Please don't use flags as language icons
I have to get this off my chest - as it's been annoying me for years. Lots of websites do it, and it's getting more and more prevalent…
I am talking about websites which use tiny graphics (usually flags) as language icons. Here are a couple of examples, taken from random e-commerce websites…
So, this shop is available in German and British English. What about Canadians, Australians, Indians, Americans and so on. What about Germanic speaking countries other than Germany? Austria springs to mind.
Ah OK. This shop has an Austrian flag. hang on, what's the language of Austria? Oh yeah, it's German. So why have the Austria flag at all? Hmmmm.
Oh, this one is cool! It has the German language, signified by the germany flag (again, what about those Austrians?), and a hybrid USA/Britain flag (for the English speakers). Hang on, what about Canada, Australia and so on.
Can you see my point about using icons for languages?
So, what would I do to signify language?
It's pretty simple. Use a menu selection;
- English Version
- Version française
- Deutsche Version
And so on. Each piece of text in their own langugae. When selected the website changes to that particular language. It seems straightforward to me.
If you really have to use Images
Some people like to use images. If that's you, then that's fine. Why not use images as an indicator of CURRENCY. After all, a USA Flag would be considered US Dollars. A French flag would use Euros's and so on. I have no doubt that some countries probably have more than 1 legal currency, but this is (to me) not the same problem as with LANGUAGE…
osCommerce is the problem child
I suspect that getting the languages into a dropdown menu is rather simple with osCommerce. There might even be a contribution for it.
A few years ago, I paid one of the osCommerce Core Team (as it was then) to code up for me a way to have FLAGS FOR CURRENCIES.
You can see it in action on my osCommerce Templates site (check the flags right at the top of the website). As far as I recall, I've never made this code available, but if anyone reading does want it, let me know and I'll find the time to make it available.
Comment by Oli — August 22, 2007 @ 12:32 am
Main problem with the dropdown box is (assuming English was the default), whether foreign language speakers would know to click the word "English" to reveal an option for their own language…
Comment by Paul — August 22, 2007 @ 4:33 am
Come on English is not spoken in Australia or America..lol
Comment by Gary — August 22, 2007 @ 1:16 pm
Oli; who said 'owt about a dropdown
Links would be just as good, or a menu which is open (multi line dropdown in other words)…
Paul;
Comment by ash — August 22, 2007 @ 2:24 pm
What about all those other countries that use $ - OZ/NZ/HK…..
and how do you differentiate between ￥and the Japanese one?
Im with flags on this one.
Comment by Gary — August 22, 2007 @ 2:44 pm
Ash; you'd have a flag for each currency of those countries. On the last example given, you can see this example has three countries which use dollars; us, canada, australia.
I don't know what "the Japanese one" is…
Comment by ash — August 23, 2007 @ 4:26 pm
Burt,
After rereading this post again, I think you're getting worked up over nothing.
Must be an age thing
Comment by Gary — August 24, 2007 @ 12:43 pm
You're right. Oh to be 23 again. At least I ain't fat and bald
Comment by Stefan — August 26, 2007 @ 4:47 pm
I do understand the point you are trying to make, but the average internet user now is already used to having these flags as a language selector, so why change it?
I mean, from a usuability point, it is probably harder to get users to click on a dropdown menu (and read text) then just clicking at a flag…just my opinion of course..
Comment by Gary — August 27, 2007 @ 3:37 pm
Hey Stefan, thanks for posting. You are right that it has become the normal way to see language on a site.
Maybe I just make too much of it