Multilingualism and the OER Community

From OER_Wiki

Countries represented in the UNESCO OER Community. To see the map in detail, go to the interactive version at http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=104253653298225130140.00046059fad0a85edcc24.

The UNESCO OER Community is truly global – as of October 2009 we number over 950 members from 110 countries.

English is the common language of the community. Yet, at a conservative estimate, our members speak at least 60 languages. Not everyone is comfortable expressing themselves in English.

A recent discussion has pointed to two issues:

• There is a need for links to practical translation tools to help non-English speaking members of the community better understand and contribute to our discussions.
• We need to balance the desire to stay together as a global community with one common language with the need for local communities to work on specific issues in their own languages.

This page is a first attempt to address those issues: to point to online translation tools; and to showcase OER discussions and activities in languages other than English in which community members are involved.

[edit] Translation tools

• Google Translate: Translation from and to 34 languages.
• WorldLingo: Translation from and to 15 languages. Offers different interfaces for short texts and emails (both limited to 150 words for the free service), websites (limited to 500 words) and documents (no word limited mentioned).
• Mloovi: A free tool to translate RSS feeds using Google Translate.
• Jollo: Compare translation results in Youdao, Google Translate, WorldLingo, SDL, Microsoft Translator and Yahoo Babel Fish. For common expressions there may also be a human translation from members of the Jollo community.

Wikipedia also has a useful page comparing translation tools. It gives basic technical information on the major machine translation applications, as well as listing the languages that each supports.

[edit] Community translation projects

• Collaborative translation of OER: the Way Forward: twelve translations in preparation, of which nine have been completed.

[edit] Discussions and activities in other languages

If you have started a discussion on OER in another language or a regional OER activity, then this is your space to let the rest of the community – and the world – know, using whichever language you prefer! Feel free to add more information about the communities and discussions already listed, or add a link to a new activity.

• OffeneLehre.org: OER News-site and Community for Austria, Germany and Switzerland
• OERitaly: Italian OER community on ning.com
  

Contact Eleonora Panto (eleonora.panto(at)gmail.com)

• Koalicja Otwartej Edukacji: Polish Open Education Coaltion
  • Lista Koalicji Otwartej Edukacji KOED: Polish discussion list
    

Contact Jarosław Lipszyc (jaroslaw.lipszyc(at)wolnepodreczniki.pl)

• Recursos Educacionais Abertos: Portuguese OER mailing list
  

Contact Everton (Tom) Zanella Alvarenga (everton137(at)gmail.com)