Joomla! Documentation™

Tutorial
How to setup a Multilingual Joomla! Site

Articles in this Series

1. Introduction
2. Step 1: Installing a new language
3. Step 2: Creating a Content Language
4. Step 3: Enabling the Language Plugins
5. Step 4: Adding Multilingual Content
6. Step 5: Creating Menus for the Multilingual Content
7. Step 6: Duplicate your Template for each Language
8. Step 7: Adding a Language Switcher
9. Step 8: Exploring the multilingual site

Joomla! allows you to create easily a multilingual website, without having to install any third party extension. In this tutorial, you’ll find a complete walkthrough of the steps involved in creating a multilingual Joomla! site.

Step 7 - Adding a Language Switcher

We have now two sets of articles: one French, one English. Of course, only one menu will be displayed on the frontend: either the English Menu or the French Menu. Joomla! would decide between serving English or French content depending on the language settings of the visitors browser. As we want the user to be able to switch from a language to another, we need to add the built-in Language Switcher Module.

1. Go to Extensions → Modules, click on the button New and select Language Switcher module type.
2. Enter a Title: for example, Choose your language.
3. Position: Select position-7.
4. Language: Select All, as this module will be displayed regardless of the selected language.

After saving this new module, have a look at the frontend of your site. Here it is, the langauge switcher is displayed in the right column.

Step 6 - Duplicate your Template for each Language

Step 8 - Exploring the multilingual site