Analysis of linguistic errors in web localization for toy exports from Spain

Abstract

This study focuses on assessing the linguistic quality of localization in an ad hoc Spanish-English parallel corpus consisting of corporate websites of exporting SMEs of the Spanish Association of Toy Manufacturers (AEFJ). For this purpose, a contrastive analysis of original texts and their translations is performed, focusing on the adaptation of the linguistic dimension (LISA, 2007) of the “Products” section. Following a communicative approach, a series of evaluation and error classification criteria characteristic of multimodal text corpora are established. A descriptive methodology with a mixed approach is used, aimed at combining the rigor of quantitative methods with qualitative analysis to explain the complexity of the reality under study. Following the diagnosis of weaknesses and strengths, the results show the potential impact of the incidence of errors in the quality and reception of localization and its implications for exports.