Globalizing - Globalization, Internationalization, Localization and Translation

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What’s GILT?

GILT stands for Globalization, Internationalization, Localization and Translation. This acronym is used to define all the language and culture-related processes involved in global business. Sometimes the terms internationalization and globalization are used interchangeably because they are part of the whole process which also includes translation.

• Globalization (G11N): “Refers to all of the business decisions and activities required to make an organization truly international… it is the transformation of business and processes which support customers around the world, in whatever language, country, or culture they require. As long as international business is seen as an add-on process, organizations will never achieve their global potential”. (Taken from Lisa).

• Localization (L10N): This can be defined as the process of targeting a product or service for a local market by translating it and adding local, specific features such as local currencies, use of proper forms for dates, addresses, and phone numbers, as well as other details. The localized product has to be different depending on where the product is to be sold. It will have the appropriate characteristics of the local culture.

• Internationalization (I18N): This is basically the opposite of localization. As a matter of fact, it is the process of extracting the cultural context from a product and selling it worldwide. The internationalization part of a product would not change no matter where it is sold: all cultural assumptions are removed and any country- or language-specific concept is stored externally to the product so that it can be easily adapted.

• Translation: Is focused on communicating the meanings and messages of a text.