E-learning: things you need to bear in mind when you are picking your translation service provider
The e-learning business is a billion-dollar market. And digital knowledge transfer lends itself to internationalization like few other areas, provided the materials are translated perfectly. Seven criteria to look out for in your service provider.
E-learning is a bit like online meetings. Both have been around for a long time. Both also received a huge boost during the pandemic and have since become an integral part of everyday business and continued education programs.
You don’t have to love this form of knowledge transfer, but you can’t deny that it has enormous advantages. Online courses can be accessed via PC or from any location via tablet or laptop. Since they do not require physical attendance, new content can be added very quickly can be rolled out on an international level at the touch of a button. However, the international dissemination requires proper translation, which is a job for professionals. Luckily, ACT Translations has the right solution for you.
How do you find these professionals? The best way to decide is to go by these seven criteria:
1. Digital, interactive – and translated by native speakers
Digital learning (or blended learning) is not on the same level as translating world literature. Nonetheless, a successful translation must competently reflect the content and sound sophisticated to meet the quality standards of the lessons. And only native speakers can do that. Good translation companies work exclusively with native speakers. This is because many people overestimate their language skills, especially when it comes to translating into English, or they rely too much on machine translation. Usually, the recipients notice very quickly whether the e-learning content has actually been translated competently or not. Learning success and appreciation of online courses often depend on whether the written or spoken content sounds fluent and can be easily understood. Clumsy translations stand out.
2. Basic technical knowledge: the foundation of e-learning
E-learning documents contain a lot of knowledge and experience. These are the skills that the creators of the courses already possess. However, a vague translation of the relevant technical terms or fuzzy explanations of contexts make an impression of incompetence on the target audience. Good translation service providers like ACT employ specialists who have experience in a wide range of subjects. Regardless of whether the subject is technology or CSR, computer science or psychology, organization or language acquisition, translations can only be as good the people working on it. Therefore, for a successful translation, the translators must be familiar with the subject in question.
3. Localization: when online courses feel familiar
Familiarity is another aspect that impacts learning success. People have been shown to learn better in an environment that seems familiar and customary to them. If the learning modules are noticeably influenced by a different culture (i.e. they feel “foreign”), the target group questions the author’s credibility and perceived competence. This applies first and foremost to the language itself. Metaphors, humor, puns, and allusions can be easily misinterpreted in the target culture. Fortunately, professional service providers keep an eye on the big picture by scrutinizing: Does the online course contain icons or symbols that are unknown or misunderstood in the target country? Do embedded video sequences or images show people who align with the ethnic groups of the target country? Are names used that are common there? In other words, it’s all about localization. This means transferring the source material into a format that also achieves the desired effect in the target country.
4. Transcreation: e-learning with the right emotions
Transcreation goes one step further. In this scenario, the translation or image material is completely detached from the source. This way, the technical content is adapted to the respective culture, ideally while simultaneously attempting to trigger the same emotions and perception in the target group. In addition to excellent language skills, transcreation requires detailed knowledge of the respective target culture. It also addresses very fundamental differences between different cultures. Which manners are common and what is perceived as disrespectful? Is the work environment strictly hierarchical or do flat hierarchies prevail? What kind of humor is common? Or is it better to skip humor altogether? While transcreation helps avoid sensitive topics or inappropriate associations, it also opens up several new opportunities to evoke the desired emotions. The right language service provider can give you professional advice on which materials are suitable for transcreation.
5. Didactics: learning at your own pace
Transcreation also affects didactics. The way in which knowledge is imparted differs from culture to culture, which is why the learning material should always be checked accordingly. For example, in European cultures, learning is usually active and interactive, and students are encouraged to work as independently and creatively as possible. This can be the completely wrong approach in other parts of the world, where sustainable online learning is characterized by discipline and clear instructions. Of course, reworking digital learning content within the meaning of transcreation is not always appropriate. Whether the effort is worthwhile should be considered on a case-by-case basis. However, professional translators who are experienced transcreators can also help with this decision-making process.
6. Post-editing: effective thanks to a combined effort
Transcreation is reserved for e-learning courses whose scope and content justify it. At the other end of the scale are materials that are the ideal candidate for machine translation. Despite the amazing performance of the corresponding tools, it’s important to understand that machine-generated texts can still contain very undesirable errors, if they are not post-edited. Professional translation agencies therefore also offer different types of post-editing.
7. Good chemistry makes the right choice easier
Ultimately, it’s a question of chemistry: Especially with larger projects, you will spend a lot of time with your service provider, ideally even creating a long-term partnership. Besides the important factor of competence (and of course, lower costs), it will therefore be crucial that you feel comfortable with your service provider.
