Designing a multilingual glossary

The process of designing a multilingual glossary

The Multilingual Glossary of School-based Terms was designed as part of a research project. The glossary is a list of key school-based terms and plain-language definitions which is available on this website in Arabic, English, Kurdish Kurmanji, Portuguese, and Swahili.

The process of designing a multilingual glossary is provided here for schools and communities to use freely to design multilingual glossaries in languages relevant to their families and communities.

The Process

Step 1 – Create the word list

  • Analyse the key words that are used on your school website and in important documents and policies.
  • The outcome will be a list of key school-based terms relevant to your school community.

Tip: The English list available via the Glossary page of this website might be a helpful starting point.

Step 2 – Translate the word list

  • Translate the word list into the target language.

Tip: Qualified translators can be sourced from the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI). If this is not possible, parents or community leaders may be a resource to call on for these translation tasks. Also contact Multicultural Australia in your area and Department of Education staff for information on translation services.

Step 3 – Conduct Design Meeting 1

  • Organise a series of meetings with key stakeholders to consult on the word list. These include meetings with:
    1. Education leaders and teachers as well as other relevant school or support staff e.g., those with expertise in languages such as multilingual teacher aides, EALD teachers, community liaison personnel.
    2. Community leaders and family members representing those who speak languages relevant to the multilingual students at the school.

The focus for the first meeting is to have attendees engage with the word list to decide if the words are the most useful and relevant words for multilingual families enrolling their children at the school.

  • The stakeholders may suggest certain words and phrases as well as categories be added or deleted. Ask:
    • Which words and phrases are necessary to assist multilingual students and their families participate in the everyday activities of Australian schooling?
    • Which words and phrases are important and need to be part of school-family communication?

Tip: The meeting of stakeholders can be undertaken in language groups with translators and community liaison personnel present to assist with communication. Or it may be beneficial to combine groups. This decision will depend on the community where your school or organisation is located.

Step 4 – Develop plain language definitions

  • Write definitions for each of the words. Focus on plain language definitions with everyday meanings rather than technical definitions.

Tip: Work together with others to write these definitions. Think about what will make sense to the people who will be using the multilingual glossary.

Step 5 – Translate the definitions and other text for the glossary

  • Translate the definitions into the target language.

Tip: Qualified translators can be sourced from the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI). If this is not possible, parents or community leaders may be a resource to call on for these translation tasks. Also contact Multicultural Australia in your area or Department of Education staff for translation services.

Step 6 – Conduct Design Meeting 2

  • Organise meetings to refine and check the glossary and translated definitions. These include meetings of people from Design Meeting 1 if possible but importantly, people who can comment on the glossary and definitions:
    1. Education leaders and teachers as well as other relevant school or support staff, e.g. those with expertise in languages such as multilingual teacher aides, EALD teachers, community liaison personnel.
    2. Community leaders and family members who speak the languages in the glossary.

The focus for this second meeting is to have attendees engage with the plain language definitions. Ask:

    • Do these definitions make sense?
    • Are the definitions accurate?
    • Is there anything missing from the glossary and definitions?

Tip: It is important that the definitions make sense to school personnel as well as multilingual students and their families. This is a resource that will help them communicate with each other.

Step 7 – Format and disseminate the glossary

  • Format the glossary so that it is easy to read and use. Make sure you have easy to read instructions and other introductory information translated into the target language as well as the glossary word list and plain language definitions.
  • Disseminate to parents and community members, teachers and others in your school. You may want to place a PDF of the glossary on the school website. You could use the school newsletter to make sure people know about the glossary. A hard copy of the glossary in book form might be useful at the front desk of the school.

Tip: The glossary that is relevant to your school may also be useful for other schools in your area. Consider sharing the glossary with other schools and services.