Course Name
Certificate Course in Writing for a Global Market
Contact Hours: 40 (an estimated time frame devoted to a course of study from start to finish that can vary from student to student)
Course Description
With the industrial, technical, and commercial market becoming more and more global, it is imperative that writers understand the importance of writing for a worldwide market. Writers cannot write for a single language community anymore but must be aware of, and consider how to prepare and write for multiple languages to reach diverse populations, cultures, and communities.
Writing for a Global Market provides you with an awareness and consideration of how to prepare and write for multiple languages to reach diverse populations, cultures, and communities as the writing industry moves towards reaching people in a worldwide market. The course objectives are to provide you with an understanding and ability to apply best practices for globalization, internationalization, and localization.
This course will help you be prepared to offer your services by being informed and educated about the considerations for writing for a diverse population of consumers.
Valuable web links are provided that are relative to the subject area and can also be used as a reference tool after the program has been completed. Writing for a global market includes an understanding and ability to apply best practices for:
- Globalization - the broad range of processes necessary to prepare and launch products and company activities internationally.
- Internationalization - developing content that is easily localized; doesn’t include local/regional references.
- Localization - the process of adapting a product or service to a particular language and culture.
Outcome
By the end of the course, you should:
- Be aware of the considerations for localization, globalization, and internationalization of the content of your documents.
- Become familiar with translation and translation tools.
- Gain perspective about computing standards and how they are used to standardize data.
- Apply new knowledge.
Assessment
It is your responsibility to access the course through your individual login. You are responsible for performing the required activities, assignments, and submit completed work.
All coursework must be performed according to the guidelines stated in the course syllabus. The instructor will review your submissions for technical accuracy and utilization of industry standards while ensuring you have achieved an in-depth understanding of the course objectives.
You will be required to take part in online discussions (via a discussion board) complete three (3) quizzes, and submit one (1) written assignment and a final writing project.
Outline
Writing for a global market includes an understanding and ability to apply best practices for:
- Globalization - the broad range of processes necessary to prepare and launch products and company activities internationally.
- Internationalization - developing content that is easily localized; doesn’t include local/regional references.
- Localization - the process of adapting a product or service to a particular language and culture.
In addition, writers must also be aware of the industry’s standards to help manage this activity including an understanding of the following:
- Translation and Linguistics: Translation is the conversion of words or text from a one (a source) language to another (target) language. Linguistics is the study of language - how it is put together and how it functions.
- Machine translation (MT): To help with consistent and proper translation, machine translation often is used in conjunction with a translation memory (TM) database.
- Translation memory (TM): A translation memory is a linguistic database that continually captures your translations as you work for future use. Translations are stored in source and target language pairs and reused so that you never have to translate the same sentence twice.
- Translation Management Systems (TMS): Implicit for the success of a translation project is a good translation manager, most often assisted by a good translation management system (TMS).
Minimalism in Writing: Minimalism is the conjunction between clarity and brevity and should not be mistaken for providing as little information as needed, but rather providing needed information in as few words as necessary.
Language Codes: Language Codes (LCIDs) are also known as culture identifiers. It is a locale identifier that helps to designate culture-specific information.
Unicode: Unicode provides a unique number for every character, no matter what the platform, no matter what the program, no matter what the language.
ISO: ISO is an international standard adopted by businesses worldwide. It provides standards for services and products including documentation.