MAST Facilitator Role

Facilitator Role

Each workshop is different and many factors can contribute to changes in the procedures so please remember to approach the workshop with flexibility.

You will arrive early enough for a time of orientation to review your responsibilities at the event. Below is a rough outline, but you will be trained on what your role is. When the translators arrive, the first day will include a skills assessment and then you begin the regular daily routine.

Skills Assessment

  • Facilitators will be given clear tasks which will allow them to manage different short 10 minute assessments in the following areas:

    • Gateway Language Fluency

    • English Fluency

    • Mother Tongue Fluency

    • Thinking Skills Level

    • Biblical Familiarity

    • Computer Familiarity

  • From these assessments, the team lead will create translation teams.

Daily Routine

As a facilitator, you will be assigned to a specific translation team. The translation teams will be given their packet of scripture for the morning.   Each individual will be given their scripture to consume. There may also be notes and key word resources made available. As a facilitator, you will help each team stay on task.

  • Step 1: Consume - Each Individual should spend time reading their scripture.  

  • Step 2: Verbalize the text in the following ways:

    1. Generally just tell each other what you read.

    2. What are some important things that you read—details that are important?

    3. What are some main events/people?

    4. Were there any key words in this passage?

  • Step 3: Chunking - Have them break down their passage into manageable parts that they can remember and rewrite quickly.  

  • Step 4: Blind Draft

    Without looking at their text, have the translators write one chunk at a time in their mother-tongue.

  • Step 5: Self Check

    Have them compare what they wrote to the written text and see if they have all the key elements. Translators can use any additional resources available to them including the resources in translationStudio.

  • Step 6: Peer Check

    Each translator should have someone peer edit their work.  

1.  Is it accurate? Are all the details there? Are all the keywords there? Anything missing?

2.  Is it natural? Does it sound good in your language? Is it clear? Smooth? Is it pleasing to your ear? Is it clear and understandable?

  • Step 7: Key Word Check

    The facilitator should review all key words using available resources and asking:

1.  Is that word in the text?

2.  Is the proper meaning conveyed?

3.  Are there any words that you had to borrow from another language?

  • Step 8: Verse by Verse Check

    The facilitator should open the source text and work through verse by verse:

1.  Have the translator read each verse to you one at a time.

2.  As the translator reads the verse and it is translated into a language you understand, check for accuracy (key words, meaning, time events, etc).

3.  If there is a question regarding the accuracy of the verse, engage the translator in discussion about what may/may not be needed. You may use any language needed for communication.

4.  When everyone is satisfied with the verse, move forward and/or have the translator note the changes needed if any.  

Evening Community Checking Process

If there are enough speakers of the same language, the “community check” will engage the entire group, broken up into two-halves each evening after dinner to do further checking.

Tools for MAST Facilitators

You might want to take along a digital copy of a Bible or biblical study tools like Bible Gateway.

translationStudio - Android

The translationStudio program might be used at the event you are facilitating. The program has translationHelps that can help you facilitate the translators.

  • Go to Google Play to download the APP. Or go to https://play.google.com/store/apps and then search for translationStudio as all one word.
  • The directions on the Door43 Help Desk site will help you learn how to use the program, translate the text, and how to use the resources in the program. Feel free to bring along your own copy of translationStudio to refer to when helping the translators.

translationStudio - Desktop

tS-Desktop works on Windows, Macintosh, and Linux computers. This program is like the Android program except that it also is used to translate the translationHelps and the Unlocked Dynamic Bible.

  • Go here (https://github.com/unfoldingWord-dev/ts-desktop/releases) for the latest release of the program.
  • Instructions for installing translationStudio on a computer. Using the desktop program is much like the Android program. Feel free to learn how to use the resources so that you can refer to them when helping the translators.

Suggested Reading

Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes - by Dr. Randy Richards and Brandon O'Brien.

What was clear to the original readers of Scripture is not always clear to us. Because of the cultural distance between the biblical world and our contemporary setting, we often bring modern Western biases to the text.

Here is a comment from someone who has been at several MAST events: "a MAST facilitator reading the book benefits not only in better understanding of scripture and where we apply a western cultural meaning possibly not meant by the original author but also in better understanding of the MTTs usually living in a non-western culture."