Language obstacles persist as a significant challenge for students worldwide, hindering access to education and career progression avenues. We have made a crucial advancement towards overcoming this hurdle by successfully implementing AI-driven text translations in 2023, which have empowered almost 3 million students to enroll in over 5,000 courses in 25 languages.
We are thrilled to introduce AI-dubbed courses in Spanish, French, German, and Brazilian Portuguese today. Utilizing Generative AI, we have translated and dubbed video materials for more than 100 acclaimed courses from prestigious institutions, including IBM, Microsoft, and DeepLearning.AI. In contrast to traditional dubbing methods, our technique preserves the original speaker’s voice and speech nuances while flawlessly synchronizing mouth movements, creating a content experience that feels entirely authentic. Now, learners can engage with every facet of the course in their primary language, fostering greater involvement and improved results.
Initially accessible in four widely-used languages, our AI-dubbed courses will assist students across numerous nations, representing nearly 800 million native speakers.
- Spanish: More than 450 million native speakers can be found in Latin America, with an additional 40 million in Spain. Coursera’s Spanish-translated courses have accumulated over 1 million enrollments, the highest for any translated language available on our platform.
- French: France boasts around 64 million native French speakers, and Coursera’s French-translated courses have nearly 450,000 enrollments, establishing it as our second-most favored translated language.
- Brazilian Portuguese: With over 200 million native speakers in Brazil, Brazilian Portuguese ranks as Coursera’s third-most popular translated language, with over 370,000 enrollments thus far.
- German: Approximately 80 million native German speakers reside in Germany, and Coursera’s German-translated courses have surpasses 125,000 enrollments already.
Research consistently indicates that learning in one’s native tongue can yield significantly improved outcomes. Students on Coursera finish translated courses at higher rates and nearly 25% more rapidly compared to those studying only in the original language. Nevertheless, close to 40% of the global population still lacks access to education in their mother tongue. Our AI-dubbed content addresses this worldwide issue by offering over 100 career-oriented courses in high-demand fields like AI, Data Science, and Cybersecurity, allowing learners to obtain industry-recognized certifications in their language of choice.
Leon Katsnelson, Director and CTO, IBM Advocacy through Skills, stated: “At IBM, enhancing the availability and accessibility of our courses has always been a priority. By collaborating with Coursera and utilizing AI for dubbing our course material, we are enabling a broader range of learners to engage with our courses in their preferred language, greatly enhancing their educational experience. It’s inspiring to witness how such innovations can fundamentally transform the online learning experience for individuals worldwide.”
Andreas Ernst, Head of Learning Experience Management, Volkswagen, remarked: “At Volkswagen, equipping our workforce for the future is a key component of our long-term economic and educational strategy. Coursera’s AI-Dubbed courses provide us with the ability to deliver crucial training directly to our employees and ensure they have convenient access to high-quality, job-related content. This supports our ongoing digital learning initiatives for various internal groups, fosters global collaboration, and positions our teams to drive innovation throughout the organization.”
Patricia Pastor, Learning & Development Manager, Belcorp, said: “We recognize that learning in one’s mother tongue improves comprehension and engagement with materials. This is why efforts like AI-dubbing empower us to broaden our training program’s reach, leading to higher course adoption and completion rates within our teams. This allows our employees to reach their potential and feel more confident when applying newly acquired knowledge in their daily tasks.”
At Coursera, we believe that language should never impede opportunity. With AI-dubbing, we continue to advance the frontiers of innovation, ensuring that anyone, anywhere has access to a premier education and the chance to realize their full potential.
Click here to discover more and experience our AI-dubbed courses.
The article Coursera Launches AI-Dubbed Courses in Spanish, French, Brazilian Portuguese, and German first appeared on Coursera Blog.