globalization, internationalization &...
TRANSCRIPT
Globalization, Internationalization
& Localization
Part 2 Editorial, technical and project-
management considerations
See parts 1 and 3 at http://neil.minkley.fr/L10n/
Part 2 Contents
Reminder: definitions and diagrams
Writing for an international audience
Creating artwork for an international audience
Information for translators
Technical considerations
Project-management considerations
Myths and reasons for failure
Examples
Globalization & Internationalization: def 1
Globalization
Internationalization
Localization
Making a product or service
accessible to international
markets and audiences
Globalization & Internationalization: def 2
Globalization
Internationalization
Localization
Enabling a product or service to
be (easily) adapted to local
markets and audiences
= Making the product or service
localizable
Reminder - Definition 1:
Making a product or service
accessible to international
markets and audiences
See other definitions: http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/globalization http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/globalization http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/internationalize http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/internationalize
Localization: definition
Globalization
Internationalization
Localization
Adapting a product or service to
local markets and audiences:
local language
local culture
Reminder - Definition 2:
Enabling a product or
service to be (easily)
adapted to local markets
and audiences
See other definitions: http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary/localize http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/business-english/localization http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/localize http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/localization
Globalization + Localization
Design & Development
Global product
Localization Local
products
etc.
or
Globalization & Localization requirements
User interface components (menus, menu items, dialog boxes, buttons...)
Help, tutorials, error messages, tooltips, templates
CORE CONTENT: Text (articles, etc.) Multimedia assets (pictures,
animations, videos, sound...) Links
Legal notice, conditions & terms of use, privacy notice...
Metadata
Documentation, text & illustrations on package, etc.
Elements of content of a software product
Content
TOC
Container (Software)
All of these elements generally need to be localized.
Part 2 Contents
Summary diagrams (reminder)
Writing for an international audience
Creating artwork for an international audience
Information for translators
Technical considerations
Project-management considerations
Myths and reasons for failure
Examples TOC
Writing for an international audience (1)
Style
Terminology
Grammar
Controlled Natural Languages (CNLs)
British English or American English?
Make your text as easy as
possible to understand
and as easy as possible to
translate.
See http://www-01.ibm.com/software/globalization/guidelines/guideb.html
See http://www.wordesign.com/localization/index.htm
See http://www.webpagecontent.com/arc_archive/139/5/
See http://www.designsensory.com/pws/index.html
See http://www.plainlanguagenetwork.org/stephens/intro.html
Writing for an international audience (2)
Style (a few recommendations):
Write short and simple sentences. *
Avoid ambiguity (make sure the context is clear).
Avoid colloquialisms, culturally-specific idioms,
proverbs, slang.
Avoid humour, irony and sarcasm.
Ensure overall consistency of the text as regards
style and tone.
* Minimizing the number of words also reduces the cost of translation!
Examples
Examples
Examples
Writing for an international audience (3)
Terminology (a few recommendations):
Ensure that the terminology is consistent.
Avoid terms that have different meanings for
different people (examples: "foreign", "weekend").
Define product-specific and unfamiliar terms
(including abbreviations) in a glossary.
Minimize the use of abbreviations.
Give the long form of an abbreviation on its first
occurrence. Examples
Writing for an international audience (4)
Grammar (a few recommendations):
Preferably write in the active voice.
Preferably write in the indicative mode and
present tense.
Avoid long noun strings
Use hyphens to avoid ambiguous word
associations.
Etc.
Examples
Examples
Examples
Examples
Writing for an international audience (5)
Controlled Natural Languages (CNL):
Subsets of natural languages constrained by restrictive
rules, used in written technical communication to...
reduce ambiguity and complexity,
reduce direct and indirect costs.
Examples of CNL
Simplified Technical English (ASD–STE100)
Attempto Controlled English (ACE)
See http://www.asd-ste100.org/
See http://web.science.mq.edu.au/~rolfs/papers/ifi-99.03.pdf
Writing for an international audience (6)
British English or American English?
If the linguistic profile of your target audience and
market is known, choose the appropriate dialect.
If the linguistic profile of the target is unknown,
choose the English dialect that you judge (or your
company judges) to be the most appropriate, but...
be consistent,
avoid ambiguous terms and expressions (for
example: dates in numeric format, "first floor"…),
beware of non-metric measurement units.
TOC
See: http://anglais-pratique.fr/index.php/rubriques/marketing-produits/203-localization-apps-sites#gbvsus http://neil.minkley.fr/L10n/GB-US_English_speakers.pdf
Part 2 Contents
Summary diagrams (reminder)
Writing for an international audience
Creating artwork for an international audience
Information for translators
Technical considerations
Project-management considerations
Myths and reasons for failure
Examples TOC
Artwork for an international audience
Use illustrations only when really useful.
Keep illustrations simple.
Minimize the amount of text in illustrations.
Ensure that text in illustrations is editable.
Minimize the number of screenshots.
