Lost in Translation: A Cross-Cultural Examination of Linguistic Inaccessibility in HCI

alt.CHI Paper at ACM CHI '25
by Eszter Vigh, Ellen Weir, Nathalie Alexandra "Alex" Penglin Tcherdakoff, Grace Jane Stangroome, Yelu Gu, Oussama Metatla, Mamoru Watanabe, René Schäfer, Sophie Hahn, Konrad Mikolaj Krawczyk, Marcela Godoy, Rodolfo Cossovich, Randy Morin, Kristine Dreaver-Charles, Marguerite Koole, Frank B. W. Lewis

Abstract

This paper examines linguistic and cultural diversity in Human-Computer Interaction through multilingual experiences across various native languages, including Hungarian, Japanese, Cree, German, Welsh, Spanish, Mandarin, French, Polish, and Arabic. Each contribution reveals unique challenges in translation, usability, and cultural nuance within digital interfaces, with linguistic barriers ranging from issues with non-Latin characters to loss of contextual meaning and limited localisation options. These sections highlight the limitations of current design practices, which often prioritise English-centric frameworks that fail to accommodate diverse language structures and cultural nuances. By capturing these varied perspectives, this paper underscores the need for inclusive, cross-lingual design practices that address global usability challenges. It contributes to the development of more accessible and culturally sensitive digital environments, fostering an HCI approach that values linguistic diversity and cultural specificity.

Authors

NameUniversity
Eszter Vigh University of Bristol, United Kingdom
Ellen Weir University of Bristol, United Kingdom
Nathalie Alexandra "Alex" Penglin Tcherdakoff University of Bristol, United Kingdom
Grace Jane Stangroome University of Bristol, United Kingdom
Yelu Gu University of Bristol, United Kingdom
Oussama Metatla University of Bristol, United Kingdom
Mamoru Watanabe University of Bristol, United Kingdom
René Schäfer RWTH Aachen University Aachen, Germany
Sophie Hahn RWTH Aachen University Aachen, Germany
Konrad Mikolaj Krawczyk TU Delft, The Netherlands
Marcela Godoy NYU Shanghai, China
Rodolfo Cossovich Carleton University, Canada
Randy Morin University of Saskatchewan, Canada
Kristine Dreaver-Charles University of Saskatchewan, Canada
Marguerite Koole University of Saskatchewan, Canada
Frank B. W. Lewis University of Saskatchewan, Canada

Publications

    2025

  • Eszter Vigh, Ellen Weir, Grace Stangroome, Nathalie Alexandra “Alex” Tcherdakoff, Yelu Gu, Oussama Metatla, Mamoru Watanabe, René Schäfer, Sophie Hahn, Konrad Krawczyk, Marcela Godoy, Rodolfo Cossovich, Randy Morin, Kristine Dreaver-Charles, Marguerite Koole and Bennett Lewis. Lost in Translation: A Cross-Cultural Examination of Linguistic Inaccessibility in HCI.  In Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI EA '25 (Forthcoming), pages 12, Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, April 2025.
    BibTeX Entry

We use cookies on our website. Some of them are essential for the operation of the site, while others help us to improve this site and the user experience (tracking cookies). You can decide for yourself whether you want to allow cookies or not. Please note that if you reject them, you may not be able to use all the functionalities of the site.