The Difference Between Translation and Localization for Multilingual Website Projects [Definitions]

The Difference Between Translation and Localization for Multilingual Website Projects [Definitions]

The terms website translation and website localization are often used so interchangeably, it’s not uncommon for marketers and others to be unaware of the differences—or even know that there are any. While the terms and processes share similarities, understanding what sets them apart can do more than just benefit your knowledge of the industry—it can also help you (and your brand) globalize more efficiently and profitably.

To understand the differences, let’s start with some simple definitions:

• Website translation is the process of changing an original (source) language version of web content such as text, multimedia, ebooks, or apps into a different (target) language by simply substituting words from one language to another—in context.

• Website localization is a more specialized process of adapting your web content and applications for regional—or local—consumption. It goes beyond translation to modify the source language and other site elements to appeal to the customer’s cultural preferences in their own target language.

Bridging language barriers or adapting and refining messaging?

With translation, problems of intent and clarity often arise if the source language is left in a primitive, word-to-word state, as can be the case with machine translations that aren’t followed by a professional editing cycle. However, even if a website’s source language is translated by a highly trained linguist, it may still lack the level of cultural and technical nuance required to effectively resonate within a specific locale.

Indeed, the quality and effectiveness of a global website doesn’t simply depend on language translation alone. To help ensure a quality customer experience, the top global brands employ a localization strategy to adapt their online content and deliverables for regional specificity. So if website translation is simply a utility for bridging language barriers, website localization is about refining your message and curating your brand to meet the cultural, functional, and language expectations of your global markets.

Meeting cultural and functional expectations

According to Dr. Nitish Singh, Associate Professor of International Business at St. Louis University, to successfully compete in today’s global economy organizations must adapt—or localize—website and digital media content to clearly resonate with  their international audiences. “From a broad marketing perspective,” says Singh, “localization basically means adapting market offerings to best meet end-user expectations.” (Singh, 2015, pg. 7)*

Expectations may vary by region and industry but they can typically be broken down into two categories: cultural and functional.

Some examples of cultural content include:

• Colors, shapes, sizes, styles
• Images, icons, graphics
• Societal codes; i.e. humor, etiquette, rituals, myths, symbols
• Societal values, power, relationships, beliefs

Some examples of functional content include:

• Date and time formats, telephone numbers, contact information
• Weights, measurements, geographical references
• Language and linguistic content; product descriptions, reviews

Taking a local idea global

Some localization experts not only adapt web content to cater to national or regional market preferences, but may also recreate or “transcreate” advertising and marketing campaign messaging to maximize cultural appeal—and avoid potentially embarrassing or offensive communications.

A current example of transcreation is the “Share a Coke” campaign from Coca-Cola. Since its 2011 Australian launch that featured imprinting one of 150 popular first names on its products (and in promotions across media), it has become a global advertising success. However, it was necessary to modify the execution in some countries.

In China, for example, the campaign uses nicknames (i.e., “Classmate” and “Close Friend”) instead of first names. This approach maintains the campaign’s friendly nature, but avoids crossing an important cultural boundary by respecting the culture’s formal significance of first names.

Choosing translation and localization methods by content types

Finally, website translation and localization also differ on a tactical level. While simple translation may be appropriate for some content types in certain markets, localization is most often required for adapting highly emotive, creative marketing content so that it clearly resonates across locales.

Your website likely contains several content types—from marketing copy to legal and technical information and user-generated forum content. For reasons of efficiency and cost, it’s wise to map these content types to the most appropriate translation or localization methods.

It’s generally easier to select the best fit when you consider your audience(s) and the content’s nature and intent. Other parameters include volume, update cadence, lifespan, and budgetary considerations. Depending on your language service provider’s (LSP) capabilities, there are several methods from which to choose. When making these decisions, it’s best to consult an experienced LSP that offers a wide range of services.

Streamlining web translation—and localization

With sufficient planning, a focused localization strategy—and an experienced LSP partner to help you execute on your strategy—our website translation services can deliver projects relatively seamlessly. But without proper preparation, they can become a time-consuming, expensive drag on your business.