Beware of differences in the interpretation of colour and symbols depending on local culture and conventions.
TOC
Examples
See http://www.iso.org/iso/graphical-symbols_booklet.pdf
Part 2 Contents
Summary diagrams (reminder)
Writing for an international audience
Creating artwork for an international audience
Information for translators
Technical considerations
Project-management considerations
Myths and reasons for failure
Examples TOC
Information for translators
Style guide
Glossary
Terms that must not be translated
Links that must be localized and links that must
not be localized
Metadata that must be localized and metadata
that must not be localized
Context
+ Training on the product and access to the product
TOC
Examples
Examples
Part 2 Contents
Summary diagrams (reminder)
Writing for an international audience
Creating artwork for an international audience
Information for translators
Technical considerations
Project-management considerations
Myths and reasons for failure
Examples TOC
Technical considerations (1)
Perform updating and translation on source files, not object files.
Separate artwork files from text files.
Use "single sourcing" to…
allow content to be shared for use in multiple
documents and multiple "output" formats,
reduce update costs and translation costs.
See http://www.singlesourcingsig.org/
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_source_publishing
Technical considerations (2)
Use XML tagging for content-driven writing instead of page-driven writing.
Use a standard XML data model and standard design rules for topic-based authoring,
content sharing and single sourcing.
Example : DITA (Darwin Information Typing
Architecture)
Use UTF-8 for character encoding. See http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x-utf8/
See:
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x-dita1/
http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/spec/DITA1.2-spec.html
See:
http://www.scriptorium.com/structure.pdf
http://www.w3.org/TR/its/
http://www.dmoz.org/Computers/Data_Formats/Markup_Languages/XML/Tools/Editors/
http://xmetal.com/content-xmetal/
Technical considerations (3)
Software developers...
need a clear and comprehensive
requirements specification as a foundation for global design and development work.
must conform to strict design and
implementation guidelines and rules for globalization and localization.
TOC
See http://www-01.ibm.com/software/globalization/guidelines/outline.html
Part 2 Contents
Summary diagrams (reminder)
Writing for an international audience
Creating artwork for an international audience
Information for translators
Technical considerations
Project-management considerations
Myths and reasons for failure
Examples TOC
Project-management considerations
Localization requires project management.
Localization requires a rigorous process.
Globalization and localization requirements need to be clearly specified.
Localization requires adequate resources:
people,
tools,
time and money!
Examples
Diagram
Examples
Example of Localization project plan
Localization tools
Translation Memory (TM) and Translation Memory Manager (TMM)
Translation Management System (TMS)
Content Management System (CMS) incorporating Translation Management, for example:
Author-it
DITAworks TOC
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Translation_memory
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globalization_management_system
See http://www.author-it.com/index.php?page=eap
See http://ditaworks.com/
Part 2 Contents
Summary diagrams (reminder)
Writing for an international audience
Creating artwork for an international audience
Information for translators
Technical considerations
Project-management considerations
Myths and reasons for failure
Examples TOC
Localization myths
1) Localization is simply translation.
2) Anyone who knows a second language can
perform translation.
3) Lower per-word translation rates reduce costs.
4) A language review cycle is not necessary.
5) The vendor who provides the best translation sample offers the best quality.
Source: Enabling Globalization, by Nabil Freij (chapter 5) http://www.enablingglobalization.com/
Localization: reasons for failure
1) Improper or incomplete internationalization of the product
2) Nonexistent or poor process
3) Inadequate budget
4) Inadequate schedule
5) Inexperienced staff
TOC
Source: Enabling Globalization, by Nabil Freij (chapter 6) - reworded http://www.enablingglobalization.com/
Part 2 Contents
Summary diagrams (reminder)
Writing for an international audience
Creating artwork for an international audience
Information for translators
Technical considerations
Project-management considerations
Myths and reasons for failure
Examples TOC
Writing for an int'l audience (example 1)
Avoid long and complex sentences:
Again whilst this table does not set out to define what
should be contained within any particular software
product it does set out the key functional elements
which an ecosystem seeking to provide learning
services would need to encompass.
This table is not intended to define the desirable
content of any particular software product; it
shows the recommended key functional elements
of a learning-services ecosystem.
Writing for an int'l audience (example 2)
Avoid long and complex sentences:
It is also increasingly the case that standards which
have been generated within the educational sector
are finding their uptake impeded by drives towards
standards which can be more universally applied
across government but might not particularly suit the
educational ecosystem.
The uptake of standards generated within the
educational sector is increasingly impeded by drives
towards universal standards for government which
might not suit the educational ecosystem. Back
Writing for an int'l audience (example 3)
Avoid ambiguous sentences:
I recommend to waste no time in making this
candidate an offer of employment.
I recommend to not make this candidate an offer of
employment.
or
I recommend to immediately make this candidate
an offer of employment.
Writing for an int'l audience (example 4)
Avoid ambiguous terms:
The coach was held up in a traffic jam and arrived
late.
