eLearning Translation Services

What are eLearning translation services and why are they important?

Elearning translation services are specialized services provided by translation companies to translate educational content and training materials from one language to another.

Boy with headphones

These services are important because they make online learning easier and more accessible for people who speak different languages, allowing them to understand the material better and learn more effectively.

eLearning courses play an important role in many areas of business. If you invest in a new course, you can use it to communicate with foreign speakers thanks to our eLearning translation services.

The different components of eLearning translation services

Written translation

Written translation is a crucial component for eLearning translations and localization projects. This includes the professional translation of all on-screen text, notes and voice over scripts for the videos and animations.

When creating multilanguage eLearning, it’s important to engage with experienced training translation services who are familiar with the subject matter of your courses. This will ensure accuracy and effective communication in the target language.

Subtitles

Subtitles translation presents unique challenges because it requires a high level of linguistic accuracy while also ensuring that the message is conveyed in an engaging and captivating way.

Subtitles timing is also important so the translated text matches up with the timing of the native language.

E learning content in subtitles can be handled in .srt files. The SubRip File Format is a widely used subtitle file format for video content, making it an invaluable tool for multilingual subtitles.

These files contain time stamps for each section of the script. This should help with minimizing the required video editing once the subtitles are translated.

Multilingual voice overs

You may also need multilingual voice overs for your e learning translation project. Voice over services is essential for creating localized versions of video tutorials, presentations, corporate training, and online learning tools that require an audio component to be used in your multilingual learning platform.

Working with an experienced e learning translation services provider will enable you access to professional voice artists and recording studio teams.

Your training courses and e learning content will be hugely enhanced by voice overs in the target language.

Our e learning translation services cover multilingual voice overs suitable for your international audience.

Desktop publishing

For fully engaging online e learning platforms, you should also translate e learning content from your brochures and documents created in publishing software, such as InDesign.

Our DTP team covers over 120 languages and can help with most e learning content file formats.

Our multilingual typesetting services, with vast experience in brochure translation and InDesign translation, will provide you with localised design documents with PDFs ready for publishing on your eLearning platform.

Benefits of choosing Global LTS as your eLearning translation provider

Unlock your global markets with multilingual eLearning thanks to our comprehensive language translation services that can convert your e learning material into over 120 languages. With us, you will have access to a world of new opportunities!

How do we ensure the accuracy of terminology with e learning translation?

Your text will be translated by our professional translators. Your target language will be our translator’s native language.

We have a huge network of translators specialising in business translation services and especially in translating eLearning training courses for many vertical sectors.

These professional native translators will be working into their native languages, thus ensuring a full understanding of the target audience and will deliver translated content that is both accurate and culturally sensitive.

Your translated e learning content will be created with an understanding of the target audience’s cultural norms, language structures, local terminology, idiomatic expressions and your learning management systems.

How do we achieve consistency in terminology?

We use the latest technology in translation memory software which helps our translators to store previously translated text.

This ensures that the same terminology is used throughout all of your eLearning translations.

Even if your last translation was done years ago, we can still use it and maintain the same terminology in all your required foreign language e learning content. So, your audience will not be confused by multiple phrases describing the same subject and this will result in a better understanding of the translated course material.

Our e learning translation services are set up to help you with the localisation of your eLearning courses in the most consistent way possible.

Sector specialisaiton

Thanks to our wide network of professional native translators, we can bring translators to your e learning translation projects who will have experience in your business sector.

Our localization services cover manufacturing translation, technical translation, medical translation, financial translation and legal translation, to name just a few verticals, so you can be sure that we have the right native speakers to help with your eLearning translation project.

Our language experts will have an understanding of the terminologies used in your industry and will deliver accurate translations for your training platforms.

Cultural understanding within localization services

To help bridge cultural divides, translators working on e learning translation must be able to convey the same meaning, nuance, and tone as the native language.

Understanding different cultures’ perspectives and how they interpret certain words or phrases is essential for successful eLearning translation.

We have the right tools and processes in place to ensure your e learning content is translated accurately and the video translations with subtitles work well in the target language.

Quality assurance process in professional translation service

Our e learning translation services are underpinned by the utmost quality assurance. We have thorough translation processes to guarantee that every e learning project is confirmed for accuracy and consistency, so no mistake remains undetected.

ISO-certified localization services

With our ISO-certified translation processes, you can have a full assurance that your online courses will be accurate and delivered promptly.

The ISO-certification requires us to audit our processes on regular basis. We monitor and review our processes consistently, so we can learn how to improve our project management, and technical accuracy, and can deliver high-quality eLearning materials to our clients.

Certificate of Accuracy

In addition, we provide certified translations and a Certificate of Accuracy in compliance with the UK Government regulations for all our projects.

What is the process for eLearning localization project

How do we manage the process of eLearning course translation and file transfers?

Our team can work with all file formats. Thanks to our DTP studio team we can provide e learning translation servcies within all major elearning authoring tools.

We are flexible with our approach to localization services and translate file formats that are the easiest for you to manage depending on your technical setup.

