أبريل 17, 2020 |
Never before has e-learning been so popular as in the past month. The pandemic has forced education to change, highlighting the benefits of digital learning and how it can revamp existing educational processes. In this context, e-learning localization can bring providers and people willing to learn closer by breaking language barriers.
Many people in lockdown are taking advantage of their free time to improve their skills or even learn new ones. Even the UNESCO Institute has been encouraging established institutions to ensure online education for their students and other people willing to learn.
There’s no doubt; now is the time of e-learning, which also makes it the perfect time for companies in this niche to plan their international expansion.
Here are five reasons why you should invest in e-learning localization now.
Not only has the Coronavirus pandemic forced teachers to move online, but it has also given people more time to study new things. The limitations on mobility have forced many workers to remain indoors–an excellent opportunity to explore webinars and online courses they may not have had before.
Even if authorities are expected to relax the limitations on mobility, people will still be forced to spend most of their days away from crowded areas, so they’ll continue to have time for e-learning over the coming months.
Established online educational organizations such as Udacity or Coursera offer free training and certificate courses to help people in need. Many universities, colleges, and professional trainers have followed their examples, as it’s a cost-effective way of addressing their customers’ needs and promoting their services at the same time.
The demand for online classes has been growing. People worldwide are looking to upskill themselves to counter the possible economic and social effects of the pandemic. Even if you can’t launch your courses today, you still have time to get yourself ready in the next few weeks.
When your e-courses are available in English only, you can only reach people who are comfortable using this language. That takes multiple conversion and sales opportunities off the table.
On the other hand, if you translate and localize your e-courses, you can reach a significantly higher number of potential clients. When you deliver educational and technical content in languages that people use for learning, you’re more likely to capture attention and convince end-users to choose you over your competitors.
After all, e-learning is not different from other industries. People will almost always prefer products and services in their mother languages. That’s because, when you speak local languages, you provide people with clear information, and they feel secure about purchasing your product.
Moreover, in the e-learning niche, you should also consider the effort that the student is planning to put into following the classes. If the e-course is available in their mother language, potential students are less likely to get lost in unknown words and idioms, so they won’t have doubts about their abilities to finish the process.
When students learn in their second language, it can be a challenge that can slow them down significantly. That’s because people need confidence when learning. And this is something hard to achieve when they aren’t 100 percent convinced they understand what they’re being told.
Unfortunately, this situation occurs too often when students are compelled to learn in a language in which they haven’t reached proficiency.
E-learning localization makes it easier for learners to appreciate the value of the educational content in front of them. They understand better what they’re told and learn faster. It’s the result of eliminating language barriers and culturally inappropriate references that can distract end-users from learning.
In the end, they’re more likely to achieve their learning goals, such as pass exams or tests at the end of the online course or obtain a certification. End-users will be more satisfied with your product and may even recommend it to friends and colleagues.
E-learning localization adds value to your offer and shows that you care about your target audience, regardless of the languages they speak. Moreover, when you localize, you build the makings of a learning culture that encourages more people to improve and develop new skills.
An educational product that is accessible to more people will teach them the value of e-learning, besides the topic of the course itself. In time, it helps you to establish yourself as a global authority in this niche. People will trust you more and will come to you every time they need to learn new skills.
As mentioned before, the pandemic has created multiple opportunities for the e-learning industry overnight. It’s only normal that all players in this niche will go the extra mile to get more subscribers and show people what they can do.
Now is the perfect moment for building-long term relationships, with both companies that need to provide training and directly with individuals.
The downside? Your competitors are out there, too, ready to capture the attention of your target audience. If you thought that your public had high expectations before, wait and see how things have changed with the pandemic. Now, more than ever, people will be analyzing your offer and comparing it with what your competitors provide.
E-learning localization can help you to differentiate yourself from the competition through a complete product that addresses a broader audience in a customized way.
E-learning localization is vital for international expansion in this niche. This way, you can deliver high-quality educational content to a broad audience in multiple languages. You can improve user experience and encourage people to learn in a language that they’re used to.
In this process, working with professional linguists and localization experts is essential for the success of your online courses. Professional language service providers have the right skills to overcome all e-learning localization challenges. They can adapt your educational content to every local audience and ensure that all end-users receive the same high-quality product in all languages.