How are translations done with the Elia plugin? [3/3]
In this guide we will be showing you how to translate your website pages into Basque by using the Elia plugin. The Elia plugin, designed for websites developed using WordPress, is the outcome of the collaboration between the Elhuyar Foundation and the PuntuEUS Foundation. This plugin will enable you to make your website multilingual by offering you the chance to translate the existing content on your website into Basque. Specifically, it gives you the possibility of translating from Spanish, French, English, Catalan and Galician into Basque.
If you want to read the rest of the articles in this series, you can find them below:
Once the API key has been specified, you will be able to translate from Spanish, French, Catalan, Galician or English into Basque. To do this, you will have to go to the article or page you want to translate.
When you open the WordPress editor, you will see the “Language” section in the right-hand column. To do the translation, look for Basque in the column in the subsection “Translate this document”, click on the “+” button to start creating the page in Basque.
It will be displayed in the editor of the Basque page. You can either do the translation yourself, or use the Elhuyar Elia machine translator. To translate automatically, you will have to click on the “Translate from Catalan into Basque” button. You will find that button in the “Language” section in the right-hand column, highlighted in green. In this example, we are translating from Catalan to Basque. Obviously, if the source language is a different one, the title of the button will change accordingly.
When you click on the translation button, a request will be sent to the machine translator and in a few seconds the Basque translation will appear in the title and the text. When you click on the “Publish” button, the Basque page will be published on your website. Before doing so, however, it is advisable to check the automatic translation for any errors.
You can translate as many pages and articles as you want by following the same steps. However, if the text in question is very long, there may be a limit on the use of the translator and it may be necessary to use a paying version. If that is the case, you can obtain help at info@elia.eus.
Adding a language selector
When the translations are ready, your website will be multilingual and visitors will be able to read your content in any of the languages established on the website. Users visiting the website for the first time will, by default, have the content displayed to them in the primary language of your website. If the user prefers another language that is not the default one, it is advisable to add a language switcher to the website to facilitate the language change option for users.
The Elia plugin allows you to add a language switcher to the website. To do so, you will need to click on the “Elia” option in the left-hand column of the WordPress management panel.
There are various ways of adding the selector: you can put it in a WordPress widget in a website menu at the foot of the page, or in a location of your choice (that option calls for programming knowledge). In each of these options you will have the possibility of changing the appearance of the language selector; that way you can add a design in keeping with the look of your website. These are the locations that the selector may have:
In a menu: to use this option, there needs to be a menu on your website, or else you need to create one. If you have more than one, you can choose.
In a widget: each WordPress template has different locations for placing widgets. You can add it to one of these templates enabled by your templates.
At the foot of the website: with this option you can place the language selector in your website’s footer.
In a location of your choice: to avail yourself of this option it is advisable to have programming knowledge. This is explained in further detail in this article.
Whichever location you choose, you will have the option of changing the look of the selector. Among the options you will be able to set up the way of indicating colour and languages (using flags, the language name, etc.).
This article is the last in the series of articles about the Elia plugin, the first one can be found here.