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Multilingual content support

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1 Description

1.1 Idea

E-Learning takes place in world of different languages. E-Learning content is more and more presented in several languages. ILIAS should consider this and offer a possibility to support multi-lingual content within the ILIAS page editor (that is used in ILIAS learning modules, the wiki, categories, ...).
 
Multi-lingual support does not mean to offer two learning modules - one in English, one in French - but to offer one learning module that can be used in an English version as well as in a French one. So, creationg a second module version is not the solution. IDs and links would be different, as well as maintenance would cost much efforts.
 
Abandonded Concept:
 
Multilingual content support will be added on the content element level, e.g. on the level of a text paragraph element. The page structure is be defined by the content of the master language. This means, when a paragraph is deleted in the "master" version, it will be deleted for all languages, since it is one multilingual paragraph. This greatly reduces the overall maintenance costs, since structure based changes (e.g. moving multiple paragraphs to another page) needs only to be done in the master - the translated content automatically moves it.
 
Revised Contept:
 
Multilingual content support will be added on the page level. Each page can be managed in language dependent versions. The page ID will be the same (linking is language independent), like in the earlier concept. But the structure of the pages of different language versions may be different. Initial version can be created by copying content from the master, but will be independet from then. Copy/Pasting content elements between language version is possible, too.

1.2 Basic Setting

A learning module (a wiki, category page, ...) should have a setting that defines in which languages it is maintained. One of them should be the "master" language.

1.3 Master Editing and Translation Editing

The editing in the master language would work like now (ILIAS 4.2). The translation editing mode would:
  • Show the author, which pages are already translated and which not (more precisely: which pages have been edited in the master version after they have been edited in the derived version).
  • The author would copy the master pages into new language versions of the page. Later copying page content between the language version is possible, too.

1.4 Presentation

Similar to the multi-lingual category titles and description, the user language should be the trigger to show the appropriate language version of such a multi-lingual ILIAS object. But there is also the need for the user being able to select presentation language. This should be easily done at every page. If content is not available in the user or the selected language the master language can be used as fallback.

1.5 Multilingual Content Elements

Since the new concept acts on the page level, all content is initially copied from the master to the other language versions of the page. A multi-language support of the different content elements is not needed anymore, since the content is handled as independent copies.
 
Elements that contain language dependent content are:
  • Text
  • Media
    • The media file itself (e.g. video)
    • Caption
    • Text Representation
    • Names of Link Areas
  • Questions
    • Depends on question type, at least question/answer text
  • File Lists
    • List Title
    • File Names
  • Data Tables
    • Caption
    • Content (data is stored in the same way as paragraphs, but multilingual editing needs to be supported)
  • Advanced Tables
    • Caption
  • Tabs
    • Title
  • Interactive Images
    • Background Image
    • Caption
    • Overlay Images
    • Trigger Titles

1.6 Import/Export

  • XML import/export should always include all content in all languages.
  • HTML could support different options
    • Export only in ony language selected by the author.
    • Export in all languages with language selectors on each page or a language selecting entry page (index.html) that offers links into the different language versions.
Content Re-Use
  • Media Objects in Pools and Content Snippets: The multlingual editing of media objects must also be supported in media pools.
  • If re-used in learning modules, the media objects and snippets must inform the user about the available translations.

1.7 Notifications

To support the collaborative editing, it should be possible for users to be informed about changes in the learning module (or glossary), like this is already available in wikis. 

1.8 Overviews for translators

  • Show all pages with untranslated elements.
  • Show all pages with elements that have been changed in the master language, after the last translation has been done.

2 Incremental Development

2.1 New Concept

Supporting multilinguality for all content elements (as listed above) and all components that use the page editor (ILIAS learning modules, SCORM editor, wikis, glossaries, category/course/group pages, ...) would be desirable, but hard to fund in one step. An incremental approach could start with the most important elements and components.
 
