You don’t need a study to know that learning comprehension increases greatly when you can learn in your native language. A lot of time, planning and effort is put into creating great content and its presentation. However, for many learners who may understand some English but do not speak or understand it like a native, a lot can be lost in translation. Storyline’s built in functionality can easily output your content for your professional translator in a way that preserves the formatting and makes it easy to build the course in the target language you have chosen.

Translating Your Content

To be clear, Storyline does not translate your content. You still need to work with a professional translator who understands the subject matter and has experience in translating Storyline courses. Where Storyline does help immensely is with its export for translation feature.

With just a couple of clicks, you can create for your translator a usable file that is compatible with most translation memory tools. The multi-column format preserves all the important formatting from the Storyline course. Bold text, text with different colors and font sizes, links, etc. are all kept in the exported file and all the translator has to do is translate the content like they would any other file.

Once the translation is complete, you or your developer simply imports the translated file back into your Storyline (.story) file and, voilà, your translated Storyline file is now ready for further processing!

After the translated text has been imported, you will need to make sure the text fits and displays well in the resulting translated .story file. Often text expands when it is translated into other languages (for example, when translating from English into Spanish, you typically end up with 15-20% more text than in your original), so care must be taken to make sure the course layout is adjusted to compensate.

Translating Your Audio Files

If your Storyline course has an audio component, the script will also need to be recorded in the target language, and the new audio files will need to be imported. Here, too, adjustments will need to be made so that the foreign language audio files are in synch with the on screen text and elements of the course.

Once all translated text and audio are added and adjusted, a final quality check by a native speaker of the target language can catch anything that may need to be tweaked prior to publishing the new course. A professional language service provider with experience in translating e-learning courses can be an invaluable asset and save you a lot of time and money in the process.

The post Translating Articulate Storyline Courses appeared first on SpokenHere Language Services.

If you have a sizable population of learners whose native language is something other than English, you may be doing them a disservice by not providing translated versions.

Presenting valuable training or educational information to learners in their native language is a fantastic way to improve the experience and the outcomes. With a little forethought and planning, your translated content can be just as effective as it is in the original language.

1) Determine Your Target Audience’s Requirements

Knowing you need to translate your learning content into Spanish is easy…but what kind of Spanish? Are your Spanish-speaking learners from Mexico or Spain? There’s a difference. What grade reading level should your content be translated to? Are you translating your content into a RTL (right-to-left) language, such as Arabic or Hebrew? Also, think about any cultural differences that you may need to consider.

Will the images you used in your English course work or be appropriate for the new target audience? What about the voice for any audio portions? Would a male voice or female one be better suited in your translated version? A professional language service provider (LSP), experienced in e-learning localization, can help you get a great finished product.

2) Look Beyond Just Content

Naturally, what you put in your e-learning course is critical, but when it comes to translation, how you build it can be just as important. Here are some tips to consider on the front end that will make the translation process easier and less costly:

• Keeping text out of images will mean you can avoid the extra expense of having to redo your images in your translated languages
• Making sure your content is UTF-8 encoded will allow foreign characters to be displayed properly
• Realizing that the amount of text can expand for many translated languages will mean you can allow more space in your design (ex. 15-20% for Spanish)
• If you can avoid embedded videos, you will not need to add complex audio or subtitle synchronizations to your project

3) Consider Content Changes for Your Localized Versions

It’s one thing to translate your content from one language to another, but even if the translation is grammatically correct and understood by the target audience, it still may not be effective because the content does not fit your new learners’ experience.

Consider this example: you have a course on fire extinguisher safety that was written for a U.S. audience per OSHA guidelines. The course details all the different fire extinguisher types/colors and what they mean. You then have your LSP translate the course into German. The result is a great translation that every German can understand…with one problem. By law, every fire extinguisher in Germany must be red. So, while the content is translating accurately into German, it is not translated effectively because Germans do not have any yellow or silver fire extinguishers. A great LSP will have the knowledge and expertise to understand these needs beforehand.

