Localisation in less resourced languages and the very particular scenario we often encounter.

Localisation must be looked at in a very different way when talking about less resourced languages.

Vox Humanitatis deals with cultures and with that also with languages, particular ones, those called "less resourced languages". This means there is not much material available in these languages.

During the last years we often had to deal with software localisation in less resourced languages. Per se this is great when you have a community where there are enough literate people, that is people who know how to write. But what if we deal with a language where most people just know the everyday terminology? How can one pretend from them to actually first do all the technical background work?

When we do learn our mother languages we first learn very basic words, what is needed for everyday life. That is names of food, people, animals, whatever surrounds us and we deal with. Then we go to primary school where we learn first concepts that are outside of our environment at home. Then middle school, hight school, university, work etc.

Many did not even deal in primary school with their language and now maybe there are first steps that the local language is taught in schools again. How should these people be able to localise a UI if therminology does not even exist? The computer science and software terminology will develop over time and mostly they will be leanwords from other languages.

This means that localisation into less resourced languages needs to be revisited and reconsidered in a completely different way.

Indeed the first step is "schooling". This means that teachers need contents and will need to explain modern concepts in the native and local language. Concepts that up to now very often were not really considered. So the first words we will find are those needeed and not user interfaces. Remeber: also the teacher needs to learn them.

The logical sequence to get whole operating systems in less resourced languages is going the other way round: first everyday language contents, then more complex terminology used in education and then, when people start to use computers and/or mobile phones to learn their language and communicate in their native language, only then all these technical terms will come up and only then they will be "truly" coming out of the language development. If we do localization of software and user interfaces first, of course very much depending on the language, the translator will have to invent words for certain activities and/or options.

Of course things are different for less resourced languages where technology and computers are already fully integrated in daily life. Where families use them at home: there you will already find the needed terms.

Therefore: the first step is primary school and teachers and we are actually working on exactly this.

Well, and since I am finishing here, I will do this like all so often: if you have some time, also only ten minutes here and there, please consider to jump in and help.