The difference between Translation and Localization
We are often asked the question about the difference between what we do and what regular translation companies do. Hence I think it’s worth digging a little deeper into the difference between the terms “Translation” and “Localization”.
Translation is the “act of rendering words from one language into another”. Unfortunately, most of the time this process is implemented as a straightforward and mechanical conversion of words from one language into another. For example, the word “tree” in English can be translated as “árbol” in Spanish. This makes sense at a certain level since that’s how people tend to learn a foreign language and is why dictionaries are still needed nowadays.
But if we start to look deeper into this process, we’ll soon realize that there are words that have multiple translations. Even basic ones such as “boy” can easily offer a myriad of choices such as “niño”, “muchacho”, “chico”, “chaval”, “chacho”, “pibe”, etc. On top of that, it also starts to become apparent that communication and the exchange of information require a lot more than the use of individual words. Concepts such as context, grammar, spelling, cultural sensitivity, gender, number, levels of formality, country of origin, dialect, demographics, data formats, etc. start then to appear and shed some light into what Localization really means.
Localization is the “process of adapting the original contents to the linguistic and cultural systems for use in a different language or in a different country”. This process requires a deep understanding of the original meaning of the source information and/or ideas so as to ‘render’ it appropriately in the target language. Furthermore, the final version of those contents should not only follow the rules of the target language but should also match the target audience with regards to their needs, goals, expectations, culture and state of mind.
In other words: Localization = Language + Culture + Branding
Most companies miss this last critical element and just concentrate on making sure their information is properly translated without realizing that, even before a customer attempts to interact with them, they already bring to the table a set of expectations based both on their experience with similar companies as well as with the brand promise delivered by marketing and advertising.
This Localization process applies to all modes of communication – written and spoken, visual and non-visual, digital and in-print – hence should be planned in advance so as to avoid wasting resources that can sometimes even deliver experiences that are so poor or badly planned for that will make it almost impossible to get a “second chance” in the eyes of that customer.
Here’s an example of what a Translated website looks like:
Verizon Website in English
Verizon Website in Spanish
Some of the things you’ll notice include:
- Top link choices offer the same list, even in the same order
- Main navigation menu again offers the same options, in the same order
- Reuse of images, where again the text has been simply translated
- Pages are basically a mirror image of each other
- Some Spanish options were simply translated without concern for where they take you or what their content is. For example, the English option “Open Development” refers to a Branded program which was simply translated as “Desarrollo expansivo” (not branded) and which takes you to an English version of the site (no Spanish version)
Here’s an example of what a Localized website looks like:
Yahoo Website in English
Yahoo Website in Spanish
Some of the things you’ll notice include:
- Similar page structure and framework, yet…
- Different color palettes and imagery
- Main and secondary navigation menus are different, with choices in a more relevant order
- Personalized shortcuts based on both profile and locale (e.g. offers “Futbol”)
- Advertisements are different and relevant for each audience
As you can imagine, this same process should be followed on all other customer interaction points such as the telephone, forms, brochures and catalogs, marketing materials, paper communications, branches, etc.
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