e-Learning & Training Translations
for Global Audiences
Making training and corporate content relevant and culturally appropriate for global audiences
Are you ready to train your global teams in their language?
Expanding your business to foreign markets and need to train your employees and clients? Commit Global can help you adapt your training and e-Learning material, making sure it is culturally appropriate for the target audience.
Simple text, online courses, PowerPoint presentations or voice-over: whatever your training needs may be, our team of experienced linguists can help enhance the training effectiveness of your program and get the maximum out of your training investment.
Given the complexity of e-Learning and training translations, Commit Global uses only professional linguists, subtitlers and engineers to fully meet our clients’ most challenging e-Learning translation needs. Our resources are carefully selected, are native to the target language and have substantial experience in e-Learning localization. Also, if your project requires voice-over services, then we offer professional voice talents in more than 50 languages. We will find and suggest the most suitable voices to guarantee your video project will be a success and your audience engaged.
We can help you with:
- e-Learning Courseware Localization
- Rich Media Presentations
- Subtitle Creation/Translation/Sync
- Voice-Over
- Art, Graphics and Animation localization
- Linguistic Quality Assurance & Functional Testing
Corporate Training Translations
Creating a personal connection with your global teams
Getting through to your clients
However, your internal teams are not the only ones you need to get through to. According to a survey conducted by Common Sense Advisory, named “Can’t Read, Won’t Buy: Why Language Matters on Global Websites”, 72.4% of consumers state they would be more likely to buy a product with information in their own language and 2% ranks the ability to obtain information in their own language as more important than price. Imagine that! Data shows that localizing content for specific markets multiplies the desired selling effect substantially, and people are even willing to pay more if they receive information in their own language.
Aren’t you convinced already?
7 tips for e-Learning localization
In our internationalized era, where content can reach global audiences in the blink of an eye, the need for e-Learning localization is self-evident. Therefore, if you are considering creating a training course that will be subsequently localized in one or many foreign languages, there are certain points to take into account:
Create culture-neutral content
In our internationalized era, where content can reach global audiences in the blink of an eye, the need for e-Learning localization is self-evident. Therefore, if you are considering creating a training course that will be subsequently localized in one or many foreign languages, there are certain points to take into account:
English is the main language most organizations choose to create their e-Learning courses and thus International English is the recommended variation to adopt for the development of your online course. At this stage, it is very important to create culture-neutral content to help the e-Learning localization process. Avoid idiomatic expressions, colloquialisms and country-specific references, extracts from literature or poetry as this may pose certain restrictions in the translation process. Use humor cautiously as it is very culture-centric. What is considered humorous in one country might be offensive in another.
Examine your target audience
Carefully examine your target audience and consider issues related to their geographic location, customs associated with the audience, certain language requirements or possible restrictions that may occur in the e-Learning localization process (for example, right-to-left languages and their support in various platforms, various language variations and the appropriateness of the translatable content for these languages).
A picture is worth a thousand words
An image is, in many cases, a strong means to back a certain theory or illustrate an idea in a clearer way. So, it is essential to choose culturally appropriate and acceptable images for the target audience. Try to opt for neutral images of people, humanoid images or vector images. The aim is always to have a natural target result to achieve the desired purpose. It is also advisable to avoid adding text into images. Texts within the images may increase cost and time affecting the e-Learning localization process, as there is a certain amount of extra work involved in the extraction and import of the text.
Choose the right narrator
It is very important to know that in some cultures, as in the Middle-East and South Asia, people expect the voice of the narrator to be very authoritative and firm. In other cultures, as in Western countries, people would expect a friendly, informal tone. Make sure your narrator sounds professional for the intended audience.
Use compatible authoring tools
Use the appropriate authoring tools to create your e-Learning courses (Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate, and Lectora Inspire to name a few), as they provide a choice to export the course content into an MS-Word or XML document with just a click. These formats are easily supported by the software used by translators and translation service providers and once translated, they can be imported back with yet another click.
Provide space for text expansion
Keep in mind that some languages are wordy and the translated content may expand by 30 to 50% compared to the English original. This means that you need to provide ample space in your course for this purpose and possibly provide more time for reading before releasing the next text block in the screen.
Go mobile first
Make sure the content can run in most platforms, including mobile devices, which appears to be the most widely used means for viewing e-Learning content.
