E-learning Localization Challenges

THE CHALLENGES OF E-LEARNING LOCALIZATION E-learning localization is the process of adapting your existing training courses for use in foreign coun- tries. Preparing Your E-Learning Course for Localization PLANNING Successful e-learning localization starts long before you engage a language vendor. Ob- serving the following guidelines will make your e-learning course easier to reproduce in foreign languages. Have in-country reviewers on hand to give feed- back to your translation vendor. Your reviewers can flag any content that isn't appropriate or relevant in the local culture, e.g. road signs or legal regulations, and recommend suitable alternatives. Get your reviewers and translators talking as early as possible. The sooner you identify the issues, the quicker your project will be completed. If you use external agencies to produce course content, you may need to contact them for assistance. Sharing things like screen-shooting scripts and asset maps can reduce design and engineering time. You can sometimes use your existing language assets to speed up the localization process. Discuss this with your language vendor. LINGUISTIC CONSIDERATIONS Use controlled vocabulary and terminology. Disciplined authorship of the original content allows more accurate translation in foreign languages. When designing your layout, leave adequate space in text containers for longer translations. In certain languages your translated content will expand by as much as 50% in length. Where possible, avoid hard coding text element in graphics files, as this adds time to the localization process. If the editable source files are unavailable, they will have to be rede- signed from serateh. TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS If you use a Learning Management System (LMS), ensure that e-learning localization. Put your LMS vendor in touch with your localization team to clarify the following: can handle the technical aspects of Is your LMS technically capable of supporting multiple languages? Double byte characters, non-Unicode fonts, local weights, measurements, date and time formats are all important when displaying content in multiple languages. Which file formats does your LMS uses? There are generally two types: editable source files and published files. Editable files are key, since your vendor can simply adapt them rather than rebuilding your course from scratch. Store repeated elements like buttons or navigation elements in a central repository, rather than duplicated on each page. This reduces localization time. Understand how your LMS imports and exports content. A good LMS should offer standardised import/export formats like XML. E-Learning Localization is More Than Translation Don't focus on the text alone. Audiovisual elements will also need to be localized. Nonver- bal communication varies greatly around the world, and certain colors or symbols may be unsuitable for a foreign audience. Localization ensures that your entire e-learning course is appropriate and readily under- standable in the target country. The importance of working with professionals cannot be overstated. Every country and every language is unique, and you need an experienced team who understand your audience. ingenuiti