The Diocese of New Jersey is growing in diversity. Its new Web site is changing to reflect that diversity.
When the new site launched in August, it featured the ability for users to select Spanish as their language of preference. Spanish speakers are among the fastest growing segments of new Episcopalians, and a number of congregations in the diocese offer Spanish-language services.
But English and Spanish aren’t the only languages used by our congregations. St. Elizabeth’s in Elizabeth has a growing population of Haitian immigrants, and offers services in Haitian Creole. St. Peter’s Igbo Anglican Church in Hamilton serves a congregation whose chief first language is the Igbo language from Southeastern Nigeria. This week, those languages were added as options to our diocesan Web site. In addition, select videos on the diocesan YouTube channel and Web site—notably the bishop’s weekly sermon—are now being close captioned in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Igbo.
Our diverse congregations need and deserve a Web site as diverse as they are.
To select your language of preference, use the menu at the top right of the Web page. Find your language and click it. Every page you visit on the diocese Web site will be automatically translated until you select a different language.
Translations are powered by Google Translate, one of the most cutting-edge computer translation systems available today. The Diocese paid version boasts “neural machine translations with human level translation quality.”
However, computer-generated translations are never perfect. The diocese is recruiting volunteer translators to help fine tune translated Web pages. Out site gives us the ability to edit translations where needed. If you are interested in volunteering to translate, contact Canon Steve Welch.
