Wikimedia and Language

Teaching Matters Edinburgh

In this episode, Wikimedians Ewan McAndrew and Jason Evans unpack the role of languages in Wikipedia with Richard Nevell (Wikimedia Programme Director), Lorna Campbell (OER services manager) and three Translation Studies MSc students, Binjie Xiang, Huichao Wang and Nora Albawardi. This episode is the second of our Wikimedia Series, which aims to recontextualize Wikimedia's role in academia on its 21st birthday.

The group covers fascinating questions: Does translation open the door to a more complete and diverse selection of sources? What role does machine translation play in the translating process? People typically edit Wikipedia independently, but is this in some ways a community event? And what opportunities are there in Wikipedia for indigenous languages? This thought-provoking episode is an essential listen for anyone interested in digital representation, the ins and outs of translation and the role Wikimedia can play within academia.

Timestamps:

1:30 - Introductions and each participant detailing why they believe it's important to have Wikipedia pages in multiple languages

11:45 - The group covers issues that arise with translation, the role of machine translation and having sources in multiple languages

23:35 - The group discusses the opportunities and challenges faced by smaller Wikipedias and the communal rejuvenation of the Scots Wikipedia

Ewan McAndrew, our Wikimedian in Residence, provided the following resources for anyone interested in further readings regarding Wikimedia and languages:

• Building bridges not walls – Wikipedia in Translation Studies
• Address Knowledge Gaps (Program)
• Growing Wikipedia Across Languages via Recommendation
• Videos on Wikipedia and Translation Studies
• Videos on Translation more generally