broader than the concept of "translation". In addition to translation (i.e., grammar and spelling , which vary depending on the country and place where the same language is used), the localization process may include the adaptation of the graphic component, currency symbols , the format of dates , addresses and telephone numbers, choice of colors for many other details, including the revision of the physical structure of the product. The concepts of "translation" and "localization" can also exist separately from each other.
All these changes are carried out with the aim, firstly, to identify sensitive differences and avoid possible conflicts with the local culture and population and, secondly, to penetrate the local market, adapting to local needs. For example, as a result of localization, the website of the same company may be adapted to a specific country, or the editions of the same book may differ depending on the place of publication.
Globalization and localization
Considering that localization is the process of adapting a product to a specific environment, globalization models the product so as to minimize additional work on its localization. Suppose that someone works for a company that until this moment worked only in the United States. This company opens a main office in China and needs a website in Chinese . It offers the same product, with minor changes, in both countries, but it is possible that some elements present on the original site may seem offensive or cause discontent among the Chinese people, such as the use of flags, colors or national symbols, sounds. Therefore, the company may lose part of the market due to minor details of the presentation.
Moreover, companies need to adapt the product to the needs of new customers, the best example of which is computer games [2] [3] .
Now suppose the company opens offices in a dozen countries and needs to adapt its website to the needs of all these countries. Before deciding how to localize the site and product in each of these countries, a professional in this field should suggest that the company develop a common strategy: globalize the management of the company’s affairs. A company may decide to create a structure that organizes and supports a global strategy. This will provide a unified guide for 12 separate localized offices.
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 What is Globalization? (inaccessible link) . LISA . Romainmôtier, Switzerland: Localization Industry Standards Association. The appeal date is September 6, 2010. Archived March 24, 2008.
- ↑ Chandler, Heather Maxwell (October / November 2008). "Practical skills for video game translators". MultiLingual (Sandpoint, Idaho: MultiLingual Computing)
- ↑ Crosignani, Simone; Ballista, Andrea; Minazzi, Fabio (October / November 2008). "Preserving the spell in games localization." MultiLingual (Sandpoint, Idaho: MultiLingual Computing).