The bus was held up in a traffic jam and arrived
late.
or
The trainer was held up in a traffic jam and arrived
late.
Back
Writing for an int'l audience (example 5)
Avoid colloqualisms:
Pay attention to what you hear straight from the
horse's mouth, but beware of what you hear through
the grapevine.
Pay attention to what you hear directly from
credible sources, but beware of rumours.
Back
Writing for an int'l audience (example 6)
Define ambiguous abbreviations (on their first occurrence, and in a glossary):
NLP
NLP (Natural-Language Processing)
or
NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming)
Back
Writing for an int'l audience (example 7)
Preferably use the active voice:
When the results of the study were announced by the
researchers, they were criticized by a few experts.
A few experts criticized the results of the study that
the researchers announced.
or
A few experts criticized the researchers when the
latter announced the results of the study.
Back
Note: in the original sentence, the word "they" is ambiguous because it can refer either to "results" or to "researchers".
Writing for an int'l audience (example 8)
Preferably use the indicative mode and the present tense:
Had you clicked on the "Cancel" button, you would
have lost the information entered in the dialog box.
If you click on the "Cancel" button, you lose the
information entered in the dialog box.
Back
Writing for an int'l audience (example 9)
Avoid long noun strings:
building radon source location method
method for locating the source of radon in buildings
employee compensation level evaluation procedures
procedures for evaluating the level of compensation
of employees
or
procedures for evaluating the compensation level of
employees
Back
Writing for an int'l audience (example 10)
Use hyphenation to avoid ambiguity:
You need eight metre long cables.
You need eight metre-long cables.
(You need eight one-metre-long cables.)
or
You need eight-metre long cables.
Back
Artwork for an int'l audience (ex. 1-1)
Source content in any language (text & pictures;
book, newspaper, catalogue, ad…)
Images of reformatted
content pages (adapted to
multiple target e-paper devices)
Structured content data set in Ganaxa Publishing Format
(GPF) (with content in e-paper format, content description, links, etc.)
Downloadable e-paper content on
collective distribution medium
(web site, etc.)
e-paper content on individual
storage device (SD card, etc.)
incorporating Ganaxa’s software
Easy-to-use, high-legibility content on e-paper
reading device (e-reader, etc.)
recognized and supported by
Ganaxa’s display and user-interface software
e-paper content in GPF, encapsulated in RSS feed
(users automatically informed of updates and new versions of content)
Additional audio and animations
Audiovisual material
(adapted to target devices)
Content preparation and delivery for optimal use on e-paper devices
reformat &
process
upload download
plug & play!
add metadata
encapsulate in RSS feed
Artwork for an int'l audience (ex. 1-2) Content preparation and delivery for optimal use on e-paper devices
Content in any
language
Text & media optimized for target reading
devices
Structured content in Ganaxa Publishing
Format (GPF)
GPF content on e-paper
storage medium
Easy-to-use, high-legibility content on
e-paper display/reading device
Artwork for an int'l audience (ex. 1-3)
Artwork for an int'l audience (example 2)
Back
Source: BMU (June 2010)
Glossary (example 1)
See http://neil.minkley.fr/L10n/EN-FR_GLOSSARY_FRONTER.pdf
Glossary (example 2)
Back See http://neil.minkley.fr/L10n/EN-FR_GLOSSARY_PM_CONSEIL.pdf
Context information (example)
current what? actuel, actuelle, actuels, actuelles?
What is overridden? Remplacé, Remplacée, Remplacés, Remplacées?
next what? le suivant, la suivante, les suivants, les suivantes?
org. unit = unité de travail = feminine singular, hence “aucune” (and not “aucun”)
This is good!
Provide context information for UI strings, so that the translator knows whether a given word should be translated as a masculine, feminine, singular or plural.
Back
Example of translation workflow
Source: IBM.com http://www-01.ibm.com/software/globalization/topics/critical.html
Back
Localization project plan – WBS *
Preliminary tasks and bilingual glossary
User interface translation
Help translation
Product training
Admin & Teacher’s guides translation
Testing & Acceptance
Deployment
Project management
Project closure
* WBS = Work Breakdown Structure
Localization project plan – Diagram 1
Preliminary tasks (details in other diagram)
User interface translation
Help translation
Product training
Making of screenshots
Admin's & Teacher’s guides translation and
illustration
Bilingual glossary
Localization project plan – Diagram 2
Translate the Glossary
section of Help
Translate the Tools
Description document
Discuss & agree on
terminology
Study the product’s user
interface
Develop the bilingual glossary
Localization project plan – Tasks *
* Not quite an exhaustive list...
Localization project plan – Sequencing
Localization project plan – Schedule
Localization project plan – Diagram view
Localization project plan – Resource costs
Back
Localization project plan with costs
Globalization + Localization
Design & Development
Global product
Localization Local
products
etc.
or
Globalization & Localization requirements
Back
Questions?
TOC