Bridging Linguistic Chasms: A Deep Dive into the Global EdTech Language Diversity Rankings 2023

1. The language gap in EdTech is quite noticeable.

Despite a world rich with 7000 languages as noted by UNESCO, educational platforms typically offer their content in just an average of 9 languages. However, there are exceptions. TED, for instance, has broadened its reach by translating videos into 115 languages, reflecting its global vision. Following behind is Khan Academy, offering content in 63 languages, including regional ones like Gujarati and Tamil. Udemy and DataCamp have expanded their language offerings to around 17, whereas most Chinese platforms have kept it simple with just one language.

2. Most e-learning courses are available in 4 languages only.

Dominant languages: English (60% of all content is in English), Portuguese (is Dominant in Brazil), Hindi (The majority of Indian platforms utilize English as a core language) and Chinese are dominating languages for education.

3. The digital language divide seems to be narrower in Europe.

4. Subtitles remain a favored and cost-effective method for making educational content accessible globally.

5. Dubbing is often easier for students to understand compared to subtitles.

A study titled 'The Pros and Cons of Dubbing and Subtitling' by Cees M. Koolstra, Allerd L. Peeters, and Herman Spinhof, sheds light on this. It mentions that dubbed programs have the edge as they don't overlay text on the visuals, keeping the video experience clean and harmonized with the audio. This also makes the content feel more familiar to viewers as they hear it in their own language. On the flip side, while subtitled programs allow the authenticity of original voices, they can clutter the screen with text lines, which might be distracting.

6. New ways of translation:

EdTech platforms are venturing into new translation avenues like AI-generated speech. For instance, platforms like FlexFix harness the power of AI translation to swiftly and efficiently deliver multilingual edutainment, ensuring content accessibility for diverse linguistic audiences. The shift is driven by the desire to broaden global reach, improve user experience, and reduce translation costs. The rising interest in new tech, particularly AI, is evident as it promises real-time translation and personalized learning experiences, catering to a broader audience irrespective of language barriers.

7. Specialized EdTech platforms are English only.

Professional e-learning courses, such as platforms for programmers DataCamp or doctors Doctorflix, do not use many diverse languages (focusing on English) — and subtitles for other countries. That is due to the English — is the international language of coding and programming.

According to popular belief, we live in a golden era of online education. As we “enjoy the boom” in online education, the issue of language accessibility is hard to ignore. The Global EdTech Language Diversity Rankings 2023 not only highlights the current language gaps but also urges us to create a more language-friendly online education space.

The road to a more language-inclusive EdTech world is long and challenging. Yet, recognizing the language divide is a crucial first step. By working together and using new technologies, we can aim to bring the rich variety of global languages into the digital classrooms of education.

This research is just a first glance at the complexity of language divide in education and we’ll keep an eye on the issue. If you’d like to contribute to the next volumes of the white paper please contact our pr team at [email protected]