More than 16% of the world’s population speaks one or the other Asian language. This implies a high probability of your eLearning localization projects including a lot of translations to Asian language. And as with any other language, translating English to any of the Asian languages has its own set of challenges. Let’s look at some of those.
Font Usage
When translating English to any other language, you need to pay special attention to the fonts you are using. This becomes specifically crucial for Asian language projects since their character sets and fonts are starkly different from English.
Cultural Differences
Asian Languages have many cultural nuances specific to each of them. This also implies that the level of formality used in the content or pronunciation for a specific word is different in an Asian language than what you would use in English. This has a direct impact on your project’s voice recording. You should ideally check with the client for any specific pronunciations before proceeding with the recording. Also check on the usage of right titles, salutations, or greetings beforehand.
Grammatical Differences
Because of different language origins, Asian languages are very different in basic grammar when compared to English. There are differences in syntax, genders, usage of verbs and adjectives. The right way to proceed with these is to engage native translator who could pick these out without an issue.
Image Recreation
When working on image recreation for specific languages, you might come across images that have content written on them. Try and refrain from modifying the original content and language on the image since such kind of recreation might have legal repercussions unless stated otherwise. Translate any content on the image and have it placed separately, preferably next to the image.
Glossary Development
Ensure that your translation vendor includes glossary development as a part of the services scope. Glossary development is an essential step in translation projects to ensure consistent translation and easy updates.
With their diverse varieties, Asian languages present many interesting challenges in translation. But overlooking even one of them can threaten the client relationship. Your translation projects need to be carefully managed to minimize risks. Instead of a regular storyboard, it is advisable to create a base document with the entire translation scope and seek the client’s approval on it to avoid any last-minute glitches. Also, as a best practice, before proceeding with closing on a translator, share multiple samples of translated content from different translators and seek client feedback on each of those. A native-level translator who understands the culture and its nuances is ideal. If this translator has also served a wide range of demographics, that’s a plus.
If you have faced any other challenges or follow some other workarounds while dealing with Asian language translations, we would want to learn about. Comment below or drop a note to contact@harbingergroup.com.
