Now, I have a confession to make. I work for LAT and am passionate about our mandate, but I also struggled to truly understand how localization plays out in practice. Though I am with a translation and marketing company, I myself only speak English, so an example like the one above about French Canadian translation is purely theoretical. Because I don\u2019t speak another language, I don\u2019t have the personal experience of encountering a time in which a company went out of their way to translate their content specifically for my demographic. Or so I thought. This past year I hopped across the pond from Canada to the UK and had the very real first-hand experience of language localization…in English!<\/p>\n
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We don\u2019t, or at least I don\u2019t, often think about how English shifts across various regions. Sure I\u2019m aware of things like Canadian versus American spelling, but ironically I never thought much about these nuances because I spend so much of my time thinking about the nuances of localization in other languages. Over the past few months, numerous walks through London and trips to the grocery store have elicited all kinds of confusion and laughter. There\u2019s no orange juice with or without pulp, only with or without \u201cjuicy bits\u201d. I spent more time than I\u2019d care to admit staring at \u201cwashing up liquid\u201d trying to determine whether it was for personal hygiene or dishes (turns out it\u2019s the latter). I\u2019ve also had passionate discussions over the merits of \u201carugula\u201d or \u201crocket\u201d, \u201ccoriander\u201d or \u201ccilantro\u201d, and the oh-so-important distinction between \u201ccookies\u201d and \u201cbiscuits\u201d. Though you\u2019ve likely encountered these linguistic variations before, I can now say that it is one thing to understand that they exist, but quite another to actually experience it. Of all the moves in the world I could have made, Canada to the United Kingdom would hardly be the largest culture shock, yet those cultural differences have certainly impacted my stay thus far. Moving from one English-speaking Commonwealth country to another didn\u2019t prevent me from making cultural gaffes or experiencing confusion. It also showed me the importance of language localization, particularly for businesses.<\/p>\n
![\"language](\"https:\/\/www.latmultilingual.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Untitled-design-37.png\")
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Source: oNigeria.com<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n Though we may not actively consider it, language really matters. Sure we know that we want to tweak our original marketing copy until it\u2019s perfect, but do you take the same consideration when asking translation firms to adapt your material for different audiences? I can now distinctly identify content that is geared towards a British or North American demographic and, depending on the context in which I encounter that content, I\u2019ll respond differently. Feeling a little homesick? Maybe a blog about a new Canadian business will really grab my attention that day. Seeking an authentic afternoon tea in London? I\u2019ll go to the more \u201cBritish\u201d sounding website because it will feel more authoritative to me. My ability to identify these nuances and respond accordingly is by no means unique, and can be a powerful method for businesses to really reach out and engage with target communities.<\/p>\n Think about this: if you had a brochure from your New York storefront and were sending it over to your locations in London and Melbourne, you wouldn\u2019t want the exact same English text for all three locations. Instead, you would expect localized tweaks that reflect each market. When moving to different languages, the same logic applies. You need to understand exactly who you are translating your content for, and then request a translation that is localized to that specific community. If your company can communicate a story that resonates with your audience<\/a>, you\u2019ll be well positioned for success. A key part of that communication is using language that will truly engage your audience, and if you go the extra mile by adopting a localization strategy that does just that, you will get their attention.