ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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In Europe a travelling exhibition  has to be translated for almost each venue. 
Using two or three (or even four) languages on one location is very likely.

In order to make it easier to translate everything without having a high cost I can recommend the following
-do not asume that visitors in all countries speak English
-do not screen texts on the exhibits itself, print the texts on paper labels that you can put behind an easy to remove plexi
(or on another cheap and esay to replace material)
-make a lay out in which you can easily replace the texts
-labels should be big enough to allow text in more languages (and many languages are longer than English!)
-hosting instutions can usually translate the texts from English to the desired language(s) themselves
-for multimedia: take care that they can be used in several languages, that visitors can make a language choice, put all texts which appear on screen in a separate text file
-the operation system of your PC's can be in English: staff will understand this
-use as little text as possible



best regards,

Patricia

Patricia Verheyden
Manager of exhibits
Technopolis, the Flemish Science Center
Host site ECSITE conference 2006
Technologielaan, 2800 Mechelen, Belgium
tel. + 32 15 34 20 20; fax + 32 15 34 20 10
mailto:[log in to unmask]     http://www.technopolis.be

The above-mentioned messages/text and annexes do not commit the F.T.I Foundation or Technopolis in any way, unless otherwise agreed upon in writing or unless afterwards confirmed in a letter, duly signed according to the legal requirements. Neither can the F.T.I  Foundation or Technopolis be hold liable in law on the basis of the content of these messages/text and annexes.



-----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
Van: Informal Science Education Network
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]Namens Charity Counts
Verzonden: woensdag 26 oktober 2005 16:14
Aan: [log in to unmask]
Onderwerp: languages and traveling exhibits


ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

We are currently working on a traveling exhibition that we plan to
travel to multiple countries around the world.

I was wondering if you have traveling exhibitions that tour
internationally and how you deal with language in exhibit elements. Is
it best to make interactives and text panels bilingual or is it safe to
create an exhibit only in English? If we make them bilingual, what two
languages are best to use?

 

I have heard that some places deal with this issue by creating multiple
versions of a single exhibit to send to different regions of the world.
However, this may not be possible for us. Any suggestions??

 

Thanks,

Charity

 

Charity Counts

Int'l Traveling Exhibits Manager

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis

3000 N. Meridian St.

Indianapolis, IN 46208

317.704.3520

[log in to unmask]

 

 


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