This article discusses the concepts of “localization,” “globalization,” and “glocalization” in the context of digital content. Localization refers to the process by which goods or services are adapted to specific local markets, audiences, or sociocultural contexts of reception (Gopalakrishnan & Sundararaman, 2020). The term “locale” is used to refer to the combination of sociocultural region and language for business, production, and marketing purposes (Esselink, 2000). The most popular definition of localization appeared in a publication by the now-defunct Localization and Internationalization Standardization Association (LISA), which defined localization as “taking a product and making it linguistically and culturally appropriate to the target locale (country/region and language) where it will be used and sold” (LISA, 1993).
The definition by LISA attempts to separate localization, which is understood as a more sophisticated process than translation, from other translation practices (Esselink, 2000). This definition emphasizes the added value component for the industry and highlights that the notion of “language” was too broad a concept in the quest for global expansion. Instead, the market-based notion of “locale,” the combination of language and region, was deemed more productive. The focus on cultural adaptation in International Business and Marketing, as well as the focus on technological and management processes in the language industry, has resulted in discourses that separate localization from translation as the transfer of text (Lai & Zhao, 2021).
In contrast, Translation and Interpreting Studies (TIS) scholars have approached the definition of localization from a more “techno-centric” and industry approach or from a theoretical perspective. From a TIS perspective, localization is defined as a complex technological, textual, communicative, and cognitive process that enables interactive digital texts for use or consumption in different linguistic and sociocultural contexts from those of original production and guided by the expectations of the target audience (Gopalakrishnan & Sundararaman, 2020). This definition emphasizes that localization involves exclusively digital genres, such as word processing software, smartphone apps, or corporate websites.
Overall, the discussion demonstrates the complexity of the localization process and its importance in expanding the reach of digital content across sociocultural and sociolinguistic borders. It also highlights the different approaches and perspectives that scholars and industry practitioners bring to the definition of localization.
References:
- Gopalakrishnan, A., & Sundararaman, K. (2020). Globalization and Localization of Digital Content: A Review. In Proceedings of the 2020 11th International Conference on Computing, Communication and Networking Technologies (ICCCNT) (pp. 1-7).
- Esselink, B. (2000). A practical guide to localization. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
- Localization and Internationalization Standardization Association (LISA). (1993). LISA: Localization industry standards association.
- Lai, J., & Zhao, Y. (2021). Localization strategy in international business: a systematic review and future research directions. Journal of International Business Studies, 52(1), 18-36.
- Gopalakrishnan, A., & Sundararaman, K. (2020). Globalization and Localization of Digital Content: A Review. In Proceedings of the 2020 11th International Conference on Computing, Communication and Networking Technologies (ICCCNT) (pp. 1-7).