Language info recommendations

I think that it would make sense to include recommendations 
concerning the usage of the lang attribute and about 
multi-lingual websites.

It is clear from the HTML4.0 spec. that if some text
is marked in some human language then it should be 
rendered in that language.  It seems rather vital for a speaking 
browser. (are there any multi-lingual screen readers nowadays?)

Also writing a multilingual page with alternating paragrahs
(or in two columns) in English and French could be 
a usability disaster in speach medium.
(it is quite usability reducing in visual medium as well)

So I would add something like that:

1. (recommended) For documents which include 
only text in one language, specify the language with 
the lang attribute in the HTML element.

2. (required)   For documents which are primerly in one language, but contain
some text in other languages, specify 
the language with the lang attribute in the HTML element, and specify the 
language of text in other languages using the lang attribute in 
the appropiriete elements.

3. (required) (interim?) Avoid documents that duplicate all/most information in 
more than one language.

Regards,

Nir Dagan                            
Assistant Professor of Economics      
Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Barcelona (Spain)

email: dagan@upf.es
Website: http://www.econ.upf.es/%7Edagan/

Received on Sunday, 14 June 1998 11:35:58 UTC