> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://skillsail.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Languages and translation

> How a Skillsail module supports multiple languages and how translation works.

A Skillsail module can be authored in one language and presented to learners in several others. The player includes a language picker so each learner reads the module in their preferred language. Exports include all configured languages.

## Configured languages

A module declares the languages it supports. The first language is the **default language** — usually the one you author in. You can add or remove languages at any time.

When you add a language, Skillsail translates the existing content into it automatically. When you remove a language, that translation is dropped from future writes. Modules you exported earlier are not affected.

## How translation works

Translation happens automatically as you author.

* When you add a slide or question in your default language, Skillsail translates it into every other configured language.
* When you change a slide or question, Skillsail re-translates the updated content.
* When you add a new language to an existing module, Skillsail backfills translations for all existing components.

You do not need to translate things manually — though you can edit a translation by hand at any time if you want a different phrasing.

## Picking a default language

Choose the language you are most comfortable writing in as the default. The default language is the one Skillsail treats as the source of truth and re-translates from when content changes.

If you want to switch the default language later, edit the module's language list and put the new default first.

## Voiceover languages

AI voiceover is available for many but not all languages. If voiceover for a particular language is not supported, Skillsail will tell you when you try to generate it. The set of supported voiceover languages is generally larger than the set of UI languages.

## Player UI strings

Buttons and labels in the player (Next, Back, Submit, and so on) are translated separately from your content. Adding a language to your module does not change those — Skillsail already covers the common languages.

## Good practices

* Author in a single, consistent default language. Editing the same slide in two languages at once can confuse the translation flow.
* Skim the auto-translated versions for tone. AI translation is good but occasionally needs a human touch for industry-specific terms.
* For very short labels (one or two words), consider phrasing them as a short sentence — short fragments translate less reliably than full phrases.

## Related

* [Modules and components](/concepts/modules-and-components)
* [Themes and completion](/concepts/themes-and-completion)