LANGUAGE AND TRANSLATION - An introduction to language and translation for global online communications, localized websites and international ...
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LANGUAGE AND TRANSLATION
An introduction to language and translation for global online
communications, localized websites and international social
media
www.ibt.onl An IBT Online ebook publication©
Inside your Ebook
IBT Online : Go Global with Website Localization
WHO SHOULD BE READING THIS EBOOK? 3
LANGUAGE IN THE WORLD 4
LANGUAGE IN EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA 5
TRANSLATION INDUSTRY 6
TRANSLATION SUPPLIERS 7
TRANSLATION SERVICES 8
TRANSLATION TECHNOLOGY 10
TRANSLATION ONLINE (WEB PAGES, PRESENCE, HOSTING) 13
TRANSLATION ONLINE (SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION, 15
SOCIAL MEDIA)
TRANSLATION TOP TEN TRENDS 19
NEXT STEPS AND ABOUT IBT ONLINE 21
Produced by IBT Online publications team. More resources available at: www.ibt.onl/resources
www.ibt.onl Language and Translation 2
Who should be reading this?
This ebook provides an introduction to language and translation for global online
communications used for localized websites and international social media
You should be reading this ebook, if you want an introduction to:
Languages used for online communications, social media, localized websites and search engine
optimization
The translation service industry
Translation suppliers and services
Translation technologies
Translation online
This ebook is designed for business owners, marketing directors, international business development
managers who are looking to grow their exports and business globally and would like guidance on how to
manage language and translation in their target markets.
This ebook is both informative and practical. It will provide you with insight and understanding to help
ensure that your business is addressing the issues of language and translation in order to achieve
successful exports and international business
www.ibt.onl Language and Translation 3
Language in the World
A world of languages
6,000 - 7,000 languages
150 languages spoken by >1 million people
Most widely spoken languages
900
Millions and languages
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
www.ibt.onl Language and Translation 4
Language in Europe & North America
Language: Europe
The European Union has 24 official languages: Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English,
Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish,
Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish
Most widely spoken languages in Europe
Official First Additional Total
languages language language
English 13% 38% 51%
German 16% 11% 27%
French 12% 12% 24%
Italian 13% 3% 16%
Spanish 8% 7% 15%
Language: North America
The USA does not have an official language: English is used as the de-facto language although Spanish is
almost as widely-spoken
Canada has 2 official languages: English and French
www.ibt.onl Language and Translation 5
Translation Industry
What is the translation industry?
Language translation, localization and interpreting services
Size of the translation industry
>$40 billion in 2016, growing to $45 billion by 2020
Expected growth 6.5-7.5% annually through 2018
>26,000 companies (lots of individuals, working on a free-lance basis)
Top 50 LSP’s account for US$4 billion (10% of the market)
Translation software market to reach US$3 billion by 2017
Europe and North America
>50% of the language services market = Europe
2nd place = North America – 4th fastest growing industry in the United States
Growth is driven by internationalization and technology
Translation and business
Multi-national, globally integrated companies have a presence in anywhere from 80 to 169 countries
(think Apple, L’Oreal…), requiring upwards of 50 language translation, localization and interpreting services
Mid-cap international companies typically require 10-15 language translations into the world’s major
markets
www.ibt.onl Language and Translation 0 6
Translation Suppliers
Language Service Providers (LSPs)
Recognized industry leading report provided by Common Sense Advisory:
The Language Services Market: 2015
The world’s leading providers of translation, localization and interpreting services:
The Top 100 Language Service Providers
Leading LSP in the world = Lionbridge Technology , revenue of $560 million, growth >$100 million since
2009
Top LSPs – North America Top LSPs – Europe
Lionbridge MA Technology, localization, SDL UK Integrated language platforms,
Technology content development technology, services
Mission OH US government’s leading Pangeanic Spain Translation services,
Essential provider of translators translation technology
TransPerfect NY Localization, interpretation, STAR Switzer Multilingual information
document translation Group land management
Smartling NY Cloud-based translation Kern AG Germany Translation, localization,
management platform interpretation
Welocalize MD Translation, localization, RWS Group UK Intellectual property
multimedia translation, localization
www.ibt.onl Language and Translation 7
Translation Services – Written & Spoken
Written language and spoken language
Written language: Leaflets, technical manuals, brochures, letters, reports, websites
General translation: non-specialized text from one language to another.
