Linguistic Testing

This in-context linguistic testing is an important step. Software localization takes places using tools and technologies "outside" of the actual running software application, with often imperfect information about the context available to the localizers. In addition, software testing is conducted largely by engineering professionals rather than language specialists.

This means that a proper verification of the product's interface in real-time, conducted by language-aware or native-language testers on the actual product running exactly as it will be used by local users in a given country, is an imperative.

No Small Issues

Language errors in the localized product may lead consumers to question its quality. What may seem a small error to a non-native user may in reality be of major importance to the local users in their native language. In addition to inhibiting a proper use of the product by end users, such linguistic errors may also work to diminish the company's brand name on the local market. That's why companies need to find a way of ensuring their localized products contain no linguistic or language-related issues.

Linguistic Leverage

Thanks to our expertise in both areas - testing and language services - we lead the way in providing the most efficient solutions to linguistic testing, and we offer a range of options to our clients.

From our perspective, linguistic testing is just one of the many ways we help our clients ensure language quality. Our dedicated Moravia Language Quality Services (MLQS) offer a whole spectrum of language QA checks.

At Moravia, we have developed an efficient process and have the resources - qualified native speakers - for any target language. We give our clients the confidence they can choose the right solution which will ensure language acceptance of their localized products while keeping the costs down. These include:

• Standard linguistic testing with language resources onsite/in-house
• Linguistic testing using screenshots of the localized application (onsite/offsite)

Smart Solutions

Using native speakers to conduct linguistic testing onsite, for all the languages in question, is typically the most expensive approach. Instead, it often makes sense to separate the language aspects of the linguistic testing from the engineering ones. In this model, we conduct the linguistic testing part offsite, in-country using the most appropriate resources, while the engineering testing part is performed by experienced QA professionals at one of our test centers. The typical split of roles is as follows:

QA engineers (Testers)

• Posses technical skills and product knowledge
• Have a strong understanding of the localization process and related testing
• Perform localization functional testing and language-independent localization testing
• Are located in Moravia's test centers

Language specialists

• Do not require a technical testing background
• Have expertise in the target locale; all linguists are located in-country
• Perform linguistic testing using screenshots for validation

In this scenario, we use non-linguistic QA engineers (Testers) to take screenshots (or videos) of all the windows and dialog boxes of the localized application to be tested, and provide them to our language specialists located in specific countries for review. This activity is performed centrally for all language versions of the product, which results in major time- and cost-efficiencies.

In addition, automation plays a major role in this process, minimizing further the time needed for this activity. Only the language review part is performed by language specialists, allowing them to focus on what matters - finding and reporting language defects and verifying their resolution.

This is an option that Moravia recommends regularly and is possibly the most effective solution in terms of cost, time, usage of advanced testing methodologies, and one of the market's best practices.

To find out how our linguistic testing solutions could help you ensure your localized products meet the language quality requirements of your local users, please complete the Request for Information form and we will get back to you shortly, or see other options for contacting us.