Upper division foreign language courses have been reintegrating translation into the curriculum. Several recent projects have used Appropedia as a platform for translation exercises. (See [[ Language education-based translation]].) This page documents some of the benefits of using Appropedia as a platform for translation in language courses.
Benefits
The need for appropriate source material
Traditionally, course-based translation has used critically regarded literary content for source material. The advantage is that such content is culturally relevant. But there are disadvantages as well. Often the content is fairly dated, and the original language does not reflect current usage. Also, well known content often has existing translations which has two implications. First, some students might use those translations, gaining a potentially unfair advantage. Second, if the work has already been translated, students will not feel that their effort is of any real value.
Appropedia's content is, by its nature, intended to be culturally relevant. The topic of environmental sustainability as well as global poverty is of global concern (witness the UN's Millennium Development Goals), and each culture has its own important perspective on the topic. Language instructors can find a wealth of material in their target language which illuminates cultural perspectives on sustainability.
Translated content is valuable.
Appropedia has built in edit tracking capability, which makes it easy for an instructor to see who wrote which words.
As an online resource, Appropedia can be used in a laboratory setting, or in independent homework situations, or a mix of both.