language choice

[chechu]

On many sites you can choose your language. Some do it with little flags on the index next to the content, others with an index where you have to choose and then you go to the content (with or without cookie).
My question is: which way do you think is the most visitor friendly, and is easy to notice but not annoying ?
My site http://www.cecicasariego.com has a lot of visuals, so I need a good but simple and not annoying way of guiding the visitor to its language.
Any comments ?

[Twey]

Firstly, use content negotiation based on the browser's Accept-Language header to determine a suitable default. Then, use a profile "control panel" page to override this with a language of the user's choosing if your site is profile-based, or with a discrete but visible <select> somewhere on the page.

[chechu]

Firstly, use content negotiation based on the browser's Accept-Language header to determine a suitable default. Then, use a profile "control panel" page to override this with a language of the user's choosing if your site is profile-based, or with a discrete but visible <select> somewhere on the page.

Waw, and I thought I knew English well...
Sorry Twey, but I don't understand a word of it !

[Twey]

Erm... http://www.dictionary.com/? :)

[Freeman]

What if you did it like wikkipedia does it. Their index.htm is where you select which language you want to see the web page in. This way that can make their choice when they first get to your site. JF

[Twey]

No, that's different. The different versions of Wikipedia aren't just translations, they are entirely different encyclop&#230;diae. The main page at www.wikipedia.org is a portal to several different sites, not several translations of one.

[mburt]

Yes, they do an entire directory for each language. I assume they hired people to do the translations. There's a thread somewhere on the forums which basically concludes that web translators are horrible, and shouldn't be used :). Unless you want to make light of it.

[Freeman]

But you can still have it set up the same way at the index page. wouldn't it still accomplish what you wanted to do even though you won't have entirely different web pages. Would this not work?

[chechu]

Tzeym
Could you please explain me this ? I really don't understand it.

Firstly, use content negotiation based on the browser's Accept-Language header to determine a suitable default. Then, use a profile "control panel" page to override this with a language of the user's choosing if your site is profile-based, or with a discrete but visible <select> somewhere on the page.

[thetestingsite]

Basically, what Twey means is that you could create a user "Control Panel" for them to select the language of their choice. Once done so, it would change the default Accept-Language header. The second item he describes is have a select (or drop down) menu with all the language choices for the user to choice.

I would recommend doing the latter, and use either sessions or cookies to remember that language.

Hope this helps.

[Twey]

Once done so, it would change the default Accept-Language header.The Accept-Language header is sent by the browser, and can't be changed. Instead, it would serve as a default, which would be overridden by the user's preference. This is preferable if you have a profile-based site (in which each user has a separate account into which they log to use the site).
The second item he describes is have a select (or drop down) menu with all the language choices for the user to choice.This is the option for sites that don't have a user system like the one I described, and is possibly worthwhile having even on such a system (although not vital; it would be safe to assume that the user can at least understand the language(s) specified in Accept-Language, even if they're not the user's preferred language.

[chechu]

I solved it like this (click on sig below): choice of languages at the index (flags), and then on every welcome page of a language you can choose again (left up corner, same flags). Once you navigate within a chosen language, the flags are not there anymore.
I will also place a cookie, so that you will be redirected at your chosen language at your next visit.
Is this user friendly and clear ?

[Twey]

Yes, but you should still act on Accept-Language.

[boxxertrumps]

Cookies can be blocked, you should reley on something more predictable.

[Twey]

No, cookies are fine. If a user disables cookies, they will have to function without manual language selection; it's an acceptable downgrade. The site should, however, use the language specified in Accept-Language as a default, so that the user can at least read the site without cookies.

[chechu]

What do you mean with this:

Accept-Language
Remember, lots of not native English speaking people around !!

[Twey]

It's an HTTP header that specifies the language(s) that should be served to the client by default.