eLearning has come a long way. Back in the days, creating an intuitive learner-friendly course was donkey work. But thanks to tech, today, you can even localize your course content to fit different languages and cultures. If you’ve been hesitant about eLearning localization, don’t be?

Groundbreaking technologies have simplified processes and improved the experience for learners. These developments have fueled the growth in the eLearning sector, an industry now anticipated to reach over 330 billion by 2025. This is the time to get on board and impact more people from all walks of life.

So what is eLearning localization? What’s its role? Which content should you localize?

Sit back as we answer these questions and more.

This post has been updated in September 2021.

What is eLearning Localization?

 eLearning Localizing is an intricate process of converting course material, usually written in English, into other languages while making it adaptable to the target audience and its culture. This strategy seeks to ensure the content (including texts and images) you develop resonates with the locals. Such changes enable better interaction while boosting the quality of your courses.

Therefore, it’s wrong to assume that your diverse learners are okay with the “one size fits all” courses you offer. Trying to customize the content so that it fits different dialects and cultures is a better approach.

Most people reduce the above all-inclusive concept of turning text into other languages. Yet localization goes beyond translation. It touches all aspects of e-learning, including:

Because handling all these alone is a hectic process, it’s better to outsource the job to platforms like Bunny Studios.

Interesting Facts & Stats About Cultural Differences

Though most people can speak English (to some extent), very few are fluent in it. Therefore, a significant portion of the world’s population stands to benefit from eLearning localization.

  • Research by Ethnologue counts over 7000 languages This figure also reflects how diverse culture can be. It’s crucial to understand your target group’s culture when creating a course.
  • Only About 20% of the population in the world can speak in English. It is so far the most spoken language globally. With about 35 billion speakers worldwide, English dominates as the official information, entertainment, and communication dialect.
  • The second most spoken language in the world is Chinese. Hindi is the third.

One of the biggest challenges facing online courses is that most are presented in English and culture.

Benefits of eLearning Localization to Internet Usage

Generally, there are considerable benefits of making internet channels available in local dialects. They include:

  • Many people, young and old, will better understand the significance of the internet in their lives and the environment.
  • The internet will serve as a tool for passing information and knowledge to local societies.
  • Many of the students and the society will turn to the internet for books and other sources of info.
  • It facilitates access to internet content in most of the remote parts of the world.

Hiring a Professional eLearning Localization Creator

In eLearning localization, you must tailor all contents to suit your audience’s needs. Doing this all alone can be hectic, especially if you’re busy with other errands.

Localization is time-consuming. Furthermore, you may not have the skill to handle technical aspects like user interface and graphic design. Luckily, outsourcing is just a keystroke away.

These service providers work to ensure all essential aspects of your platform is localized, including:

  • Graphic design: Design involves using the correct visual elements to communicate a specific message to a particular group. It deals with color, fonts, arrangement, etc.
  • User interface design: UI design modifies an eLearning platform’s visual and functional elements to improve usability among trainees. It involves customizing aspects like navigation, loading speed, button placement, etc.
  • Written content: When writing content for a specific cultural group, it’s vital to use language/jargon that your audience understands best.
  • Video and Audio localization: Because video and audio are now a central part of learning, it’s essential to tweak these contents to fit different cultures and languages.

So, don’t stress alone when you have a freelance platform like Bunny Studios. Here, you’ll meet all the experts skilled in handling the various localization elements.

eLearning Localization: Best Practices

Before customizing content to fit a specific locality, it’s best to understand some of the best practices to follow. Otherwise, your efforts can turn out counter-productive or not as effective as you intend.

What are these best practices?

Let’s find out, shall we?

1.    Start localizing from the early stages of development

It’s crucial to ensure young learners grow while taking courses and exams in their local dialects. As hinted above, this improves the learning process and provides a seamless experience throughout their years of learning.

2.    Learn your target audience

Familiarizing yourself with your target group is crucial in creating relevant content.

Don’t jump into translation before researching more about the target country; and, more precisely, your specific audience.

