Science Worksheets for Children in Regional Languages – A Translator’s Perspective

Abstract

The STI Policy (Science, Technology and Innovation Policy) aims to bring about a national-level science movement for popularising science among students and inculcating interest among the masses. This policy outlines strategies to mainstream science communication and public engagement through capacity building avenues, research initiatives and outreach platforms. In order to achieve this and to popularise science amongst students and the general public, reaching them in their regional languages is imperative. Science communication is the art of conveying content to the public, importantly building their trust in science, technology and innovation. Especially in a multilingual country like ours, the challenges to make STI reach everyone needs a futuristic vision with careful planning and execution. In this article, the authors discuss various aspects and their observations from their experience in translating science worksheets into Tamil for children. This paper also discusses the issues where a translator needs to be cautious about the dialects and age- appropriate vocabulary, more so while translating to reach children.