EasyEnglish
This project developed out of a desire to produce a simple form of the English language, designed specifically for those whose first language is something else. There are many people in the world today who use English as a second, third or even fourth language because it is in such widespread use around the globe. Very soon after our charity was established more than thirty years ago, it became clear that many people, who do not have a copy of the Bible in their own language, are still able to read it in English. So it was decided to produce a simpler form of English for those whose first, or 'heart', language is not English.
EasyEnglish uses only some parts of normal English. It is a language system that has distinct rules. These control the vocabulary that we may use and, in addition, allow only simple forms of grammar. This helps us to express complex ideas in simpler words and sentences. In addition, the rules help us to make clear how various parts of the sentence or paragraph relate to each other in a sensible way. There are two levels (types) of EasyEnglish.
In level A, we use a vocabulary of only 1,200 words. Level A is for people who have learned English as a second language. It is for people who can manage in normal social and work situations.
In level B, we use approximately 2,800 words. Level B is for people who have a greater knowledge of English at an intermediate level.
Find out more by visiting either of two of our websites. The first deals only with the EasyEnglish Bible. It has the full text of the Bible. It also has commentaries, Bible studies and other materials written in EasyEnglish. The second site is more recent and offers other books in EasyEnglish on the history of the church and Christian teaching.
The Worldwide Electronic Bible and Book Service
WEBBS is our project to support the work of Bible translation and publishing throughout the world, and it is the principal service that we provide. It aims to produce digital text from a printed document in support of the ongoing task to translate and publish a version of the Bible in every spoken language on Earth. The service started more than twenty-five years ago and has, slowly but surely, built up an enviable reputation for highly accurate and professional work.
It involves converting printed text to digital format by typing, or keyboarding, it into a computer file. Most of the keyboarding work that we do involves typing out Scripture, although sometimes we do get asked to type other material such as Bible commentaries or devotional books. Generally, the documents that we work on are out of print and need typing onto a computer so that they can be prepared for re-printing. What's more, most of the material is not in English and is often needed in order for a fresh translation to be made. These days, translators can avail themselves of many useful, time-saving computer applications that help to speed up the process of translation enormously. But, of course, none of these tools can be used until the text is available in digital format.
Our goal is to produce 100% accuracy in every project that we undertake. To achieve this, we rely on volunteers typing each character individually, using a specially produced software application to produce diacritics (accented characters) in Unicode format. Each piece of work is keyboarded separately by two teams at once. The results are digitally compared and checked thoroughly. For challenging projects, a team of sight-checkers is used to make a visual comparison of the keyboarded text with the images of the original. The work is then sent on to an editor who will splice together all the different files to produce a complete, electronic document. This editor will also make a final check for accuracy. Using this method, we are able to produce consistently accurate reproductions of original texts, often from ancient and even damaged, printed pages.
For a video presentation on keyboarding, click on the link below.
Video Presentation
Functional Literacy
This project - also known as "Shell Books" - has produced a wide range of adult literacy booklets in four widely used languages: English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. The booklets cover a range of subjects from health and hygiene to crafts, farming and practical matters such as simple construction techniques and come with simple illustrations. They can be printed as they are, or the text can be lifted out and replaced in any language, while the pictures and formatting (the "shell") remain. This enables mission workers to create simple booklets in a local language that may have few or no existing books in print. The titles are designed for use by adults who are learning to read for the first time, so each title is classified according to its level of difficulty: simple, intermediate or advanced.
The books are produced as Microsoft Word files and made available on a separate website where they can be can be downloaded directly or ordered in a variety of digital media (CDs, DVDs or USB sticks), free of charge. It is also possible to request the production of specific booklets if none in the present range meets a client's needs.
To have a look at the Shell Books website, click on the button below.
Shell Books website
