How to Prepare Your E-Learning Content for Translation

Preparing an e-learning course for translation is more than checking grammar and sending the final file to a translator. Text, narration, quizzes, graphics, buttons, and course files all need careful preparation. A clean source course gives translators the right context and reduces changes later. It also helps translated content fit the design, work correctly, and provide learners with the same useful experience in every language.

1. Finalize the Source Course First

Do not begin translation while the original course is still being edited. If a writer changes a sentence after translation has started, that change may need to be translated again. The same problem can happen with quiz questions, audio scripts, captions, and slide instructions.

Before handing over the course, complete a final source review.

Check:

• Spelling and grammar
• Learning objectives
• Quiz questions and answers
• Feedback messages
• Slide titles
• Button labels
• Instructions
• Audio scripts
• Captions
• Links
• Downloadable materials

Adobe's current guidance for e-learning translation shows that course content and captions can be exported for translation and then imported back into the project. This makes it important to prepare the project before the export stage. Create a clear “translation-ready” version and do not continue making casual changes to that file.

2. Remove Writing That Is Difficult to Translate

Translators work better when the source content is clear. Avoid phrases that depend on English wordplay, slang, jokes, or cultural references. A phrase may sound natural to an English-speaking employee but have no useful equivalent in another language.

For example:

Weak:
“Think outside the box to keep the customer on board.”

This sentence contains two expressions that may create problems in another language.

Better:
“Use new ideas to solve the customer's problem and keep the customer satisfied.”

The second version gives the translator a clear meaning.

Before translation, look for:

• Idioms
• Slang
• Local expressions
• Unclear abbreviations
• Long sentences
• Double meanings
• Culture-specific jokes
• Informal references

Articulate's localization readiness checklist also recommends identifying idioms, slang, culture-specific references, and sensitive cultural content before localization.

3. Create a Translation File Package

Do not send only the published course. A translation team may need several source files to understand and process the project correctly.

Prepare a folder containing:

• Authoring-tool source file
• Text or translation export
• Audio scripts
• Video scripts
• Subtitle files
• Graphics
• Editable design files
• Glossary
• Style guide
• Reference materials
• Previous approved translations

Give each file a clear name.

For example:

Safety_Training_Master_EN_v03

is much easier to manage than:

Final_training_new_latest2

This becomes especially important when several languages are being produced at the same time.

Adobe recommends organized language-specific content structures for multilingual projects, while e-learning localization workflows may use formats such as XLIFF or DOCX for translation.

4. Separate Text From Images

Text placed directly inside an image can become a major translation problem. Imagine a training slide showing a machine with five labels. If the labels are part of the image, the translator cannot simply edit the slide text. The graphic may need to be redesigned for every language.

Whenever possible, keep text as editable text instead of placing it permanently inside graphics.

This includes:

• Diagram labels
• Chart headings
• Screenshot labels
• Infographic text
• Callouts
• Image captions
• Text inside buttons

Articulate's readiness guidance specifically recommends separating text from images wherever possible and avoiding embedded on-screen text that cannot be accessed through the translation workflow. If text must remain inside an image, provide the original editable design file and clearly mark which parts need translation.

5. Prepare Audio and Video Separately

Audio is often forgotten because it is not visible on the course screen.

A slide may contain:

On-screen text:
“Select the correct safety equipment.”

Narration:
“Before entering the work area, make sure you are wearing approved protective equipment.”

Both parts need to match after translation.

Prepare a separate audio script with:

• Slide number
• Speaker name
• Original narration
• Approximate audio length
• Pronunciation notes
• Product names
• Abbreviations
• Instructions for emphasis

For videos, also prepare subtitles or transcripts where available.

Keep the original audio and video files available. This makes it easier to create new language versions without rebuilding the entire media project. E-learning localization workflows commonly require separate preparation of video, audio, subtitles, and on-screen text.

6. Mark Content That Should Not Be Translated

Not every piece of text should be changed.

Some elements may need to stay exactly as they are, such as:

• Product names
• Brand names
• Model numbers
• Software commands
• File names
• URLs
• Programming code
• Variable names
• Product specifications
• Registered trademarks

If these items are not marked, a translator may not know that they are protected. Create a simple do-not-translate list and include it with the project files.

This is particularly useful for software training. A button might display a specific command that users must type exactly into a program. Translating that command could make the instruction unusable.

7. Build a Course Glossary Before Translation

A glossary helps everyone use the same language. Suppose an employee training course uses the term “incident report” 30 times. If translators use three different terms for it, learners may wonder whether the terms have different meanings.

