web localization - overview / pitfalls / techniques

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WELCOME, SELAMAT DATANG, WILKOMMEN BIENVENUE, BENVENUTO, BIENVENIDOS, VELKOMEN Web Localization

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Page 1: Web Localization - Overview / Pitfalls / Techniques

WELCOME, SELAMAT DATANG, WILKOMMEN BIENVENUE, BENVENUTO, BIENVENIDOS, VELKOMEN

Web Localization

Page 2: Web Localization - Overview / Pitfalls / Techniques

Who, me?

Johan Gozali Web Geek, Localization, Program Management From Indonesia, in Singapore for past 10+ years was with Linden Lab, makers of Second Life now with mig33, Director of Engineering

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Page 3: Web Localization - Overview / Pitfalls / Techniques

Why localize?

Increased Accessibility:

It would take 83 languages to reach 80 percent of all the people in the world, and over 7,000 languages to reach everyone. (Common Sense Advisory, Evolution and Revolution in Translation Management, 2008)

Increased Relevancy:• Content that is relevant for me• Events that are happening near me• Finding other people like me (who can speak my language and understand me)  

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Page 4: Web Localization - Overview / Pitfalls / Techniques

Why localize for the web ?

• Same reasons: improved accessibility & relevancy

• Supporting statistics:• As of 30 June 2010:• Total Internet Population: 1,966,514,816• English is  536,564,837 (27.28%)• Top 10 Languages of Internet covers 82.2% of total users.• Source: www.internetworldstats.com

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Page 5: Web Localization - Overview / Pitfalls / Techniques

Localization can't be that hard, right?

In Mexico, the Spanish translation for the “Got Milk?” campaign reads “Are you lactating?”

Sign in a Moscow hotel: Ladies requested not to have children in the bar. Pepsi’s “Come Alive with the Pepsi Generation” was translated into “Pepsi Brings Your Ancestors Back From the Grave” in Chinese

… can’t be that hard.  

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Page 6: Web Localization - Overview / Pitfalls / Techniques

Common Pitfalls

• Misunderstanding – thinking that:• localization is just translation (has nothing to do with software engineering)• localization is just about the code/feature/software• localization is easy / cheap / fast

• On average 2000 words per day per translator• Adding more translators does not necessarily improve quality• Translators require good context / background info to translate accurately

• Not having localization process clearly defined• localizability assessment of design / features• linguistic review• QA / test plan does not cover localization

• Maintenance not considered• localized product needs to be maintained too, and this has cost• localization can’t keep up with frequency of update of main product

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Page 7: Web Localization - Overview / Pitfalls / Techniques

A few techniques

• Prioritization via language tiers• Internationalization Framework• Pseudo Localization• Translation Tools

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Page 8: Web Localization - Overview / Pitfalls / Techniques

Prioritization via Language Tiers

Tier-0, Tier-1, Tier-2, ...

Tier-0: language that you naturally develop in (i.e. English for some of us, but it could be Chinese for a company in China, or Japanese for a company in Japan)

Tier-1: languages of your primary markets, that are important for your revenue and growth. We may want to sim-ship (simultaneous ship)

Tier-2: secondary / option markets

Tier-3: rest of world

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Page 9: Web Localization - Overview / Pitfalls / Techniques

Internationalization (i18n)

• Preparation for localization

• Key Idea: ensuring that all aspects of software can be localized to any language without significant engineering work

• Aspects of Localization:• User Interface Text (text expansion / truncation, hard breaks)• Messages (error / system notifications / email messages / etc )• Formatting (numbers, dates, money, punctuations)• Input validation• Grammar, plurals, and positioning of variables in translatable text• Character Sets (UTF-8)

• is mainly an engineering driven effort

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Page 10: Web Localization - Overview / Pitfalls / Techniques

Pseudo localization

Goal: to detect i18n bugs early, before translation starts.

Key Idea: provide dummy (pseudo) translations

Test For:• Display of character sets• Breakage of layout• Text expansion / truncation

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Page 11: Web Localization - Overview / Pitfalls / Techniques

Translation Tools

Goal: improve quality and scalability of your translations

• Translation Memory (Computer Assisted Translations)• keeps commonly used translation in ‘memory’ & perform automatic translations• helps maintain consistency • integrates with software l10n /i18n framework used for import/export of text

• Style Guide• who is your target audience?• should the tone be formal or informal?, corporate or casual ?

• Translation Dictionary• Helps when a new product is developed and can’t leverage on Translation Memory• Defines key terminologies that are new• Defines what should / should not be translated?

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Page 12: Web Localization - Overview / Pitfalls / Techniques

TERIMA KASIH, DANKE, MERCI, TAKK, GRACIAS, OBRIGADO, GRAZIE, ARIGATO GOZAIMASHITA

Thank You

[email protected]