Content exported to MS Word

In the past, many clients have exported their eLearning course text for translation in MS Word format. This would look like this:

Text export in columns

We can manage this very well and our translators will translate the copy without changing the tags and format, so you can easily import the translated text into your eLearning authoring tools.

However, the easiest and most efficient file format for organising professional translation of e learning content and training materials is XLIFF.

What is XLIFF format and how it helps with eLearning translation services?

XLIFF is an XML Localization Interchange File Format that has been helping with eLearning translation since 2002. Some technical details about the format can be found on this Wikipedia page.

The e learning industry has been rolling out more and more eLearning authoring tools supporting XLIFF formats which made it easier to manage eLearning translation and localization projects courses in multiple languages.

Most language service providers, including Global LTS, work with XLIFF files on a daily basis, and our localization solutions ensure we deliver a translation of your enterprise eLearning courses in this accessible format and without errors in the tags/code.

You will simply import the translated XLIFF files to your platform and roll them out to your global markets.

XLIFF and translation memories

All translation memory software works well with XLIFF format. This is an ideal format for e learning translation and elearning localization.

It manages all the formatting of the text and enables translators to focus on the course content translation.

The file segmentation works perfectly for creating translation memories for multiple languages.

eLearning localization in Articulate Storyline

If you are using the popular learning management system of Articulate Storyline as one of your eLearning authoring tools, you’ll be pleased to hear that they have added the option to use XLIFF to help with eLearning translation solutions.

The process is very straightforward.

  1. Export the original native language text and chose the XLIFF format.
  2. Translate the text – simply send the XLIFF file over to us and our professional translators will deliver a high-quality translation of your eLearning content.
  3. Import the translated XLIFF file back into Storyline 360.

For detailed steps have a look at Articulate’s guide for translation.

Tips for preparing your eLearning content for translation

Ensure the text will shrink

Many languages increase in volume during translation. For instance, English to French/German/Spanish translation can increase the text volume by 20-25%. This is because foreign words can be much longer and sometimes more than one word is used instead of one English word. You can improve the way the translation is displayed. You can right-click | Format Shape | Text Box | and select to enable Shrink text on overflow.

Be direct and avoid idioms 

Jargon, slang and especially idiom translation can cause difficulties. Many such expressions do not have a direct equivalent in foreign languages so translators need to explain what is meant which leads to more wordy translation.

Say this: Let me know when your bags are packed.

Instead of this: Let me know when you get your ducks in a row

Avoid embedding text in images

These will need to be translated and redesigned in design tools which will add time and costs to the project.

Use terms consistently

When writing your material it might be tempting to use synonyms for the terms that appear throughout the text. However, your localised courses will be clearer after translation if you are consistent with the terms you use.

Say this: An authoring tool is a platform that helps you to create multimedia projects, like e-learning multilingual courses. There are many different authoring tools available.

Instead of this: An authoring tool is a platform that helps you to create multimedia projects, like e-learning courses. There are many different authoring apps available.

Conclusion

E learning translation services are of utmost importance when expanding your education or training to a new audience in a different language.

The process of e learning translation is much more involved than regular written translation, as it also includes subtitling, user interface translation, voice overs and desktop publishing.

Here at Global LTS, we are experts in the field of elearning translation providers, with all our translators having specialised sector knowledge and cultural understanding.

In addition, our quality assurance processes are rigorous and ISO-certified, so you can be assured that you’re getting the best possible service from us.

If you’re interested in choosing Global LTS as your elearning translation provider, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.

We would be more than happy to discuss your specific needs and requirements.

Translation Case Studies

Category: Medical Translation
Description: eLearning Localization
Client: Pfizer

Size of project: 4 video scripts and voice over

Pfizer created educational content about new drugs development and the journey of getting it to the market. This included ‘where the medicines come from’ and ‘clinical trials consent’.

We provided Latin American Spanish translation for the video scripts and on-screen text. We also provided children voice overs and recorded the audio is professional recording studio.

Category: Medical Translation Services
Description: Written Translation & Multilingual Voiceover
Client: Shire Plc.

Size of project: 2,000 words script and voiceover recording

Shire team were working on promoting their drug Fosrenol; they were using an animation to illustrate how the drug is best used. The animation was aimed at medical professionals and was using medical jargon.

We have provided the translation of the script and recorded the multilingual voiceover for the animation.

Colgene logo

Category: Medical Translation Services
Description: Written Translation into French, German, Spanish and Italian.
Client: Celgene Corporation

Size of project: 110,000 words 

Celgene required a translation for their e-learning programme. Our medical translators ensured the translation was not only accurate and reading well, but also made sure it was working well within the e-learning platform.

FAQs

Specialist translation of e learning courses from one language into another.

  • written translation
  • subtitles translation
  • multilingual voice overs
  • desktop publishing

XLIFF is by far the best format to manage translation with major authoring tools.

ISO-certification. Expert translators with cultural understanding delivering accurate translation.

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