Every learner, regardless of their language or location, should be able to fully engage with your content.
Courses that aren't translated or localized are often overlooked by non-native speakers.
In this article, we’ll explore why translation and localization are essential, and walk you through translation and localization best practices.
Why Translate Your E-learning Courses?
If you want learners to fully engage with your content, offering it in their native language is key. Here’s why :
Expand Your Audience Globally: Translating your courses allows you to reach more learners, regardless of where they live or what language they speak. Whether you’re training employees in different countries or educating students in global regions, language should never be a barrier.
Improve Learning Retention : Learning in a second language is much harder for most people. Studies show that people are more likely to absorb and remember information when it’s presented in their native language.
Foster Cultural Inclusivity: Translation is more than swapping words from one language to another. It involves ensuring that your course content resonates with the cultural context of your learners. This cultural sensitivity increases connection to the material and can boost overall engagement.
E-learning Translation vs. Localization
When adapting your e-learning courses, you might come across two different processes: translation and localization. While they may seem similar, they serve different purposes :
What is E-learning Translation?
E-learning translation focuses solely on the linguistic aspect, keeping the original content intact while translating it into another language:
Here’s what it does :
Language Replacement: Swaps words from the source language to the target language.
Preserves Original Meaning: Keeps the content’s intent unchanged.
Straightforward: Quick and simple, especially if you only need to address language barriers.
For example, if you have an English course that needs to be accessible to French-speaking learners, translation will involve directly replacing the English text with French, without making further adjustments to cultural or contextual details.
What is E-learning Localization?
Localization goes beyond basic translation by adapting the content to align with cultural, legal, and regional expectations.
Here’s what localization does:
Cultural Adaptation: Adjusts references and examples to suit the local culture (e.g., changing U.S. holiday examples to local equivalents).
Legal Compliance: Ensures the content follows local laws and regulations.
Deeper Engagement: Makes the course feel familiar and relevant to learners, increasing their connection with the material.
For example, if your e-learning course references Thanksgiving in the U.S., localization would replace it with a culturally relevant holiday like Diwali in India or Bastille Day in France. This ensures that the course resonates better with learners in that region.
Which One Should You Choose?
The choice between translation and localization depends on your audience and goals. Consider the following:
Use translation if: You need a quick, cost-effective solution to make your course available in multiple languages. The content does not rely heavily on cultural or regional context.
Use localization if: You want to deeply engage learners by providing culturally relevant examples and context. Your course includes sensitive cultural or legal references that need adjustment for different regions.
What is the Cost of E-learning Translation and Localization?
When you decide to translate or localize your e-learning courses, there are many factors that can influences the cost :
Language Pair and Complexity : Some languages are more expensive to translate than others. For instance, translating from English to widely spoken languages like Spanish or French might be more affordable compared to less common languages like Icelandic or Swahili. Additionally, complex languages with different sentence structures, such as Arabic or Mandarin, can increase the translation costs due to the need for specialized translators.
Multimedia Elements : E-learning courses often include a mix of text, images, audio, and video. Translating these multimedia components is more time-consuming and expensive. For instance, translating video content might require voice dubbing or subtitling, which increases costs. Audio translation is particularly costly as it involves hiring voice-over talent in multiple languages. Subtitling may be a more cost-effective alternative, but even that requires attention to detail to ensure synchronization with the visuals.
Course Length and Content Complexity : Longer courses or courses with highly technical content, such as medical or legal training, tend to be more expensive to translate. Technical terminology often requires expert translators who specialize in the subject matter. Additionally, if your course includes quizzes, interactive simulations, or downloadable materials, these components will also need translation, further adding to the cost.
Here’s a rough estimate of what you can expect in terms of pricing considering these factors :
Per Word:some text
The standard rate for translation is typically between $0.10 and $0.30 per word depending on the language pair and the complexity of the subject matter.
For instance, translating an e-learning course with 10,000 words into Spanish might cost you around $1,000 to $3,000, while translating into less common languages, such as Japanese or Arabic, could be on the higher end of the scale.
Multimedia Translation:some text
Subtitling: Adding subtitles to video content generally costs between $5 and $15 per minute of video.
Voice Dubbing: Dubbing is more expensive, usually ranging from $15 to $50 per minute of video, depending on the language and the type of voice talent required.
Audio Narration: Recording audio for narration may cost around $50 to $100 per minute for professional voice talent.
Localization Costs:
Localization Fees:some text
Localization, which includes cultural adaptation of content, imagery, and potentially even legal adjustments, typically costs an additional 20-30% more than straightforward translation.
For example, localizing a 10,000-word course may cost between $1,200 to $4,000, depending on the level of adaptation required.
Best Practices to Translate or Localize Your E-learning Courses
When translating your e-learning courses, rushing through the process can result in confusion, cultural missteps, or poorly translated content. Here’s how to do it the right way :
1. Prioritize Content for Translation
Many organizations waste money translating non-essential materials, which could be avoided by taking a “tiered” approach, focusing on core learning first.
Start by identifying the most critical parts of the course that contribute directly to learning outcomes. Focus on translating content that includes instructional materials, key lessons, and any legal or compliance-related information.
2. Simplify the Original Content
Before sending your course for translation, review the original content to ensure it's clear, concise, and free from idiomatic expressions or jargon that may not translate well. The simpler the content, the easier it is to translate accurately, reducing the risk of errors and lowering costs.
3. Involve Native Speakers in the Process
Over-reliance on machine translation or non-native translators can lead to cultural disconnects. A translation may be technically accurate, but it could miss cultural nuances or use phrases that sound awkward in the target language.
This is where native speakers come in. They can ensure the translated content resonates with local learners and feels natural in their language.
4. Consider Cultural Adaptation from the Start
I see many organizations skip this step, thinking that translation alone is enough. Localization is about adapting your course to meet the cultural expectations of your learners.
Images, examples, and even color schemes may need to be adjusted depending on the audience. For example, gestures or references that work well in Western cultures may not be appropriate in Asian or Middle Eastern contexts.
5. Test Your Translated Content
Before you roll out your translated e-learning course, run a beta test with a focus group of native speakers to gather feedback.
This will help you identify any lingering translation errors, cultural issues, or technical problems before the full launch. Skipping this step could result in last-minute problems that are costly and time-consuming to fix.
Translate and Localize Your E-learning Videos : Checksub
When it comes to translating and localizing e-learning videos, Checksub offers an efficient, AI-driven solution to help you make your content accessible to a global audience :
Automatic Subtitles: With just a few clicks, Checksub can create subtitles in any language. The AI-powered tool is fast and efficient, allowing you to focus on the core content instead of getting bogged down by manual subtitle creation.
Voice Dubbing: Beyond subtitles, Checksub offers automated voice dubbing with clear, natural-sounding voices. This helps learners who prefer auditory learning or who may struggle with reading subtitles.
User-Friendly Editing: Once the subtitles or dubbed audio are generated, you can use Checksub’s editor to adjust timing, phrasing, or even add context-specific references that improve the learning experience for your target audience.
Cultural Nuances: It’s not enough to simply translate word-for-word. Checksub allows you to adapt your content to fit the cultural and regional context of your learners. Whether it’s tweaking idiomatic expressions or changing visual references, the platform gives you control over how the content is localized.
Cost-Effective: Automating the bulk of the subtitling and dubbing work saves you from having to hire multiple professionals for each language.
