The rapid evolution of technology in recent years has leveled the playing field for businesses worldwide. With a growing number of companies establishing a global presence, an increasing number of employees work from multiple locations. Training this vast, geographically dispersed, multicultural workforce faces many logistical challenges. One example is the deployment of training content.
While translation aids in overcoming the language barrier, it is insufficient to make the content easy to remember when references are not culturally specific. This is where the localization of content comes in. Furthermore, with employees working from home and limited access to regional translation services and instructors, it is more important than ever to localize custom eLearning content so that employees can train, be productive, and perform better. Localization of eLearning saves the day by assisting in the reduction of cultural and linguistic barriers.
Transcription and localization of the custom eLearning content improve training consistency for globally distributed learners. It effectively communicates your company’s policies and procedures to your employees while maintaining a consistent message.
To know more about the importance of localizing custom eLearning content, you must first understand what goes into eLearning localization.
What Is Custom eLearning Content Localization?
eLearning content localization refers to the process of customizing a course content to a specific culture and region’s needs. It is not to be confused with translation. eLearning localization goes beyond simply translating training content from one language to the other; it also considers cultural references and adapts the training program’s content accordingly.
The basic concept behind eLearning localization is to make sure that the accurate message designed by the source is conveyed in the appropriate context and with the appropriate emotions. Images, idioms, colors, fonts, symbols, sayings, measurement units, narrative structure, tone, and abbreviations are some of the crucial attributes of a training course for which eLearning localization is applicable.
Localization is about making a personal connection with your learners. Employees are more inclined to internalize major insights if the content is localized to their activities, knowledge and skill gaps, positions, and experiences.
Why Is eLearning Localization Important?
If you want to explain a specific procedure or method more directly, localization is probably the best option.
The huge increase in the importance of eLearning Localization popularity is not without reason. There are numerous advantages available that you should be aware of.
- It Eliminates Cultural Dissimilarities
eLearning localization efficiently manages the cultural differences in different geographical areas. In India, red represents divinity and spirituality, but in Africa, it represents death. “Green” is the national color of Mexico and represents independence. However, it is a forbidden color in Indonesia. In Germany, yellow has a bad connotation, but in Egypt, it is a positive color. This demonstrates how each country and region has its own distinct culture.
Besides the colors, expressions, and symbols of your courses, the style, and tone of the audio narration are essential. The western audience prefers an open and pleasant tone, whereas the eastern countries prefer authoritative tones. By taking cultural differences into account, you can avoid misunderstandings and make your eLearning content more relevant to the learner.
- Employee Satisfaction And Retention
Localizing training content boosts authority and credibility in any industry. Localization demonstrates to your organization the significance of eLearning translation. By concentrating on supporting as many languages as possible, your company establishes itself as a globally integrated organization that values its employees. Offering culturally appropriate corporate training programs is critical for businesses that are looking to gain a competitive advantage.
Employees are more loyal when they are satisfied at work. When companies offer coursework in their employees’ native tongues and cover topics that are relevant to them, learning is more effective and effortless for the staff members. As a result, their self-esteem rises and their performance improves.
- It Encourages An Inclusive Learning Culture
Organizations that customize courses to their employees’ needs rather than removing them from the crowd without regard to language or culture add enormous value. When your organization uses a single module to train workers in multiple locations, training consistency is ensured. By creating the same textual and multimedia content accessible to all participants in their respective languages and contexts, your company can ensure that its employees in various countries share the same skill sets and knowledge.
Localized eLearning content is more likely to attract go-getters who seek out what they require and when they require it. Localizing eLearning also gives your staff a sense of belonging and value within the organization, regardless of where they live.
- Better Outcomes
When training content is available in the learner’s native language and prepared in an appropriate setting according to the culture, its relevance increases, it is easier to understand, and thus better retained. Team members are more likely to connect with the training content, memorize the lessons, and apply them in real-life situations. It also increases employee satisfaction and reinforces their commitment.
How To Plan Localizable And Custom eLearning Content
When the same content is used in a variety of language versions, well-designed eLearning localization results in significant cost savings. When language-specific distinctions are eliminated through reliable content production methods, each employee receives equally high-quality training.
If you are still in the planning stages of your eLearning localization strategy, you should focus on the language of the initial version or the master. If you plan to train employees outside of your country, English is the best option for the first version. For example, if the first version is created in other languages like Norwegian or Swedish, it will need to be translated into English for the Baltic languages to be properly localized.
At the scripting stage, you can enhance your eLearning localization budget. You can choose to restrict elements and aspects that require national or language-specific localization to a particular section of the training.
During the scripting process, you can also devise a strategy that reduces the amount of localization required for videos and images. You can also describe the multimedia content so that it requires as little modification as possible during localization.
Conclusion
Localization of custom eLearning content is important for providing a more effective learning experience and improving knowledge retention and acquisition by converting any content into a specific language and modifying it for a particular region and culture. Every organization must localize its eLearning content to be future-ready. When developing eLearning, it is critical to keep your worldwide learners in mind.
It is critical to the eLearning process of design and development to maintain a broad point of view while also allowing for streamlined translation procedures. By localizing your eLearning content, you can provide high-quality training to the global employee base.
