Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

An inflatable globe

An inflatable globe at the Global Voices citizen media summit in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 2017. Photo by Jer Clarke.

I am not a professional translator. Can I still apply to volunteer for the Lingua project?

Yes, you can! No formal translation qualifications or minimum experience are required to apply.

Are you only looking for translators who work from English into other languages?

We welcome translators who can translate into English, although there is reduced availability of content originally published in non-English languages. Please apply using the application form.

I don’t see my language on the list of Lingua sites. Can I still participate?

We are only able to publish translations from volunteers when the language in question has a corresponding Global Voices site which is overseen by a Translation Manager. You can see the list of language sites that actively publish translations on the About page.

However, Lingua is a volunteer-driven project, so if you are motivated to help launch a new language site and you think that there is enough community interest to recruit other volunteer translators, we’d love to hear from you. Please apply using the application form.

Can I choose the stories that I want to translate?

Yes! Translators are free to choose stories from Global Voices, Advox, Rising Voices or the Community Blog websites that they would like to translate, as long as they haven’t been translated already. Some Translation Managers also make suggestions to translators for what is available to translate.

Where can I find help if I have a question related to translation or technical matters?

Depending on the specifics of your question, you can:

  • Ask the Translation Manager for your language
  • Ask the Lingua Director
  • Email the original author of the story or the relevant regional newsroom editor for clarification
  • Consult one of the Lingua guides
  • Send your question to one of the community mailing lists for discussion

What happens if I make a mistake in my translation?

Don't worry! To err is human. Translations are revised by (human) editors before publishing.

Why translate ourselves, when people can just use machine translation tools?

Machine translation tools such as Google Translate or DeepL can be useful in the absence of human translators to quickly get a general sense of what a piece of text is about. Even in the hands of human translators, these tools can be useful during the translation process. However, when it comes to translating stories that present the beauty and poetry of a culture, explain the nuances of a complex local issue, or simply offer an enjoyable and thought-provoking reading experience, machine translation on its own doesn't perform anywhere near as well as human translators do, with all of our lived experience and imagination. Translation is an artform, after all. Not to mention that machine translation doesn't work consistently or isn’t available in every language!

But the resulting translation – the final product – is only the half of it. The practice of translation supports the development of critical and creative thinking, skills that are widely applicable to other personal and professional pursuits. It cultivates a deeper awareness of one's cultural assumptions and it broadens one's perspective to include an additional culture, both of which can lead to increased empathy and innovation. These are muscles that will always be beneficial for us to exercise. Just think about cars – we have the technology that can transport us quickly from one place to another, but that doesn’t replace the need to stretch our own legs by taking a relaxing stroll through nature or by embarking on a challenging run for sport.

And translation is an accessible activity that the Global Voices community can rally around, one of many that brings us together across borders in shared purpose. Machine translation is simply no substitute.

A t-shirt with handwriting on it.

“TRUTH: Trust, Respect, Understanding, Translate, Humanity.” An activity at the Global Voices citizen media summit in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 2017. Photo by Jer Clarke.

Do you offer payment for translations of Global Voices stories?

No, Lingua is a volunteer-driven project. The translations of Global Voices stories that are published on our various language sites are undertaken by volunteers, who generously donate their spare time to our mission. That being said, our volunteers have reported that they benefit from their contributions to the Lingua project in other ways. Read more about the reasons to get involved.

Do you accept translation assignments for a fee?

As a separate initiative, Global Voices offers professional translation services to like-minded organizations for a fee within a variety of specializations, such as freedom of expression and open internet advocacy. The earnings from these translation assignments support both the Lingua project and Global Voices as a whole. Learn more.

How can I become a Translation Manager?

Each language in the Lingua community has one or more Translation Managers who run the site, support and train translators, and review translations before they are published. Translation Managers should be a native speaker of their language and have proficiency in English, which is both the lingua franca at Global Voices and the most common source language for Lingua translations. Volunteers can arrive at the role of Translation Manager in a number of ways. If you are interested in becoming a Translation Manager, please get in touch with the current Translation Manager for your language. Alternatively, if your language site currently doesn’t have a Translation Manager, please send us an application as a volunteer, indicating that you would be interested in the role.

I am a translation student. Do you offer internships?

Yes! We can give you a place on our team as a translator, proofreader or some other role for a set period of time. However, please bear in mind that we do not have a physical office, so all work is done remotely, and there might be no opportunity to meet editors face to face. If your internship work can be done remotely, please get in touch and let us know what it requires from Global Voices, and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.

So Lingua volunteers never meet face to face? How do you work remotely?

Lingua volunteers, just like other contributors to Global Voices at large, are all over the world, and this is one of the most beautiful aspects of the project. We regularly communicate through mailing lists, email, Slack, messaging apps like WhatsApp, blog posts and video calls.

However, we do meet face to face whenever the opportunity presents itself. There may be local meetups for Global Voices contributors who live in the same city or special meetups when two or more contributors happen to be at the same place. Apart from impromptu meetings, every few years, Global Voices hosts a summit somewhere in the world, and we take the opportunity to try to bring together as many volunteers as possible.

Are there any other ways to get involved?

Yes! The Lingua project is a part of Global Voices, and you can participate in Global Voice in several ways:

  • Apply to be a volunteer writer: Many Lingua translators have gone on to write stories about their local context and culture for Global Voices.
  • Stay in touch with our work: You can sign up for the Global Voices newsletter in English or one of the many newsletters offered by particular language sites. Similarly, you can follow us on social media in all of the languages we offer.
  • Recommend Global Voices stories to your own networks.
  • Partner with us: If you work for a like-minded organization and think we should share content or collaborate on a project, get in touch.
  • Donate: The Lingua project is a part of Global Voices, which is a non-profit organization that relies on the support of our many sponsors and funders.