#TranslateAStory campaign: Join us in a virtual translation sprint, to give children continued access to digital books during school closures
Posted by Remya Padmadas on April 15, 2020Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 1.5 billion children and youth are out of school. With this, the need for reading materials for children that can be accessed at home, is more urgent than ever. StoryWeaver is collaborating with UNHCR, UNESCO, The Global Digital Library, The Global Book Alliance, The Asia Foundation and Learning Equality, to call for translation volunteers to accelerate the creation of multilingual digital reading material via the #TranslateAStory campaign.
You can participate in this campaign by volunteering to translate on StoryWeaver. It’s easy!
Step 1: Find the book that's just right for you
StoryWeaver has over 1000 high quality books to translate from. A simple Level 1 book usually takes under 20 minutes to publish on StoryWeaver. You can also choose to translate books from 60 languages, like English, Hindi, French, Spanish, Thai, and many more.
Looking for some inspiration for which storybooks to translate? We’ve put together a list of books here, which includes wonderful books like Incredible Insects: A Counting Book, Bobo and the Worms, The Runaway Pig, Ira Investigates the Invisible, and several others.
And if the book you have selected has already been translated - no problem! The StoryWeaver recommendation engine will share some more options for you to choose from.
Step 2: Translate - Online or Offline!
The StoryWeaver Translate tool supports translation into 234 languages, and has a Dictionary to help you choose the appropriate words for your translation. Have a limited Internet connection? We are still here for you! You can save the book to your Offline Translate Library and sync when you have connectivity.
Here is a step-by-step guide on using the StoryWeaver Translate tool.
Can’t find your language? Have some queries? Write to [email protected] or review our FAQ page.
Step 3: Publish & Share
As soon as you hit publish, your storybook will be published under New Arrivals. Don't forget to share your storybook with your friends. And of course build your author profile!
Join the #TranslateAStory campaign: TRANSLATE NOW
By submitting your translation to StoryWeaver, you are agreeing to a CC-BY 4.0 license being applied to it. Terms and conditions apply.
comments (2)#TranslateAStory campaign: Translation tips and tutorials, answers to FAQs
Posted by Remya Padmadas on April 10, 2020The #TranslateAStory campaign will accelerate the creation of multilingual digital reading material, which will help children continue their learning journey at home, and give them access to books in languages they use and understand.
You can volunteer by translating a storybook (or books) on StoryWeaver. All you have to do is sign in to your StoryWeaver account and use our simple Translate tool - through this you will have access to thousands of delightful storybooks that you can translate
Here are the answers to FAQs, and the links to translation tutorials:
1. Who is eligible to participate?
Anyone who is fluent in two or more languages is urged to participate.
Individuals who are educators or translators, literacy organisations, education advocacy organisations, organisations working at the grassroots with native communities, university / college language departments or tribal departments, organisations working in language revitalization, language organisations, translation organisations, Bhasha Mandals - everyone is welcome to join the campaign.
2. Can we translate more than one book? Can we translate books into more than one language?
Yes! Every translation makes a difference.
3. I have no prior translation experience - is that okay?
It is absolutely fine if you have no prior translation experience - if you are fluent in two or more languages, you are all set!
Refer to our translation resources here, for some useful tips on the nuances of translating children’s storybooks.
4. How do I use the StoryWeaver Translate tool?
Here is a step-by-step guide on using the StoryWeaver Translate tool. You can check out our video tutorial here.
5. StoryWeaver doesn't have my language listed. Can I still participate?
Do write to us at [email protected]- we shall add your language to StoryWeaver, provided there is a Unicode compliant font for your language.
6. Is there prize money to be won?
This is not a contest, rather an invitation to volunteer our time and language expertise. There is no prize money.
7. How will I get credited for the book(s) I translate?
Once you create your own, individual account on StoryWeaver, this ensures that you receive an attribution for your translation.
8. There are 4 reading levels - what does this mean? Does it make a difference to the translation?
It is always good to keep the reading level of the child in mind while translating a storybook. Use the ‘filter by level’ option on the Translate page to browse and choose a book.
- Level 1: Storybooks for beginner readers. These books usually have short, simple sentences and don't have more than 1-2 sentences per page.
- Level 2: Storybooks for those who are learning to read, based on simple concepts. The books have short sentences and there are not more than 3-4 sentences per page. However you will find that some big but common words are used in these books.
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Level 3: Storybooks for independent readers which have popular topics with well sketched out characters. The books have longer sentences, paragraphs and complex words.
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Level 4: These stories are meant for those who can read proficiently and have nuanced storylines. The books have complex words, longer sentences and paragraphs. These stories sometimes contain language play like idioms, metaphors, similes, etc. Also words from other languages are introduced.
We hope this helps!
Looking for some inspiration for which storybooks to translate? Start here.
By submitting your translation to StoryWeaver, you are agreeing to a CC-BY 4.0 license being applied to it. Terms and conditions apply. For more read here.
For any other queries, do write to us at [email protected]