4 Tips for Translating and Publishing e-Learning Courses

At the 2013 Lectora® User Conference, attendees learned how to use Lectora e-Learning software to make their e-Learning courses global-friendly from David Smith, President at LinguaLinx. In his presentation, “Now You’re Speaking my Language—Translating and Publishing Lectora Courses,” Smith explained that providing learners with an e-Learning course in their native language allows you to win their trust, their business and promotion of your organization.Here are four helpful tips from Smith’s presentation for writing e-Learning content that will be translated:

1. Design your web pages to allow for translations—Avoid constrictive framed or boxed text, and be aware that cultural icons differ across borders.

1. Anticipate language expansion—Many languages require more space than English, so allow extra space in menus, buttons and link regions to avoid awkward abbreviations, which impact readability.
2. Use consistent terminology—Avoid making new technical terms, and create a translation glossary to assist your translator. Avoid abbreviations and acronyms, which can cause confusion.
3. Write clearly and concisely—Be concise, but don’t leave out necessary words. Text without articles, prepositions or relative pronouns creates extra work for translators. Remember that English may be the second or third language for the translator.

Translations should read as if they were originally written in the target language. Use these tips to make your e-Learning course global-friendly because the number of translated online courses keeps growing!For more e-Learning tips and knowledge from the 2013 Lectora User Conference, subscribe to the Lectora e-Learning Blog or visit Lectora University.