How we write - a focus on translation
Keep it simple
We write in English for a global audience, and want to make our content accessible to everyone.
- Use short sentences and everyday words that our users understand and use.
- Keep your words direct and to the point.
- Avoid jargon and idioms that may be difficult to understand with no context.
- Make instructions clear, actionable and concise.
Use active voice
Active voice eliminates ambiguity.
Teachers can set a deadline.
You should...
Your site is...
A deadline can be set by teachers.
It is recommended to…
It has been detected that your site is …
Spell out acronyms the first time you use them
Example: Branded Moodle App (BMA)
Use capital letters at the beginning of sentences and for proper nouns only.
For titles, subtitles and calls to action, we use sentence case and not Title Case.
Read the full article.
Read the Full Article.
Avoid regionally specific date formats
Don't use 13/02/2022 or 02/13/2022. To avoid confusion, write the date as 13 February 2022.
Be mindful of length
Translated text is often longer or shorter than your original text in English. This is especially important when writing text for our products. If you have doubts about whether you're compromising the layout or structure, double-check with a designer.
Avoid using flags to represent languages
Flags represent countries or regions, but not languages: some countries have multiple languages, while many languages are spoken in more than one country. Instead, use the name of the language in its native format followed by its corresponding ISO 639 abbreviation.
Example: 'Deutsch (de)' for German or '日本語 (ja)' for Japanese.
Avoid using holiday references
Holidays are often culture-specific and referencing them can be alienating to people who don't celebrate them.
Gendered pronouns
Many languages lack gender-inclusive options, like the pronoun "they" in English. When possible, don't use gendered pronouns. Use the "you" pronoun instead of the third person "she/he".
Gendered adjectives
In many languages, nouns and adjectives are gendered, and finding gendered-inclusive options is difficult. When referring to people, try to avoid adjectives and find a different way of writing what you want to say.
Add the first entry
When the adjective "first" refers to an object, in this case "entry", the translator will automatically use the gender of the object.
Be the first student to add an entry.
When the adjective "first" refers to a person, in this case a student, in many languages it will need a gender. The translator will have to make a difficult decision.
Avoid using substantivised adjectives too, as they'll also be gendered in many languages. That is, adjectives that act as nouns, for example:
Add the first entry
When the adjective "first" refers to an object, in this case "entry", the translator will automatically use the gender of the object.
Be the first to add an entry.
The adjective "first" acts like a noun, which means it will need a gender in many languages.