When localizing eLearning content, the most critical features that need attention are:
• Written content.
• Audio and video (specifically, subtitling and voiceover).
• User experience elements (e.g., buttons, instruction handles, and menu items).
eLearning localization is all about adapting digital content to the language, learning style, demographics, culture, and context of a particular region or market.
Localization is the process of translating as well as creating the right learning experience using the images and content that suit the native sensibilities. For example, it is not just sufficient to translate an English course to an Arabic version. The images and cultural references should be local too. An audience based out of Arabia will have better relatability if the images, examples, and content resonate well with their culture.
Localization adds great value to the learning process thereby having better learnability. Many employees would prefer to have learning content in their language as that would help drive the concepts better. Learners learn better, leading to better application of the concepts at work.
eLearning localization and eLearning translation significantly impact an eLearning program’s success. The former considers factors that may affect how the content is received while the latter focuses on the language of the learning content. Localization involves attention to detail and a thorough understanding of the culture and audience. Translation requires a good understanding of the appropriate grammar, sentence construction, choice of words, and means to articulate the content.
Therefore, localization plays a significant role.
People learn most effectively when taught in the language they use every day. Localization of content and mapping it to the cultural setup provide huge benefits to global organizations to reach the audience effectively and improve their efficiency for better performance. eLearning localization has taken center stage as eLearning can be reached various geographies and people around the world faster.
The success of the training projects of your globalized business greatly depends on using the right strategy and experts for the “translation” and “localization” of your courses.
Professional Translation and Localization are essential because they will drive efficiency and versatility in the following ways:
Learning in own language will lead to better performance. As your business expands globally and teams spread across regions, it becomes essential to tailor your training courses to suit the local language and culture. This will help you engage employees effectively in the training, improve their application on the job and enhance their performance.
Localization helps learners relate to the content better. A better appeal will help organizations go a long way in creating the right experience for their employees and thus leading to better learning thereby leading to better application of the concepts learnt.
Reaching out to the global population is hastened via localization. The ability to connect with diverse groups of people becomes multifold. Localization helps speak their language and helps content be more culturally aligned, and better structured to resonate with learners during different types of training and learning interventions.
With our experience of having localized eLearning courses in more than 37 languages using our expert native translators, reviewers, voice-over artists, and linguistic reviewers, we offer our expertise to make your localization and translation initiatives a success.
We do what we can to build a logical structure for all eLearning courses, a framework that could cater to global workplaces as is or with minor tweaks. Most importantly, it is not just about localizing content but we also support in getting consistency via localization on key measurements like completion rate, engagement, learner feedback, assessment results, etc.
“If you’re trying to persuade people to do something, or buy something, it seems to me you should use their language, the language they use every day, the language in which they think. We try to write in the vernacular.” – David Ogilvy