If you’re only producing training content in English, you’re ignoring 85% of your global opportunity.
Let that sink in.
Most training companies don’t realise how much they’re leaving on the table. Not because their training isn’t good, but because it’s only accessible to a small slice of the global workforce. And while the need for multilingual training has always been clear, it used to be expensive, slow, and logistically painful. So most businesses just didn’t bother.
Now? AI has changed everything. In this article, you’ll see why the companies that embrace AI-powered translation can double their market reach almost instantly without creating any new content. Let’s break this down.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: Why English-Only Is a Costly Limitation
Only 15% of the global workforce speaks English as their primary language. That means 85% of your potential learners and clients are not being served by your existing content. So if your training is English-only, you’re voluntarily shutting the door on massive growth. But here’s where it gets interesting. Most companies know this. They just don’t act on it. Why? Because traditional translation feels like a luxury.
The Translation Problem (and Misconception)
The old model of translation is genuinely expensive and slow. You’d be looking at:
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£15,000 to translate one training course into Spanish (including voiceovers and presenters)
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Eight weeks of production time
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Add another £20,000 and 12 weeks if you want Mandarin
Multiply that by just five languages, and you’re looking at over £100,000 just to localise one course. For most organisations, it’s just not realistic. But what if the entire premise of that pricing is now outdated?
What AI Has Changed Forever
AI has removed almost all the friction. What once took months now takes minutes. What cost thousands now costs next to nothing. And we’re not talking about Google Translate with a robotic voiceover. We’re talking about:
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Native-sounding presenters
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Perfect lip sync
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Cultural adaptation
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Fully localised content
AI tools like Open eLMS Learning Generator are now producing professional-grade multilingual content that feels human and natural.
Case in Point: Open eLMS Learning Generator in Action
Let’s look at what this actually means.
Take a 15-minute workplace safety course designed for 500 English-speaking employees. With Open eLMS, you can duplicate it into Spanish, French, German and Mandarin automatically. Time taken? Under 20 minutes. Cost? Negligible. Quality? Shockingly good.
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The Spanish version includes proper pronunciation and natural gestures
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The Mandarin version nails the tonal inflection
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The German version adapts culturally appropriate examples
This isn’t translation. This is full localisation that feels custom-made for each language group.
Market Multiplication, Not Just Translation
Let’s say your English course earns you £10,000. Now, you add four more languages. You’ve just opened your training to five entirely new markets without recreating your content. Because the marginal cost of each language is now effectively zero, the revenue becomes almost pure profit. This is not just localisation. It’s a multiplier effect for your training business.
Don’t Get Left Behind
Most of your competitors are still operating under the assumption that translation is too costly. But the companies who move fast and embrace AI will own the global audience. While others wait, they’ll be serving the 85% that everyone else is ignoring.
Final Thoughts
This isn’t theoretical. The technology exists. The economics make sense. The only real question is: Will you act before your competitors do? Open eLMS offers a free 14-day trial of its Learning Generator, complete with AI-powered language translation.
Open eLMS Learning Generator
Try it out today and unlock the global market that’s been right in front of you the whole time.