Specialized translation: specialized text from one language to another e.g. scientific document
Spoken language: On-site or remotely
Consecutive interpreting: speakers pause to allow interpreter to convey the message
Simultaneous interpreting: Carried out at the same time as the speaker (microphones & earphones)
Software localization
Process of translating text and adjusting functional elements of a software application so it can be used by
consumers internationally
Aim: transfer intent of original content and user interface from one language to another while maintaining
usability
Main types of software: desktop software, web applications, mobile apps
Steps involved: analysis of material involved, cultural, technical and linguistic assessment, creation and
maintenance of terminology glossaries, translation, adaptation of user interface, localization (graphics,
scripts), testing
www.ibt.onl Language and Translation 8
Translation Services: Multimedia & Digital
Multimedia localization
Translation and localization activities that are related to visual and audio media
Aim: multimedia is focused on user experience; reach, inform and communicate with a global audience
Cinema, TV, theatre, audio-visual…
Sub-titling: technical and precise process
Voice over: replaces audio content not spoken by an actor, requires equipment and expertise
Dubbing: used in markets where subtitling doesn’t fully accomplish the producers’ objectives
Lip sync: insertion of audio attempts to match the lip movements of the original actors
Other services include: video production, art and graphics localization, animation localization, cultural
assessments of multimedia content…
Desktop publishing
Gives the final look and feel to the localized materials
Even small layout or typographical mistakes impact how users perceive the product or the brand
Typesetting, graphics, website layouts etc.
Translation related design services, graphic design, documentation, graphic localization
Watch out for: different fonts, special characters, different word lengths, culturally appropriate style…
www.ibt.onl Language and Translation 9Translation Technology
Translation capabilities and innovation advantages
Website: Translation of rapidly evolving/changing content and a choice of real-time or ongoing updates
New technology allows the replication of design, formatting and branding, to correspond to the original
language site. Allows the upload of prior translations to improve accuracy, verification is fast and easy.
Ongoing content management system.
Video and podcast/audio: Automated translation and verification options. Voice recognition can
generate transcripts, audio translation can be delivered in a realistic synthetic voice. Videos allow video
subtitles and/or closed caption files. The best podcast/audio providers can sync audio to account for
language length differences.
Software and apps: Automated translation and verification options. New technology allows replication of
apps into multiple languages. Can be released simultaneously to a global market. Popular business apps
include live chat text and voice to voice.
www.ibt.onl Language and Translation 10Translation Technology
What is Machine Translation(MT)?
The use of software to translate from one language to another
Optimal when large volumes of content need to be translated in a short timeframe
Excellent alternative when projects are so large that the cost or time investment for human translation
isn’t feasible
Reduces translation costs
Helps reach global customers faster
Offers different levels of automation for different quality needs
Types of MT The growth of MT
The most common types : LSPs developing MT include Kantan and
Statistical Machine Translation (SMT) Pangeanic, launching, supporting, deploying for
(translations generated on the basis of their clients
statistical models) Commercially viable and proven products are
Rule-Based Machine Translation (RBMT) on the market
(based on linguistic information about The largest enterprise-buyers are starting to
source or target languages) outsource their machine translation
Hybrid Systems, which combine both development work to external providers
SMT and RBMT At the heart of intelligent innovation in
translation technology
www.ibt.onl Language and Translation 11Translation Technology
What is Computer Assisted Translation (CAT)?
A human translator uses computer software to support and facilitate the translation process
Breaks text down into segments to make translation faster and easier
The source text and the translation of each segment are saved together and presented as translation units
What is fuzzy match repair?
