Month: December 2022

4 Tips to Localize Your Mobile App into Brazilian Portuguese
20/12/2022

4 Tips to Localize Your Mobile App into Brazilian Portuguese

Posted on | by Jacqueline De Marco | Leave a Comment on 4 Tips to Localize Your Mobile App into Brazilian Portuguese

Mobile apps are very popular in Brazil and the most popular apps in this country are those relating to social media, entertainment, and social networking. There’s a lot of potential app users in Brazil that app creators should try to appeal to. For those interested in localizing their apps for this market, this is what they need to know.

Take String Length Into Account

When translating text from English, Brazilian Portuguese requires 25% to 30% more space, so it’s very important to take string length into account. This means it takes more time for users to read any text dialogue or subtitles features in an app, so it’s essential to keep this length difference in mind during the development process. It’s also vital not to forget to use a font that supports the full library of Portuguese punctuation and accents, as not including the proper characters can change the meaning of a word and cause comprehension issues. 

Remember the Differences Between Brazilian and European Portuguese

If you think you can localize your app once to cover all Portuguese speaking users, think again. There are major differences between Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese that must be recognized. Spelling, pronunciation, and the meaning of words can differ between these two variants. For example, in Brazil, a bathroom is referred to as a “banheiro”, but in Portugal it is called a “sala de banhos”. Most Brazilians reject European Portuguese, so if you want to appeal to the Brazilian market, you need to localize to their specific variant. 

Localize Metrics

Speaking of localization, language is not the only element that must be adapted. Metrics such as units of measure, temperatures (ºC vs ºF), distance, weight, currency, and how dates are formatted can differ greatly across different languages. 

When it comes to Brazilian Portuguese, you’ll want to use the following metrics.

  • 24h clock format
  • DD/MM/YYYY date format
  • Brazilian Real (R$) instead of the American Dollar ($)

Don’t Forget About Culturalization 

When it comes to making a mobile app successful in a new market, you need to keep more than just the local language in mind. Translating the language of an app is a great start, but to really thrive you need to keep culture in mind. This is where culturalization comes in. If your app includes cultural elements (such as film, religious, or historical references), adapt those to the target market. When it comes to seasonal events, you need to consider the season it is in the hemisphere the target market is located in, not what season it is where you’re located. 

There are apps for literally everything, so depending on what your app does, be mindful of sensitive topics such as politics and religion. Hiring a translation partner who has a deep knowledge of the culture you’ll be translating into will help ensure you don’t accidentally cause offense or isolate your new target market. 

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TRANSITIONING TEACHERS IN THE US LOOK AT NEW CAREER PATHS IN INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN
13/12/2022

What does the transcreation process look like?

Posted on | by Jacqueline De Marco | Leave a Comment on What does the transcreation process look like?

Transcreation takes the translation process a step further. Oftentimes a direct translation simply doesn’t do the trick. With transcreation the translator takes extra steps to ensure the nuance of the language translation is clear. Humor, culture, and literary devices are examples of when transcreation can do the job much better than a simple translation. As the name implies, transcreation is a creative process and is a process that can’t be rushed.

Let’s take a closer look at what the transcreation process looks like.

Before

To start the transcreation process, the transcreator analyzes the client request and makes sure they understand the scope and requirements of the project thoroughly. They will analyze the transcreation brief to understand the content that needs transcreation and if there isn’t a creative brief, they will try to gather all the information necessary that would normally be in one. They will also do preliminary research on things such as the industry, product, and client.

The transcreator should not take anything for granted. If there’s something that is not clear in a transcreation brief or because of a lack of one, they should ask the client for clarification.

During

Once they are confident they have all of the information and context they need, the transcreator will read the source copy again and again. At this point they will identify which are the challenges ahead. For example, does the content have a rhyme in it? Does it use wordplay? Is there an image tied to the text?

Once the challenges are identified, the transcreator will start brainstorming potential ways to overcome them. They will produce several drafts and play around with different ideas. All ideas are okay to float at the beginning and shouldn’t be discarded without taking the time to think them through.