Be sure to follow industry best practices to reduce complexity, speed time-to-market, control costs—and ensure quality localized content for all of your global markets. Download the new ebook, The Definitive Guide to Website Translation for helpful best practices and expert insights on the website localization process—from strategic planning to multisite go-live and beyond.

Women in Localization:

8 Inspirational Leaders Storming Ahead to “Be Bold for Change”

When it comes to gender equality in the workplace, the economic and reputational benefits for companies are clear. Across the globe, the most forward-thinking organizations have already realized the potential for a diverse and balanced working environment.

Today, we celebrate International Women’s Day: a day established not only to celebrate women’s achievements but to call for groundbreaking action to accelerate change for women. This year’s theme for IWD is “Be Bold for Change,” which urges everyone—female, male, and non-binary—to question: What could we achieve if the world truly stepped up to take bold action?

In light of this, We Translate, Inc.  is proud to partner with Women in Localization, a global, female-focused organization, to recognize women across the industry for their critical contributions to advancing gender parity. Here are eight outstanding women leading the way toward a more gender inclusive world.

Veronica Carioni, Catalonia

“A community of people who share a challenge”

Based in Barcelona, Veronica Carioni is the Assistant Chapter Manager of Women in Localization Catalunya. Veronica started out as a freelance translator and terminology reviewer before joining Vistaprint as an in-house translator, and is now the company’s Senior Localization Specialist.

Working on the end-client side, Veronica thrives on learning from people who have a non-linguistic background and working toward a shared goal. “What I like about working in this industry is that it feels like a community of people who share a challenge: show what the value of localization is,” she says. “Because of this, I believe we are more willing to discuss, exchange views, and learn from each other’s experiences.”

With a mindset that firmly embodies the theme “Be Bold for Change,” Veronica has supported the ups and downs of the Calatan chapter since day one—spearheading every detail of every event, and supporting the women in her team to perpetually strive for new levels of self-awareness and professional growth.

Chiara Pacella, Ireland

“Boldness is in the little big things that we do every day”

Chiara Pacella went from freelancing in-house to eventually moving to the client-side at Facebook in 2010. As Language Manager, her responsibilities span from linguistic support, translation quality assurance, training, and vendor and crowd management.

Working in an ever-evolving industry, Chiara considers change exciting, more than scary—and as what makes localization fun and dynamic. Yet, as well as keeping up with the high pace of her job, she works to overcome the unique challenges of work and womanhood. “Being bold for change does not necessarily mean risking it all. For me, it has meant making a series of choices, at a personal and professional level: moving countries three times to follow the love of my life… starting a family while in a professional growth spurt… not being afraid of taking that extra leave to spend time with my loved ones.”

Yukako Ueda, Japan

“We can improve more by trusting each other”

Yukako Ueda is the APAC Global Content Management Team Lead at NetApp and the mother of three children. With 20 years of experience in localization project management, quality assurance, translation, and team management under her belt, she launched the Japan chapter of Women in Localization in 2015.

Based on her experiences working as a freelancer, at local and global Language Service Providers, and at buyer companies, she began to believe that being bold for change means everyone in the industry making equal effort to deliver their best work. “I launched and ran Women in Localization Japan based on that principle. With the help of assistant managers, I tried creating a place where every attendee can speak up freely, and set up an environment where attendees can bring their children to events.”

Aiming for the best was all for the love of localization. “I like solving problems. I like communicating with people in the world. I like learning something every day. My job in the localization industry gives me all these experiences.”

Ora Solomon, Northeast USA

“It’s OK to disagree and important to share your opinion”

Coming from a multicultural background, Ora Solomon began a career in localization for her love of diversity. She started on the vendor side: first at a company acquired by We Translate, Inc. , and then at Acclaro Inc., where she built the company from the ground up. She is now Director of Global Product Management at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.

“I have been lucky, and always worked in companies and teams where there was gender equality in leadership,” Ora explains of her experiences encouraging growth in her workforce. “When I work with younger women—men as well—who are starting their careers, I make sure they are comfortable speaking their minds in any setting. It is OK to disagree and important to share their opinion, even with someone senior to them.”

Alsu Shakirova, Pacific Northwest USA

“We have come a long way as competent localizers”

Alsu Shakirova, Russian Localization Specialist at Blueprint Consulting Services, began her career in academia for the love of teaching foreign languages and the desire to connect people of all backgrounds.

