More and more companies are striving for a friendly tone with their content. Many of those same companies are taking their content to other cultures with localized content. Those two content goals seem to be at odds. This slideshow, presented at Information Development World in October of 2014, looks at how to accomplish both goals.

1. Strategies for Friendly English
and Successful Localization
John Collins!
Senior UX Content Strategist
www.linkedin.com/in/johncollins"
@jrc_collins

2. bit.ly/idw14jrc
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3. About me
@jrc_collins3

4. Your turn!
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5. Some groundwork
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6. What is localization?
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y-sa/2.0/

7. Localization is the process of
adapting internationalized software
for a specific region or language by
adding locale-specific components
and translating text
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internationalization_and_localization
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8. Why do you care?
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9. Your audience
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10. “Like people, UIs communicate
through their personality, tone,
and attitude.”
Everett McKay
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11. Your brand
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12. “Your tone can help you stand
out from competitors,
communicate efficiently and
effectively with your audience
and share your personality.”
Robert Mills
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13. Content trend
• Moving away from stuffy
technical jargon
• Moving toward friendlier,
more natural language
@jrc_collins
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14. @jrc_collins
http://voiceandtone.com/
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15. @jrc_collins
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http://www.cherryleaf.com/blog/2014/09/microsoft-moves-away-from-robot-speak-in-its-user-documentation

16. Business trend
• Marketing communications
and technical communications
converging
• Rise of content strategy as a
“thing”
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17. Avoid humor
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18. Avoid idioms like the plague.
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19. Avoid casual language
Right, dude?
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20. Friendly tone
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21. Friendly tone
Easy to localize
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22. Friendly tone
Easy to localize
A house divided against
itself cannot stand
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23. Friendly tone
Easy to localize
A house divided against
itself cannot stand
@jrc_collins
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24. You serve ALL of your audience."
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25. Proper tone for all
English!
Chinese!
French!
Spanish (Mexico)!
Japanese!
Korean!
Russian! Etc.!
@jrc_collins
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26. Proper tone for all
English!
Chinese!
French!
Spanish (Mexico)!
Japanese!
Korean!
Russian! Etc.!
Easy to localize
@jrc_collins
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27. That’s all well and good, "
but how do I do it?
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28. Lay a strong foundation
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29. Lay a strong foundation
• Establish relationships with translators/
vendors
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30. Lay a strong foundation
• Establish relationships with translators/
vendors
• Create style guides for each localization
(including English)
@jrc_collins
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31. Lay a strong foundation
• Establish relationships with translators/
vendors
• Create style guides for each localization
(including English)
• Create localized glossaries
@jrc_collins
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32. Add quality content
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33. Simplify
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34. Clarify
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35. Want to know some secrets?
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36. Secret #1
Translators can do better "
job when they have quality
source content.
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37. Secret #2
When your source content is
high quality, it’ll be friendlier, too.
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38. On writing for localization …
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39. Think like a translator
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40. Your turn!
@jrc_collins40

41. Structure your content
with localization in mind.
• Be careful with substitutions.
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42. {number} results
Welcome, {name}.
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43. Structur}e
your content
with localization in mind.
• Be careful with the granularity
of conditional text.
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44. Plug the {hardware} into the
{power source}. A solid green
light turns on to show that your
{hardware} is fully charged.
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45. Structur}e
your content
with localization in mind.
• Don’t concatenate text.
@jrc_collins
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46. Write for localization
• Use short, simple sentences.
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47. Write for localization
• Use consistent terminology.
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48. Write for localization
• Avoid synonyms, equivalents,
and metonyms.
@jrc_collins
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49. Write for localization
• Foil homonyms.
• Date
• Leaves
• Engaged
• Net
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50. Write for localization
• Foil homonyms.
• Point
• Type
• Right
• Stalk
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51. Write for localization
• Don’t bow to homographs.
• Read
• Minute
• Bow
• Does
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52. Write for localization
• Don’t bow to homographs.
• Wind
• Row
• Sow
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53. Write for localization
• Don’t noun verbs or verb
nouns.
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54. Write for localization
• Re-use content.
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55. Your turn!
@jrc_collins55

56. Example
{number} results
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57. Example
The <person> moved "
Friday’s game to Saturday "
due to inclement weather.
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58. Example
Signing up for our new
notifications is a cakewalk!
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59. Done?
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60. Done? No!
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61. Provide context
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62. Loc kit: reference info
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63. Loc kit: reference info
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@jrc_collins

