Globalisation and Localisation - Period 5

With the world at their digital fingertips, more and more companies decide to go global. As they expand their business across borders, they will need to define a clear communicative strategy for their new, international target audience. One of the main decisions for companies to make is whether to globalise or localise their communication. Globalisation typically involves offering standardised content in a single language, while localisation often includes (machine) translation of content in various languages and culture-specific (textual) adjustments. Both globalisation and localisation have been extensively researched, but the debate about what strategy works best in what context is still going strong.

In this course, you will become acquainted with relevant notions such as globalisation, localisation, and glocalisation. You will learn what it means to globalise or localise communication, and you will become familiar with recent developments in the globalisation vs localization debate. You will be able to identify instances of localisation and globalisation in various (digital) genres within the domain of language and media.

Contact hours listed under a course description may vary due to the combination of lecture-based and independent work required for each course therefore, CEA's recommended credits are based on the ECTS credits assigned by VU Amsterdam. 1 ECTS equals 28 contact hours assigned by VU Amsterdam.