eLearning Translation and Localization Services
For L&D, HR and compliance teams that need one course to work for learners in many countries.
We translate and localize your eLearning courses, record the voiceover and hand back a tested version for every language, so global teams get the same training at the same time.
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- Since 2010Delivering eLearning
- 500+Projects
- 40+Countries with clients
- 120+Specialists
eLearning translation services turn a finished course into working versions in other languages: on-screen text, quizzes, captions, narration, images and player buttons. IKHYA translates and localizes courses into 40+ languages, records human or AI voiceover, rebuilds each version in your authoring tool and tests it in your LMS before you launch.
Why L&D teams choose IKHYA for eLearning translation
Course developers, not only linguists
IKHYA builds custom eLearning, so we know where translated text breaks a course: layers, triggers, variables, quiz feedback and player labels. A translated course has to work, not just read well.
Your authoring tool, your source files
We work in Articulate Storyline 360, Articulate Rise 360, Adobe Captivate, Lectora, iSpring Suite, dominKnow ONE and Elucidat. You get an editable source file for each language, so later updates stay in your hands.
Human or AI voiceover
Choose native human voices where tone matters, or AI voiceover where speed and frequent updates matter. Many programs mix both across languages.
Tested in your LMS, language by language
Every language version is published as SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004, xAPI or HTML5 and tested in your LMS before launch, so completion, scoring and bookmarking work in every version.
Not sure which option is right for you?
Send us one module and your language list, and we will recommend a route.
Human or AI voiceover for eLearning?
Choose human voiceover when the narration carries emotion, persuasion or a story. Choose AI voiceover when content changes often, the tone is neutral and speed matters. Both need the script translated and approved first.
| Aspect | Human voiceover | AI voiceover |
|---|---|---|
| Sounds like | A native speaker with natural emphasis and emotion | A clear, consistent synthetic voice |
| Best for | Scenarios, leadership messages, customer-facing and safety stories | Software training, policy updates, courses that change every quarter |
| Updates later | A new recording session for changed lines | Regenerate changed lines from the edited script |
| Watch out for | Booking voice talent in each language adds time | Product names, acronyms and local place names need pronunciation checks |
| Mixed programs | Common: human voice for the main languages, AI voice for the rest | |
On one multilingual safety program we recorded human voiceover in 6 languages and AI voiceover in 3, all from one Storyline master file.
What we translate in an eLearning course
A course holds far more text than the slides show. Much of it sits in places a simple text export misses.
Text and interactions
- On-screen text, headings and button labels
- Quiz questions, answer options and feedback
- Branching scenario dialogue and results screens
- Player labels and navigation (Next, Submit, Menu)
- Alt text for images, so screen readers speak the right language
- Downloadable job aids, PDFs and handouts
Media and visuals
- Narration and voiceover scripts
- Closed captions and subtitles for video
- Text inside images, diagrams and screenshots
- Animated text in videos and motion graphics
- Software screenshots in the learner's language, where the software allows it
- Names, currencies, units and dates in examples
| You receive | Details |
|---|---|
| Published course per language | SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004, xAPI or HTML5, matching what your LMS needs |
| Editable source file per language | In the same authoring tool as your original course |
| Media files | Translated scripts, audio and caption files for your records |
eLearning translation in your authoring tool
Most authoring tools export course text as XLIFF, the OASIS standard file format that carries translatable text between tools. The export is never the whole course. This table shows what the tool makers' own documentation says needs separate handling.
| Authoring tool | How text comes out | Needs separate handling |
|---|---|---|
| Articulate Storyline 360 | XLIFF 1.2 or 2.0, or a Word file | Closed captions, trigger conditions and player text labels; variable names cannot be translated |
| Articulate Rise 360 (manual method) | XLIFF 1.2, one duplicate course per language | Labels (separate tab), code blocks, survey blocks; question banks stay in the original language; the manual method covers left-to-right languages only |
| iSpring Suite | XLIFF export from the Translation tab | Equations, animated links with sound effects and some SmartArt graphics must be copied by hand; importing replaces the source text, so keep a copy |
Source: vendor documentation, checked 14 October 2026. We also work in Adobe Captivate, Lectora, dominKnow ONE and Elucidat. Each tool has its own export options and its own exceptions, which is why we ask for your source project, not only the published SCORM package.
Language issues we plan for before translation starts
Some problems only appear after translation: text that no longer fits, layouts that run the wrong way, or a screen reader that reads Spanish with an English accent. We plan for them during scoping, not after launch.
| Issue | What happens | What we check |
|---|---|---|
| Text expansion | Translated text is often longer than English. IBM guidelines quoted by the W3C list an average expansion of 200 to 300% for English strings of up to 10 characters translated into European languages, and 130% for text over 70 characters. Short labels and buttons grow the most. | Buttons, labels, callouts and quiz options in every language; font size and box size adjusted in the tool |
| Right-to-left scripts | Arabic script (used for Arabic, Persian and Urdu) and Hebrew script run right to left, which affects the whole page layout. | Reading order, navigation direction, mixed English terms inside the text |
| Chinese, Japanese and Korean | The W3C notes these scripts can need much more horizontal space even when the character count drops. | Fonts that support the script, line breaks, legibility on mobile screens |
| Language tags for accessibility | WCAG 2.1 asks that the page language can be programmatically determined (3.1.1, Level A), and the language of each passage too (3.1.2, Level AA). Without it, a screen reader pronounces the text with the wrong rules. | The course language set per version, and tags for any phrase left in another language |
For right-to-left languages we rebuild the layout in the authoring tool, mirror navigation where the tool allows it and test the result in your LMS. Tell us at the quote stage if your list includes Arabic, Hebrew, Persian or Urdu, so the extra layout work is in the plan.
