The multiplicity of languages
Posted: Sun Dec 22, 2024 7:06 am
There are countries with multiple official languages and our site may need to address its users in different languages.
Examples of countries include Luxembourg, Singapore, South Africa, Malaysia and Switzerland, for example.
However, India stands out above all of them with no less than 400 languages and more than 2,000 dialects.
It is highly unlikely that a digital business would want to reach its users with such accuracy as to cover the entire linguistic spectrum of India.
However, such a case presents us with the challenge of how to resolve lists that are broader than the usual two or three languages.
In these cases, simple solutions may be the most effective.
A simple “show more” link at the end of the list and opening a popup with the rest code phone number philippines of the language alternatives could solve the problem in an elegant way.
Language and localization
When we consider adapting a website to different languages, we must take into account the differences that exist depending on the localization.
Spanish, for example, is a language spoken by more than 572 million people around the world, but do we all use the language in the same way?
The answer is obvious.
In this sense, we must take into account the use in each geographical location.
Words that may seem harmless to us, such as “coger” or “concha,” may have a different meaning in Spain or South America.
Other aspects to take into account when adapting to a different country are the use of symbols, expressions, colors, types of currency, units of measurement, representation of time, etc.
All of these aspects have a depth of development worthy of being treated individually in other posts.
In addition to language and website understanding, localization can also affect the offering of services or products.
It has happened to all of us at some point that we have found that much desired product on Amazon and when we have tried to buy it, it was impossible due to our location.
As we have mentioned throughout this post on many occasions, we are not just talking about translation, we are referring to the adaptation of messages, products and services to a specific geographical location.
Examples of countries include Luxembourg, Singapore, South Africa, Malaysia and Switzerland, for example.
However, India stands out above all of them with no less than 400 languages and more than 2,000 dialects.
It is highly unlikely that a digital business would want to reach its users with such accuracy as to cover the entire linguistic spectrum of India.
However, such a case presents us with the challenge of how to resolve lists that are broader than the usual two or three languages.
In these cases, simple solutions may be the most effective.
A simple “show more” link at the end of the list and opening a popup with the rest code phone number philippines of the language alternatives could solve the problem in an elegant way.
Language and localization
When we consider adapting a website to different languages, we must take into account the differences that exist depending on the localization.
Spanish, for example, is a language spoken by more than 572 million people around the world, but do we all use the language in the same way?
The answer is obvious.
In this sense, we must take into account the use in each geographical location.
Words that may seem harmless to us, such as “coger” or “concha,” may have a different meaning in Spain or South America.
Other aspects to take into account when adapting to a different country are the use of symbols, expressions, colors, types of currency, units of measurement, representation of time, etc.
All of these aspects have a depth of development worthy of being treated individually in other posts.
In addition to language and website understanding, localization can also affect the offering of services or products.
It has happened to all of us at some point that we have found that much desired product on Amazon and when we have tried to buy it, it was impossible due to our location.
As we have mentioned throughout this post on many occasions, we are not just talking about translation, we are referring to the adaptation of messages, products and services to a specific geographical location.