Today, working in the exciting field of video game localization, her ethos is still the same. “I enjoy the opportunity to be around multilingual professionals who are equally passionate about bringing content to people who might not have access to it in their native language,” she says. “I absolutely enjoy the fact that localization is so multifaceted, including not only language aspects but also cultural and educational notions.”

In terms of driving change, Alsu sees herself as both an advocate for the importance of localization and an ambassador for women. “I see my contribution first through work as a localizer and localization advocate, among my friends and in my professional circles. There are quite a few people out there who do not realize the value of localization.” And as far as being a woman in localization: “We have come a long way as competent localizers and promoters of cultural ties throughout the world, but we still have a long way to go!”

Yasmin Ismail Vanya, Silicon Valley

“A fairly new industry with limitless potential for growth”

After graduating from the University of Phoenix, Yasmin Ismail Vanya started her career as a software engineer. She later became involved in localization, joined PlayStation in 2011, and was promoted to Localization Manager in 2014. As well as English, Yasmin can speak Burmese, Japanese, Persian, Urdu, some Arabic, and basic Mandarin.

“The localization industry is a tight-knit community; it’s easy to get to know and help each other,” she says. “It is a fairly new industry with limitless potential for growth, meeting people from all over the world, and learning about different languages, countries, and cultures.”

Yasmin represents the theme “Be Bold for Change” through her extensive contributions to non-profit organizations. Currently a member of three California-based human rights organizations, she leads refugee programs, supports democratic changes, organizes volunteer activities and fundraisers, establishes ESL classes, and builds communities—to name only a few.

Weili Xu, China

“Change has always been my theme”

From project management at Welocalize, Weili Xu moved on to join VMware. At one point in her seven years here, she managed the company’s China localization operations. Finally, she landed at NetApp, where she now deploys worldwide strategy and planning for the globalization team.

Weili values her experience on both the vendor side and customer side, which gave her a unique opportunity to understand the industry from different perspectives. “In my current role, what I enjoy most is that I can really see the impact of globalization—all those initiatives we are driving indeed accelerate our company’s international growth and make NetApp a truly global company.”

Besides professional, Weili has also had the chance to push personal boundaries. In fact: “Change has always been my theme over the years,” she says. “I grew up and got my undergraduate degree in Jiangsu, then I moved to work in Beijing. I got my master’s in business administration at the University of North Carolina. I lived, studied, and worked in several different cities. I enjoyed meeting different people and embracing new cultures. I like to take on new roles and challenges as I always learn new skills along with the changes.”

Lara Millmow, UK

“Women have the power to achieve whatever they want”

Currently based in the UK, Lara Millmow started in localization in 1994 at a US-based language service company in Boston. Lara launched the UK chapter of Women in Localization in 2014, and is now Managing Director of Elia, the European Language Industry Association.

What initially attracted Lara to the industry was the open-mindedness and respect for others that defines localization. “For me, the joy is working alongside others who have committed their working life to the appreciation of language and culture, and to play my part—however big or small—in making the world feel that little bit smaller.”

But being bold for change means more to Lara than a passion for the industry. “It was a bold move to launch the UK chapter,” she notes. “But I couldn’t have done it without making the boldest move of them all: deciding to believe in myself and that I can succeed, something that took me a long time to embrace. With self-belief, women have the power to achieve whatever they want—this is what will ultimately change the world.”

We salute these extraordinary women, their contributions to localization, and the bold strides they have made to diversify the industry.

SUCCESS IN ANY LANGUAGE

SUCCESS IN ANY LANGUAGEWorking in the background, a small but dynamic group of companies is providing critical translation and interpretation services to growing numbers of governments and businesses.

When fashion website NET-A-PORTER launched in 2000, it was credited

with revolutionizing the world of online fashion retailing. When it added

a series of multilingual sites late last year, IT director Richard Lloyd-Williams

called it “one of the biggest events in NET-A-PORTER’s history.” It’s easy

to see why: While the retailer already ships to 170 countries, it now features

product descriptions and editorial content in French, German, and Chinese,

with more languages coming this year.

