Translating Citizen Media for the World
What is it?
“Global Voices is a community of more than 700 authors and 600 translators around the world who work together to bring you reports from blogs and citizen media everywhere, with emphasis on voices that are not ordinarily heard in international mainstream media”. They advocate for free speech as well as the “right to listen” by aiming to give both writers and readers the ability to access media on some of the world’s most interesting current events and issues. Articles on Global Voices have been translated by volunteer translators in over 30 languages.
Who is it for?
Global Voices is for readers interested in perspectives on current events that are not always found in the mainstream media (and who might not know where to look) and it’s also for writers who can’t always get their voices heard otherwise. It is also for language learners because most of the articles are available in several languages, allowing you to check your reading comprehension. Since the posts are up-to-date news articles, you also get current information about the countries and cultures you are interested in learning more about.
Why we love it
Global Voices is available in all of the languages we teach: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese, Arabic and Turkish. As a teacher, I find it to be a great source for interesting articles about current events that I can base my lessons on. As a learner, I love being able to read in my target language with the safety of knowing I can check the English if I don’t understand. Whether you use it for language learning or not, Global Voices is a great project that brings writers, translators, readers, and activists together to advocate for freedom of speech, protect citizen journalist rights, and keep the world informed.