They will continue doing research, looking for inspiration, editing, and polishing what they have, and then they will come up with new options for the copy. At times, they will have to stop, let it sink in and come back to it later with a fresh mind.

Oftentimes, the transcreator will read the copy out loud to test the effect it has. The goal is to catch the consumer’s attention and captivate them. By the end of this process, the transcreator will have two or three good options he or she feels confident about, but the ultimate choice will be the client’s.

After

Once the transcreator comes up with a few options that would achieve the intended goal in the target language, they will have to submit their work to the client for approval. This is generally done through a sheet where the transcreator presents the different options in the target language, provides a back translation for each option so that the client understands what is actually being said in the target language, provides an explanation for each option, and states why they work for the target market. If the transcreator prefers one option over the others, they can express this as well as the reason why they chose that specific option so the client can understand their thought process.

The Takeaway

Transcreation is a complex process that takes time to get right. Giving a transcreator a long enough timeline to do ample research and to not rush the creative process is key. It’s always best to leave a little wiggle room to overcome challenges and to work together to fine tune the final copy.

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Transitioning Teachers in the US Look at New Career Paths in Instructional Design
06/12/2022

Transitioning Teachers in the US Look at New Career Paths in Instructional Design

Posted on | by Jacqueline De Marco | Leave a Comment on Transitioning Teachers in the US Look at New Career Paths in Instructional Design

Post-pandemic burnout is affecting many professionals, but teachers who had to face especially difficult workplace challenges over the past few years are particularly struggling with burnout. Many teachers that are choosing to veer away from their original career path are heading towards the instructional design industry, as it allows them to leverage their backgrounds in education while giving them the opportunity to work remotely instead of in a classroom. They can put their classroom-honed instructional design skills into the creation of eLearning content.

Instructional design involves creating learning experiences and materials resulting in the acquisition and application of knowledge and skills. Even though instructional design encompasses all learning materials, it’s most frequently associated with corporate training and eLearning for universities or other educational institutions.

Let’s look at some tips that teachers can use to find a job in instructional design and to thrive in that role.

Highlight Adaptable Skills

Transitioning teachers are facing the challenge of adapting the skills they gained in classrooms into ones they can utilize in a new career in the learning and development (L&D) space. How they frame their skills during their job search can help them illustrate to potential employers just how adaptable their teaching skills are.

For example, teachers have experience trying different teaching approaches in order to see what works for their students and what doesn’t. They know how to adapt their content to suit “their audience”. They have also seen firsthand the challenge of having students in their classrooms who don’t speak English as their native language. In 2019, 10.4% of K-12 students were English-language learners (ELL) students and by 2025, an estimated 25% percent of public school students will be ELL students.

Expand Their Network

As teachers look for new horizons, it’s key that they find networking spaces that can help them enter the L&D space successfully. There are multiple non-profit organizations, like GLDC (Global Learning & Development Community), that offer resources and create an environment where they can connect with other professionals in the industry and can get career advice.

Mariana Horrisberger, eLearning localization specialist and business development manager at Terra, is one of the organizers of GLDC. She co-leads meetups every Wednesday and Friday, where they get together to meet peers from the industry, discuss L&D topics, and share their knowledge and experience with those making their first steps into this field. They also currently have a Project Club led by Russell Sweep, where they discuss the eLearning Heroes Challenge of the week and provide feedback to each other’s projects. In 2022, this organization hosted a Summer Break Room during the month of July to get transitioning teachers together to network and share information and advice about the industry. Another networking group that could be of interest is Teaching: A path to L&D led by Sara Stevick—where members share important information for teachers looking to transition to the eLearning industry.

Keep Localization In Mind

It’s essential that as teachers transition to this new space—and given the global aspect of the eLearning industry—they keep localization in mind. Meaning that while they work on creating courses, they remain aware of aspects of their work that could potentially present challenges during localization. Accessibility is a top priority nowadays, with students from all corners of the world trying to learn the abilities necessary to work and succeed in the modern world and being knowledgeable of internationalization is a skill that can help them land their first job in the industry.

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