64. Loc kit: source files & context
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65. Loc kit: handoff sheet
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66. Wait, what happened to the
friendly, human English part?
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67. Translation
A faithful and accurate
adaptation of your text that
basically says the same
thing in another language.
http://wordtrans.com/2013/06/transcreation-vs-translation/
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68. Transcreation
An adaptation of your text with
the goal of evoking the same
reaction to your message from
readers in another language.
http://wordtrans.com/2013/06/transcreation-vs-translation/
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69. Translation
• Write a simplified English version. "
Create a second more natural version,
almost as its own localization.
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70. <!-- The “rewards” mentioned here are treasure chests
full of coins.-->
<simplified description>Use the hints we
have provided to create the correct sentence. If you
pronounce the sentence accurately, you will uncover a
square. Some squares conceal rewards. Try to collect as
many rewards as you can in the time limit.</simplified
description>
<localized description>Race to find buried treasure!
Use our clues to build the right sentence, and say it
correctly to dig up a plot. Maybe there's treasure; maybe
there's not. Collect as much as you can before time runs
out.</localized description>
@jrc_collins
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71. Transcreation
• Write the English you want.
• Add comments for translators.
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72. Transcreation
• Write the English you want.
• Add comments for translators.
Lots of comments!!
@jrc_collins
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73. <!-- TRANSLATOR: This comment contains detailed notes for the translation of the "description" string below.
* "Race to find buried treasure!" This is an imperative sentence that we want to sound fun. Completing the game tasks quickly
is important for achieving a good score, so "race" was chosen to suggest the time-sensitive nature of the game.
* "Use our clues to build the right sentence" The game interface will have icons or graphics on the x-axis and the y-axis. Those
icons or graphics are the "clues." We used the word "clue" because it carries some game connotations. The word "cue" or "hint"
could also be used, but we preferred "clue." The players will have to use those to create a sentence in their minds. For technological
reasons, it can't be just ANY sentence; it must match the sentence Rosetta Stone intends. The sentences are leveled based upon the
player's progress in Rosetta Course. See below for slightly more information.
* "say it correctly" The speech recognition is listening for the correct sentence and the correct pronunciation. If it doesn't
detect the correct items after a certain time period, the game will prompt the player by displaying the text of the expected sentence. If
it still doesn't get the correct answer after another certain time period, a native speaker will then speak the sentence. If it still doesn't
detect the correct speech from the player, that particular game piece will close and the player can select a new piece.
* "to dig up a plot" When the speech recognition detects a correct sentence and pronunciation, the game will see a quick
digging animation. If there's treasure, the game will indicate that with graphics and sound. If there's no treasure, that will also be
indicated with graphics and sound. The word "plot" suggests a plot, or section, of land, especially on a map. Players will see a map
with a 6-by-6 grid. We're using "plot" to indicate one of the 36 squares on the map. The word "plot" in English is kind of a play on
words, because it also suggests the concept of plotting something on a map (choosing a course). See note on rhyme below.
* "Maybe there's treasure; maybe there's not." This is a complex sentence to suggest that some squares (plots) will have
treasure, but not all of them will. You have two independent clauses in the English source separated by a semicolon. That construction
may not work in all translations; please do what is appropriate for your language. We use "there's" as a contraction of "there is" in
both clauses. We did purposely rhyme in English from "plot" in the previous sentence to "not" in this sentence. This was done to make
the English source a little more fun and game-like. We realize that the translations probably won't be able to rhyme; if they do, it will be
a nice bonus.
* "Collect as much as you can" This is an imperative in English. We used "collect" because it sounds like a gaming term in
English. Many games have items that the user needs to acquire to gain points, and that is the case in this game. We want this
sentence to sound fun, even though we've worded it as an imperative. The user is trying to "collect as much (treasure)" as they can.
They earn points for each treasure they find.
* "before time runs out" The game is a time-based game. The goal is to collect as much treasure as possible (by speaking
correctly and guessing which squares contain buried treasure).
* "Collect as much as you can before time runs out." We worded the entire sentence this way because we are trying to cover
multiple use cases. In one use case, the player is playing Solo (by themself), so getting a high score is the goal. A successful solo
player will quickly build the right sentences and say them correctly, and go through as many of the map squares (plots) as possible.
The other use case is a Duo game, where two players are playing together. Each one is trying to get a higher score than the other.
They will also have to quickly build the right sentences and say them correctly, but in this game, there is a clearly-defined winner (and
loser). We can't really say that in the description, because of the Solo player, who does not have a clearly-defined "win" state. -->
<description>Race to find buried treasure! Use our clues to build the right sentence, and say it correctly to dig up a plot. Maybe
there's treasure; maybe there's not. Collect as much as you can before time runs out.</description>
@jrc_collins
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74. @jrc_collins
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75. @jrc_collins
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76. @jrc_collins
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77. • Slides: bit.ly/idw14jrc
• Twitter: @jrc_collins
• www.linkedin.com/in/johncollins
@jrc_collins77