Navigational Phrases, Loan Words & Technical Terms in L10n

Many
of the projects I produce at Learning Worlds are not only created with
multimedia technology tools, but they are about technology, and some
include very technical or industry specific terms.  In addition there
is often quite a lot of interactive or navigational text to keep track
of during production.  In short there are three pesky word sets that it
helps to keep track of during the localization (or L10n) process:
Navigational Phrases, Loan Words & Technical Terms.

Navigational
Phrases are things like Submit, Play and Exit that occur frequently in
web-based media.  In some countries and languages those words remain
the same, while in others they need to be translated.  I can speak from
experience in saying that in complex localization projects sometimes
these phrases slip through the cracks.  They generally don't occur in
scripts or wireframes, because they are not "written" in the way that
other content is.  It's important to really look at a project in its
native languages and confirm that every piece of text that the user
encounters is documented and sent to translation.  Also it's good to
check with your clients about expectations regarding translations of
Navigational Phrases.

Loan Words are words that are borrowed from another language and are not meant to be translated, like déjà vu (French) or graffiti (Italian). 
The use of Loan Words is quite common when communicating about
technology, even when there is a term in that language. For example in
Italy, the word "computer" may be used instead of the Italian phrase elaboratore elettronico. 
In my own experience, the more specific the technical term the more
likely it is to get loaned.  Talking to a native speaker from the
client community early to gain an understanding of the use loan words,
and the degree of translation expected regarding technical phrases, can
significantly help your project.

Technical
Terms, as well as industry specific phrases, encompass the terms used
by your client community that may be simply impossible for your
translators to know.  This is especially common in projects with
emerging products or with information that has, at some point, been
protected by NDA. Ask for Brand Guidelines in the native languages,
approach a native speaker from your client's team, or simply highlight
the words that you feel may be either too technical or too brand
specific to be translated like normal text.

1. Identify all text that needs to be translated, not just the writer's output for the original language version.
2. Identify words that should not be translated and find a method to communicate this at every step of production.
3. Identify terms that will need to be translated or verified by your client.