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As a learning and development professional, you are tasked with creating courses that are interactive, engaging, and effective for learners. Many organizations are global or are going global. This means they want to or are already providing training for employees in their native language. Localizing your course content for global learners may seem like a tall order, and that is why we are here to help. Here are some eLearning localization tips that we think will help you out from start to finish.

The most valuable tip that we can offer for eLearning localization is to begin with the end in mind. This means to plan for localization before you even create the course. Companies and organizations are already going global, if they are not already. To help you prepare, we’ve divided our tips into different phases from quoting, to planning, to creation, to localization, and testing.

ELEARNING LOCALIZATION TIPS: DURING THE QUOTING PHASE

Part of the quoting process includes scoping the work. It is important to scope accurately so that you stay within budget. If this course requires localization, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Identifying target languages

Identifying what components of the course need to be localized

Identifying the deliverables

Identifying languages will allow you to plan for text expansion, right to left languages, character languages, etc.

Identifying components of the course to be localized including the following: course content (including on screen text), audio scripts, audio narration, video files, video transcripts, images, graphs, screenshots, User Interface elements, as well as any corresponding materials such as help information, glossaries, or additional course resources.

Identifying deliverables will allow you to budget in time for review by Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and also for packaging and publishing courses.

ELEARNING LOCALIZATION TIPS: DURING THE PLANNING PHASE

What authoring tool will you be using to build your course? When choosing an authoring tool for your course creation, base your choice on the following criteria:

Ease of use

Budget

Mobile learning friendly

Integration with an LMS, software, or other applications

Level of support

Of course, these are just some components you may be looking for. If you are planning on localizing courses, check and see if your tool has a built-in translation workflow or is localization friendly.

Also, take a look at the User Interface (UI). (UI is anything referring to the look-and-feel of your eLearning course including the the menus or functionalities.) If your UI has a screen with options to choose different languages, consider what type of design you will use. In a previouspost, we said using flags are a “don’t” for website localization. The same applies for your eLearning UI. We recommend listing language names in a user’s native language.

Also, as you plan your design, make sure you leave enough space. Text expands or contracts during translation so it is important to account for this in your design. (We touch on this topic more in a previous post.)

ELEARNING LOCALIZATION TIPS: DURING THE COURSE CREATION AND DEVELOPMENT PHASE

As you create course content, try to think neutral and be aware of cultural nuances. (We touch on 6 cultural considerations in an article for eLearning industry!) Color choices, graphics and symbols, as well as gestures may not translate appropriately for different cultures.

Keep the following in mind as well: currency, date and time formats, measurements, and screenshots. Will you want these to be localized? Currency and units of measurement may need to be converted. If your UI is localized, you will need to supply localized screenshots to your language services partner or provide them with access so they can localize the screenshots for you!

Also, it is best to finalize the master course first, before localization begins. Any updates made to the source content will slow translation if it is already in progress! (Of course, we understand that updates do happen, and we can accommodate accordingly!)

ELEARNING LOCALIZATION TIPS: DURING THE COURSE LOCALIZATION PHASE

We cannot stress enough the importance of using professional human translators. If your content is meant to be consumed and understood by humans, then it should be translated by humans! The best advice we can provide is to make sure your language services partner uses in-country native speakers that have industry knowledge based on your content.

If your course requires audio or video localization, work with your language services partner. They should offer you voice talent samples to choose from based on your requirements for age, gender, tone, etc.

If you have a glossary or a term base, it is recommended that you provide it at the start of translation. This would include any “non translatables” as well as preferred or company-specific terms. If you would like help in creating one, talk to your language services partner. We’d be more than happy to help you create one! Style guidelines are also helpful.  These would provide instructions on handling date, time, and currency conversions as well as how to handle things such as acronyms.

ELEARNING LOCALIZATION TIPS: DURING THE COURSE TESTING PHASE

It is not uncommon to have eLearning courses reviewed by Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). In fact, we encourage it. When testing your course to make sure that it is bandwidth friendly for global learners as well as mobile-learning friendly or compatible on different browsers!

Most importantly, work with a language service provider who will support you in these efforts.

Any more questions on eLearning localization? Contact us today!