When CAT tools do not find an exact match for the source segment to translate in its translation memory
(TM), translators must use fuzzy matches that come from translation units in the translation memory that
do not completely match the source segment
A fuzzy match = translation memory match where the source segment in the text that needs to be
translated is not quite the same as, but very similar, to a source segment in the TM
Translation memories
Linguistic databases that continually grow and “learn” from the translator
Previous translations stored within the TM (in source and target language pairs
called translation units) and reused
Means that the same sentence does not need to be translated twice
The more the translation memories are built up, the faster translators can work
www.ibt.onl Language and Translation 12Translation Technology
Communicate in local language
Prospective target audiences will find and understand you, in their local language
Businesses today are web-centric, sophisticated, diverse, mobile and competitive
Today, country specific websites are essential for a companies to compete successfully globally
Local credibility
Target audiences will know you respect and care about them, their market and their concerns
Knowledge builds trust: localized websites help build trust for businesses in target export markets
Local engagement and knowledge
You can engage in the local market – good for lead generation and market knowledge
Put your brand at the heart of your online presence and surround it with images and design features that
are understandable and look natural to your target country
Huge multilingual Everyday,
864,000 Everyday, 2
million
Everyday, 5
million
There are
4.55 billion
hours of
volume and competition
indexed
video is blogs are tweets are
pages on
uploaded to written sent
the internet
YouTube
13Translation Online
Hosting and URLs
Host your websites locally
Reserve your URLs now!
Content and design
Content is not only about getting the language right
Adapt text, ensure your sense of humor is understood, choose testimonials that your local audience can relate to
Convert measurements and monetary systems to the local ones
Put your brand at the heart of your online presence - Surround it with images and design features that are
understandable and look natural to your target country
Translate PDF brochures and catalogues and videos and/or subtitles
Your dedicated localized websites should respect your existing design, spirit and structural features; but they must also
be adapted and customized to address specificities of each of your target markets
The challenge
Creating dedicated market websites is the first step
Using them effectively is the bigger and long-term challenge
Search engine optimization and social media communication are essential, but sometimes it's
worth boosting your visibility with advertising, targeting each of your markets specifically
Creating email campaigns, calls-to-action and landing pages in local languages helps you
achieve your commercial objectives
www.ibt.onl Language and Translation 14Translation Online
Google is dominant in Europe, Baidu in China
Google = 95% average market penetration in Europe, Baidu = 95% in China
Other search engines: Yandex (Russia), Naver (South Korea), Bing…
Country Leader Share Runner-up Share
Spain Google 96% Bing 2%
France Google 95% Bing 4%
Italy Google 95% Bing 2%
Germany Google 93% Bing 3%
UK Google 89% Bing 7%
USA Google 67% Bing 18%
Source: The Webcertain Global Search and Social Report by Webcertain, 2015
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to SEO
Google in each market has its own search engine, examples google.de for Germany, google.co.uk for UK etc.
SEO must be localized
Research relevant keywords and phrasing for your online content to maximize web presence
A website well optimized for google.com will not be well optimized for google.co.uk (regardless of language similarity!)
On page optimization such as page text content, meta data, local meta tags, URLs and files need to be well executed
Apart from the right selection and application of keywords, having a local country domain extension is of crucial
importance
www.ibt.onl Language and Translation 15Translation Online
Keyword translation
Words or phrases that internet users type into search engines to get required results. If your content
matches these keywords well, your website will rank in search results
If your website appears at the top of search results at google.com, it does not mean it will have the same
outcome in the UK, France or Germany. People search using different keywords in each country, even if
they speak the same language (e.g. the USA and the UK)
Research your target markets to find out which keywords are being searched for frequently (keywords
with large search volume but are not used by many other websites: these are more competitive for high
ranking positions (keywords with low competition)
How to implement keyword translation
According to Google, there are over 200 factors that influence your ranking position when someone
searches for you – this includes the way your keywords are implemented in a number of places,
including:
Title, H1 (heading 1), Page text, Bold/strong text, URL (web link), Anchor text (hyperlinked text), Other
locations
Language and Translation 16
www.ibt.onlTranslation Online
The challenge of multilingual social media
Which social networks and which languages will be most effective for your brand?
