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Language differences
The localization industry in Latin America is cause for concern. I have been in this business for 18 years, and I have seen words creep into our vocabulary like "vanilla Spanish," "generic Spanish," a “one-for-all Spanish.” Do Häagen-Dazs and Nestle vanilla flavors taste the same just because they’re both vanilla? How about generic Spanish? What the heck is “generic” about Spanish?
Aren't schools in the United States teaching anything anymore? A little lesson on the Spanish language and geography is in order, at least for some companies. Spanish is the language of Mexico, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Costa Rica, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Belize, Paraguay, Uruguay, Nicaragua, Bolivia and Venezuela. Portuguese is spoken in Brazil.
In the Spanish language, there is one set of grammatical rules, whether you are in Argentina, Mexico or Peru. A noun is a noun and a verb is a verb, no matter what country you're in. What may, and I do mean MAY, change is the use of terminology. For instance, a tortilla in Spain is made out of egg and potatoes, while a tortilla in Mexico is not only thinner, but also made out of flour or corn meal. Another example is that we all know Hispanics love soccer, yet the basic terms used by aficionados differ from country to country. For example, a “goalkeeper” is a “portero” in Spain, an “arquero” in Argentina, a “golero” in Mexico, and a “guardameta” or “guardavalla” in other Latin American countries… but a “portero” is a very important person in Argentina: a “doorman.”
Clients frequently want to know if you can ship a Spanish version of a product to all Spanish-speaking countries. The short answer is yes, at least most of the time. You need to make sure that you create a mandatory terminology list (I like this term better than glossary, because it suggests that you have no choice but to follow it). This list should include product-specific terminology, industry-specific terminology, as well as client-specific terms. Linguists and terminologists from as many countries as possible should create this list. Once this list has been approved by the client and its in-country specialist, the chance of choosing terms that are not regionally correct are minimized. The localization team should include a mix of translators from as many Spanish-speaking countries as possible.
Here are a couple of hints: When creating multimedia or voiceover projects, use either Peruvian or Colombian talent, since they do not have much of an accent (compared to Spaniards and Argentines). This way, the end user will not associate the project with the place of birth and country of the talent. The more technical the project, the less variance in the dialect or word choice.
If your product is aimed at cool, young snowboarders or skateboarders, then the project might need special handling. The reason for this is because “cool” words vary country-by-country, state-by-state and even city-by-city. If you have the money to spend and want to create 20 versions of Spanish, please call my office (or call me at home for that matter!) because we would love to handle your project.
If your Spanish reviewers are based in the United States, make sure you have a screening procedure that prevents a friend of a friend who happened to go to Mexico once on a high school trip back in 1984 from becoming a reviewer. The major problem in Spanish localization is the large number of client reviewers in the United States who can’t speak Spanish and are asked to review our work. Although Spanish is similar between Latin American countries, no one in Latin America likes Spanish from “Spain.” In fact, many actually dislike it. Call it regional pride. So my advice is not to include Spaniards on a Latin American project that is not technical in nature.
Finally, the importance of currency exchange should not be minimized. When you buy Spanish localization, you need to find sources of quality translators (of course); however, you should also take into account the issue of currency fluctuation. Assuming you are purchasing localization in Spain, and your provider has not changed their rates within the last three years, you could be paying up to 25 percent more today. Why? Because the dollar has gone south by 25 percent.
So, if you are looking to purchase Spanish translation services, go to countries where the currency is weak, and the economy stinks. Why should you consider economy? Because a translator can make more than a doctor or a lawyer in some Spanish-speaking countries, and thus you will be able to engage excellent translators with excellent subject matter expertise.
Hopefully, I’ve made a convincing case for looking south to Latin America to enhance your profit margin. But before you cross the border, don’t forget to consider the U.S. Hispanic market as well. Take advantage of the sleeping giant before someone else does, and start counting your beans today.
Michael R. Cárdenas is president of Local Concept, Inc. The company specializes in the areas of internationalization, localization, software and website localization, and multicultural marketing.