3.    Beyond language, focus on the design.

Though language is the backbone of eLearning localization, it can’t suffice without other visual elements like graphic and user-interface design.

With that in mind, it’s crucial to plan and budget for everything upfront.

4.    Work with a team that understands your target audience

If possible, work with the natives who are familiar with the niceties of the target group. That way, you are more likely to create a relevant course than when working with non-natives.

elearning localization

How eLearning Localization Boosts the Mind & Quality of Learning

In linguistics, it is believed that a person’s language significantly influences their cognitive abilities. That is to say, language matters in the educational development of a person.

Research by World Bank Group shows children who take classes in their first language for the first eight years develop essential abilities in all other languages.

The scholars further found that these students do well in other areas of education. Thus, it’s okay to mention that training children in their local dialect can improve their mental abilities significantly.

It’s important to note that there are crucial cultural concepts and philosophical doctrines instructable only through local dialect. Hence, educating young learners in their local dialect helps them assimilate thoughts and processes from their cultural generations.

The Pros of eLearning Localization

Using local dialects in courses ensures quality education across age groups. These attributes are the core basis for societal expertise in literal and critical thinking. When we use regional dialects in education, it becomes easier for trainees to memorize what they learn.

There is a natural connection between your first language and your immediate surroundings during the early stages of growth. That’s why, in most countries, organizations and institutions are doing their best to develop their internet channels in local dialects. After all, over 50 percent of all Google searches are in dialects other than English.

Customizing your classes to reach many people in their respective local languages can offer numerous benefits to society, including:

1.    A smooth eLearning and testing experience

Localization is not just about language. It prioritizes how one relates with the platform visually and its general functionality.

eLearning localization ensures smooth online learning and assessment processes. Its goal is to provide ease of use across all aspects.

Thus, a localized course uses suitable graphics, images, videos, audio, etc., to pass the message home. In addition, the text content is to be written in jargon that locals understand.

2.    Boosts Literacy levels in Smaller Towns

Many people will enroll in online courses once they realize it’s possible to access the content in their local dialect.

This enrolment will stir local towns to experience growth as organizations invest in small institutions facilitating online education.

3.    Creates Job Opportunities

Localizing learning also offers everyone without a livelihood a better chance to prepare for one through online courses.

Learners who once suffered poor performance due to language barriers have a chance to redeem themselves in online careers offered in their local dialects.

Moreover, local scholars and trainees might find training sessions easier when conducted through local languages.

4.    Fosters Growth & Development across all Aspects of Life

A society grows immensely when its people have access to knowledge and information.

Conducting online tests via local dialects means libraries and books too will be accessed in regional languages.

In the coming years, people will be able to obtain troves of data in their preferred dialects.

5.    Unlimited Opportunities to the People in Local Areas

Most of the far-flung areas of the world are uninformed due to a lack of internet connection. On the whole, there’s limited access to information and knowledge.

Building localized online courses can offer multiple benefits to local students than those who use international languages.

The ability to take a course in a local dialect presents one with many untapped opportunities.

6.    Localizing Assessments

A course isn’t complete without an exam.

eLearning Localization is known to simplify the online assessment process as it tests candidates in the dialects they understand best.

7.    Eliminates Cases of Language Barrier in Education

We all have unique abilities and differences. To some people, learning a second or third language is demanding and strenuous.

Such people stand to enjoy equal learning and training opportunities if the training and assessment happen in their local languages.

8.    It gives global access to education

Accessing online classes in regional dialects diversifies the scope of education across many marginalized societies.

Most people find it interesting to access education in their language. Online content in local dialects will motivate more people, young and old, to access online courses and complete all assessments.

Summing it up

The primary goal of building online courses in local dialects is to make education accessible to all.

In the spirit of accessibility, we also focus on the visual elements of these platforms to offer a complete experience.

Before embarking on eLearning localization, spend time learning more about your target. This step is crucial in gathering the little details that make your course stand out from others.

Are you ready to get started with eLearning localization?

Submit your project details now and hire an eLearning creator from Bunny Studios.