NAVIGATING E-LEARNING LOCALIZATION
A practical guide for translators, instructional designers and e-learning specialists
Who is involved in the process? Key roles and stakeholders chapter
NAVIGATING E-LEARNING
LOCALIZATION
A practical guide for translators, instructional designers and e-learning specialists
Preparing e-learning materials for a global audience. Internationalization, neutralization, translation and localization
Who’s involved in the process? Key roles and stakeholders
Step 0. Internationalization. Laying the foundation for effective e-learning localization
Localization workflow
Step 1. Finalizing the source version
Step 2. Extracting content for translation
Step 3. Translation
Step 4. Reengineering
Quality assurance: Ensuring the accuracy of localization
Common challenges and possible solutions in e-learning localization
Streamlining e-learning localization with AI: Innovative tools for smarter, faster, and more cost-effective multilingual content
02. WHO IS INVOLVED:
OVERVIEW OF KEY ROLES AND STAKEHOLDERS
IN THE E-LEARNING LOCALIZATION PROCESS
E-learning specialistse-learning developers, e-learning project managers
E-learning specialists are responsible for managing the entire process and dealing with the technical aspects of localization, ensuring that the translated content and multimedia elements are seamlessly integrated into the e-learning platform. Make sure that the person in this role has an excellent overview of each stage, who is involved and what is needed to complete the localization project successfully. They handle tasks such as:
• Managing the project and coordinating multiple actors: Planning each phase, assigning tasks, tracking progress and sharing updates.
• Managing LMS integration: Ensuring that all localized content, including multimedia, functions correctly in the learning management system (LMS) or other e-learning platforms.
• Localizing multimedia: Adapting multimedia elements (e.g., videos, audio, interactive activities) for the localized version.
• Testing and quality assurance: Conducting thorough testing to ensure that the localized versions of the course work properly across devices, platforms, and languages.
Instructional designers
Instructional designers focus on creating content that can be easily adapted for localization. Their primary role is to ensure that the learning objectives, instructional flow, and content structure are adaptable across languages and cultures. To do this, instructional designers must:
• Collaborate with e-learning developers: Work closely with e-learning developers to ensure that the course is designed in a way that facilitates localization from a technical standpoint, i.e. meets the internationalization criteria, such as ensuring text can be expanded without affecting layout, meets accessibility standards, etc.
• Ensure content adaptability: Instructional designers ensure that the course’s learning objectives and content structure remain intact and effective, regardless of language or cultural adaptation.
Hire professional translators
Translators
Translators are responsible for adapting the content linguistically and culturally, ensuring that the meaning and tone of the course are preserved across different languages. Although they do not typically handle the technical aspects of localization, they play an essential role in:
• Ensuring linguistic accuracy and cultural relevance: Translators focus on maintaining the course’s meaning, tone, and intent while adjusting cultural references and examples to resonate with the local audience.
• Using CAT tools and translation memory: Translators work with Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) tools, which help them manage translations efficiently, reducing time and costs, and ensuring consistency. By creating a translation memory, they can ensure that terminology is used consistently throughout the project and that future updates are handled smoothly.
During my career I have been confronted more than once with a lack of awareness regarding professional translation work and how important it is to hire qualified translators. If you hire instructional designers, graphic designers, e-learning developers, and project managers who are qualified and professional, why wouldn’t you hire professional translators to do this job? Keep in mind that translation is a profession. It is not just a task that a colleague with a bilingual background or that an intern with a good proficiency of the language can do. Never underestimate the damages caused by a bad translation or a bad use of a language.
Hire translators who translate only into their dominant language
Why? Only a dominant speaker can extensively and completely understand the complexity of the language she/he is translating into. Bear in mind that translators are experts not only in their dominant languages but also in their dominant culture. One of the unique skills of any good translator is their amazing and extensive general cultural knowledge. Therefore they can be – to some extent – very good consultants on cultural issues. Do not hesitate to ask them for advice on any relevant matters for the success of your e-learning localization.
Hard truths from my localization projects
Case study: When DIY falls short. The risks of skipping professional translators
• About the project
One of my projects involved localizing e-learning modules into French. These modules, developed with Articulate Rise, required translation using CAT tools to ensure proper reimporting and seamless integration into the platform.
• The challenge
Despite providing clear instructions, I discovered that the translated files couldn’t be reimported into Articulate Rise. Eventually, I uncovered the problem: the assigned translator had manually translated the files instead of using CAT tools. Even worse, this “translator” was actually a team member—a native speaker of the target language but not a professional translator—tasked with the job by the project manager. They lacked the technical expertise and familiarity with translation memory, which caused significant delays and added costs.
• The solution
I addressed the issue directly with the project manager, emphasizing the critical importance of hiring qualified, professional translators who understand the technical workflows of e-learning localization. Unfortunately, the root cause of this problem was that no budget had been allocated for professional translation. The project manager had assumed this task could be handled internally, which led to the setbacks. Thankfully, the situation was resolved, but it was an expensive and time-consuming lesson.
• What I learnt This experience reinforced a few key points for me:
• Hiring qualified translators: Professional translators bring much more than language skills; they have the technical expertise and tools required to ensure a smooth localization process.
• Stakeholder awareness: It’s essential to communicate clearly with project managers and other stakeholders about the technical requirements for localization upfront.
• Setting standards: Now, whenever I work with a translator for the first time, I schedule a meeting to walk them through the process, clarify expectations, and summarize everything in writing. It’s a step that saves time and prevents
E-learning localization stakeholders. The big family
Compared to a traditional translation project, e-learning localization stakeholders are numerous and can vary greatly depending on the type of e-learning project, number of languages, nature of the topic, etc. Here you have some of the most frequent:
• Learners
They are the ultimate users of the course. Understanding their linguistic, cultural, and technical needs is crucial for ensuring the content is relatable, accessible, and effective. Localization must consider their learning environment, technology access, and cultural context to ensure engagement and learning success.
• Subject matter experts (SMEs)
SMEs provide the core content and expertise. Their input ensures that the learning material is accurate and contextually relevant. In localization, their collaboration helps maintain the integrity of the content across languages and cultural contexts, preventing critical knowledge loss or misinterpretation during translation..
• Trainers (based on the delivery modality when tutor-led or synchronous)
Trainers facilitate the learning process, especially in tutor-led or synchronous sessions. Considering their role is important because localized content may require adjustments in instructional delivery style, materials, and interaction methods to ensure trainers can effectively support learners in their region.
• LMS manager / IT team
The LMS Manager and IT team ensure the technical aspects of the e-learning platform function smoothly. Their involvement is critical for addressing issues related to the integration of localized content, platform compatibility with different languages (e.g., RTL languages), and ensuring seamless navigation for learners across regions.
• Sponsors / donors
Sponsors and donors fund the project, and their priorities often influence localization decisions. It’s essential to align with their expectations, ensuring that the project goals, timelines, and localized versions meet their vision of reach and impact, especially if they require specific regions or languages to be prioritized.
• Regional officers/ country offices
These stakeholders offer on-the-ground insights into local conditions and are often key in validating the localized content’s appropriateness for the target region. Their feedback ensures that the material is culturally suitable, relevant, and aligned with local regulations, which is vital for the project’s success in specific regions.
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Step 0. Internationalization. Laying the foundation for effective e-learning localization
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