5 Tips For Global eLearning Of Major Importance
Do you ever find yourself in the position where your eLearning courses need to be delivered in another language? Global economic growth has made translation technology a necessary component of eLearning courses. International companies are beginning to depend more heavily on eLearning for internal purposes, such as international brand recognition and content creation, which require transcreation to preserve their messages, overcome language and cultural barriers, and reach more people. In order to reach the needs of multilingual clients and expand their ability as international educational platforms, eLearning companies need to implement methods that can efficiently adapt to a variety of languages. Here are 5 tips for optimizing global eLearning courses.
1. Identify Your Target Market And The International Demand For eLearning Courses
This step involves identifying which countries and languages are in need of the eLearning courses your company can provide. Given the vast multitude of languages in this world, it would be impractical to set a goal to accommodate as many languages as possible. A wiser strategy is to recognize the international demand for eLearning courses and dig deeper into what your company can accomplish, matching this knowledge with a specific need. There are many options, so it is crucial for eLearning companies to narrow their focus. For example, an eLearning company that specializes in English and Spanish could focus on helping clients who live in Spanish-speaking countries learn English, assist English-speakers who want to speak Spanish or even help both English-speakers and Spanish-speakers in a certain part of Latin America.
2. Build Your eLearning Courses With Translation In-Mind
Translation is a complicated process, but if done right, it can open up a plethora of opportunities that are not otherwise possible within the constraints of language barriers. It is important to ensure that content written in a certain language can be understood by those who are not from the country of the language’s origin. English content, for example, should be appropriately internationalized to reach the broader audience beyond America. Graphics, if used with multiple cultures and languages in mind, are a convenient tool in translation because they are more internationally recognizable than words. The recorded narration is another efficient and helpful strategy since it saves money and allows the user to switch between multiple voices. In the preparation of eLearning courses, it is also helpful to thoroughly proofread and edit the sources you are using before you translate them. Keeping an eye out for colloquialism is vital since the meaning of most colloquial phrases are jumbled and confused in the translation process. The best decision, in this case, is to omit colloquialism altogether. The overall goal at this stage is to prepare course layouts, get ideas flowing, and attain a basic understanding of how the courses can be successfully adapted to multiple languages and cultures.
3. Find An eLearning Industry Localization Or Transcreation Agency
The next step involves finding an agency that understands eLearning development and design processes. Hiring a team of people with the necessary expertise to refine eLearning courses and make them successful can be immensely helpful. An agency that is well-versed in transcreation is a valuable asset since this process is used by many international industries and is vital for the preservation of a text’s meaning in the translation process. Transcreation is a hybrid version of the translation, which takes more than one factor into account when determining the ultimate language construction. Transcreation agents are experts at content localization, which considers both the language and its place of origin and identifies the variances of languages in different areas. For example, it isn’t very helpful to merely translate a product description into Spanish in the effort of trying to reach the Mexican market. In this case, transcreation experts would ensure that the message is properly translated into the Mexican dialect of Spanish. Localizing eLearning courses to accommodate specific languages is a detailed process that requires serious skill, making capable and qualified translation agencies very helpful and even necessary.
4. Implement A Centralized Translation Platform
Implementing a platform on which all the translation processes can be easily accessed is important so that project managers, translators, clients, and developers can all be aware of the project’s process in one place. Many times, a strongly developed translation agency platform will offer other features to help streamline the process. Some of these features are client review and translation memory. In client review, a Subject Matter Expert checks the translations and ensures that there are no mistakes. In translation memory, certain phrases and words are saved and automatically filled in when there are duplicates, protecting the client from being charged for duplicate content. A stable translation platform will make everything work like clockwork by fostering better communication, decreasing the chance of error, and protecting both the company and the client.
5. Localize Your eLearning Modules For A Global Market
Now that you have prepared your eLearning courses, selected a capable agency to develop them, and implemented an efficient system to keep everyone on track and everything moves smoothly, you are ready to deliver your multilingual eLearning courses to a global market. As discussed in the first tip, localization is a crucial element of the entire process. The global economy will continue to grow, but that doesn’t mean that your eLearning business must be lost in the competition. Finding your niche and excelling in your own unique ability with a specific set of languages will make your global eLearning courses valuable and invincible.
