Introduction:
International teams, globally active companies, multilingual target groups – digital training no longer ends at national borders. But how do you design your courses so that they are understandable,
Why international courses work differently
- Cultural differences influence learning behavior
- Terms, examples, and tone must be adapted
- The technical infrastructure (bandwidth, end devices, LMS systems) is not the same everywhere
- Multilingualism requires a well-thought-out structure and translation concept
Global learning begins with clear language.
– Rahul Mehta, Digital Learning Consultant
Linguistic tips
- Use simple, clear standard German or English
- Avoid technical jargon, abbreviations, and regional idioms
- Write actively, directly, and in the present tense
- Avoid using “you”’ when working internationally—use neutral formulations instead (“participants…”).
Stylistic adaptation
| Area | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Examples | Use international, neutral scenarios |
| Images & icons | Pay attention to cultural symbolism (e.g., no traffic |
| Colors | No red for positive (culturally different) |
| Salutation & humor | Neutral, clear, without irony or puns |
Plan translations
If you want to translate your courses into multiple languages:
- Structure your course in a modular way – this makes it easy to duplicate content.
- Avoid text in images.
- Use multilingual placeholders (e.g., [EN], [DE]) for later localization.
- If possible, work with professional translators or language tools with quality control.
Technical basics
- Lessonator courses can be easily integrated into multilingual LMS systems
- SCORM and xAPI exports are internationally compatible
- Unicode support for special characters is included by default.
- For countries with limited internet bandwidth: optimize images, keep videos short
Conclusion
An international course doesn’t start with translation—it starts with a universally understandable structure. If you pay attention to clarity, neutrality, and flexibility in language and design, you can reach people worldwide without compromising quality. Lessonator gives you the structure you need to get it right from the start.