Localization

Translation of the text part of the software, website, mobile application, computer game is part of the localization process for a product or service intended for a specific market.

Translation conveys the meaning of the text; localization modifies it by taking extratextual elements into account. Language localization helps the end user understand the text of the product or service by making it appear natural to them. It takes into account dialect, colloquialism, and professional jargon, as well as the historical and political implications of the language in question.

It is important to remember that language localization requires more care the more similar the target markets’ language corpora are to each other. Serbian, Bosnian and Montenegrin languages ​​are similar to Croatian. Although we will be able to (almost) fully understand all of the above languages ​​in, say, a banking application, a method that does not respect cultural and political differences will probably not be able to realize the full potential of the service or product being localized.

Similarly, we will not be able to fully use British English in a region where American English is spoken; and depending on the type of product or service, we may not be able to use it throughout the United Kingdom or the United States of America.

In any case, if we want our product or service to be well received within the target area, good localization is vital.