diff --git a/modules/oojs-ui/OO.ui.js b/modules/oojs-ui/OO.ui.js
index 4bba1844e3..cd1eee463f 100644
--- a/modules/oojs-ui/OO.ui.js
+++ b/modules/oojs-ui/OO.ui.js
@@ -16,8 +16,9 @@ OO.ui = {};
 OO.ui.bind = $.proxy;
 
 /**
- * Get the user's language and any fallback languages. These language codes are used by
- * OO.ui.IconedElement to select localized icons in the user's language.
+ * Get the user's language and any fallback languages.
+ *
+ * These language codes are used to localize user interface elements in the user's language.
  *
  * In environments that provide a localization system, this function should be overridden to
  * return the user's language(s). The default implementation returns English (en) only.
@@ -28,6 +29,41 @@ OO.ui.getUserLanguages = function () {
 	return [ 'en' ];
 };
 
+/**
+ * Get a value in an object keyed by language code.
+ *
+ * @param {Object.<string,Mixed>} obj Object keyed by language code
+ * @param {string|null} [lang] Language code, if omitted or null defaults to any user language
+ * @param {string} [fallback] Fallback code, used if no matching language can be found
+ * @returns {Mixed} Local value
+ */
+OO.ui.getLocalValue = function ( obj, lang, fallback ) {
+	var i, len, langs;
+
+	// Requested language
+	if ( obj[lang] ) {
+		return obj[lang];
+	}
+	// Known user language
+	langs = OO.ui.getUserLanguages();
+	for ( i = 0, len = langs.length; i < len; i++ ) {
+		lang = langs[i];
+		if ( obj[lang] ) {
+			return obj[lang];
+		}
+	}
+	// Fallback language
+	if ( obj[fallback] ) {
+		return obj[fallback];
+	}
+	// First existing language
+	for ( lang in obj ) {
+		return obj[lang];
+	}
+
+	return undefined;
+};
+
 ( function () {
 
 /**
diff --git a/modules/oojs-ui/elements/OO.ui.IconedElement.js b/modules/oojs-ui/elements/OO.ui.IconedElement.js
index 09612f00e8..5771d7d4e5 100644
--- a/modules/oojs-ui/elements/OO.ui.IconedElement.js
+++ b/modules/oojs-ui/elements/OO.ui.IconedElement.js
@@ -40,21 +40,7 @@ OO.ui.IconedElement = function OoUiIconedElement( $icon, config ) {
  * @chainable
  */
 OO.ui.IconedElement.prototype.setIcon = function ( value ) {
-	var i, len, icon, lang,
-		langs = OO.ui.getUserLanguages();
-
-	if ( OO.isPlainObject( value ) ) {
-		icon = value['default'];
-		for ( i = 0, len = langs.length; i < len; i++ ) {
-			lang = langs[i];
-			if ( value[lang] ) {
-				icon = value[lang];
-				break;
-			}
-		}
-	} else {
-		icon = value;
-	}
+	var icon = OO.isPlainObject( value ) ? OO.ui.getLocalValue( value, null, 'default' ) : value;
 
 	if ( this.icon ) {
 		this.$icon.removeClass( 'oo-ui-icon-' + this.icon );
diff --git a/modules/ve-mw/dm/models/ve.dm.MWTemplateSpecModel.js b/modules/ve-mw/dm/models/ve.dm.MWTemplateSpecModel.js
index 13b6be5807..934052a8d9 100644
--- a/modules/ve-mw/dm/models/ve.dm.MWTemplateSpecModel.js
+++ b/modules/ve-mw/dm/models/ve.dm.MWTemplateSpecModel.js
@@ -141,10 +141,12 @@ ve.dm.MWTemplateSpecModel.prototype.getLabel = function () {
  * Get template description.
  *
  * @method
+ * @param {string} [lang] Language to get description in
  * @returns {string|null} Template description or null if not available
  */
-ve.dm.MWTemplateSpecModel.prototype.getDescription = function () {
-	return this.description;
+ve.dm.MWTemplateSpecModel.prototype.getDescription = function ( lang ) {
+	var value = this.description;
+	return ve.isPlainObject( value ) ? OO.ui.getLocalValue( value, lang ) : value;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -176,10 +178,12 @@ ve.dm.MWTemplateSpecModel.prototype.isParameterAlias = function ( name ) {
  *
  * @method
  * @param {string} name Parameter name
+ * @param {string} [lang] Language to get label in
  * @returns {string} Parameter label
  */
-ve.dm.MWTemplateSpecModel.prototype.getParameterLabel = function ( name ) {
-	return this.params[name].label || name;
+ve.dm.MWTemplateSpecModel.prototype.getParameterLabel = function ( name, lang ) {
+	var value = this.params[name].label;
+	return ve.isPlainObject( value ) ? OO.ui.getLocalValue( value, lang ) : value;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -187,10 +191,12 @@ ve.dm.MWTemplateSpecModel.prototype.getParameterLabel = function ( name ) {
  *
  * @method
  * @param {string} name Parameter name
+ * @param {string} [lang] Language to get description
  * @returns {string|null} Parameter description
  */
-ve.dm.MWTemplateSpecModel.prototype.getParameterDescription = function ( name ) {
-	return this.params[name].description;
+ve.dm.MWTemplateSpecModel.prototype.getParameterDescription = function ( name, lang ) {
+	var value = this.params[name].description;
+	return ve.isPlainObject( value ) ? OO.ui.getLocalValue( value, lang ) : value;
 };
 
 /**