Language industry companies are offering increasingly sophisticated services,

and play a crucial role for businesses that want to expand their markets, fully

engage with customers, or deliver compelling products and content to diverse

communities.

Revenue Generator

Common Sense Advisory recently conducted a survey of the top global brands, and concluded that 60% of their websites are multilingual, averaging more than eight languages per site, with many offering 30 or more. Not surprisingly, Common Sense Advisory also found a striking correlation between offering multiple languages and making money. It discovered that among businesses with foreign-language websites, those that increased their translation budgets were 50% more likely to report an increase in total revenues than their Fortune 500 peers.

Even so, among the websites surveyed, a surprisingly large number rely

solely on English, says Don DePalma, founder of Common Sense Advisory, in

spite of what he says is a clear desire among the world’s consumers to be addressed in their own language.

DePalma cites another of the firm’s studies, called Localization Matters, which gauges both consumer and buyer attitudes in foreign countries toward engaging with vendors in English, versus their native tongue. In seven out of eight countries, close to 100% of respondents expressed a strong preference

for material in the local language. “Even in Sweden, which has a very high level of proficiency in English, 86% still want to see things in Swedish. And that preference increases in the post-purchase process. I call it the ‘pajama effect.’ Even if you speak English at work, it’s not your primary language.

And if you’re sitting in front of the computer at home shopping online, you’re relaxing, engaging the ‘home’ part of your brain.”

In spite of the clear data, adds DePalma, “some companies are late in recognizing the reality. The need for language services only comes to them as an fterthought, after they’ve saturated local markets. If you’re just selling in English, you’ve left a good portion of the world’s population outside, looking in.”

Continued…

The Business of Translating Official Documents - Part 2

The Business of Translating Official Documents - Part 2

Official document translations generally take less than an hour to complete so they’re very easy to schedule into your program.

• Translating These Types of Documents Can Be Very Satisfying

The second reason is that doing this type of work is very gratifying. When an individual is applying for a marriage license, graduate school, or a Green Card, they’re generally very grateful to finally find someone who has the expertise and is sufficiently experienced to translate their documents.

• It’s Easy to Schedule These Documents into Your Program

The work is easy to schedule into your work program. Official document translations generally take less than an hour to complete so they’re very easy to schedule into your program. Let’s face it, it’s not like you need to juggle your other commitments in order to slot in a 10,000-word translation!

• You Get Paid Upfront!

You’ll be paid in advance for the work you complete, which means there’s less stress involved because there’ll be no follow-up or collection hassles. Translators who work on individual clients’ official documents typically require payment in advance by check or by PayPal so, besides being rewarding work, you’re never required to deal with after-the-fact invoicing.

How to Succeed in Your ‘Official Document Translation’ Business

• Set Your Fees in Advance

Set a Notarised Certification fee and a per-page fee. Having your charge-out rate already established makes life much easier for both you and your clients. In our opinion, the per-page rate is very important for this type of documentation because of the time involved when formatting official documents – particularly when it comes to official certificates and diplomas. And, of course, you’re always going to get inquiries from individuals wanting a quote, so by having an established Scale of Fees it’s easier to set up your web page and include your standard rates, procedures, and turnaround times.

• Ask for Payment in Advance

Always request payment in advance. This is very important with this type of translation work. You simply don’t have time to be chasing an individual who owes you $60, and you’ll find that the majority of official document translation projects are small enough that your clients will be more than happy to pay your account in advance. Many people already have a PayPal account for their online shopping, and the reason we like PayPal is because you receive your money almost immediately. Plus, any difficulties that may arise with the payment process are sorted out between PayPal and your client. Another bonus with PayPal is that you can use their free invoicing tool to create a professional looking invoice template that takes care of all the calculations for you.

• Find a Low-Cost Notary

Do your research and see if you can find a low-cost or free notary. We know that some banks offer free notary services to customers who hold bank accounts at their bank, which means that any Notarization Certification Fee you charge need only reflect the time it takes you to go to the bank to obtain the Certification.

In conclusion, for translators interested in this type of work, there are many opportunities to market your official document translation services. Besides creating a separate page on your website dedicated to this type of translation, your services could probably be used by consulates, international credentials evaluation services, international exchange programs, language schools, and other similar organizations. You may discover that translating official documents for individual clients is a lot more lucrative than you originally thought!

