[kde-edu]: Re: trading place for translations - for open source projects and schools

[Hartmut Meyer]

Hi,

Am Mittwoch, 19. November 2003 06:56 schrieb Arnold Kraschinski:

> > > looking for translators on the one side and teachers/pupils/schools
> > > looking
> > > for real-world transaltion jobs on the other side? I believe it can be
> > > a good motivator to know that the work done will actually not be binned
> > > (after beeing read by the teacher) but be really useful.
> > >
> > > Does something like that already exist?
> >
> > Yes, but on a very, let me say unprofessional, base. Pingos and others
> > tried this in the past.
> > But you need to motivate teachers who will support such projects. And
> > beleve
> > me, motivating teachers is one of the hardest jobs one can imagine.
>
> I don't think that it is very difficult to motivate teachers. Have a good
> idea and they will listen. Translating software in English lessons is a bad
> one. It doesn't improve the communicativa abilities of the students. Such
> tasks need a lot of special vocabulary that doesn't fit to the aims of
> general education English lessons. The contents of a handbook normally
> isn't a motivating story. Only few pupils are addicted to open software so
> it is selfish to think that your own preferences are those of the pupils.

That's why I was thinking of a trading place. I'm aware that most software 
projects would not be too interesting for standard English classes. But think 
about something like the German Berufsschule - and you will find many English 
classes with specialized professional background. Like nurses or mechanics or 
buisness related. If such a trading place did exist, those classes could 
check out what projects are looking for help - chances are you will find a 
match in interest.

Thomas Templin has already been involved with a very successful example of 
such a match. I was telling my sister in law about this (she's an English 
teacher at a Berufsschule), and even though she's not affine to computer 
topics, she was (and still is) interested in a project like that.


Greetings from Bremen
hartmut