Translating your content into other languages is one of the greatest challenges in the technical communication process. We as technical communicators can meet these challenges with the combination of single-sourcing and localization. This presentation covers a combination of tools, best practices, tips and tricks for managing your localization projects.

1. Single-Sourcing and
Localization
Maximizing Content Across Languages
Laura Dent
Freelance Technical Writer
www.linkedin.com/in/lauradentwriter
@laurainspace

2. Overview
• Goals
• About Me
• About You
• Definitions
• Localization in Action
• Benefits
• Challenges
• Process
• Best Practices, Tips and Tricks
• Tools
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3. Goals
• You learn what you need to know about single-sourcing and
localization
• You gain some ideas for first steps – or next steps – in your
localization process
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4. About Me: Laura Dent
• Freelance technical writer specializing in single-sourcing and
localization; clients include translation companies and product
companies
• Adjunct faculty at James Madison University, teaching Technical
Communication for Computer Science
• Formerly at Rosetta Stone, language-learning software company;
localized software and documentation
• Majored in Russian at Harvard
• Studied languages since I was in elementary school
• Wanted to be a writer since I was 5
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5. About You
• Poll: What are you already doing, or looking to do?
• Single-Sourcing?
• Localization?
• Both?
• Software?
• Documentation?
• Both?
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6. Definitions
Single-Sourcing: Use of a single document or set of files to
produce multiple outputs.
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7. Definitions
Single-Sourcing can
leverage content across
the organization.
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8. Definitions
Localization: The process of translation plus adapting a
product or document to the language and location of the target
market.
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9. Definitions
• Globalization: Business strategy for expanding markets to
multiple regions in the world.
• Internationalization: Design of a product or service to be
readily adaptable to different languages and locations.
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10. Definitions
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11. Definitions
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Think Globally …
… Act Locally

12. Localization in Action
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13. Benefits
Benefits of Single-Sourcing:
• Cost savings – multiple outputs from one master
• Ease of maintenance – update all versions at once
• Quality control – all documents in sync
Benefits of Single-Sourcing and Localization:
• Cost savings multiplied – translate once for all variations
• Ease of maintenance – update all languages (translate updates)
• Quality control – all languages in sync
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14. Challenges
• Linguistic – grammar differences, variables
• Formatting – word length, paper sizes, screen size (software)
• Quality – how to verify? Need in-country review
• Cultural, legal, ethical issues
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15. Process
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You
Language Service
Provider (LSP)
In-Country
Review (ICR) –
You or LSP
You or LSP
You or LSP

