Delivering Training Overseas

What makes online learning so successful is its global reach. You can easily deliver training to audiences across the country as well as around the world. If you are thinking globally it becomes important to consider local cultures while developing the content and, designing and delivering training.

Translation is not the answer for overseas training, as it is not necessary and practical, particularly if you are looking to deliver trainings in multiple countries that speak different languages. The best way is to use global English while designing and delivering training overseas. Global English is English which is fairly simple to understand, and is free of local idioms and phrases that do not make sense in other countries. For example – An American developing a training module should avoid phrases like “it rained cats and dogs”, as it won’t make sense in other countries. Instead the writer should simply say that it rained heavily.

In some cultures the audience wants more of a training facilitator who will ask the group to contribute in the session and make it more interactive. As a matter of fact a major assumption of adult learning theory is that adult learners have experience and want to share that experience. On the contrary in some cultures learners are not comfortable with the idea of speaking up like that, and would rather expect the trainer to be “the” expert in the room who would provide all the answers. In some cultures it is common practice to call on people, which may not be accepted in other cultures.

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Apart from developing a good training module, the writer also needs to have knowledge of the country for which the course is being developed. For example – an online learning course on driving principles describes that the center lane is the safest lane to use on a multilane highway. But it does not apply in the city of Dubai as the drivers there use center lane exclusively for overtaking. The basics of this module may have applied to any culture, but some specifics like which lane to use, could be swapped out for local driving habits, laws and customs. In order to maximize the success of training, the trainer should pay close attention to local details of the culture and country the course is being developed and delivered.