Video is now one of the fastest growing resources around for training in organisations, with online video consumption up by 96% over the last few years and 9 out of 10 people saying they want to see more videos. And did you know that you can increase the effectiveness of a video, whether it’s a training video or one about the corporation itself even more by creating different language versions using foreign language voice overs? And, of course, where resources exist already in several languages adding a British voice over can expand the reach even further.
Why Add Foreign Language Voiceovers To Videos?
Project teams are often drawn from different parts of international corporations or use outsourced firms from different parts of the world. That often means team members speak different languages so corporate messages, training videos and written resources could all benefit from foreign language support. Documents should be translated, videos subtitled, or have voice-overs added using an online video trimmer for enhanced clarity and engagement. You might think that a lot of people speak English to some degree across the world, and therefore they have access to project resources to some degree. Actually, the truth is that various studies show that most people (nearly 75%) prefer information in their native language. With a high quality foreign language voiceover your message can be fully absorbed by project teams who speak or read in that language, maximising the chances of a successful project delivery.
Getting The Foreign Language Voiceovers Right
If you do plan to add foreign language support in the form of voiceovers to your corporate training materials it is essential to do it right, otherwise the impact could be a negative one. The language translation has to be accurate, with localisation applied where necessary. The performance of the voiceover also has to be emotive enough to match any vocalisation in the original video, especially if dubbing is being used. Otherwise important messages are lost. Lastly, the sound quality needs to be of the same quality as the original video. If it is not recorded by a professional recording studio you may find that it actively detracts from the overall message.
Choosing The Right Voiceover Languages
When it comes to choosing the right voiceover languages, if your organisation is global it could be worth adding multiple languages. Professional voiceover agencies offer a huge number of language options, including Japanese and Arabic which have very specific nuances and require a professional touch. The great thing about voiceover options is that as long as the original is high quality, adding multiple voice overs in new languages as you expand is entirely possible.
“Language shapes the way we think, and determines what we can think about.” – Benjamin Lee Whorf
Adding foreign language support in terms of a voiceover to corporate videos and project management training materials is a really savvy idea for ensuring clear communication and understanding across everyone involved in a project and, ultimately ensuring project success.