Hi all,
I am pleased to announce the launch of the Wiki Speaks Your Language [1]
initiative with the goal of enriching the Wikimedia projects with freely
licensed audio and video files documenting spoken examples of every
language, language variety and dialect in the world.
The idea originates from the curiosity of many readers viewing language
articles not only to read about the language but also to hear how does it
sound. In most of the cases, our language articles lack such files and
readers usually end up searching videos on YouTube, notwithstanding that we
have the capacity as a movement and the resources to meet their wish.
The initiative lists three possible ways of acquiring freely licensed audio
and video files:
1) by adapting existing files on Wikimedia Commons (mostly from the Spoken
Wikipedia projects [2]);
2) by liberating existing files from the repositories of GLAM and
educational institutions; and
3) by engaging Wikimedia communities, GLAM and educational institutions in
the recording of new files.
In the first phase, the plan is to work with the available resources we
have and adapt the existing videos from the Spoken Wikipedia projects (there
are some useful tips [3] on what the existing files should be adapted to).
I will be very thankful if members of this list help in spreading the word
about the initiative through other channels to the communities and`other
parties in our movement.
Best regards,
Kiril
[1]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wiki_Speaks_Your_Language
[2]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikisound
[3]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wiki_Speaks_Your_
Language/Tips#Qualities_of_files