If your courses also need to meet WCAG 2.1 AA and Section 508, see our accessible eLearning service. Courses that learners take on phones are covered on our mobile learning solutions page.
How our eLearning translation process works
- 01
Scope
IKHYAWe review your source files, word count, media, languages and LMS, then send a quote and plan.
- 02
Glossary and style
IKHYA drafts, you reviewWe draft a glossary of your product names, job titles and key terms; you approve what stays in English.
- 03
Translation and second review
IKHYAOur in-house linguists translate in the tool's export file; a second linguist reviews every language.
- 04
Script approval
You reviewNarration scripts are approved before anyone records, so changes cost nothing in the studio.
- 05
Voiceover
IKHYAHuman or AI voiceover is recorded per language and synced to slides, animations and captions.
- 06
Rebuild in your tool
IKHYAText is imported, layouts fixed, images and player labels localized.
- 07
In-country review
You review, IKHYA updatesYour reviewer checks each language in context in a review link; we apply the changes.
- 08
LMS testing and delivery
IKHYAEvery language is published, tested in your LMS and delivered with its editable source file.
Planning a new course that will be translated later? Ask us to build it translation-ready from day one: text kept out of images, room for longer words, narration scripts kept as separate files. Our custom eLearning development team can build your next course this way.
What drives the cost of eLearning translation?
eLearning translation is quoted per project. The price depends on how much there is to translate, how many languages you need and how much rebuilding each version takes. We do not publish rates because two courses of the same length can need very different amounts of work.
For a detailed breakdown, read our guide to eLearning localization cost, then send us your course list for a free quote.
What you send us, what we prepare
You send You
- Source project files (for example .story, a Rise 360 course share, .cptx), plus the published package
- Target languages and countries (for example Spanish for Mexico or Spain)
- Brand guide and any existing glossary or translated materials
- Audio scripts and video source files, if you have them
- Your LMS name, the standard it needs and a test account or test upload route
- A reviewer in each target market, and the launch date
We prepare IKHYA
- A scope sheet listing every text, audio and media item per language
- A project glossary for your approval
- Voice samples per language so you can choose
- A review link for each language
- A test report per language from your LMS
LMS platforms we have delivered courses to include Moodle, TalentLMS, Docebo and Cornerstone. We also test courses in other LMSs, for example Absorb, SAP SuccessFactors, Workday Learning, Canvas and Litmos.
Multilingual eLearning projects
Our 500th project was a global onboarding program for a FTSE 100 financial services company, localized into 12 languages.
One Storyline safety course, 9 languages, live at 14 sites in 5 weeks
Global industrial equipment manufacturer
- What we built
- A 30-minute Storyline 360 course with branching hazard scenarios
- XLIFF translation into 9 languages, layouts fixed in the tool, human voiceover in 6 languages and AI voiceover in 3
- Tested in the client's LMS in every language
- Result
- Live at 14 sites in 5 weeks, with all 9 language versions maintained from one master file.
12 compliance courses localized into 7 Asia-Pacific languages
Australian mining company
- What we built
- Translation inside Rise and Storyline, with culturally adapted images and examples
- Voiceover in each language
- LMS QA per language, completed in 8 weeks
- Result
- All 7 languages launched on the same day as English.
"Nine languages from one Storyline master file, all live on the same day at fourteen sites. Every version was tested in our LMS before launch, and the next update is one change instead of nine translation projects."
"All seven languages went live on the same day as English. Our sites in Asia finally got the same safety training at the same time, with photos of our own sites, and it runs on their slow connections."
Translation for compliance, safety and healthcare training
Regulated training leaves the least room for a loose translation. A safety instruction or a dosage step has to mean exactly the same thing in every language.
Compliance training
Policy wording, legal terms and assessment questions translated consistently, so pass marks mean the same thing in every country.
Manufacturing and safety
Hazard scenarios, equipment names and site rules that frontline workers recognize, with voiceover for learners who read less on screen.
Healthcare and life sciences
Clinical and product terminology kept consistent, using terms your medical or regulatory reviewers approve.
We also translate training for financial services, retail, oil and gas, IT and software, and aviation teams.
eLearning translation FAQs
eLearning translation converts a course's text, quizzes, captions, narration and player labels into another language and rebuilds the course so it works in that language. Localization goes further and adapts examples, images and references to the learner's country.
Translation changes the words; localization also adapts scenarios, names, images, units and voice to the target market. Compliance, safety and onboarding courses usually need localization.
IKHYA translates and localizes eLearning into 40+ languages, with human or AI voiceover. Send us your language list and we will confirm each one in your quote.
We work in Articulate Storyline 360, Articulate Rise 360, Adobe Captivate, Lectora, iSpring Suite, dominKnow ONE and Elucidat, and deliver SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004, xAPI or HTML5.
Yes. Every language version is tested in your LMS before launch. Check which standard your LMS supports: for example, Moodle's own documentation says it supports SCORM 1.2 but not SCORM 2004, and TalentLMS supports SCORM 1.2, xAPI and cmi5.
For a first draft, sometimes; for training people act on, only with full human post-editing and review.
Choose human voices for scenarios, stories and safety messages; choose AI voices for neutral content that changes often. Many programs mix both.
It is quoted per project. Word count, number of languages, voiceover, text inside media, interactivity, review rounds and LMS testing drive the price.
It depends on course length, number of languages, voiceover and how quickly your reviewers respond. Share your launch date when you ask for a quote, so the plan is built around it.
Ready to take your training global?
Tell us how many courses, which languages and when you need them. We will reply with a scoped quote.
Buying for a large program? Submit an RFP