Slovenia: The Country and Its Languages - Part 2

Slovene is an Indo-European language and is the official language of Slovenia.

The Slovene Language

Slovene is an Indo-European language and is the official language of Slovenia: it uses the Latin alphabet. The Slovene language is a rare and unique language in that it uses dual grammatical forms as well as the plural and singular.

An Unusual and Unique Language

In Slovenia, the Slovene language has played a large role throughout its history, and today it’s still considered one of the foundations of national identity. It’s always managed to retain its special linguistic features (despite various influences) with the most unusual feature being the preservation of the dual form. This refers to the grammatical number used for two things (or people) in all inflected parts of speech. Together with Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian and Croatian (and even though it has many features in common with the West Slavic branch) this language is classified within the South Slavic branch of the Slavic languages.

The Slovene Alphabet

Geographically, the territory of Slovene lies in one of Europe’s most complex linguistic areas, an area where Slavic converges with Germanic, Romance, and Finno-Ugric. In the areas of morphology, lexicology, and phonology (and when compared to most of the other Slavic languages) the Slovene language has a number of characteristic features. Slovene uses 25 Latin letters to orthographically represent its 29 phonemes, including three with a wedge - č,š,ž.

Even though this language is limited to a small number of speakers in a relatively small territory, dialectologists have determined that there are up to fifty clearly defined dialects, and these are divided into six regional groups, namely – Upper Carniolan, Lower Carniolan, Carinthian, Littoral, Styrian, Rovte, and Pannonian.

Today, there’s a growing interest in Slovene as a foreign language, and Slovene is taught at many universities around the world.

Did you know that…

• The Slovene language is generally considered one of the most archaic languages in Europe.
• In 1550, the first book in Slovene titled The Catechism, was published. It was written by a Protestant parson by the name of Primož Trubar during the Reformation period: Trubar is considered the father of the Slovene literary language. He wrote in the language spoken in the City of Ljubljana, combined with elements of dialects of the Gorenjska and Dolenjska provinces – thus creating the standard Slovene.
• Jurij Dalmatin translated the Bible into Slovene in 1584. Slovene was the 12th language in the world to receive a Slovene translation of the Bible.
• People of Slovenia who live in opposite parts of the country could well have difficulties understanding each other because this is a language with up to 50 dialects in 7 dialect groups – namely, Gorenjska, Panonska, Primorska, Dolenjska, Rovtarska, Štajerska, and Koroška. This variety of languages is the result of historical, political, geographical, social, and other factors.
• Because it’s a Slavic language, it means that anyone who speaks Slovene is only one step away from 400 million speakers of these languages.
• One Hour Translation can handle all your Slovene translations. Contact us today!

Some Slovene Words and Phrases with Their English Translation

Dobro jutro -  Good morning

Dober dan -  Hello

Nasvidenje - Goodbye

Dober večer - Good evening

Kje je stranišče? - Where is the toilet?

Koliko stane? - How much (does this) cost?

Prosim, hvala - Please/thanks

Letališče - Airport

Koliko je ura? - What's the time?

Pošta - Post office

Hotel - Hotel

Bolnica - Hospital

Slovenia: The Country and Its Languages - Part 1

Slovenia: The Country and Its Languages - Part 1

The South Central European country known as Slovenia is renowned for its mountains, ski resorts and outdoor recreation.

The South Central European country known as Slovenia is renowned for its mountains, ski resorts, and outdoor recreation. Slovenia borders Austria, Italy, Hungary, and Croatia – it stretches between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea and is set on a glacial lake fed by thermal springs. Slovenia is the only European country that combines the Mediterranean, the Alps, the Panamanian Plain and the Karst. Slovenia is renowned for its constantly changing landscape – from the sea to the high mountains to the forests and the green plains below, from upland meadows to river gorges.

In fact, a hallmark of this country is the proximity of contrasts and opposites. Even today, you can still wander through the virgin forest in Slovenia or watch grapes ripen on the world’s oldest vines: you can enjoy the fruits of the forest that you’ve foraged for yourself and hear tales of bears. In Slovenia, you’re free to become part of nature and uncover the deepest secrets of the land. There are great opportunities for tourists in Slovenia, with high-quality accommodation, excellent food and fabulous wines on offer.

