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After a decade as a Localization Architect and 100s of trainings with 1,000s of developers, I’ve seen one myth repeated over and over: Software Localization is a technical problem.
Software Localization is a Linguistic Problem
Human language has structure. Adverbs and adjectives; subjects and nouns; prepositions and pronouns. Software Localization is a technical abstraction of human language.
When engineering teams try to solve a language problem with purely technical solutions, they end up building brittle systems that frustrate both users and translators.
Here are the most common things I see Software Engineers misunderstand about localized codebases.
You can't break translated strings into reusable components and expect the meaning to survive translation.
The base components of a sentence move around when translated into a different language. If your translation strings aren't one singular complete thought, that translation will be inaccurate in other languages.
When you're converting your codebase to use translated strings, the entire linguistic concept must travel together in the string. This will allow your translators (human, Machine Translation, or LLM's) to create the most accurate translations possible.
Sharing translation strings across codebases makes life harder for you and your localization team.
Many teams make this mistake, and on its face it has a lot of benefits.
D.R.Y. is engineering best practice, so why not implement it for our translation strings?
You don't have to translate the same sentence multiple times.
Helps with Q&A to have all the content in one place.
These are legitimate benefits, but they're technical solutions to linguistic problems. These can all be achieved by taking a linguistic approach. I recently published a video that goes into detail on this exact topic. Check it out here.
You probably hate your Localization Tech Stack because it was built to fix technical problems (instead of linguistic problems).
When dev teams design localization workflows, they naturally optimize for what they understand best: file management, automation, and code integration. But localization is fundamentally a linguistic challenge wrapped in technical packaging.
Most frustrations arise when these systems force translators to work without proper context, leading to technically accurate but awkward translations that miss cultural nuances.
What's needed isn't necessarily new tools, but a shift in perspective. By recognizing that your localization workflow should prioritize linguistic quality rather than just technical efficiency, you can reconfigure your existing systems to better serve both translators and developers. The most successful global products come from companies that understand this balance—where technology serves language needs rather than forcing language to conform to technical constraints.
A better approach: teach engineers to code like linguists.
Localization doesn’t require overhauling your tech stack. It requires a shift in mindset. When engineers understand how grammar works, they instinctively start making better localization decisions.
At OnPurpose, we train software teams to:
Build translation strings for real-world translation
Choose tools and workflows that support linguistic accuracy
Avoid common anti-patterns that lead to poor UX in other languages
This approach bridges the gap between technical implementation and linguistic reality. Engineering teams that grasp concepts like variable gender agreement, plural forms across languages, or right-to-left text considerations naturally write more translation-friendly code. They begin to see that concatenated strings, hardcoded punctuation, and context-free variables aren't just localization headaches—they're fundamental design flaws.
The result is transformative: development teams start making architecture decisions that accommodate linguistic diversity from the beginning rather than treating it as an afterthought. By embedding linguistic awareness into your engineering culture, you create products that feel truly native in every language, without the need for complex technical workarounds or complete rewrites. This collaborative mindset doesn't just improve translation quality—it accelerates global releases and reduces the technical debt that typically accumulates around internationalization.
Ready to Fix Your Localization Workflow?
If your engineering team is frustrated with their Localization Tech Stack, it's likely because they’re solving the wrong problem. A one-time training session can unlock massive improvements without refactoring your codebase.
Let’s teach your team to build like linguists. Reach out for a free 30 minute consult.