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Difference Between Translation and Localization?

The difference is one of scope. Localization begins with translation, but is more extensive. Technical variables and cultural context must also be "translated." Technical issues when creating an international website include date format, character sets, code and infrastructure.

Spanish is the official language of 22 countries whose cultures and language have developed independently over time. How does this diverse heritage affect translation into Spanish? Can you use a single language version or should you localize for cultural and language differences? Here are some factors that may help answer that:

Will differences in terms be understood in context or will they appear as an error? In many cases, the impact is negligible and may be no different than Americans standing in a "line" and the English standing in a "queue".

Is the exact language critical, such as in a healthcare questionnaire where misunderstood terms might affect the validity of the study, or a contract where the Spanish legal terms used impact liability or covenant?
In this instance, content may be translated by a translator from one country and validated by translators from other Spanish cultures.
Is it a media campaign for a locally provided service such as banking? Language nuance and visual imagery yield better results when tailored to the predominant Spanish cultural heritage of the area.

At ABC, when localizing a product we work with your product team to make it technically, linguistically and culturally appropriate to the target locale, analyzing the general aesthetic, the icons, and the graphics, for example.

Research shows translating your website has key benefits:

• Much greater market exposure
• Product/services awareness and recognition
• Customer retention which translates into profits

Our project management of website localization includes project planning and scheduling, client communication, team coordination, cost control, project tracking and reporting, change management, troubleshooting and problem-solving, and a project wrap.

For international sites, ABC also offers expertise and experience that can manage the technology, local market knowledge and infrastructure necessary to deliver your localized website consistently and effectively. We provide localization of text and visual content combined with site design expertise. We will perform functionality testing, maintain version control and can work with your content management system to ensure consistency and leverage prior translation.

Receive your free quote for e-Learning translation or interpreting services today.

 

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