HOL Language Helpers

[Emily Spencer]

If English is not your first language and you are struggling to make sense of something on HOL, language helpers are here to help. These are members who are confident with languages other than English. If you send them a message, they can talk something over with you in your language, answer your questions about the meaning of something or give you a hand with finding the words you need.

The languages we have covered are Arabic (al-ʿarabiyyah), Cantonese (Gwóngdūng wá), Czech (Čeština), Finnish (Suomi), French (Français), German (Deutsch), Indonesian (bahasa Indonesia), Macedonian (Makedonski), Polish (Polski), and Spanish (Español). See below for the people to contact regarding each one.

Languages and Helpers:

Arabic (al-ʿarabiyyah)
Rose Dove

Cantonese (Gwóngdūng wá)
Avery Hill

Czech (Čeština)
Kaitlyn Nightingale

Finnish (Suomi)
Will Lestrange

French (Français)
Kaitlyn Nightingale
Maxim Trevelyan

German (Deutsch)
Maxim Trevelyan

Indonesian (bahasa Indonesia)
Silvana Mandeville

Macedonian (Makedonski)
Prof. Zoki Phantom

Polish (Polski)
Louis Walles

Spanish (Español)
Kendra Givens

Things to keep in mind:

• All of these people are volunteers. They may take a few days to respond to you as they’re likely to be busy: please be patient and respectful.
• They are not there to provide free translation services, only to help you with specific issues.
• The official language of HOL is English so please keep discussions in other languages to private messages. For the reasoning behind that, check the handbook.
• Finally and most importantly, nobody is going to judge your English so please do not be afraid to reach out if you need some help.

For anyone who would like to volunteer to become a language helper, we are looking for those who are both fluent in English and are able to correspond effectively in another language (bearing in mind that you will likely be talking to native speakers). We are relying on you to judge your fluency so please only apply if you truly believe you could be of use in this situation. We would also strongly prefer you to have been a member of HOL for at least 3 months to ensure your commitment and knowledge of the community. If this sounds like you, please drop Mia Fountain or Emily Spencer a message with the language(s) you feel able to assist with.