Multilingual e-learning: a handy tool for your company

You have probably heard by now that corporate MOOC’s (Massive Open Online Courses) and webinars can help you overcome many challenges in your business: you can present findings, launch products, demonstrate new tools, update stakeholders, fundraise and report results, announce organisational news, and train employees.

Explore the latest trends in corporate e-learning, and find out how it can benefit your company. For all this, and more, e-learning gives your company the technology and solutions to reach people in different locations and time zones…but why stop there? It can also help you cross linguistic barriers.

Multilingual communication is engagement

Having English as a main corporate language allows standardised communication within an organisation, but this is not always enough; for example, when a deeper understanding of complex information is required, or when information must be assimilated quickly. Challenges such as these require a multilingual approach. However, even as corporate MOOCs and webinars are becoming common tools in businesses, there is still resistance to using them. Why? There are many attitudes and misconceptions that play a part…

• Belief that the target audience speaks English well enough
• “Our corporate language is English (or other)”
• Assumption that a multilingual solution is not technologically possible
• Assumption that multilingual e-learning is expensive

These are some of the reasons why companies offer their corporate MOOCs and webinars in just one language; but the benefits of going multilingual are well-worth the effort of moving beyond your corporate comfort zone. Multilingual e-learning allows you to reach your stakeholders or employees in their own languages, communicate cultural and linguistic nuances, and thereby increase inclusion, participation, and – most importantly – engagement.

The bottom line for multilingual e-learning

Companies frequently make the mistake of believing that the English language alone is enough, but even in multilingual Europe consumers prefer information in their own language. According to the European Commission study “User Language Preferences Online”, internet users in the EU always visit websites in their own language, when given the option. 63% of respondents said that they miss out on interesting information online because it is not available in their own language.

This can be a nuisance when searching for information on the internet, but when it comes to issues like your employees’ comprehension of training, employee productivity and quality of work, or how well your clients understanding new products and services that you are offering them, the effects can be far more serious.

There are many potential losses to consider if you are offering your corporate MOOCs or webinars in just one language – and many returns on the investment of choosing multilingual format. According to the Common Sense Advisory report “Translation at Fortune 500 Companies”, companies that expand their language services are 1.5 times more likely to increase their total revenue. Companies that translate or interpret information in order to communicate with their stakeholders, partners, and employees are 2.7 times more likely to generate improved profits because of it.

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” Nelson Mandela

How CPSL can help

The days of gathering employees or other stakeholders together in a meeting room are long gone – as business becomes increasingly global in-person events are losing appeal and practicality. MOOCs and webinars are the way forward – but e-learning is still growing and changing. Offering multilingual e-learning modules will position your company at the forefront of innovation in communication and engagement. It will also increase your probability of attracting the best talent.

At CPSL, we partner with the most innovative technology software providers (Captivate, Articulate, etc.) to adapt our clients’ requirements and help them transform their content into multilingual training solutions for their employees. Whatever the format or purpose, we can help you translate and localise the voiceover and subtitles for your next e-learning programme: from online ethical code of conduct manuals and product training for your multicultural Sales team, to marketing and interactive team building game for employees. All these e-learning and training solutions will require multimedia elements in different languages, and we know how to deliver them to you. What are you waiting for?

Don’t miss out – contact us at CPSL to find out more!

Do you need to create an efficient, easy-to-use, audio-visual training programme from scratch? CPSL is partnering up with a renowned immersive and interactive technologies provider to offer comprehensive multilingual digital solutions. Contact us to explore the possibilities!

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