It seems obvious when you say it aloud a few times, people tend to learn better when the content is in their own language.
It turns out that only a third (36%) of adults understand work related elearning material, which isn’t provided to them in their native language, according to research from YouGov that we recently commissioned. I know what you’re thinking… why did they bother? Don’t these researchers have better things to do than to prove obvious theories?
It’s almost as bad as the study that proved the beneficial effect of electric fans in extreme heat and humidity. But with many companies still providing their employees with non-localized elearning material, it might not be as obvious to everyone as we might think.
If you happen to be head of elearning/HR at one of these companies, here’s a simplified equation to help you out:
A team leader is on a high speed train with 10 direct reports who all need on the job training. 3.6 of them will understand your elearning material and will go on to become experienced members of the team, while 6.4 of them won’t, making them less productive as they’re now unable to perform their job to the best of their ability. How fast is the train going?
Don’t worry, you’re not the only one who is confused by the question. But at least your job won’t depend on you getting it right. If you had to choose from providing non-localised elearning material and accepting the confusion and consequences that brings, or translating your elearning material so that it makes complete sense, I know what I would choose.
Unless you happen to work at a hardware store in the 1970s and enjoy the laughter that confusion brings, I’m sure most of you would agree. In fact, according to research from YouGov, 63% of adults think it would have a negative impact on their overall performance at work.
If you have employees at different offices around the world that want to be experienced members of the team and don’t enjoy the laughter that confusion brings, make sure your elearning material is localised from office location to location for complete employee understanding. After all, elearning material should increase clarity, not confusion.