4) Provide Your Translation Partner with Style and Pronunciation Guides

You know your business and content better than anyone else. Selecting an experienced and quality language service provider can go a long way in getting your learning content translated easily and effectively. But no matter how good your LSP may be, there will still always be information that you will need to give them to keep the workflow streamlined.

There may be industry or even company-specific terms that should be used. How will acronyms be treated? Should they be left in English or translated? Will units of measure need to be converted to metric? Then there is the audio component. Do you want a male or female voice talent? How should they read the content? Is it better to have a more corporate read or a more personal, casual style?

5) Have a Clear Review Process and Use It!

Localizing e-learning content is truly a team effort. While your language service provider partner is an expert in translation and e-learning programming, you are ultimately the one who needs to be happy with the end product. Designate a review team in advance that is a native speaker of the language you are translating into.

Make sure there is a clear process for documenting any edits and that a clear timeline for doing so is understood by all. Review any translated audio scripts before the voiceovers are recorded. That step alone can save costly and time-consuming re-records.

In the end, having an experienced LSP partner team with your SMEs and programming experts will ensure that your translated e-learning courses will be effective and understood.

The post 5 Key Considerations for Effective Elearning Localization appeared first on SpokenHere Language Services.

When it comes to translating e-learning courses, this challenge is elevated to another level. Not only do e-learning translations require skilled translators, but the nature of online courses often makes additional challenges like voiceovers or reformatting necessary. That’s why, at SpokenHere, we have taken the time to develop a thorough five-step system for translating e-learning courses. Keep reading to learn more about these steps and how they contribute to our uniquely exceptional translations.

Step 1: File Preparation

We never enter into a project without first organizing the material and developing a plan. This ensures that no important text or audio documents will get “lost in the shuffle” during the translation process. For an online course to retain its integrity after translation, all parts need to be properly formatted and finished. This crucial step organizes our raw materials to produce a more efficient, accurate, and high-quality translation.

Step 2: Translation

Next, we get to the heart of the matter: translation. Utilizing native speakers and trained professionals, our text translations perfectly capture the essence of the original text. When translating a course, it is important to keep the language as close as possible to the original text to ensure that the information is still factually correct and easily understandable after translation. Not only does our vocabulary have to be spot-on, but also our grammar and syntax.

Step 3: Voiceover

Many e-learning courses make use of videos, podcasts, or other audio supplements. In our process, we also take the time to thoroughly translate these materials and create an audio voiceover for each segment. The voiceover process involves first creating a transcript of the original text, then translating it into the target language. Finally, a native speaker voice professional will create a quality recording of the text using our advanced recording equipment. While the translation is crucial, the quality of this equipment is equally as important.

Step 4: Engineering

A large part of online translation has to do with the visual element, and this is no less true for e-learning courses. Online content is created to fit certain screen widths, orientations, and heading sizes, which means that translations must fit the original spaces provided by the client. One of the most common tasks in the Engineering phase is reorienting courses to work with a language written right to left, such as Hebrew or Arabic.

Step 5: Quality Check

Finally, we make sure that the content is understandable for the target audience–native speakers. All of our e-learning translations are reviewed by native speakers who understand the nuances of the language and are able to judge if we have accurately captured the meaning, tone, and style of the text. If any of these areas fall short of the reviewer’s expectations, it is our responsibility to make any necessary changes to the content before sending it to the client. Quality reviews also include analysis of the aesthetics of the web page when translated into another language, making sure that the course is still visually appealing and intuitive.

All five of these steps are crucial for high quality translations of e-learning courses, which is why we put in the extra work to perform all of them at the top level. At its core, online translation is a balancing act of preserving the original tone and style of the text while also fitting the culture of the target language and keeping the page physically appealing. With these five steps, any translator can excel at both.

The post The Five Steps of High Quality E-Learning Translation appeared first on SpokenHere Language Services.

