Lost in Translation: Complexities and Good Practices of Translating Coding-Based Teaching Materials Across Multiple Human Languages

Three educators combine their experiences of translating (and coordinating teams who translated) teaching materials from English into Ukrainian, Italian, Spanish and other human languages. They provide an actionable blueprint of how to start, run and maintain big translation projects, especially in the context of teaching coding. How do you make sure all translators are on the same page? What concepts do you translate and which do you leave in English? How do you ensure good quality of translations and motivate teams of translators (who are frequently volunteers)? This chapter has all the answers. Spoiler alert: it is all about process, source control, and synchronising expectations within the team.

This chapter is for you if you take part in (or manage) any translation projects, even if only tangentially connected to coding. Indeed, you will learn a lot about: coordinating teams; shaping quality-assurance processes; and future-proofing content. This chapter shows that anything worth doing, deep inside, is about project management and empathy.