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Bridging the language gap between English and Chinese speakers online

Here’s an Australian initiative addressing a key challenge in the Asia-Pacific area: bridge the culture and language gap between English and Mandarin speakers online.

The Marco Polo Project is an internet platform where Chinese and English language learners collectively reference and translate Chinese writing for an international audience. The website combines the functions of an online magazine, a language learning website, and a social networking platform.

The website is accessible in beta version at:http://marcopoloproject.org/.

Could the Marco Polo Project be of direct use to your agency for language training or environmental scanning?

Could a similar system be adopted to crowd-source translations inside government?

Could this platform or a similar one help compensate the current shortage of Mandarin teachers?

Will this peer-based approach to language education appeal to new generations?

Are you developing similar or different initiatives to address the same challenge?

The Marco Polo Project team would love to receive your feedback!

Post your comment here, or contact us directly at [email protected].

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William Lim

This is a terrific idea and I hope it expands to more languages besides Mandarin. Already I can see crowdsourced translation being applied to things like voting guides, business and license regulations, participatory budgeting, consumer protection guides, public health alerts, and public transit maps/schedules.

Julien Leyre

Hey William, thanks for your encouragements! Please, if you like the idea, pass on the message – if the project starts getting attention, then we’re more likely to get minimal funding, and become sustainable.