Localize social media accounts to increase visibility of relevant market-specific promotions, services, and
product launches
Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are strong leaders, local social media networks still remain strikingly
influential
Eamples: Xing in Germany, Viadeo in France and Tuenti in Spain
Social media use in Europe and North America
Country Social Media Users Social media penetration Top three networks
USA 196 million 76% Facebook, Google+, Twitter
UK 36 million 74% Facebook, Twitter, Google+
Germany 37 million 66% Facebook, Google+, Twitter
France 28 million 69% Facebook, Google+, Twitter
Italy 26 million 52% Facebook, Google+, Twitter
Canada 20 million 56% Facebook, Twitter, Google+
Spain 20 million 66% Facebook, Google+, Twitter
Poland 12 million 59% Facebook, Naszaklasa, Google+
www.ibt.onl Language and Translation 17Translation Online
New technology = new words
New words generated by technology and social media
Terms such as “LOL” and “YOLO”, widely adopted, not only English.
Selfie: Oxford’s English word of the year in 2013, hugely popular in France, Netherlands and Italy and Austria’s youth word
of the year in 2014
Many derive from English, also influenced by other languages e.g. to eat lunch “al desko”
Abandoning alphabets
Swiss-German word of the year in 2014 was a symbol: #
Hashtag or ‘Gartehag’ in Swiss German (also known as ‘Doppelkreuz) was selected because of its frequent appearance in
social media in combination with a keyword
Global Language Monitor found that the heart emoticon was the most popular word of 2014
“Hashtag”, “Vape” (“vapoter” in French, “svapare” in Italian and “Bashtag” (a critical hashtag) were listed too
A new tech-based language?
Pay attention to discussions in your social networks and look for emerging new words
Social media has changed the way we communicate. We share more personal information, but also communicate with
larger audiences
Use trends in your markets to optimize your contents, blogs and social media
www.ibt.onl Language and Translation 18Translation Top Ten Trends
Macro
1. Increased use of Machine Translation
2. Increased demand for speed
3. Global content
Newly emerging
4. Global translation market: 18% growth estimated in 2016
5. “Intelligent Innovation”: significant developments
Growing rapidly
6. Increased internet penetration and use of mobile
7. Increased need for real time translation
8. Mobile data traffic: tenfold increase by 2019, compared with 2013
9. Creation of 51 million new websites each year
10. Online customers: preference for chat text
www.ibt.onl Language and Translation 19Next Steps
Interested in exploring new export markets or building sales in existing export markets? Get visible. Get Online.
If you would like to learn more about a global online presence and international online marketing, contact us now!
Your exports and business development are at the heart of our scalable proposals
to build and market your business
Online Global
CLICK HERE TO
GET YOUR ONLINE PROPOSAL!
Please see our website for more information and help on international business development: www.ibt.onl
www.ibt.onl Language and Translation 20About IBT Online
Grow your sales, brands and businesses online globally!
IBT Online works with your company to establish and manage your global online presence through website
localization and international online marketing.
From strategic planning, through content localization, design customization and technical implementation of
localized websites, to country specific search engine optimization and social media marketing, our Online
Global services are tailored support your international business strategy.
Get in touch! Email: info@ibt.onl
You can also find us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn
Language and Translation 21
www.ibt.onlUseful Links
Language and translation links Export and business links
Bloomberg: How Recession-Proof is the Translation Industry? US Commercial Service
Box Blogs: A Look at the Translation Industry in 2014 European Commission
Centre for Retail Research: Online Retailing: Britain, Europe, US and AmCham EU
Canada 2015 American Chambers of Commerce in Europe
Common Sense Advisory BritishAmerican Business
Digital Trends Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Economic Modeling: Translation and Interpretation Services Commission of the European Communities
Financial Times: # Word of the Year Eurochambres
Forbes: The Biggest Industry you’ve Never Heard Of FDI Intelligence
Global Language Monitor International Chamber of Commerce
ibt partners: Optimizing websites for European search engines International strategic analysis
Lionbridge The Global Competitiveness Report
Pangeanic Transatlantic Economic Council
SDL World Trade Organization
Sovee: Translating a Moving Target
www.ibt.onl Language and Translation 22www.ibt.onl
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