By Vanshika Goswami

Today, the whole world rests literally at our fingertips. Using the smartphones in our pockets, we can contact people halfway around the globe in real time, and the internet makes it easier to exchange information and disseminate knowledge. The whole world has gone global.

Businesses across regions and industries are increasingly interconnected. To refer to these business activities, researchers have created the acronym GILT: globalization, internationalization, localization, and translation.

What is globalization?

The term "globalization" refers to a series of practices by which organizations become more connected with their customers and partners around the world. Online marketplaces like Amazon make it easy to buy products from businesses or individuals on the other side of the planet.

What is internationalization?

Internationalization is a corporate strategy that involves making products and services as adaptable as possible, so they can easily enter different national markets. Internationalization often requires the assistance of subject-matter experts, technical experts, and people with international experience.

What is localization?

Localization is the process of actually adapting a product to specific target markets once internationalization has taken place.

Take McDonald's, which operates over 30,000 restaurants in 100 countries. Its worldwide expansion is an example of globalization. By design, the corporation creates a menu adaptable to various local tastes and customs - that policy is an example of internationalization. And McDonald's has maintained its global brand identity while tailoring its products and services for local markets, which exemplifies localization.

And translation?

Language is just one piece of localization. Other variables - images, colors, time, how dates are displayed, currency, and phone numbers - are details that must be addressed if you want to communicate properly with your global audiences. Examples of this include:

• In Europe, dates are formatted as DD.MM.YYYY.
• Outside the U.S., the 24-hour clock is common.
• In Indian culture, red is the most powerful of all colors and carries many meanings, including fear, fire, wealth, power, and beauty.
• In South Africa, however, red is associated with mourning. In the United Arab Emirates, the first day of the work week is Sunday, and Friday and Saturday are the weekend days.

This is where the role of a translator comes in: sufficient planning, awareness, and an experienced language service provider are crucial for localization success. When localizing, a professional language service provider creates a linguistic equivalent by adapting the message to meet the audience's requirements. The language pair, added to professional knowledge, helps keep the original intended meaning.

About the author: Vanshika Goswami was a summer intern at Modlingua - see her intern profile.