Education & E-Learning Translation

Education translation is not simply about converting words between languages — it's about preserving learning outcomes. Educational content is carefully designed to build knowledge progressively, with examples, assessments, and explanations calibrated for specific learning objectives. Effective translation must maintain this pedagogical structure whilst adapting content for learners in different cultural and educational contexts.

The challenge extends beyond terminology to encompass cultural relevance. Case studies, examples, and scenarios that resonate with UK learners may fall flat or create confusion for international audiences. A business course using British retail examples needs adaptation for German or Chinese markets. A history module designed for GCSE students requires different contextualisation for equivalent qualifications abroad.

Our education translators include former teachers, educational content developers, and subject-matter experts who understand how people learn. They recognise that a poorly translated quiz question doesn't just test language comprehension — it undermines the entire assessment. They know that localising an e-learning module means more than translating narration scripts; it means ensuring the complete learning experience works for the target audience.

The UK has a diverse education sector with translation needs spanning primary schools serving multilingual communities, universities attracting international students, corporate training providers expanding globally, and ed-tech companies building products for worldwide markets.

Key education translation requirements in the UK include:

• Universities and higher education — International student recruitment requires translated prospectuses, course information, and application materials. Overseas campuses and TNE (transnational education) partnerships need translated curricula, assessments, and administrative documentation
• Schools and local authorities — Parent communications, safeguarding information, and school policies need translation into community languages. SEN (Special Educational Needs) documentation and EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plans) require sensitive, accurate translation
• Corporate training — Multinational companies need training materials translated for global workforces. Compliance training, onboarding programmes, and professional development content must be culturally adapted as well as linguistically accurate
• Ed-tech and e-learning — Digital learning platforms expanding internationally need UI translation, course content localisation, and culturally adapted learning experiences. SCORM compliance and LMS integration add technical requirements

E-learning translation involves technical considerations beyond traditional document translation. Interactive courses built in authoring tools like Articulate Storyline, Rise 360, or Adobe Captivate contain complex combinations of text, audio, video, and interactive elements that must all work together in the translated version.

Our e-learning localisation process addresses:

• Authoring tool expertise — We work directly with Articulate, Captivate, and Lectora project files, extracting translatable content whilst preserving triggers, variables, and interactive functionality. This avoids the costly rebuild that results from translating exported text alone
• SCORM compliance — Translated courses must maintain SCORM compliance for proper LMS integration. We verify that completion tracking, bookmarking, and assessment scoring work correctly in translated versions
• Text expansion planning — German text typically expands 30% compared to English; Arabic and Chinese may contract. We work with instructional designers to ensure translated content fits UI elements without breaking layouts or navigation
• Audio and video synchronisation — Narrated courses require voice-over recording in target languages. We coordinate script translation, voice talent selection, and audio timing to match on-screen animations and slide durations
• Assessment validity — Quiz questions and assessments must test the same competencies after translation. We ensure answer options remain equivalent in difficulty and that scenario-based questions make cultural sense