This trend shows that the eLearning space is no more where it used to be again. The industry has, so far, seen a lot of development, which of course, wouldn’t have been possible if not for the benefits that the method of learning has brought over the years. However, eLearning isn’t without its issues. One of the few challenges that many people have encountered is the eLearning language barrier. Well, the XLIFF translation tool is the solution to this problem.
What is the XLIFF translation tool? How exactly can the tool come in to fix the often faced language barrier in the eLearning space? What are the pros and cons of the XLIFF translation tool? These questions, and many more, are what you’ll find answers to as you read on through the rest of this article. So, without further ado, let’s get straight down to business.
What is the XLIFF translation tool and what exactly does it include?
XLIFF is an acronym that stands for XML Localization Interchange File Format. It’s an XML-based format, designed in 2002, to help systematize the way localizable data is exchanged between different tools during the process, known as localization. Furthermore, the XLIFF tool offers tons of benefits; one of them is that it improves the lives of learning designers and cuts out the need for duplication.
In the past few years, authoring tools have no doubt helped eLearning designers in terms of course creation. One of their drawbacks, however, is that they didn’t make translation easy. But with the continuous advancement in technology, a few authoring tools now offer support for the XLIFF translation tool. So, how exactly does the XLIFF translation tool work?
● Create your English course and duplicate
Of course, it all starts with the creation of your English course. After that, you’ll have to make a duplicate of the course for each of the languages that suit your specific learner’s needs. Before proceeding, you might want to ask why there is a need to duplicate your English course?
Well, it’s pretty simple, the purpose is to be able to build a fully localized version in each of the languages. Each of the versions will work as standalone course content and meets your specific learner’s language, culture, and potentially region. Here’s where the XLIFF tool will come into the scene.
● Export your XLIFF files and send them to the translator
After creating your English course and duplicating it with the right authority tool – as previously explained above – the next move will be to export the course content into an XLIFF file and send it off to the right XLIFF-supported translation tool. It’s worth noting that the XLIFF version only contains the text content of your course.
And since that’s the case, you might want to avoid a situation where a sentence will reference any interactive element, as this may confuse the translator. For the best results, ensure to send the published output of the course so that the translator can fully understand the content in context and translate the course accordingly.
● Import the translated XLIFF file
As soon as the export XLIFF files are completely translated, the next step is to import them back using the authoring tool. To do that, most times you’ll have to go to the duplicated courses and select the right key, which will help you import back the file. As soon as you successfully import the translated XLIFF file, you can expect the course content to slot back into the right place in your course, preparing itself for validation and publication.
● Validation and publication
As previously stated, the XLIFF file is not slotted back in the appropriate place in your course. However, you need to understand that the translation process doesn’t end there, as you need to validate your work before publishing it. The validation stage is the process of checking your work, ensuring that everything has been correctly translated. Of course, you don’t have to be a translator to be able to spot any errors. However, if you think you can’t do that, getting a speaker of the language to help you run a check will make things a lot easier.
Why should you choose the XLIFF translation tool for your eLearning course?
Before wrapping up, here’s a quick question; why exactly is it important to choose the XLIFF tool to translate your eLearning course? The answer to the question is that the translation process is pretty straightforward and quick to perform. It only involves using the right authoring tool to create your English course. After that, you need to finalize a base version of the content and then export it into the XLIFF file. After the translation is completed, use the import menu, cross-check for any errors, and then publish.