1. Idioms and Sayings

Every language has their own idioms and sayings that don’t have direct translations. Frankly, these can be very confusing to those who aren’t native speakers (or at least fluent). These sayings and idioms often relate directly back to the culture (such as: “don’t look a gift horse in the mouth”), so cultural context is essential for them to carry any meaning. Researching sayings and idioms, or leaving them out entirely, is essential to successful localization.

2. Humor in eLearning

Humor is universal—but what different cultures find humorous varies greatly. When you’re translating eCourses, be aware of any jokes or humorous examples you’re using in the content. What people from one culture might find funny, others might see as confusing or downright offensive. Doing your research will help you to use humor tastefully in your eLearning courses.

3. Culturally Offensive or Confusing Images

Images are an important component of eLearning courses. Photos and graphics break up the monotony of text, and help students learn the material more efficiently. However, it’s important to think about the implications of the graphics you use when you’re translating the material. Gestures, symbols, and scenarios in images might seem useful or funny to you, but think about whether they could be confusing or controversial in other cultures. For example, in the Middle East, the thumbs up sign is very offensive. Even colors carry cultural significance, and may influence perceptions more than you would ever think!

4. Culturally-Rooted Scenarios

When you use a scenario to make a point in an eLearning course, it helps bring context to the concept, and can help students make sense of the material. Examples can be key, depending on the type of course. However, scenarios and examples are all rooted in culture, and you may need to rethink them when focusing on localization.

Stay Neutral, or Customize Each Course

If you’re limited on the funds you have available for eLearning localization, it makes sense to focus most of your budget on producing one course and several translations. In order for this to be successful, you might have to sacrifice some personality and cultural context to make it work. Stay neutral, and make sure the scenarios and examples you use are applicable to multiple cultures.

If you have a bit more room in the budget, consider additional localization by optimizing each version of the course for its target culture. This takes more research and resources, but it can make the course much more engaging and informative in the long run.

Save Time and Money with a Localization Partner

When the time comes to translate your eCourses, you don’t want to be scrambling to meet your deadline, or struggling to find the right translator. Get the ball rolling early, and start looking for a localization partner early—you’ll be able to get advice on creating your course and optimizing it for translation. A qualified localization partner can save you time and money while ensuring that the finished product is of the highest quality.

Wondering what it will take to get your eLearning course translated?

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The post 4 Reasons Cultural Research is Important in eLearning Localization appeared first on SpokenHere Language Services.

Do I Hire a Bilingual Speaker?

Perhaps you happen to know or work with someone who is bilingual and willing to translate for you at minimal to no cost. While it may be appealing to save some money by going this route, there is one very important factor to consider: fluency in a language is completely different than fluency in the language of a specialized industry. Essentially, your translator would need to be fluent in 4 different languages: English, the other language, your industry language in English, and your industry language in the other language. There are simply too many possibilities for error.

How About a Service Like Google Translate?

Google Translate works just fine when your translating needs are not necessarily in a professional arena. For example, if you are going on vacation to a foreign country or need to speak in a casual way with someone who doesn’t speak English, Google Translate can work OK. However, there is so much more to translating eLearning content than just converting the individual words from one language to another. If it is done the wrong way, sentences and phrases could come across as nonsensical or, even worse, offensive. It is a real possibility that you could lose clients and have to re-do everything from scratch.

Do I Invest in a Professional Language Company?

As touched upon, language translation is a complex business that, when done incorrectly, can cost you clients, time, and money. You could risk coming across as unprofessional or culturally insensitive, which is a reputation that is not at all easy to repair. Really, the only way to be completely confident in your eLearning content translation is by partnering with a translation company that has done it before and has done it well. In the long run, it is a decision that will likely save you money and help you avoid the many headaches that come with having inaccurately translated eLearning content.

The Answer is Clear.

In choosing an eLearning translation company, it is important to empower yourself by doing some research. Arm yourself with knowledge by asking around your industry network, reading lots of reviews, and interviewing potential vendors. A reputable translation company will carefully review your eLearning materials and take note of any industry-specific terms, acronyms, and other language nuances to ensure that your content is translated correctly the first time. While it can seem like a daunting process, choosing the right translation company is a vital first step in getting your eLearning materials translated precisely and accurately.

