How to Successfully Achieve Learner Outcomes With Effective eLearning Content Localization

Creating quality eLearning content is not an easy task. Creating the content is only one half of the challenge - ensuring your learners actually can meet your learning outcomes is the other half.

When you add to that the need to take your training global, you now are taking on a whole other set of challenges. After all, how can businesses effectively communicate with their employees when they live all around the world, have different cultures, and speak multiple different languages? If you don't carefully adapt your content for a global audience, you may end up with less-than-effective training and learners who are confused and frustrated.

Localization is the process of adapting the target language's culture to your course material. Rather than simply translating your content word for word, localization uses cultural nuances to make the content feel familiar to the reader, no matter where in the world they may be.

Investing in eLearning localization services can be highly beneficial for organizations with worldwide learners. However, it's important to keep in mind that it may be harder to successfully achieve your learner outcomes with your localized content, simply because different languages view words and phrases differently. Here are some details to keep in mind when creating your course content so your learner outcomes can be reached, every time.

Plan Ahead - Internationalize

One of the best ways to ensure your international learners can meet their learner outcomes is to plan ahead and consider their cultural differences from the very beginning. We know how much thought goes into creating your course for your English speakers, and if you put that same amount of planning for your global audience, localization will be much easier. You can rely on in-country team members to provide feedback on your source content, or you can lean on your localization services provider. There are many ways to adapt your source content (both text and layout) so that it is well internationalized, regardless of the language you're translating into.

Here's an example of how user interface (UI) design can be internationalized to accommodate for localization: https://www.languageintelligence.com/post/user-interface-and-elearning-design-tips-for-global-workforces

Consider Access

Not only does your content have to be accessible in terms of language, but it's important to consider how your message is delivered and accessed by your learners. The infrastructure of some countries doesn’t allow for mobile accessibility, so it’s likely that learners there will be accessing the content only via desktop computers. In the same vein, other cultures rely heavily on wifi and smartphone use and tend to access their content via mobile devices. Keep these details in mind when creating your content, as device accessibility can impact the look and feel of your completed course materials.

Take the Time to Create Well-Structured Content

It’s best to keep your content as simple and well-structured as possible to ensure seamless translations from your eLearning localization service provider. Content that has well-defined headings, as well as short and concise sentences, makes it easier for your linguist to understand the core message of your content. When they fundamentally understand the message of your content in English, the quality of their translations will be enhanced.

Layout is Important!

Your eLearning is more than just words on a page and meaning can be compromised if the layout is not localized properly. You’ll need to pay attention to the formatting of your content as visuals and other design elements aren’t always easily adapted from one language to another.

Some formatting best practices include:

• Utilizing visuals that make sense to the culture and region. For example, pictures that show symbols of American currencies in European countries can be confusing.
  

• Leaving adequate space for text to expand. Some languages, like German or Russian, can be up to 30% longer when translated than English, which requires extra space.
  

• Acknowledging different color sensitivities. In some cultures, the color red is only used for mourning and can be offensive when used casually in an eLearning course.
  

• Understand that the entire content may be flipped if you are translating into a language that reads right to left, like Arabic or Hebrew.
  

• Remove and avoid embedded text in images and other graphics. This text will have to be extracted to be translated and can cause a problem if the image is static instead of dynamic.

Learner outcomes can make or break the success of your eLearning course. In the ever-evolving landscape of eLearning, localization in translation emerges as a critical factor in delivering impactful and effective educational experiences. By embracing localization, organizations can not only break down language barriers but also create a learning environment that resonates with the cultural diversity of their audience. As the world becomes more interconnected, the ability to adapt and tailor eLearning content to diverse audiences will play a pivotal role in the success of global education initiatives. Proper eLearning localization services makes this all possible and ensure your global learners have completely accessible training material.

Contact Language Intelligence today for more information on how our eLearning localization services will help you communicate with your global workforce.