Seamless Multilingual Learning: Localizing Audio in Articulate Storyline

Articulate Storyline is a powerful tool for creating eLearning courses. But when you want to expand your reach and educate a global audience, localizing all the course elements should be a consideration. This includes not only the on-screen text, but also the audio narration. While Storyline itself does offer text translation (via AI), it doesn't currently offer audio translation. Whether it's AI audio you're creating, or professional human narration, we'll discuss a smooth workflow to get your courses speaking multiple languages:

1. Prepare your text for Export:

• Optimize Text: Remember, translated text can expand by 20-25%. Use slide masters for consistent elements and allow extra space in text boxes to accommodate growth. When you know your content is going to be translated it's to your advantage to implement best practices of "Internationalization". These can vary from simple adjustments like adding whitespace all the way up to minimizing your overall design to make it easy to localize into multiple languages (think Ikea's furniture manuals).
  

• Extract the Script: Storyline offers a handy "Text Transcript" feature. This generates a text file containing all on-screen narration and captions. This will be your source material for translation. The exported script will be easy for a human audio service to work with, but you may need to add prompts for an AI audio tool to guide it towards your particular pronunciation specifications. That can be done via markup like Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML).

Example of SSML markup in action

3. Partner with a Translation Expert:

• Choose the Right Fit: Look for a Language Service Provider (LSP) experienced in eLearning localization. They'll have the tools and expertise to handle the unique challenges of narration script translation, and ensure you receive culturally appropriate translations.
  

• Translation & Quality Assurance: Your LSP will translate the script, considering cultural nuances and maintaining the intended flow. A rigorous quality assurance process ensures accuracy and a natural feel in the target language. Translation QA is arguably even more important when audio is going to be generated, particularly if you're paying for human narration as that can be expensive to begin with, but if you have to get into re-records due to errors identified after recording, the cost can really skyrocket.
  

3. Audio Recording / Implementation:

• Record New Narration: With the translated script in hand, you can record professional voice-overs in the target language. This is the point where you need to choose between AI or human recording. This is primarily a cost to risk based decision that is determined by many factors including: languages, cultures, quality requirements, complexity of the source content, complexity of design, etc. There is a lot of information available to guide your choice, but if you have any concerns you can always discuss this with your translation partner, or a professional audio studio.
  

• Last step! - Sync the Audio: Storyline allows for precise audio editing and synchronization. Depending on the language(s) your working with this may be the only step where an English speaking team may have some concern regarding implementation. Synchronizing audio for a language you don't speak or understand can be particularly daunting. This is another risk to cost decision that will be guided by the same decisions made regarding whether to use AI audio or a professional service.
  

By following these steps, you can create high-quality, multilingual Articulate Storyline courses that effectively educate learners worldwide. Remember, a smooth translation workflow ensures your message resonates across cultures, fostering a truly global learning experience. If you’re interested in more information, or if you’re looking for an LSP that can help guide you through the process, contact us today!