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Critiques on My Peers’ Apps and/or Pitches (Part 1)

Breaking Language Barriers (BLB)

Despite the abundance of translation resources these days, the issue of there being multiple translations from one language to another and not knowing which is the best one is still prevalent. I think this is a difficult but exciting problem to tackle!

The biggest challenge, to me, seems to be getting volunteers to translate text, which Professor Jackson mentions in his written feedback. Translating can require a lot of time and effort, so translators may need strong incentives to translate a resource they themselves already understand. Giving translators the flexibility of choosing what portions of text to translate is great since it lets translators decide how much time and effort to donate. Two additional ideas came to mind, which I will share.

One idea is a reward system for translators based on the length of the portion of text they translate. Translators can be awarded a small amount of points, e.g. per word, for translating small sections, or they can earn many more points per word after translating larger sections. Better translations may often require more context, eg. an entire paragraph, so translations of larger portions of text might be preferred. The system I described makes translating larger excerpts more worthwhile.

My second idea involves motivating language learners to be translators. A language learner myself, BLB seemed very useful for language learning settings, and I believe passionate language learners would be eager to test their translation skills. Although there is a high chance that learners will provide incorrect translations, having a system that labels their translations as coming from a learner and allowing trustworthy translators to make corrections and provide feedback can be an alternative way for translators to contribute. I can imagine that, especially with text containing more advanced vocabulary, even experienced translators may need to spend time searching for the right words to use. If a learner already takes the time to find relevant vocabulary, a translator’s job may be reduced to just rearranging words to follow correct grammar or adding a few more, saving them time and effort.

I am not sure how useful my ideas are since they depend on the project’s scope and other details. Also, I should mention that I have not researched the claims I made above. They are solely just from brainstorming. I hope these ideas create more food for thought in creating stronger incentives for volunteers to translate texts.