Your glossary can contain:

English Term	Meaning	Approved Translation	Notes
Incident report	Record of a workplace incident	Approved term	Use consistently
Supervisor	Person responsible for the team	Approved term	Do not use informal alternatives
Safety inspection	Check for workplace hazards	Approved term	Keep wording consistent

Include product names, technical terms, abbreviations, and internal company language. Using e-learning  translation services becomes more effective when the translation team receives this information before work begins rather than having to guess the preferred terminology during translation.

8. Leave Space for Longer Translations

Translated text does not always take the same amount of space as English. Some languages may need more characters to express the same idea. Articulate notes that languages such as German, Finnish, and Portuguese can expand significantly compared with English. A button that fits perfectly in English could become too small after translation.

Before sending the course:

• Keep extra space around text.
• Avoid narrow text boxes.
• Keep buttons flexible.
• Do not place text too close to images.
• Test headings at larger lengths.
• Check quiz answer fields.

A useful approach is to test a few slides with longer sample translations before translating the entire course.

9. Check Fonts Before Translation

Your chosen font may support English but fail with another language. Some languages require special characters or writing systems that the original font cannot display correctly.

Check font support for every planned language before translation starts. This is especially important for languages using scripts that differ greatly from Latin alphabets. Adobe's current Captivate guidance recommends using fonts compatible with target languages and testing readability, including for right-to-left scripts.

If Arabic or Hebrew is part of the project, check right-to-left behaviour early. Menus, text alignment, navigation, and interactive elements may need changes.

10. Review Buttons, Variables, and Interactive Elements

Interactive content contains more text than many course developers realize.

A translation audit should include:

• Buttons
• Hover states
• Click states
• Pop-up messages
• Drag-and-drop instructions
• Hotspots
• Form fields
• Dropdown menus
• Quiz feedback
• Correct-answer messages
• Incorrect-answer messages
• Variables

A button may have several states, and each state can contain different text. These hidden strings can easily be missed during preparation. Also check variables that insert names, dates, scores, or other information into sentences. The grammar around a variable may need to change in another language.

11. Prepare Quizzes as Carefully as Lessons

A translated quiz must test the same knowledge as the original.

Review every:

• Question
• Answer option
• Correct answer
• Feedback message
• Hint
• Score message
• Pass/fail message

Avoid questions based only on English wordplay.

For example, if the correct answer depends on the difference between two English words, translating the question may accidentally make two answers appear correct. Where possible, design assessments around knowledge or actions rather than language tricks.

12. Check Dates, Numbers, and Examples

Your source course may contain information that is familiar in one country but unclear elsewhere.

Review:

• Dates
• Time formats
• Currency
• Measurements
• Phone formats
• Addresses
• Names
• Workplace examples
• Legal references

Do not automatically change every value. First identify whether it is a fixed business fact or an item that should be localized. For example, a product specification may remain fixed, while a training example showing a local price may need regional adaptation.

13. Give Translators Context, Not Just Text

A translator may receive the phrase:

“Run the test.”

But what does “run” mean here?

Does the learner:

• Start software?
• Operate a machine?
• Perform a laboratory test?
• Execute a command?

Add short notes where meaning is not obvious.Provide slide numbers, screenshots, speaker notes, or descriptions when needed. Context can prevent a correct-looking translation from carrying the wrong meaning.

14. Create a Pre-Translation Quality Check

Before sending the course to e-learning  translation services, complete one final checklist.

Source readiness checklist

• Course content is approved.
• Text has been proofread.
• Translation files are complete.
• Audio scripts are included.
• Videos and subtitles are identified.
• Text inside graphics is marked.
• Protected terms are listed.
• Glossary is approved.
• Fonts support target languages.
• Text boxes have enough space.
• Interactive elements have been checked.
• Quiz content is final.
• File names and versions are clear.
• Reference materials are included.

This short check can prevent many avoidable problems later.

Final Thoughts

Preparing e-learning content properly can make the translation process faster, cleaner, and easier to control. The goal is not simply to give translators a finished course. It is to give them a course that clearly shows what needs translation, what must remain unchanged, how each element should work, and where additional context is needed.

A well-prepared source file also makes future updates easier because the same structure, glossary, media files, and terminology can be reused. For multilingual training programs, experienced e-learning  translation services can then focus on producing accurate language rather than spending valuable time fixing avoidable source-file problems.

The best time to prepare an e-learning course for translation is before translation starts. A few careful checks at the source stage can prevent hours of editing, redesign, and rework after the translated course is returned.