How To Plan Localized E-Learning Projects?

E-Learning Localization is highly complex. It can combine several services including multimedia services such as voice-over and subtitling/ captioning, and also include the localization of gamification elements, depending on the game. In fact, since more and more online courses are less about the content itself and more about interactive features,

This means that before the Localization Process itself can be initiated, there is a crucial development phase that will help streamline the whole process. Here are some essential tips and tricks on how you can create an intuitive E-Learning User Interface (UI) that prioritizes a learner-friendly experience in any language.

• Start by estimating the scope of your project. Identify each content type that will need translating. This doesn’t only include textual content, but also images (just think about what certain characters and colors mean in different languages!) audio, transcriptions, fonts, videos, and so on. In terms of audio and video, also consider the onscreen word count and audio word count.
• Make sure you take textual contractions and expansions into account. Some languages need more space to express the same message than others do. So, this means you will need to consider the effect this shift in size can have on your E-Learning content. This is particularly important when it comes to the interactive features. In order to meet the standards of even the most expansive languages, we recommend that you allow for a text expansion of up to 35 percent.
• Authoring tools such as Storyline, are ideal for complex interactions and custom content branding. If you have a tool with these features, make sure you maximize this quality and create a Glossary and a Style Guide so the linguistic rules and preferences can be integrated.
• To keep the actual translation as time and cost-effective as possible, try to keep the source language as neutral as possible. Avoid colorful expressions and cultural references if this would complicate the translation process too much. Of course, if the cultural references are integral to the experience of the online course, you can leave them in. But note that your LSP will need to find a suitable equivalent in the target culture.

These steps are designed to aid in the translation process and keep costs, time, and even bugs to a minimum. If you would like to learn about the best practices in the E-Learning Translation process, have a look at our answer to the question,  How Are Articulate Storyline Courses Best Translated?

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