Download Free Translation Project Checklist

The post What is the Best Way to Translate eLearning Content? appeared first on SpokenHere Language Services.

Language access is more important than ever! Are your documents up to the task?

Technical document translation has never been more essential than it is today. These documents are typically information sensitive; words cannot get lost in translation without repercussions. In some instances, it could result in lost business or serious legal consequences. Have you evaluated how your message is being perceived? The United States is growing more linguistically diverse by the day, and there is a high demand for quality technical document translation.

Having an efficient system for translating documents puts your business in a prime position to grow into a global mindset–being able to identify and appreciate cultural differences. An article from Forbes identifies that building a global mindset is something that needs to be pursued; it is not inherent. This mindset can serve as an interface between multiple cultures. If you do not have accurate translated technical documents, your business, products, and/or services will be inaccessible to many. Here are some important questions to keep in mind when translating them.

How is the Document Written?

It can be very tempting to want to publish a document as soon as the last word is typed. However, reviewing a document for errors and inaccuracies is a good way of ensuring the correct message. In writing and translating technical documents, using short sentences that deliver the message effectively is a good strategy. Sentences with metaphors or regional references are often mistranslated or do not apply in other regions. When people read a document intended for their target language, they can easily be confused and discouraged by such errors. Taking the time to read over the text in partnership with a professional translator who is also an expert in localization can greatly impact the impression on the intended audience.

Technical document translation services with human translators are designed to catch the nuanced cultural gaps in communication that an automated service like Google Translate can simply not compete with. More on that below!

How are you translating your documents?

While there are many machine translation options available, most are not suitable for business needs, especially documents that contain industry-specific or technical terminology. Tools such as Google Translate and other similar programs will not fulfill your needs. These programs were developed to translate the most basic words and phrases, not the complexities behind more technical business or legal documents.

 What about hiring a bilingual employee to handle your technical document translation? Conducting translation services in house is a practice that is potentially costly. A common misconception with translation is that anyone that is bilingual can translate documents. This statement is false, especially when considering business documents. Translation is more than a simple exchange of words, and it requires a professional translator with specialized knowledge in both the subject matter and the target culture. It can be more expensive to fix a bungled in house translation than what a professional translating service would have cost from in the beginning.

 Another benefit to utilizing a professional translating service is that they will retain a Translation Memory (TM) database for you consisting of all of your translated documents separated by language. A TM database will help you maintain consistency throughout all of your future translated documents and communication.

Legal Document Translation and Risks

Employment/HR, is vulnerable if there are translation inaccuracies. Translation errors can lead to: 

• harmful misunderstandings
• lawsuits
• fines
• low employee retention

The need for legal document translation services is even higher for lawyers and law firms. When handling legally delicate matters like divorce, estate planning, or business contracts, a lawyer who is working with clients that have limited-English-proficiency (LEP) needs to ensure that all documents can be clearly understood. Don’t take risks by cutting corners! A badly translated legal document can haunt someone for years.

What are the Next Steps for Your Business?

Customers take notice of businesses that offer easily accessible and understandable resources. One small encounter can make or break a relationship. Businesses that are able to offer their information and resources in the potential customer’s preferred language are more likely to be used than other businesses that are not. Partnering with a professional translation service can help you provide seamless, accessible resources for your business so that you can focus your efforts on other important aspects such as customer satisfaction. This is one of the major benefits we pride ourselves on providing for our clients–a better, consistent relationship with the people they are trying to serve.

Does your business need the help of a professional translation service?

Do you have clients in need of accurate and timely documents in their native languages?

Contact us for a free consultation on how to get started. We can help you provide the expertly translated and localized resources that are essential to building relationships with all of your clients, in whatever their preferred language. We can also help you work towards achieving a global mindset that will set you apart from all your competitors in the market and show your clients how much you care about being accessible to them.

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The post The Process of Translating Technical Documents appeared first on SpokenHere Language Services.

