While We Wait for the Babel Fish Stephanie Booth

Human? Internet Languages in the human world on the internet Is it a fit?

Languages

in the human world

on the internet

Is it a fit?

Multilingual Humans Who is multilingual? more multilinguals than monolinguals Being human among humans means living in a state of ever incomplete multilingualism. Mario Wandruszka

Who is multilingual?

more multilinguals than monolinguals

Being human among humans means living in a state of ever incomplete multilingualism.

Mario Wandruszka

What are my languages? know / don't know (too binary) Know? Speak? Read? Write? Read a book? A newspaper article? Have a conversation? Write a letter? Write a book? Give a talk?

know / don't know (too binary)

Internet: Space Cruncher Freedom from spatial constraints more intercultural contact change of initial obstacle: space language

Freedom from spatial constraints

more intercultural contact

change of initial obstacle:

space language

Linguistic Borders Online, the strongest borders are linguistic. Some multilingual people act as bridges. How could our tools assist them in their task?

Online, the strongest borders are linguistic.

Some multilingual people act as bridges.

How could our tools assist them in their task?

Monolingual Silos But the internet is multilingual! multilingual community <> multilingual people multiple monolingual spaces mixing languages

But the internet is multilingual!

multilingual community

<>

multilingual people

multiple monolingual spaces

mixing languages

L10n advice for Tool Builders localise early, localise smart plan non-EN from the start (not an afterthought) language != country regional variations (fr-fr, fr-ch, fr-qc...) crowdsource in-house « linguist » smart user language detection

localise early, localise smart

plan non-EN from the start (not an afterthought)

language != country

regional variations (fr-fr, fr-ch, fr-qc...)

crowdsource

in-house « linguist »

smart user language detection

Detecting User Language Specified by: profile (tool-side) browser preferences OS/browser language geographical location one language? n languages? priority? how proficient?

Specified by:

profile (tool-side)

browser preferences

OS/browser language

geographical location

one language? n languages?

priority?

how proficient?

Misconceptions But everybody speaks English! country = language

But everybody speaks English!

country = language

Geographical Abuse IP => country => language, right? Guilty: PayPal, Amazon, eBay, Google country != language bad localisation

IP => country => language, right?

Guilty: PayPal, Amazon, eBay, Google

Countries can be important for language: one factor amongst several for laws: very important taxes & censorship Examples: - shipping - porn

for language: one factor amongst several

for laws: very important

taxes & censorship

Examples:

- shipping

- porn

L10n Insufficient Localisation: translation of the interface into another language monolingual in various languages « Multilingualisation »: (yes, it's ugly) mixing languages manages code-switching different language combinations

Localisation:

translation of the interface into another language

monolingual in various languages

« Multilingualisation »: (yes, it's ugly)

mixing languages

manages code-switching

different language combinations

Blogging Tools: WordPress well localised language is a blog-level attribute assumes you blog in one language no in-built strategies for mixing languages => 1 blog per language a solution: other-language excerpts translation is too hard keeps mono&multi audience quite happy keeps the bridge-blogger very happy

well localised

language is a blog-level attribute

assumes you blog in one language

no in-built strategies for mixing languages

=> 1 blog per language

a solution: other-language excerpts

translation is too hard

keeps mono&multi audience quite happy

keeps the bridge-blogger very happy

Presence Tools: Twitter not localised => adoption issue non-EN communities present language filtering? language detection?

not localised => adoption issue

non-EN communities present

language filtering?

language detection?

The Multilingual Challenge Making a space both: multilingual-friendly monolingual-friendly How do we keep everybody happy? different language combinations different language skills No solution is perfect for everybody.

Making a space both:

multilingual-friendly

monolingual-friendly

How do we keep everybody happy?

different language combinations

different language skills

No solution is perfect for everybody.

Going Multilingual a strategic and technical problem Strategic how do we allow languages to mix? what do we translate? what do we show people? how do people define their language skills? Technical design encoding lang, hreflang (HTML) language detection automated translation Remember. Most people are multilingual.

Strategic

how do we allow languages to mix?

what do we translate?

what do we show people?

how do people define their language skills?

Technical

design

encoding

lang, hreflang (HTML)

language detection

automated translation

Bonne route ! Flickr Photo Credits romerican Paco CT Antoon Kuper Hobvias Sudoneighm Grant MacDonald Zoom Zoom A JC Claude Covo-Farchi Stephanie Booth Lausanne, Switzerland http://climbtothestars.org [email_address] Skype: steph-booth reboot9, 31.05-01.06.2007 Copenhagen

Flickr Photo Credits

romerican

Paco CT

Antoon Kuper

Hobvias Sudoneighm

Grant MacDonald

Zoom Zoom

A JC

Claude Covo-Farchi

Stephanie Booth

Lausanne, Switzerland

http://climbtothestars.org

[email_address]

Skype: steph-booth