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                     Translation, 
Localization And 
Internationalizatio
n
The words translation, localization and 
internationalization sound similar and many people 
use them interchangeably. However, there are subtle 
differences that set them apart from each other. 
Understanding them in their context is important for 
people and companies that want to make their 
business reach a global level. Out of all the three 
terms, translation is the easiest to understand as it 
basically involves the conversion of existing text 
from one language to another. But the rest two are 
slightly different and this blog will help you learn 
the similarities and differences between the three.
Translation
 It is the process where the meaning of a content piece 
is communicated in another language. Translation is a 
very meticulous task and requires advanced 
knowledge of both the source and target languages. If 
it is not done correctly or by an inexperienced 
translator, the output might not communicate the 
appropriate message and it could also end up being a 
word-for-word conversion. There are also chances that 
the translation could be confusing, offensive or 
humorous, which could affect the reputation of a 
brand. For example, Arabic as a language has several 
linguistic differences and if the translation is not done 
properly, it could offend the target audience. The 
translation may, at times, fail to consider cultural 
preferences as the process strictly follows the text and 
message of the source language. To overcome this 
issue, localization is recommended.
Localization
 Localization is giving a culturally-appropriate feel to the content 
so that it can suit the target audience of the region where it will 
be used and sold. Arabic is the official language but it has 
linguistic differences that vary from country to country. It 
becomes important to know the dialect that is spoken in the 
target region or country. For global businesses, their success 
isn’t solely dependent on language translation. Adapting the 
content to meet the language preferences, and cultural and 
functional norms are very important, which is possible with 
localization. The process involves a comprehensive inclusion of 
regional variants and cultural customs. Some other important 
factors include the depiction of time, date, currency, phone 
numbers, etc. For example, red is a very powerful color in India 
and it has several meanings, including fear, power and fire. Hand 
gestures in images can be considered offensive in certain parts 
of the world.
Internationalization 
 Internationalization, also termed as globalization by 
some people, involves design and development of 
an application, product or document content that 
helps the process of localization. It addresses issues 
that may arise when a translation is done from a 
right-to-left language to a left-to-right language, 
different currencies and alphabets, language 
expansion, etc. This is done to make the content 
adaptable for the target language. The other 
essential changes that are done during the process 
of internationalization is making illustrations for 
documents where it is easy to change the text in 
another language.
 Both internationalization and localization have 
a common goal which is globalization. If a 
business develops a product or service and 
wants to make it available in different regions, 
they are trying to globalize their offerings. To 
summarize, localization and internationalization 
are separate functions and the latter involves 
methodologies and practices that help the 
former. They help in creating a better user 
experience for people from different parts of 
the world.
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