Should you be offering translation or localization services?
Should you be offering translation or localization services? How many times do you see the term ‘localization’ pop up on your LinkedIn feed? Pretty often, right? As common as this relatively new term may be, there are actually heaps of linguists out there who still aren’t exactly sure what it’s all about. If that sounds like you, then hopefully this post will make things a little clearer for you. Local culture sets the tone The aim of localization is to make texts both linguistically and culturally suitable for their target audience . In simple terms, this means that the process of translation is not sufficient to fulfill the text’s purpose in the target region and that extra steps must be taken. These steps can be as simple as adapting time and date formats or can involve reworking visuals and color schemes in some cases. This is because cultural norms affect the way in which a text is received and therefore messages must be modified in order to suit certain regions . Practica...