16. Process
1. Writing (You)
2. Single-Sourcing
3. Prepare for Localization
4. Localization (LSP)
5. Localization Engineering (You or LSP)
6. Linguistic QA
7. Implement Linguistic QA
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17. Process
1. Writing
• Clean, concise
• Simplified language
• Terminology
• Grammar
• English quirks to avoid if possible:
• Noun stacks
• Gerunds
• Idioms
• Cultural references
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18. Process
1. Writing for Single-Sourcing and Localization
• Right unit to translate: paragraph/sentence? Workarounds.
• Word order – German/Japanese: verb at end
• Articles, combined forms
• Gender – grammatical issues
• Number – Russian/Japanese: “small plurals”
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19. Process
2. Single-Sourcing
• Structured content – topic-based
• Variations in content
• Variables: Single elements with discrete options
• Conditionals: Longer passages (sentence)
• Snippets: Standalone elements (paragraph)
• Start from master document
• Anticipate single-sourcing if possible
• Or, retrofit: compare existing documents
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20. Process
3. Prepare for Localization
• Coordinate with your Language Services Provider (LSP).
• Create localized glossaries.
• Create a style guide for each language (including English).
• Adapt images for localization.
• Localized screen shots.
• Callouts – layered text.
• Allow for text expansion – reposition as needed.
• Provide plenty of context for translators – notes, screen shots,
training.
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21. Process: Images
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22. Process: Images
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23. Process
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24. Process
3. Prepare for Localization
• Internationalization – software and documentation
• Measuring units
• Date formats
• First/last names
• Addresses
• Word length – allow room for text to expand
• Formats: 8.5x11 vs. A4
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25. Process
4. Localization
• Translation of text
• Adaptation of files and formats
• International dates, measurements, conventions
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26. Process
5. Localization Engineering (You or LSP)
• Import translated files into single-sourcing system
• Reformat as needed
• Create outputs
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27. Process
6. Linguistic QA
• Send output to in-country experts for language review
• Specific directions for how to make changes or give
feedback
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28. Process
7. Implement Linguistic QA
• Receive feedback and revise single-sourcing system
• Recreate final outputs
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29. Tips and Tricks
Locale: Combination of the language and location, such as
French-France (fr-FR) or French-Canada (fr-CA).
• Examples - English:
• Localize, color, truck – American English (en-US)
• Localise, colour, lorry – British English (en-BR)
• Spanish:
• Montacargas (forklift), equalización (equalization) – Latin
American Spanish (es-419)
• Caretilla elevadora (toro – colloq.), igualación – Spanish-Spain
(es-ES)
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30. Tips and Tricks
Articles with variables – a, an, the – for example, in English:
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Install a <brandname>. Install a A-brand.
Install a B-brand.
Install <a-brand> <brandname>.
Set <a-brand> = <an> for A-brand,
<a> for B-brand.
Install an A-brand.
Install a B-brand.

31. Tips and Tricks
Articles in French (translation of “the”):
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Installer le <brandname>. Installer le A-brand.
Installer le B-brand.
Installer <Fr-the-brand> <brandname>.
Set <Fr-the-brand> = <l’> for A-brand,
<le> for B-brand.
Installer l’A-brand.
Installer le B-brand.

32. Tips and Tricks
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English: Install the <brandname> device. Install the A-brand device.
Install the B-brand device.
French: Installer l’unité <brandname>. Installer l’unité A-brand.
Installer l’unité B-brand.
Better yet, rewrite the source text to remove the article issues:

33. Tips and Tricks
Grammar issues:
• Don’t use variables for common words.
• “The <device/machine> should be plugged in. Then, turn it on.”
French:
• L’appareil doit être branché. Puis, allumez-le.
• La machine doit être branchée. Puis, allumez-la.
Example courtesy Jennifer Schudel, Advanced Language Translations
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34. Tools
• SmartDocs from ThirtySix Software
• Plugin to Word
• Word and pdf outputs
• MadCap Flare
• Topic-based
• Multiple output formats
• Graphics – integration with MadCap Capture
• Localization engineering
• Options for localization: Lingo, MadTranslations
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35. Goals: Review
• You learn what you need to know about single-sourcing and
localization
• You gain some ideas for first steps – or next steps – in your
localization process
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36. Thank You!
Questions?
Laura Dent
www.lauradentwriter.com
laura@lauradentwriter.com
www.linkedin.com/in/lauradentwriter
@laurainspace
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37. References
• John Collins, Writing for Localization
http://www.intersectux.com/blog/2014/07/20/writing-for-localization-
part-1/
and Strategies for Friendly English and Successful Localization
bit.ly/idw14jrc
• Go to John’s related presentation at the STC Summit, Tuesday at 2:15:
Building Quality Experiences for Users in Any Language
http://sched.co/5o0S
• Venga Global – I (Laura Dent) actually wrote the eBook:
Single-Sourcing: Translate Once, Reuse Many Times
http://blog.vengaglobal.com/single-sourcing-translate-once-reuse-many-times
• Jennifer Schudel, Advanced Language Translations: Presentation, “Five
Things to Consider When Developing Multilingual Content”
• http://www.madcapsoftware.com/demos/player.aspx?v=2197c5687bd28
• http://assets.madcapsoftware.com/webinar/
Presentation_FiveThingsFlareTranslation.pdf
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