“Tech is not neutral”: Babbel Pledges to Make Product’s Content More Inclusive

Babbel holds itself accountable for creating diverse, inclusive and equitable content in its online language learning products

As a first step, Babbel developed a DE&I content guidelines to empower creative teams to build more inclusive content, already implemented to diversify Babbel’s audio content

The extensive accompanying DE&I glossary can be downloaded for others to use

Babbel, the world’s top-selling online language learning platform, understands the power of language to create mutual understanding, enable shared perspectives, and foster inclusion. Moreover, Babbel understands its responsibility as a company to create content that reflects the values of diversity, equity and inclusivity that Babbel champions. Millions of learners use the Babbel product and Babbel wants to ensure that people see themselves represented within it. The company believes that learning a new language necessitates an interest and respect for other cultures, as well as for other perspectives.

“At Babbel, we understand that tech is not neutral. We have to be intentional about the nature of the content in our product. It is our responsibility to make a product in which learners see themselves represented, a product that they feel safe using. We also want to inspire a sense of "belonging" in another culture, so inclusive and representative content serves both as responsibility and a teaching method”, says Arne Schepker, Babbel CEO.  “We do this because we believe that learning a language requires learners to build an understanding and respect for another culture and see themselves within it. We see this work as part of our promise to our learners and a way to provide the best learning experience possible.”

To ensure that the content within the product is in line with the values Babbel champions, Babbel developed content guidelines and a detailed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion glossary for creative teams. Deployed company-wide, the guidelines will serve as the go-to reference and benchmark for content creation. As Babbel experts produce all of the platform’s content in-house, the company is dedicated to not only the adaptation of these guidelines, but also ensuring that the products are continuously assessed and measured against DEI commitments. 

Babbel has seen its first product informed by these guidelines: a Voice Talent Database survey. The survey invites voice talents to either share their personal story or answer questions about their unique identity. Content creators are then able to write storylines and characters based on the talent that will voice them, creating a diverse set of voices, and stories, for Babbel’s in-product audio. This is not common practice in the voice acting business and is a precedent-setting step towards creating better representation, for especially underrepresented groups, within the product. 

The development of Babbel’s DE&I guidelines also led to the creation of a robust stand-alone glossary, a product that is being released publicly to serve as an external example for language-centered DE&I resources. It contains a set of definitions and examples organised by identity groups (Race & Ethnicity, Disability, Sex, Gender & Sexual Orientation, etc.) along with content about Culture, Privilege, Allyship, and other relevant topics. 

Stephanie Wright, Head of Learning Content at Babbel, says, “It quickly became obvious that the glossary was an educational artifact that could live outside of Babbel, as more and more teammates began to anecdotally reference the glossary in their daily work. Moreover, it became clear that it was something that we would want to share externally amongst peers, something we would want to stand behind and be connected to.”

For more information, please contact Brittany Walters at bwalters@babbel.com.