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Discussion on: Proposal: translate your own content to your native language

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drbearhands profile image
DrBearhands

IMO, every dev should learn English, to have a common language to access and present information. The best way to learn it is by exposition and necessity. Translations take away both exposition and necessity and so hinder this process.

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sauloco profile image
Saulo Vargas • Edited

What about people in the process?
What about people currently learning the language?
What about young ones who yet don't learn a second language, but already want project themselves as developers in the future?
What about separate jargon from plain english? Specially if you are starting with a new technology, and even if you are proficient with the language.
What about people who don't have full access to english education and are self-taught?
What about magnificent devs lost in other professions because they think like you?
What about magnificent devs who don't write great articles just because they aren't confident enough to write them in english?

On top of all this, what's the cost, the real effort, of translate an article to your very own language?

Don't misunderstand me, please, I think english is mandatory, but there is a process to learn it.

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drbearhands profile image
DrBearhands

If you don't have the basic English skills required to read dev.to posts you're also not going to be able to understand stackoverflow, specs, manuals, etc. You wouldn't be able to profit from the work of others, forcing you to repeat all their mistakes. You wouldn't be able to properly name things.
So no, you should not venture to be a dev if you lack that very basic understanding of the language. (I'm using "you" as "a person" not you specifically).

This is harsh, but that does not make it untrue.

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furtleo profile image
Leonardo Furtado

I know the post is old but I really know great developers in my country who don't have the English skills needed to read a full post on dev.to. I really believe it is an essential skill, but to say that "you should not venture to be a dev if you lack that very basic understanding of the language" seems very wrong.

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drbearhands profile image
DrBearhands

That sentence was admittedly taking things a bit far, but I stand by my point that English in an essentially skill for a developer that should be learned sooner rather than later.