On 25/08/2006, at 8:00 PM, Jacob Sparre Andersen wrote:
Christian Pernegger wrote:
You seem to assume here that only users who don't speak English
like i18n'ed software. That's untrue. I do use a fully localized
system and I tend to think that I speak a quite decent English.
Mmm, same here. Still, I don't like it half-and-half - having to
produce English text (the bug report) in a localized environment
would
seem a bit strange to me.
Just as strange as writing e-mail in English in a localized e-mail
client?
Technically, it's a matter of situational response. Bilingual [1]
adults respond to the language and behaviour used: we have actually
developed a switch in our head which activates in response to the
language/behaviour we encounter.
Children haven't yet had the time and experience to construct the
switch: that's why bilingual children mix their languages up. ;)
Má, con ăn lots of icecream nhỉ ? Cái bát lớn, big one. Đi
watch TV, ăn icecream NÓ QUÁ !
(I remember hearing that one! :D
The child wanted a big bowl full of icecream, to eat in front of the
TV and get full enough to burst!)
I think you'd find adults who know English would respond fairly
easily in English to English questions in a localized application.
Responding to localized questions in English would be awkward. As
Christian Pernegger said:
If a localized agent were to guide me through the reporting
process I'd automatically "respond" in the same language.
Then Jacob responded:
I might also do that, unless I was explicitly warned that I
shouldn't do it.
Activating English spell-checking in the editor 'reportbug'
launches might be an extra aid in reminding users that bug reports
have to be submitted in English.
Ooh, I hate that! I wish my spellchecker would also respond to the
language used. If I have it set to Vietnamese, it objects to every
English word used, and vice versa. Now I only use it manually.
You might find other users also just wince when the spellchecker
starts underlining virtually every word, and doggedly go on typing...
from Clytie (vi-VN, Vietnamese free-software translation team / nhóm
Việt hóa phần mềm tự do)
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/vi-VN
[1] Interestingly, with additional languages, the bilingual switch
remains active between the two languages/behaviours most often used.
There is a brief but measurable delay when accessing languages #3+.
