Some key words guaranteed to ignite a hot discussion in any forum anywhere in Latin America:
Globalization. Multinational sets up for business in Latin America. Mercosur and other common markets. Islam. Israel. Gaza. Imperialism. Colonialism. Uruguayan diaspora. Department 20.
Advice from two leaders, in government and in education, in two countries closely connected to Etoys:
From President Mujica of Uruguay (with some details added by my imagination):
Let´s stop discussing whether or not English is the language of imperialism or colonialism.
Let´s focus on observing how the chinese use this language, which is not theirs:
- They use it to communicate among themselves in a country with many dialects.
- They use it to avoid wasting time and energy creating new words and expressions that already exist in the world of technology.
- They use it to go out into the world and successfully conquer new markets for their products and services.
From Dra. Lea Fagundes, from UFRGS University, Porto Alegre, during her farewell speech closing the Squeakfest Brasil 2009 international conference:
And now, go to study English!
Some resented such advice on a Saturday afternoon when they were making plans to go dancing and having fun.
But her words impacted us all to the point we still remember them more than one year later.
¿What is the subject connected to all this, on which I believe we will all agree?
The use of foreign languages and the translation of both, papers in the field of education as well as commercial and political proposals, are essential in the reality of today's world.
The good news for Squeakers is:
Etoys offers a very powerful tool to translate our projects, "translatable text".
It suits collaboration very well.
The ones who write and the one or those who translate, don't necessarily have to be the same person or live in the same country!
More to come on this important subect in future messages.
In the meantime, I leave you with two examples I believe illustrate the subject of translation in Etoys well.
These are two Etoys projects by different authors, who are currently living in different countries.
You may use them or download them at the Squeakland Showcase:
http://squeakland.org/showcase/everyone/?viewBy=date
La familia incomunicada (2010-ago15)
por Beatriz Bello, en el marco del Proyecto UPEP "Gestión del conocimeinto y uso didáctico de las TICS" FHCE, UDELAR. Prof. L. Barboza, Montevideo, Uruguay. Mayo 2010. <bea> Cuento y propuesta didáctica para Derecho y Ciencias Sociales.
Uncommunicated Family 1 (2010-sep-02)
por Beatriz Bello, within the UPEP Project "Knowledge and Didactic use of TICS" FHCE, UDELAR. Prof. L. Barboza, Montevideo, Uruguay. May 2010. <carlos>
Story and didactic proposal for Law and Social Science.
Till next message,
Carlos Rabassa Volunteer Plan Ceibal Support Network Montevideo, Uruguay