Step One
  • Support all page elment types (create copies for language dependent page versions)
  • SRT support for video media objects
  • Support multilinguality in ILIAS learning modules, categories and on the root node level of the repository
Step Two
  • Support multilinguality for other components that use the page editor
    • E.g. courses: If courses should support multilinguality, all text based properties that are presented to the learner would need translations, too (e.g. all things managed under "Settings" > "Course Information")

2.2 Old Concept

Supporting multilinguality for all content elements (as listed above) and all components that use the page editor (ILIAS learning modules, SCORM editor, wikis, glossaries, category/course/group pages, ...) would be desirable, but hard to fund in one step. An incremental approach could start with the most important elements and components.
 
Step One
  • Support multilinguality in ILIAS learning modules and media pools
  • Support multilinguality in text paragraph elements and media objects
Step Two
  • Support multilinguality in all other content elements, except questions (file lists, tables, tabs, interactive images)
Step Three
  • Support multilinguality in all other components that use the page editor, except test and assessment (SCORM editor, wikis, glossaries, category/course/group pages, ...)
Step Four
  • Support multilinguality for all core question types and the test and assessment content pages.

3 Status

4 Additional Information

5 Discussion

JF 15 Nov 2010: We highly appreciate the idea but need a sound specification and committed funding before scheduling the feature.

Alex, 15 Nov 2010: This is a technical challenge, since page editing is already a complex feature. It would cost around two days to write a technical concept first.

Alex, 15 Dec 2011: Matthias and I discussed and outlined our preferred approach above.

JF 23 Jan 2012: We appreciate the concept and are looking for funding.

Alexandra, 27 Apr 2012:
  1. Please consider to include XML Localization Interchange File Format (XLIFF) as a means to quick and professional translation into the concept, see OASIS website. It is a widespread standard, it is XML-based. It allows inital maschine translation. It could work like: Export from ILIAS, import into translation device, maschine translation, human "debugging", export from translation device, import into ILIAS.
  2. Please do not decide upon content presentation language by determining the language in which a user navigates ILIAS. From big multilanguage content projects in industry we know that it is neccessary to allow users to determine the contant language in a certain escalation (1. en, if not, fr, if not de) AND for the Editor in chief we need to have the option to be shown all languages. PK is my reference and will answer all questions.
Matthias Kunkel, 08 Jun 2012:
  • I consider multilanguage content support as one of the most important features for strategic reasons. I will therefore suggest the advisory board of ILIAS open source e-Learning e.V. to contribute to the funding of this feature. It is necessary to offer the online help for other languages than German. But it is also needed if you do not restrict the use of your platform to users of one language (without duplicating everything).
  • I support Alexandra's suggestion to let it open to users in which language content shall be displayed. An option "Preferred languages" could be offered to the profile where I can add languages and order them.

Alex Killing, 28 Feb 2013: We have funding from the Universitys of Stuttgart for the basic implementation (text paragraphs and media objects). Also a support in category pages should be possible.

JF 4 Mar 2013: We still appreciate the feature and schedule it for 4.4.

6 Implementation

The implementation supports now basically all page element types, since we work with copies, when creating (language dependent) pages.
This will work with
  • Root Node (Customize Page, additionally to already supported translation of title/description)
  • Categories (Customize Page, additionally to already supported translation of title/description)
  • ILIAS Learning Modules (Translation of learning module title/descrption, translation of page and chapter titles, language dependent pages)
  • Media Pools
    • Since the language dependent pages have all their separate media objects included, there is no need for multilingual media objects (e.g. the image in the English page will be a different media object than the on on the German page)
    • To make the re-use of videos easier, the same video file may be used on pages for different languages (insert same media object from pool) and the SRT support for movie subtitles is used

6.1 Learning Modules

Multilinguality Settings in Learning Modules
Edit Page and Chapter Titles, switch Languages
Edit Pages, switch Languages

Last edited: 17. Apr 2025, 14:59, Kunkel, Matthias [mkunkel]