1. Blocks of Text That Won’t Fit

It may be tempting to present your instructional materials in big blocks of text—after all, this is how most of us feel comfortable writing. There are a few reasons that you should avoid this:

• Large blocks of text may not fit in the translated version, since many languages have up to 30% more words than English.
• Blocks of text are more difficult to skim through and comprehend.
• Visually breaking up text makes concepts stand out more.

Solution:

Consider language expansion and comprehension as you write the course. Make use of space and don’t cram too much information into a paragraph. Use bullet points, bolding, and short sentences to convey the information.

By saving space, translated text will fit better. Your material will also be more concise and easy to use. A win-win!

If your English version is too long to translate within the space, don’t panic. Trim down nonessential information and you may be surprised at how much you can condense for the finished product!

2. Culturally Offensive Images

Images and videos aid visual learners in any e-learning course. When writing for multiple audiences, be sure to choose general and appropriate images that will not offend anyone.

The last thing you want to do is offend your international audience!

Solution:

Keep it neutral. Stick with basic images and include diversity when using images of people. Of course, be culturally considerate.

3. Idioms, Sayings, and Jargon

We speak in idioms and sayings all the time, often assuming that everyone else understands them.

It’s very easy to include idioms, sayings, and unexplained jargon in your eLearning course unintentionally. The problem is that many of these words and phrases do not have direct translations, making translation challenging for the user.

Solution:

Review the material as you write your course. Are there alternative words or phrases you can use? There’s always another way to get your point across; you don’t have to be dependent on idioms and slang!

4. Video and Audio Timing

The English language has fewer words per sentence than many languages. Translations can sometimes cause audio and video timing to be off sync. Subtitles can also correspond to the wrong frames or supplemental text. This can be very confusing and annoying for students using the course as well as impede their learning.

Solution:

Leave extra space and time in video and audio files when creating your courses. Consider the length of the translated course—it is better to leave more room than too little to allow for timing variations.

5. Incompatible Fonts

It may not seem important, but your choice of font could impact your translation project. Not all fonts have the equivalent accents for some languages. This can cause a problem in translation, particularly if you want the course to look the same across languages.

Solution:

Use a neutral font that is available in the languages that you need. A neutral font will make the course easier to read and use.

6. Multiple Mediums

When you’re incorporating audio, video, text, and interactive content, translation becomes extremely complex. You need something that will able to effectively and efficiently translate your message.

Solution:

Choose a turnkey solution, instead of hiring an independent translator. A language service will have the experience in e-learning translations to ensure that all mediums are consistent, high-quality, and completed on deadline.

Is your e-learning course ready for translation? Get a Quote.

The post 6 Potential Challenges of eLearning Translations and How to Avoid Them appeared first on SpokenHere Language Services.

E-learning courses are an important tool in training and can help employees learn in 40-60% less time than with traditional training methods. Translating them so that everyone has the same opportunity to learn helps improve training consistency and employee comprehension, but it’s also a big job. That’s why a turnkey solution is the best option for translating your e-learning courses.

Let’s face it, creating good e-learning courses can be challenging. You need the right content, focused on the right activities and a smart way to deliver it and measure the results. Doing it right requires detailed research, subject matter experts and an array of specialists to pull all of the content together into an effective learning program.

Translating and localizing your content for non-English speaking learners takes the challenge to a whole other level. Finding and managing a reliable group of translators, voiceover talents and others needed to create multilingual courses can be a headache, even for the most seasoned e-learning content creator.

But it need not be.

What is a Turnkey Translation Solution?

E-learning courses have a lot of moving parts. The process to translate that content is no different. Moreover, despite being familiar with the courses, it is often difficult and frustrating for the original creator to produce the multilingual versions because of the language barrier. Outsourcing none or only pieces of the project to an experience language service provider can easily add a lot more time and cost to a project.

