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
Millions and languages 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 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 9 Translation 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 10 Translation 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 11 Translation 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 12 Translation 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
Everyday, There are Everyday, 2 Everyday, 5 Huge multilingual 864,000 4.55 billion million million hours of indexed blogs are tweets are video is pages on written sent volume and competition uploaded to the internet YouTube 13 Translation 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 14 Translation 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 15 Translation 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 www.ibt.onl 16 Translation 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 17 Translation 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 18 Translation 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 19 Next 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
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www.ibt.onl Language and Translation 20 About 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: [email protected] You can also find us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn
Language and Translation www.ibt.onl 21 Useful 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 22 www.ibt.onl