Significance of Linguistic Testing and QA in Translation Projects |
Posted: March 22, 2017 |
While software testing, in general, has turned out to be an indispensable part of organizations dealing in software applications, linguistic testing is particularly helpful for the eLearning industry and the translation projects to be more precise. Linguistic testing involves procedures that go a long way in ensuring that the translation projects is technologically perfect and communicates effectively with the audience. Linguistic testing services encompass detailed and intricate testing of the localized content and put forward the finished product in a way that is nothing short of accurate. Testers play a very important role in that they add their personal touch to make the project echo the brand’s unique message and communicate it perfectly well to the audience. Why are Linguistic Testing and QA a Must? It can never be denied that the localizing software, applications and multimedia projects are complex in nature. Linguistic testing ensures that these pieces are brought together to run hassle-free on local operating systems. Now, the process involves running each localized version on relevant browsers within the local OS to find out how the newly adapted content is being displayed. The inconsistencies are then observed by the software professionals and the prospective performance issues are eventually identified and solved. Along with this, the QA process enables the linguist to review the translation and the localization in the broader spectrum. Steps are taken to ensure that the translations are linguistically accurate throughout so that the overall contextual perfection is maintained. The risks of not doing proper linguistic testing and skipping the phase altogether are many. Without proper linguistic testing done, a localized product will contain both text as well as functional and display errors. These errors in language, formatting and technical aspects exercise negative impacts on the ultimate end user’s experience. Therefore, linguistic testing and QA must come in between translation and the release of the final product. Types of Issues Identified and Resolved in Linguistic Testing Here is a detailed analysis of the types and nature of issues that are usually detected and, thereby, solved in the QA process. Linguistic Issues – The final version of a localized text should ideally represent the brand, the voice and the style of the original one. As such, the linguist must check the text in its final format where the need to make certain changes becomes more urgent. Issues like the smaller size of a font or an image breaking the flow or some unnecessary repetition of the same information are identified and addressed to make it smooth and engaging for the readers. Formatting Issues – There can be numerous issues related to the format, which comes to view when seen on the local OS platforms. A bad line, a breaking word, issue in space or poor formatting, in general, can make the multimedia project difficult to read and interact with. The testing process along with the QA activities ensure that everything starting from the images, texts and tables to the buttons and spacing look perfect and lead to a user-friendly experience. Formatting needs to be done keeping in mind the international contacts too. Elements like date, time and phone numbers have to be reorganized accordingly. Technical and Performance Issues – A localized product should be satisfactory and in fact an exception from both the technical and performance aspects. The compilation process might often lead to certain technical problems which are addressed during the QA proves. The idea is to make everything look, read, run and interact just the way they should ideally. These aspects are all the more relevant for bi-directional scripts written in languages like Arabic and Hebrew which flow from right to left. With Linguistic testing and QA being absolutely essential, it is imperative for organizations seeking these services to entrust full-service, professional team with the responsibility. This will ensure that your translation project communicates the message of your brand while you reap maximum benefits out of your investment on linguistic testing for translation projects.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|