Any organization would agree that training a global workforce is a difficult chore. Training managers are involved in giving out online instructor-led training programs to the workforce in diverse geographical locations.
In such scenarios investing in e-learning course translations by translation companies in South Africa is a good decision. However, there are mistakes that are often made in e-learning translations and which can be easily avoided.
Here are some tips to avoid mistakes in e-learning translations.
Planning Ahead and Designing Courses with Translation in Mind
This is perhaps the easiest way to minimize errors in e-learning translations: to have a comprehensive source text.
No matter how capable the translation companies in South Africa are, if the original version of the text/course is not clear, the translated version will reflect the shortcomings.
It is better to design an e-learning course with translation in mind from the beginning so that one does not have to work on the minor details which can affect the translation process, such as:
- Terms: the original text should have specific terms so that the translators can translate the right message in the new versions of the e-learning courses.
- Short sentences: these make the text smoother, clearer, and easier to follow and translate.
- Type of Content: translating audio and video content is more time taking and costly than plain text. For video and audio translations, professional voice-overs are needed by translation services in Pretoria.
- Embedded content: it is better to avoid these since all embedded content and graphics will have to be changed in translation.
- Colors: Different cultures have different perceptions of colors depending on their cultural backgrounds.
- Space: some languages demand more words than others to express or explain the same concept so one has to make sure that there is enough room for expanded text in the e-learning course.
Localizing a course for diverse audiences and cultures can have more appeal and effectiveness. It also allows for better communication and understanding.
Keeping Minimum Cultural References
E-Learning translations are meant for international audiences and therefore the use of a neutral voice and tone in the text is imperative. “Universal” examples are easier to illustrate concepts and are recommended by translation services in Pretoria.
Very creative content can be a bit difficult to translate since the exact meaning or connotation may not be copied into other languages. Therefore, keeping cultural references to a minimum in the original text can lead to more effective translations.
Building Glossaries of Terms
Glossaries of terms give essential clues and insights into an industry’s jargon to translators. With Translation memory, a glossary of terms increases the efficiency of the translations and minimizes errors.
When translators have a doubt about a specific term, they can refer to the glossary of terms to understand the context. It also reduces their research time and increases the accuracy of the translation.
Cutting Costs in the Right Places
When translating e-learning courses, one may want to try machine translation to cut costs. That may be a bad idea even if the software is new, accurate, works fast, and can cost very low. However, machines can never replace human translations.
The translated text will be likely to lack quality, making the e-learning translation hard to understand. One will eventually realize that the course will have to be translated all over again – after wasting significant time and resources.
It is important to avoid cutting costs in the wrong places.
Giving Access to Source Materials
The highest quality translations require context as well as background information. Share the source materials and all the other essential data with the translation services in Johannesburg to give translators the text they need for localization and translation.
Translation companies with access to source materials will work a lot faster and more efficiently while maintaining the original formats and layouts. Setting clear goals, and objectives and sharing data about the target audience will give translators the necessary insight for high-quality translation.
Testing e-learning Courses to Identify Mistakes
Before sending out the e-learning translations, it may be a very good idea to test them in small groups first.
This way one can identify translation errors that may negatively affect learning. Regardless of the mother tongue, the audience must have an excellent user experience with a smooth platform. Anything less than that will not be effective for learning.
Selecting an Experienced Translation Company
The best way to minimize all errors in e-learning translations is perhaps to partner with an experienced translation company. Nothing can replace a company that provides reliable translation services in South Africa and their experience in the same industry.
Choosing a team of localization experts who have already worked on e-learning translations is a good idea since they will understand your requirements better and will not fall short of your expectations
High-quality e-learning translations can help reduce the gaps, provide learning, and will affect the overall productivity of any organization. Therefore, closely following these steps will ensure that errors are reduced in e-Learning translations.