[Wikimedia-l] Children and Simple English

[Mathias Damour]

Le 31/05/2013 04:10, James Salsman a écrit :
> Mathias Damour wrote:
>
>> The only sad thing is that it won't be launched in other languages
> There is a longstanding proposal to create simple language Wikipedias
> in languages other than English and France, but it remains to be seen
> whether it is compatible with the current narrowing focus austerity
> regime.

I'm afraid my message was not clear enought, I meant *Wikikids-type* 
projects should be launched in other language than existing active and 
well developed Vikidia in French and Wikikids.nl in Dutch !
I mean it should be a new set of project, not other "simple language" 
versions of Wikipedia.

The new Wikikids to launch in other languages would be in particular in 
German *and in english*, thus this page 
http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikikids/Relation_to_Simple_English_Wikipedia

Here is an extract of 
http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikikids/For_children_or_by_children_%3F
**************************************************************************


    Who should Wikikids be written for?

Wikikids is a free encyclopedia designed for 8-13 yeas old children. 
However, this description is of use to define what it is geared toward, 
but it doesn't exclude its usefulness to others.

The Simple English Wikipedia ultimately has a similar purpose, yet it is 
designed primarily to speak to /language level/ rather than its 
audience's /age range/.

/*See : Wikikids/Relation to Simple English Wikipedia 
<http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikikids/Relation_to_Simple_English_Wikipedia>*/

We may imagine a documentary resource that, beyond considerations of age 
range, would address a comprehensibility level of any particular 
subject. Indeed, at any age we can be considered a beginner in a 
particular field of knowledge, and would need simple documents to take 
our first steps.

However, as we become more familiar with the basic ideas in a field, we 
become able – whatever our age – able to explore and better comprehend 
ever more complex documentation. A child that is impassioned by 
archaeology would certainly take advantage of Wikipedia articles or even 
subsequently specialized articles if they do not contain too much 
technical jargon.

The crucial quality for a documentary resource for children is to take 
them seriously and to take into account their learning level without 
stooping to infantilization. We may keep as a criterion that the quality 
of a children-directed content should be such that it could, without 
embarrassment, be offered to someone in a learning situation on that 
subject, whatever his age, be he a non-native speaker, a high school 
student in another language or just someone needing, in a particular 
field, to start from scratch.

We may even be cautious in not making the reader feel inferior, be they 
adult or teenager, by making them feel that the content was not designed 
for him.

The fact that a resource devoted to 8-13 years old children could be 
used for adult learning can constitute a guaranty against risks of 
infantilization. The achievement would be that any person, be he 8 or 
88, when starting from scratch on a subject, would know that he could 
find what he needs on such a wiki.
**************************************************************************



Le 30/05/2013 21:18, Mathias Damour a écrit :
> Hence the Wikikids proposal !
> Our clue on fr.vikidia.org (one of the existing Wikikids-like project) 
> on it being actually used by children is the numerous messages they 
> drop on the Guestbook when invited to write "what they think of 
> Vikidia" by a sitenotice : 
> http://fr.vikidia.org/wiki/Vikidia:Livre_d%27or : Many thanks and 
> enthusiasm ! :-)
> The only sad thing is that it won't be launched in other languages 
> (and as a WM sister project) without your help and support (to fix the 
> proposal, ask questions, write a RFC...)
>
> See :
> http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikikids
> just set down : 
> http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikikids/Relation_to_Simple_English_Wikipedia 
>

-- 
Mathias Damour
49 rue Carnot
F-74000 Annecy
00 33 (0)4 57 09 10 56
00 33 (0)6 27 13 65 51
mathias.damour at laposte.net
http://fr.vikidia.org/wiki/Utilisateur:Astirmays