How to scale eLearning translation with AI: 6 insider tips for L&D teams

If you’re serious about eLearning translation, you need advice from people who do this every day. 

I lead client partnerships at Comtec and have 9 years’ experience in localisation, working with major eLearning agencies and in-house L&D teams at global brands. I also serve as a director at The Learning Network, which keeps me close to the realities of L&D on the ground.

Drawing on that context and expertise, this article shares my industry-insider view on what delivers the most significant impact in AI-assisted eLearning translation. I’ve distilled the key insights from two webinars I recently delivered and packaged them into six practical secrets you can apply today.

A quick recap on why translation is so important, especially for L&D teams:

1. 90% of learners prefer training in their native language.
2. Knowledge retention improves by about 18% when content is localised.
3. UK teams are increasingly international, so English-only translation policies miss the mark for many learners.

So the fact that translation makes good business sense is a given. However, when L&D teams are constantly seeing budgets reduced, the bigger question becomes how to do more for less when it comes to localisation and maximise ROI.

These six secrets will get you there.

Did you know that your best saving is earned before translation even begins? 

The premise is simple: Sort content by business impact, audience and risk, then match effort to reward:

• High-impact modules receive 100% human translation. 
• Mid-tier items often lend themselves to a hybrid approach that combines machine translation with human review.
• Low-risk or internal material translation can be automated. 

Categorising your content in this way stops overspend in some areas and underinvestment in others.

In this clip from our first webinar, I show how a simple tiering model protects quality where it matters and frees budget elsewhere.

Watch to learn about our three-tier content model and how to align the translation approach to each tier.

There is no “single AI workflow” for translation, as outlined above. Instead, the smartest teams choose their translation method based on the asset type.

Raw MT (machine translation)
Fast and cheap, and best suited to internal reference or very low-risk items. Not recommended for learner-facing content because it tends towards literal phrasing, limited brand control and context slips.

Machine translation with automated post-editing (MTAP)
MTAP stands for machine translation with automated post-editing, blending translation memory, MT, and an LLM that applies rules we define for you. It can handle more complex content, since it’s fully customisable for formality, tone of voice, and approved terminology. It’s typically two to four times faster than human translation and about 70% lower in cost, which makes it ideal for technical content, compliance courses and large libraries.

Machine translation with human post-editing (MTPE)
Machine translation with human post-editing adds a professional linguist’s touch for tone, fluency, and cultural nuance. It’s still faster and cheaper than human-only translation, often up to twice as fast for roughly 40% lower cost. It suits learner-facing modules and any content where voice and impact matter.

Here, I outline two of the above AI-based translation approaches for eLearning and explain how to choose between them. 

Learn about MTAP and MTPE, and when to use each.

A strong translation workflow is essential no matter how you translate your eLearning content, whether it’s fully human-led, AI-driven machine translation, or somewhere in between.

The quality of the inputs (glossaries, tone guidance, context, brand rules, accessibility requirements) has a direct impact on learner experience.

Even when AI is used as part of the process, linguist expertise remains fundamental. Our translators create glossaries, refine style and terminology, test outputs, and collaborate with our technical team to make sure the workflow supports your learning goals and protects brand integrity.

This rigorous set-up is what keeps tone consistent across markets and avoids any distracting or literal phrasing. In short: the tools matter, but it’s the people and processes behind them that determine quality.

Learn how linguists and AI work together, with experts refining terminology, prompts and outputs, to deliver consistent, high-quality eLearning translations. 

Golden rule: Never roll out a translation workflow you have not tested. 

We always recommend running controlled samples in your most complex markets and topics, scoring them for accuracy, fluency, tone consistency, and glossary adherence, then comparing MTAP and MTPE head-to-head. 

Some languages produce strong automated results, while others, such as Arabic, Hebrew, and Thai, aren’t yet ready for this approach. Sampling is the best way to set benchmarks for a project and to avoid nasty surprises down the line.

A sampling checklist to use:

1. Include one creative module and one compliance or technical module.
2. Test two or three target languages across your markets, including more complex language combinations.
3. Review a stakeholder-approved glossary before the test and enforce it during evaluation.
4. Capture measurable acceptance criteria for tone and terminology up front.

If your programmes use video content, you absolutely should be translating that material, and here’s why:

1. 90% of learners prefer receiving learning content in their native language, and we see up to 20% better message retention from localising eLearning for our clients.
2. In general, video can deliver up to 95% message retention, compared with roughly 10% for text.
3. Most people have the sound off when they watch videos on their phone, so captions materially improve reach and comprehension.

Option 1: Use AI captions and subtitles

Automatic speech recognition, combined with an AI translation tool, produces timed captions, which are then post-edited for brand and readability. Typical benchmarks show that these processes are up to 50% cheaper than traditional processes and up to 3 times faster. This option is best for explainers, intro clips, accessibility variants, and early versions pre-sign off.

Option 2: Use AI voiceover

AI voiceover is when you translate and adapt the script for cultural fit, then generate synthetic speech (i.e., from a computer) that you can vary by gender, accent, age, pitch, and speed. Typical benchmarks for this option show that it’s up to 50% cheaper and two to three times faster than human voiceover, with easy updates when content changes. 

I’d recommend AI voiceover for high-volume or frequently updated content, as well as for multi-voice projects.

Discover the key drivers and statistics, as well as examples showing why AI video localisation increases learner engagement and brings efficiency.

Choose a partner that lives and breathes eLearning localisation, not just general translation; that experience will save you time and money further down the line.

Comtec is a certified B Corp, and our team supports agencies and in-house L&D from scoping to sign-off. We work with various learning tools, including Storyline, Rise and Evolve, and offer a comprehensive and growing set of eLearning translation services designed for L&D. That includes machine translation and MTPE tuned for learning content, off-the-shelf and bespoke localisation for modules, and translation of blended and classroom materials, such as facilitator guides and handouts. We also have industry-leading experience with accessibility, eLearning video localisation with captions and AI voiceover, implementation support for authoring tools, and API integrations to streamline delivery.

If you’ve got an eLearning project coming up and would like a second opinion, a ballpark quote, or just have a random question about translation, then please get in touch. We’re always happy to help!