New advocates: background and project guidelines
Welcome! To help you lead a successful translation team, Khan Academy has prepared this guide to lead you through the process of setting up/taking over a translation project.
This guide contains general background, a description of advocate duties, Khan Academy policy relevant to translation teams, and basic translation tooling info.
Depending on your background, you may already be familiar with some of the topics covered. However, we ask that all new advocates review the entire document in order to assist translation team members!
Leading Translation Project Teams
Advocates are responsible for managing two kinds of translation:
- Dubbing or recreating Khan Academy videos
- Translating written language (i.e., website/platform language, learning exercises, etc.)
Please click here for a more detailed description of advocate duties. When you're done, come back to this page to continue the journey!
Background and Translation Project Stages
What should I translate first?
If you are an advocate for a brand-new project, we ask that you translate fundamental math content (videos, exercises, and articles) first.
What is the long-term strategic plan for translation projects?
The goal is to translate enough material so that we can give you a Demo Site, which means we will add your language to the official Khan Academy learning platform (an interactive, full Khan Academy learning experience with videos, exercises, and articles).
How long does it take to get to the final stages of a translation project?
It does take a long-term commitment, and it depends on how large your team is. But don't worry- every little bit helps!
How do I know what to translate? Is there a list?
Don’t worry! The items to translate are automatically provided to you on the Khan Academy Translation Portal. If your group has specific needs or goals that do not exactly match our sequence, please let us know.
Important Policy Information for New Translation Projects
Advocates should also be aware of the following policy information regarding fundraising, licensing, and using the Khan Academy logo. Below are the most common questions advocates ask about these issues:
- Can my translation team raise funds to translate Khan Academy content?
Yes, many translation teams have successfully applied for funding by applying to resources in their home countries. We encourage you to investigate this option. Please let us know if you do: there are specific ways we might be able to assist you.
- Can I use the Khan Academy name and logo?
Yes, with certain restrictions. For example, if you wish to advertise a fundraiser for your translation group, you may include the Khan Academy name and logo on your advertising material. However, it must be clear that you are a separate entity from Khan Academy, and the Khan Academy logo cannot be the most distinctive or prominent feature on your website, printed material or other content. Also, the Khan Academy logo may not be placed too closely to your group’s logo, as this implies an official association or partnership with us. Finally, you may not alter the logo in any way.
- Are there any licensing/copyright issues I need to be aware of?
Please see this page.
Translation Tooling and Technology Requirements
This part of the Advocate guide briefly covers our translation platforms and tools.
As an advocate, you will need to know the basics of Crowdin (the tool underlying our translation platform) and the Khan Academy Translation Portal, which allows you to access and translate our material. A Khan Academy Portal looks like this:
If your team is dubbing/recreating videos, you’ll first need to download the video. You can use a free online video downloader - see more info at these guidelines.
Dub or recreate the video and put them on the Youtube Channel that we have provided you.
Moving Forward
After you have completed the application process (e.g., filled out the applications form, including your video sample) and received an official email notification stating that you have been accepted as an advocate, you may move forward!
You are now ready to read the following (take it slowly and don't get overwhelmed). We recommend reading these links in the order presented.
- For our registration guide, see here
- For "Ten Steps to Launch your new language Team" see here
- For an intro to translating written language (strings), see here
- For more information about translating our videos, see here
Please make sure to read this guide and the rest of the translator help pages thoroughly, especially the section focused on advocates. If you have questions, please contact us by creating an i18n support ticket.
Thank you again for helping us make Khan Academy content available to learners around the globe!