eLearning translation FAQ

Is there an alternative way to copy/pasting translated content?

Copy/pasting should not be a consideration as it is extremely time consuming and there is too much human intervention involved which leaves room for error. Our translation tools allow us to eliminate copy/paste and perform the necessary steps for localization with minimal manual work.

What is localization Quality Assurance Testing and why is it necessary?

Localization quality assurance testing is the very last step in verifying that a localized product is linguistically correct, culturally appropriate, and ready for final release. Many people believe that translation and proofreading are sufficient in ensuring quality and while that may be true for plain text documents, working with translation in web applications or software requires a quality check by a native speaker of the targeted country. In addition to translation, there are many other things involved in localization making it vital that the compiled course be thoroughly checked and approved by an expert before it is released to end users.

What are the most common localization issues in eLearning courses?

1. Regional format – Many regions use different formatting for date, time, calendars, numbers, currency, and decimals. Make sure not to manually enforce formatting in your eLearning course
2. Text truncation – If your text boxes are static or you simply don’t have enough extra space on the user interface for expansion, you may encounter truncation issues after translation.
3. Incorrect fonts and font styles – Learn in advance the font and style requirements for specific regions and make sure to apply them to your translated courses. In other words, do not use Arial Unicode MS simply because it supports many languages.
4. Images with embedded text – Although it is possible to translate embedded text, it is costly and difficult to maintain. To achieve the same goal, you should use background images and display the text as a layer.

Audio and image synchronization – Text will either shrink or expand once translated. While the Chinese voice over for the same segment is 10 seconds, the German audio may take 20 seconds to complete. Test your courses by a native speaker before releasing.

• Foreign character display – Use proper encoding and supporting fonts to avoid character corruption. Fully test your training after translation to ensure that characters display properly. Only speakers of the target language can spot certain issues. For example, most corrupt Chinese characters still look like Chinese characters to non Chinese speakers.
• Cultural fit – There are many more assets in a digital course than just text. Make sure that you select colors carefully as a color considered ‘positive’ for a North American audience may not be ‘positive’ for an Asian audience. In addition, some images may not be appropriate for certain ethnic groups.

We don’t have the time or resources for localization. How can we move forward with it?

At Globalme, we provide turn-key localization services that require minimum involvement from your team.

Can you review our already localized courses to ensure quality?

Yes. Our localization testing team can develop a test plan and perform a third party review on your course. We will provide you with detailed defect reports on functional, stylistic, cultural, and linguistic issues. And, if necessary, we can perform testing on different browsers and operating systems.