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Learn moreLocalization Essentials
Free Course
Making Products Work for Users Worldwide
Estimated time
Approx. 2 Weeks
Skill level
Beginner
Prerequisites
See prerequisites in detail
In collaboration with
About this course
Localization is the art of adapting a product linguistically and culturally for international users. Although the industry has been around since the 1980s, it has become increasingly important over the past few years as more and more users are getting online and the vast majority of these users are non-English speakers.
Localization Essentials will take you through the linguistic, cultural and technical aspects of launching a product globally. Whether you’re a developer, product owner, localization professional or translation student, this is where you’ll learn the basics of Localization – directly from the experts at Google.
Already thousands of students around the world have taken the course since its launch and the following universities are using it in their curricula to teach students about Localization: University of Bologna, University of Trieste, University of Strasbourg (TCLoc and CAWEB Master Programmes), Suleyman Demirel University of Almaty.
Join us, and get to know the world of Localization inside out.
What you will learn
Key Concepts
- Learn about the history of localization broadly and at Google.
- Explore the power of localization and cover key concepts and definitions you’ll need throughout this course.
Content Types
- See what localization looks like in practice.
- Learn how professionals approach the localization of different content types from online help documents, to the actual user interface of an app or software.
Profiles and Skills
- Meet some of the localization professionals at Google.
- Learn about different roles and profiles of localization team members and the skills required.
Processes
- Focus on the series of steps involved in localization project preparation, execution, testing and launch.
Tools
- Learn about the different types of tools involved at every stage of the localization process and how they work together.
Prerequisites and requirements
Students should have basic computer skills: managing files, navigating the internet and running programs and applications. During the course, students will be asked to perform operations on a computer, so you should have access to a computer that is able to run a Chrome browser. Students will also have the opportunity to try and use a CAT Tool, GTT, freely available with a Google account.
See the Technology Requirements for using Udacity.
Why take this course?
For translation students and freelance translators, it’s a great opportunity to get specialized knowledge and skills in a still lesser-known field that is becoming increasingly important. This course will enrich your resume, open up new business opportunities and it will allow you to change or expand your field of specialization.
Developers will learn about localization basics and gain an understanding of how to launch applications and products in international markets. This course will also shed light on the potential challenges and issues you might run into, while providing known solutions, and which stakeholders need to be involved in a product launch to make it internationally successful.
Entrepreneurs and business owners will understand why localization is important for the international expansion and success of their companies, also learning which professionals their companies need to rely on, which technologies to use and how to organize localization processes to launch successful products globally.
Learn with the best.
Christina Hayek
Instructor
Svein Hermansen
Instructor