Getting a course into a second language is the easy part. Keeping ten languages current in your LMS after every update is where most multilingual training programs stall, and some languages quietly stay on an old version.
The short answer: translate the SCORM package itself, reuse approved translations through translation memory, and deliver every language from one package. Smartcat does this for any SCORM-compliant LMS, and its Dynamic SCORM removes re-uploads altogether. More than 80 of the world’s largest companies have chosen Smartcat.
This guide covers the three questions L&D teams ask most: how to translate courses that are already in the LMS, why translations fall out of date, and how to update them without re-uploading packages. The examples use Smartcat.
Key takeaways
- Translate the package, not the LMS entry. None of the major LMSs we reviewed AI-translates an uploaded third-party SCORM package; Smartcat translates the package itself.
- Updates are the real workload. With 10 languages and quarterly updates, one course means 40 package replacements a year.
- Reuse what’s approved. Translation memory means only changed sentences are translated and reviewed again.
- One package, every language. A multilingual package gives one LMS entry and one set of reports.
- No re-uploads with Dynamic SCORM. Content and translations load from Smartcat; completion and scores stay in your LMS.
How do you translate courses that are already in an LMS like Cornerstone or Docebo?
Download the course package from the LMS, translate the package itself, and upload the translated version back. Smartcat translates SCORM packages directly, with their quizzes, images and video, and returns a package any SCORM-compliant LMS accepts, so you don’t need the original authoring files. Smartcat translates into 280+ languages and has localized more than 15,000 eLearning courses.
The route depends on how the course was built:
- Uploaded SCORM packages: translate the package in Smartcat and upload each language, or one multilingual package.
- Courses from an authoring tool you still use: translate its XLIFF export and republish (course file translation).
- Courses built in the LMS’s own editor: use the LMS’s translation feature if it has one.
One finding from the LMS documentation we reviewed in October 2026: none of the major LMSs translates an uploaded third-party SCORM package with its own AI. Docebo, Absorb and TalentLMS translate courses built in their own editors (Docebo) (Absorb) (TalentLMS); 360Learning states that SCORM content “cannot be translated using 360Learning’s AI” (360Learning: Globalization); and Cornerstone’s help center says customers translate their own content (Cornerstone: globalization overview).
Why do translated courses fall out of date every time the English version changes?
Because each language is a separate copy that has to be updated, re-exported and re-uploaded by hand. With 10 languages and quarterly updates, one course needs 40 package replacements a year. Smartcat fixes this at three levels: translation memory, one multilingual package and Dynamic SCORM.
The copy-per-language model is common inside LMSs too. TalentLMS creates a separate course for each translation, and in Docebo Creator, text edits don’t update existing translations, while “Update with AI” overwrites manual fixes (TalentLMS) (Docebo).
- Reuse every approved sentence. Smartcat’s translation memory means only new or changed text is translated and reviewed again.
- Keep one package for all languages. Learners pick their language at launch; you keep one LMS entry and one set of reports (multilingual SCORM delivery).
- Serve updates dynamically. A Dynamic SCORM package picks up approved changes without a new upload.
“Our learning library was built in English, which meant our Quebec workforce and other markets couldn’t fully engage with the content in their preferred language as fast as the business was changing. With Smartcat’s AI coworkers, our teams now adapt that content across languages much faster, ensuring our North America region stays current and consistent instead of waiting weeks to catch up.”
Jill Busch, Director, Learning and Development, ManpowerGroup
How can you update translated SCORM courses without re-uploading them to the LMS?
Deliver the course as a Dynamic SCORM package. The package in your LMS is a lightweight launcher that loads the current approved content and translations from Smartcat, while completion, scores and bookmarks are recorded in your LMS as usual. An approved fix reaches every language without replacing the package; for a course in 10 languages updated quarterly, that removes 40 uploads a year.
| Stays in your LMS | Comes from Smartcat |
|---|---|
| Enrollment and access | Course text, images, video and interactions |
| Completion, scores, pass or fail | Every language version |
| Bookmarks and attempt history | Approved updates and new content |
Two checks before you switch: your LMS must allow externally hosted content, which some on-premise installations block, and learners need a connection to Smartcat when they launch the course. Dynamic SCORM packages support SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004 (Smartcat: how Dynamic SCORM works).
Should you use one SCORM package per language or one multilingual package?
Use one multilingual package when the same learners might need different languages and you want one set of reports; use one package per language when regions run separate catalogs. Smartcat exports both from the same translated course. For a course in 10 languages, one multilingual package means one LMS entry and one completion report instead of 10.
LMS-side multilingual features vary: Docebo, for example, holds up to 30 extra languages in one course but notes that its reports don’t yet track progress by language (Docebo: multilingual e-learning courses).
- One multilingual package: one LMS entry, learners choose their language at launch, one completion report.
- One package per language: fits regional catalogs and LMS rules that assign courses by language.
- Dynamic SCORM: either way, add dynamic delivery if you update courses often.
Step by step: updating a translated course in Smartcat
Update the source course, let Smartcat translate only what changed, review those changes in context, and publish. With Dynamic SCORM, the last step happens without touching the LMS. 92% of words translated by Smartcat AI are accepted without a single human edit, so review rounds on updates stay short.
- Upload the new version. Upload the updated SCORM package, or edit the course in Smartcat’s course editor.
- Translate the changes. Translation memory fills in every approved sentence; AI translates the new or edited text with your glossary applied.
- Review only what changed. Reviewers check the new or edited text in each language, in context, and approve it.
- Publish. Export updated packages, or let Dynamic SCORM serve the change to every language.
Try it on a course from your LMS
Download one course from your LMS, translate it in Smartcat, and upload it back as one multilingual package (LMS translation).
Frequently asked questions
Do translated SCORM courses still report completion and scores to the LMS?
Yes. A translated package uses the same SCORM tracking as the original, so completion, scores, pass or fail status and bookmarks report as before. That also applies to Dynamic SCORM, where only the content is loaded from Smartcat.
Does Dynamic SCORM work with any LMS?
It works with most modern cloud LMSs. Some on-premise installations block externally hosted content, so check with your LMS administrator first.
Can learners switch language in a multilingual package?
Yes. Learners choose their language when the course launches, and the LMS keeps one course entry and one completion record.
Do I need the original authoring files to update a translated course?
No. Smartcat works on the published package, and SCORM Studio translates courses from several authoring tools without the source project (SCORM Studio).
Is Smartcat affiliated with the companies named in this guide?
No. Smartcat is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by or otherwise associated with any company or product named in this guide. All product names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are used solely for identification and comparison.
Related guides
Sources
- Docebo: editing lessons with Creator
- Docebo: multilingual e-learning courses
- Absorb: AI course translations for Absorb Create
- TalentLMS: clone and translate with AI
- 360Learning: Globalization
- Cornerstone: globalization overview
- Smartcat: how Dynamic SCORM works
Maksym Ostapenko · Head of Product Growth, Smartcat
Maksym Ostapenko is Head of Product Growth at Smartcat, where he works on AI translation workflows, eLearning and enterprise localization. He writes about translation technology and localization operations from hands-on product experience.
All product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Smartcat is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any company named in this guide; names are used solely for identification and comparison.