Wonder why no other language for profile.

[Valerie283]

There is provision for creating a version of listing in language other than English.

We wonder why there is no such option for the host's profile.

Perhaps we miss it, do we not?

[Marzena4]

It's only one language option, @Valerie283. At least in my location (Airbnb panel settings may differ).

[Valerie283]

Sorry @Marzena4, do you mean the profile is always in English even though the host might be of a non-English speaking country, such as Poland.

We had supposed they provide a language option to cater for guests from different countries, to be complete they would allow the whole listing in different language.

We understand they use computer to translate something, the rules might still be okay.  For the profiles, the languge could be too subtle for the robot to do a good job.  Language it more art than science.

[Marzena4]

Just what I wrote "one language option" - whichever yo choose, @Valerie283. The fact that mine is only in English is my choice. Location doesn't matter. Just one choice.

Listings can be created in multiple languages (Add languages).

[Valerie283]

Being able to communicate in the language of the potential guests, we believe one can convey better their congeniality.

[Cor3]

Hi @Valerie283,

You can indeed create your listing in multiple languages. But there are other parts, which can only be created in 1 language (such as your own profile, but also emergency instructions, driving instructions, etc).

So you can do a number of things: Add text in multiple languages - in these boxes.

Or choose the language of your preference, depending on your target guest-audience. I.e. If you target to host only Polish guests. Then you may wish to write these parts in Polish 🙂

Usually English will suffice.

[Valerie283]

The profile could be too much for a person whose native language is not English to understand fully.

In such circumstances the profile would fail to convey what the hosts intend.

If the hosts happen to be proficient in other language, why not give themselves a chance to do so?

[Cor3]

Hi @Valerie283,

It's not up to us. Limitation of the system, I'm afraid 😞

Fortunately we have Google Translate nowadays (partially integrated in Airbnb as well).

[Valerie283]

Language is more art than science.  Machine translations are horrible sometimes.  Sometimes one wouldn't know what the translations are trying to say.  To my experience, the translations could be ridiculous and meaningless.

They are only certainly good for small talks.

[Ange2]

@Valerie283   Try Reverso it is a far better translation tool and has a ton of synonyms and examples of words, sentence construction, idioms used to convey meaning in a given language.

@Helga0  I still have the option to add another language from a long list of languages. I am assuming Airbnb use geolocation to bring up the language of the country where the person is searching from if I have a translation for it.

[Valerie283]

We are in Australia which is an English-speaking country.

We tried and choose from a drop-down menu another language that we are good at.

The profile remains intact which is in English while the rest is in the language that we have selected.  The rules which has no option to be written in any other language so we wrote in English and is then automatically tranlated to the chosen language by Google I believe.  All others we wrote in that particular language.

Somehow the profile isn't automatically translated in the language that we have selected.  We believe it is too complicated for a computer to translate effectively.  The reader will anyway have to manually copy the text and drop it on to Reverso for the translation if they want to.  By the way, we've just tried the Reverso with the profile and the translation isn't any better.

[Helga0]

It's annoying and getting worse. A few years ago, the house rules were part of the normal description, to write in as many languages as you wanted to. Now, there is only one version. Write them trilingual in the same box and they are definitely too long that a speaker of the third language even sees that his version is down there somewhere. 

You could write a short bilingual profile text. 

I grumble about picture. legends every time ....

[Valerie283]

Putting more than one language in one field, it is messy and not professional.

Potential guests might not discover text of other language unless they scroll down.

As you have said, there might not be enough space to do so.