Experienced Translators, Voiceover Talents and LMS Programmers

A good language service provider, or LSP, understands the complex process of e-learning translation and localization. There is much more to it simply translating the course content from one language to another. Translators do not work in the formats you need your e-learning courses in. The content must be prepared, then translated and proofed, then voiced, if there is an audio portion. Images with text must also be rendered in the target languages and finally all of the translated assets must be put back into your LMS or final platform. A good LSP can work in Articulate Storyline, Claro, Adobe Captivate and more.

Text Expansion and Audio Timing

Many languages use up to 30% more words than English. This text expansion, as it is called, can wreak havoc on a course originally designed in English. Your LSP can fix any space issues that come up during the process by adjusting text boxes and graphics to fit the translated language.

Another challenge is getting any audio to be timed properly with on screen elements. Once again, an LSP will have native speakers of the translated language who can make the necessary adjustments to ensure proper functionality. Imagine if you had to do this step with Chinese on screen text and audio files!

Save Time and Money

A turnkey solution from a quality LSP works because it brings together the right native speaking experts in translation, voiceover and engineering to get your courses ready for non-English speakers.

You’ll be able to focus your time on other projects, not on chasing down potential translators and managing the logistics of the project. A turnkey solution saves you time, money, and a whole lot of aspirin. Find the right turnkey solution, and watch your multilingual e-learning courses come to life!

Get a Free Consultation

The post Why a Turnkey Language Solution is Best Option for Translating E-Learning Courses appeared first on SpokenHere Language Services.

No matter what languages people speak, Everyone understands safety

Got chemicals? Then you know how important it is to have a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) available to all your employees. The catch? Not all of them will fully understand the information on the sheet, if it’s not available in their native language. That’s why translating your SDSs is so important for the safety of your non-English speaking employees. OSHA regulations state that “employers must ensure that SDSs are readily accessible to employees.” You could interpret that to mean they just have to be physically available…but it’s a risky move, for everyone’s safety. Here’s why translating your SDSs should be at the top of your priority list.

SDSs Contain Crucial Safety Information

Yes, many employees don’t take SDSs seriously, but they should—and so should you. SDSs contain crucial safety information, and following that information could save one of your employees from injury or even death. This is not something you want to mess around with. If you have employees who are non-native English speakers, they are at risk if they can’t fully understand this information. Make it accessible! Translating those sheets will ensure that everyone has the same safety information available at all times.

SDSs Are Full of Jargon

Okay, so we all know that SDSs aren’t the most interesting documents in the world. That’s okay! They don’t have to tell a story, they have to show your employees what the risks and protocols are for hazardous materials. Problem is, they’re often full of strange, industry-specific language and jargon that doesn’t make it into most English language courses. And why should they? It’s not jargon people use on an everyday basis. Translating your SDSs will make that jargon more accessible, and ensures that everyone will understand the information more easily.

Translating Your Safety Data Sheets Allows for Consistent Training

When it comes to hazardous materials, you’ll want to have everyone following the same protocols. How can your employees receive consistent training if their reference materials aren’t in their native language? Consistency is key for every employee’s safety, and it’s up to you to make sure that everyone on the floor receives the same information.

Translated Safety Data Sheets Reduce Risks on the Floor

You have to be able to trust your team, but you also have to enforce protocols when necessary to keep everyone safe. Using chemicals in the workplace is always risky, which is why you need to employ risk management to reduce the possibility of injury. Translating your SDSs is just another way you can manage risk and make your workplace a safer place for everyone on the floor. Employees who are unfamiliar with your SDS pose a risk not only to themselves, but to everyone around them.

Choosing a Translation Service

Translating an Safety Data Sheet is a little different from a run-of-the-mill translation, and you might find yourself stumped at the prospect of choosing a translation service to get the job done right and help to create a safe workplace. It’s best to choose an experienced company, which will have access to a large number of qualified translators. Translating an SDS requires unique knowledge of industry jargon, and it’s much easier to hire a service than to look for a freelance translator to complete the project for you.

Getting ready to translate your Safety Data Sheets (SDS)? Contact Us Today!

The post Safety Data Sheet (SDS) Translation: Why It’s Important for Safety appeared first on SpokenHere Language Services.