Bilingual Web Design

1. Bilingual Web Design Matt Mac Cárthaigh Fios Feasa

2. Bilingual Web Design • Good design and bilingual websites • How to structure the site • Switching languages in the middle

3. Good Design • Good design is suitable for the target • It is not designed to suit the designer • It is directed at the user / the customer • In the case of bilingualism, directed at two groups, differentiated by language • Bilingual web design is an effort to serve the linguistic needs and preferences of customers • This is especially important for minority languages, where it is an equality issue • Yish: large strong languages like English • Xish: minority or marginalised or threatened like Irish

4. Bilingual Design • Provide the text to the user in the user’s choice of language • Irish speakers should see text in Irish, English speakers in English, Lakhota speakers in Lakhota • To do this effectively, the two languages need to be separated • Mixing the languages on one page is confusing and serves neither group’s interests • Two languages on one page halves the space available for content • There are other linguistically defined groups who may be customers, and who may need a different approach: • Language learners • Foreigners with an interest in language • Non-speakers connected to a language (parents of Gaelscoil students)

5. Ways to Separate Languages:1. Mixed Text • This approach is generally deprecated • The Xish text is in the way of Yish speakers, and confusing for them, as they don’t understand it • The Yish text interferes with (bilingual) Xish speakers’ use of their own language • Using colour, font, italics, or positioning to separate languages inevitably creates inequality • This approach is sometimes used for idelogical reasons: “By God, they’re gonna see it in Irish whether they like it or not”. • Good design is aimed at serving customers, not controlling them • Examples: • PanuNet • Áras Chrónáin • Scoileanna Kaia Puni

6. Ways to Separate Languages: 2. Parallel Text • This approach is somewhat more satisfactory: the two languages are clearly separated • But they are still on one page, with associated disadvantages • This approach can be suitable in certain cases: • When there is very little content • When language learners are the users • When the language itself is the subject matter • Examples: • Lakhota Language Consortium • Scéalta Karuk • Kualono

7. Ways to Separate Languages:3. Two “Subsites” • The most common approach on small sites • In the absence of large resources, the most satisfactory approach • Structured around two “subsites”, mirroring each other • A “splash screen” at the beginning gives users a language choice (and maybe an intro to the topic or owner, but nothing else) • There is a facility on each page to switch to the other language • Examples: • Bratacha na hÉireann • Bons Matins • Cwmni Iaith • Māori Language Commission • FCJ Sisters • Bella Umbria • IBIS

8. Ways to Separate Languages: 4. Two Sites • In this approach, there are two whole sites paralleling each other • The biggest difference is that there are two URLs • This improves equality, as even the URL is in the user’s choice of language • It also obviates explicit language choice: users who select an Xish URL get content in Xish automatically • Disadvantage: It is more costly and difficult to maintain two mirrored sites with identical content • Examples: • Welsh Joint Education Committee:www.cbac.co.uk/ / www.wjec.co.uk/ • Welsh Land Registry:www.cofrestrfatir.gov.uk/ / www.landregistry.gov.uk/

9. Ways to Separate Languages :5. Sites Based on a Database • In this approach, the actual web pages are created dynamically • They are based on a database, and it’s the database, not the website, which is maintained • It is easier to manage data with a database, and to guarantee that content is updated in both languages at the same time • Such web pages are usually recognisable by the URL, which has stuff in it like “.asp” or “.jsp” or “?lang=ga” • Disadvantage: This is even more high-end than mirrored websites, and requires higher skill and resource levels • Examples: • Comhairle Chontae Phort Láirge • Dell • Rialtas na hEilbhéise • Eleka • Rialtas na Beilge

10. Switching Languages • In a bilingual or multilingual site, there should be a facility to switch languages (after the initial choice) • That facility should have the following properties: • It should be on every page • It should always be in the same place on the page • It should be by itself, separated from the content menu • National flags should not be used (the user is choosing a language, not a country or a state) • If users switch languages, they shouldn’t be forced to switch content: they should end up looking at the same page in the other language, not the home page • Examples: • Béaloideas Éireann • Eleka • Embassy of Ireland in Berlin • Egan’s House Hotel

11. Conclusion Making your website bilingual is all about serving your customers’ needs and preferences. In the case of a language like Irish, it’s an equality issue. There are various ways to separate out the languages; which one is best for you depends on your customers and your resources. Be sure to include a way to switch languages as well as a way to choose one. After being so careful to design the website appropriately, be sure to keep it that way.