ORAL FRONT TRANSLATION
Serve mother tongue translators by building bridges
WHAT IS A FRONT TRANSLATION?
An oral front translation is a strategic, early-stage translation of a Bible passage into a widely spoken gateway language—usually a national or regional lingua franca. It is not meant to replace written translations or be considered a final product. Instead, it serves as a temporary resource to support Bible translation efforts into smaller, often oral or minority languages.
This type of translation is delivered in an oral format and is designed to help the translation team understand and internalize the passage. It is especially useful when the team members are fluent in both the front translation language and their own mother tongue. The oral front translation acts as a bridge, allowing the team to grasp the meaning and structure of the text more easily as they prepare to translate it faithfully and naturally into their own language.
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WHEN IT IS USED?
Imagine a team working to translate the Bible into a small Amazonian language that has no writing system and no Bible yet. The mother tongue translators may not know Hebrew or Greek, but they do speak Portuguese. A front translation in clear, spoken Portuguese becomes their best tool. From that, they produce the oral Bible translation in their own language.
CREATE A FRONT TRANSLATION
IN THREE STEPS
STEP 1
Draft the front translation
1. Choose a specific passage or chapter of the Bible. 2. Type the reference of the passage into the Front Translation Drafter model. 3. The model will generate a draft of the front translation in oral format. 4. Listen to the draft. – If you don’t like it, ask the model to create another version. – If you do like it, continue to step 5. 5. Copy the draft to your clipboard. You will need it for steps 2 and 3 in the next stage of your process.
STEP 2
Check for Accuracy
1. Copy and paste the draft into the Accuracy Checker model. 2. The model will analyze the draft verse by verse, comparing it with the original biblical texts. 3. It will provide a list of suggestions for improvement, along with a general assessment. 4. Read the notes carefully and write down what you think needs to be revised. 5. When you're ready, move on to step 3.
STEP 3
MAKE CHANGES AND RECORD
1. Copy and paste the draft that was created by the Front Translation Drafter. 2. Make final edits and improvements based on the suggestions from the Accuracy Checker. 3. When you're ready, click the SEND button. The Oral Narrator will generate the finalized oral version. 4. Use any audio recording app to record the narrator’s voice. 5. Send the audio file to the translation team!
This web app uses customized GPT models to research and engage with our intended users - Bible translation teams. Developed by Marcia Suzuki from YWAM's University of the Nations, these models are currently in the testing phase. They have been enhanced with a range of approved Bible Translation resources and practices to ensure quality and accuracy. For more information, please contact marcia.suzuki@uofn.edu.