Multiple languages on same page, or on language-specific pages?

[helenp]

Hi,
I am working with a web in english and the owner wants to appear in several languages and she wants to add text in other languages in the english page, even though she does not speak those languages however can get translators.
Im not sure if this is a good idea, considering users and google.
As a user I dont like it.
Can google see this as done for searchenginge?
I think it would be better to do a page in those languages offering the service with a translator, or can that be seemed as done for searchenginges as would be several languages and only one page for each, in english there are many pages with rich content.
What do you think
Thanks

[Leosghost]

One language per page..unless the site is about languages/translation..your site is not..

Link ( use country flags which are links via "hrefs" in the image code..use gifs ) each "subject"page to the other "same subject but different language" pages..

[helenp]

Link ( use country flags which are links via "hrefs" in the image code..use gifs ) each "subject"page to the other "same subject but different language" pages..

Thanks,
The only thing that worries me is that there are maybe 100 of pages in english,
then there would be only one page in other languages, just as a representation about what we offer, the other lets say 99 pages will only be in english.
Is this good practise?

[Leosghost]

In that case link via flags ( from your "index" or "about us" or "what we do" pages ) to the pages which are translated into other languages..

And on all the ages that are in English only, make a link to Google translate ..then as you gradually have the remaining English pages translated, you can modify the links on those pages to point to the translations..

Better still is to get all the translations done first..

Does your client realise that they will get inquiries in languages that they cannot speak or read ?

How do they intend to deal with that problem ..?

Google translate is reasonable..but it is not good..

[helenp]

The idea was just one page to explain what they offer and to tell them to contact for further asistence as they can get translators.
However, to translate all pages, as the pages will change it would be very expensive.

[LifeinAsia]

The idea was just one page to explain what they offer and to tell them to contact for further asistence as they can get translators.

Then create translations for that one page into different languages and link from that page to the various languages. For the 100 pages not being translated, leave them alone.

Link ( use country flags which are links via "hrefs" in the image code..use gifs )

I definitely would not do that. If you use an American flag for the English version, you'll alienate people in the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, etc. if you use a U.K. flag for English, you'll most likely alienate all the non-U.K. English speakers. (Not to mention all the U.S. people who don't know what a U.K. flag looks like. Note- as an American, I get to knock Americans who are internationally challenged.)

Instead, use a gif with an abbreviation of the language name in that languages (e.g., "ENG" for English, "ESP" [Espanol] for Spanish ).

[Leosghost]

I definitely would not do that. If you use an American flag for the English version, you'll alienate people in the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, etc. if you use a U.K. flag for English, you'll most likely alienate all the non-U.K. English speakers. (Not to mention all the U.S. people who don't know what a U.K. flag looks like. Note- as an American, I get to knock Americans who are internationally challenged.)

The "trick" is to use more than just the one flag for "English"..use multiple flags depending if you are trying to hit US or UK ( AU or NZ or CA will "usually" use UK English ) ..BTW other languages also have their "variants"..Mexican "SP" is not the same as Spanish "SP" ( not always Castilan[sic ?]* ..Spain has its regions too ;)) nor is it the same as Argentinian "SP" etc etc..

Likewise Quebecois French and Metro French ..

Hence Flags..because they also cover "variations"..

Waiting for Lucy to find this thread and set us both to rights.. ;) ..

*Helen will correct ( me on this speelling* ) ..Spanish.. "Spanish" has many regional "variations" ) as do all languages.. :) ..

[helenp]

Then create translations for that one page into different languages and link from that page to the various languages. For the 100 pages not being translated, leave them alone.

Hm, sorry I meant one page each language, but I guess its just the same.
I agree with you
Thanks,

[helenp]

The "trick" is to use more than just the one flag for "English"..use multiple flags depending if you are trying to hit US or UK ( AU or NZ or CA will "usually" use UK English ) ..BTW other languages also have their "variants"..Mexican "SP" is not the same as Spanish "SP" ( not always Castilan[sic ?]* ..Spain has its regions too ;)) nor is it the same as Argentinian "SP" etc etc..

I agree with you, that is a good idea,
however normally in spain the only sites that serve other languages than castilan are spanish national site, as a + and respect for regional languages, as 99% of the spanish persons speak castilan, if they have another language they have 2 languages, castilan as mother language and the regional language.

[lucy24]

If I see a UK flag I know that the page will be translated into British English, which will contain different spellings and usages than if the link had been a US flag.

And if a unilingual user doesn't recognize the Union Jack, what are they doing on a non-English page? (If the page is already in English, they will not need the link.)

If your site is based in Spain, use UK English. If it is based in Mexico, use US English. Google translate may not know the difference, but humans do.

[Leosghost]

I agree with you, that is a good idea,
however normally in spain the only sites that serve other languages than castilan are spanish national site, as a + and respect for regional languages, as 99% of the spanish persons speak castilan, if they have another language they have 2 languages, castilan as mother language and the regional language.

Yes :)..I was thinking specifically of Catalan ( and variants ) and Euskara ( and variants )..for French speakers ( customers ).."Metro French" will cover most, if not all of them..

Lucy ..agreed :)

[lucy24]

Careful there. Catalan and Euskara* are different languages-- entirely different families in the case of Euskara-- while US-vs-UK are simply different dialects of the same language. Can't remember offhand any site that offered multiple dialects of something that is unambiguously the same language.**


* #*$! showoff. *^2 Most of us just call it Basque :P
*^2 Oh come ON, word censors. That was bleedin' ridiculous.

** We will not talk about Inuinnaqtun. Or, for that matter, about bokmål vs. nynorsk. And now watch as the introduction of a single non-ASCII character causes this whole thread's file encoding to go haywire.