The Capital of Slovenia

The capital of Slovenia is Ljubljana, with a population of 272,000. Ljubljana is also the political center of the Republic of Slovenia and is home to its Ceremonial Head of State. Maribor is another popular city in Slovenia with a population of 95,000 people.

A Little about Slovenia

In 1918 the Slovenes formed a new nation together with the Croats and Serbs, known as the ‘Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes’. In 1929 this was renamed to Yugoslavia. Slovenia became a republic of the renewed Yugoslavia after World War II, and in 1991 the Slovenes finally succeeded in establishing their own independence. Since that time, Slovenia (National name: Republika Slovenija) has become a full member of the European Union and successfully integrated itself into the international community. As at the year 2013, Slovenia had a population of 2.06 million people.

Key Dates in Slovenia’s History

Originally, Slovenia was settled by Celtic and Illyrian peoples and in the first century BC, it became part of the Roman Empire.

1918: Slovenia joined the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This Kingdom later became Yugoslavia.

1941: During the Second World War Slovenia was occupied by Italy and Nazi Germany.

1945: Slovenia became a Constituent Republic of Socialist Yugoslavia at the end of the war.

1991: Slovenia declared its independence. Slovene forces defend the country when the Yugoslav federal army intervenes. Approximately 100 people were killed. The Yugoslav army withdraws when the EU brokers a ceasefire.

2004: Slovenia becomes part of the EU.

2013: Slovenia’s credit rating was cut by ratings agency Moody to junk status. The economy of Slovenia has recovered over subsequent years.

2016: We Translate, Inc. is available anytime, day or night, to translate your Slovenian documents. Contact us today for an obligation-free quotation!

Religions, Ethnicity, and Languages

Religions (2002 Census):

• 57.8% Catholic
• 2.4% Muslim
• 2.3% Orthodox
• with the remainder being other Christian, unaffiliated or unspecified.

Ethnicity/Race (2002 Census):

• 83.1% Slovene
• 2% Serb
• 1.8% Croat
• 1.1% Bosniak
• 12% other or unspecified

The Languages of Slovenia (2002 Census):

• 91.1% Slovenian
• 4.5% Serbo-Croatian
• 4.4% other or unspecified

More than 90% of Slovenia’s population speak Slovene, which, since independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991, has become Slovenia’s official language. In other areas of Slovenia where Hungarian or Italian ethnic communities live, the official languages are also Hungarian or Italian. In addition, other widely spoken minority languages include German, Croatian, and Serbian

Certified | Human Translation Services

Certified Translation Services

We Translate, Inc. can meet all your document translation needs. Our team of professional translators can quickly and accurately translate your document into English. We allow only the best translators and linguists to join our team, so you are assured a high quality translation. Most of our translators have years of professional experience, and bring experience from a wide range of industries to their work.

To get your translation, just upload your document. The best translator for the job begins carefully working on your order. Then the translated document is delivered to your inbox.

Business Translation

Our flat rate pricing is just 10 cents per word. And our typical turnaround time is just 24 hours. And of course our work is 100% guaranteed.

Languages we translate include Arabic, Bulgarian, Cantonese, Chinese (traditional & simplified), Czech, Danish, Dutch, Farsi, French, Georgian, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Italian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish (European, Latin America, American Hispanic), Swedish, Tagalog, Thai. Turkish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.

We translate website copy, immigration documents and forms, legal materials, market research, press releases, software and games, and human resources (HR) documents.

Certified Translation

We Translate, Inc. provides certified translations that can be used to satisfy requirements of the United States Immigration (USCIS), high school and college applications, passport applications, and other state and federal government documentation requirements.

We perform certified translations of official documents such as a birth certificate, marriage license, depositions, academic transcript, diplomas, medical records, legal materials, contracts, and other business documents.

Each page is priced at a flat rate of $33.00 per page (for a maximum of 250 words).

Documents may be submitted in a variety of formats including Adobe PDF, JPG (JPEG), GIF, TXT, or Microsoft Word.