Wikipedia:Simple English Wikipedia: Difference between revisions
m warnfile Adding:de,fr,el |
I suppose "was been" is not regular English. Instead, either "has been" or "was" should be used; in this case I changed to "was [started]" |
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The '''Simple English Wikipedia''' was |
The '''Simple English Wikipedia''' was started as a response to the need for English learners ([[English as an additional language|EAL]] students) and English teachers. The pages here are less complex, and can be used for free readings in the classroom, computer activities, and so on. UnEnglish Wikipedias can also [[translate]] from the articles here. |
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== What Simple English Wikipedia is == |
== What Simple English Wikipedia is == |
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Revision as of 22:34, 22 November 2004
The Simple English Wikipedia was started as a response to the need for English learners (EAL students) and English teachers. The pages here are less complex, and can be used for free readings in the classroom, computer activities, and so on. UnEnglish Wikipedias can also translate from the articles here.
What Simple English Wikipedia is
Simple English uses fewer words and easier grammar than the original English Wikipedia. This is not its only difference. It is focused on readers who tend to be quite different people with different needs: students, children, and translators.
Major contributions of articles to the Simple English Wikipedia did not begin until there were already over 150,000 articles in original English and seven other languages that had over 15,000 each. So, in general, Simple English articles are simplifications that summarize the most important things said in existing articles, rather than being new. This is likely to make Simple English articles a good way to introduce complex English ones - if someone has trouble understanding a concept in complex English they can "fall back" to the Simple.
Simple English
Simple English is like English but only easy words are used.
It is suggested that articles be simplified using only the 1000 most common and basic words in English and less complex grammatical structures—such as shorter sentences—or to conform to a certain skill level in one of the standard indices. Of course, original submissions are also welcome; in that case, they could be submitted both to this and to the main Wikipedia (where it is written in the normal level of English). Most articles will require about 2000 words, a full defining vocabulary that is useful to explain English idiom. This is still simpler English than most "English as an additional language" students can read after a few months of learning.
- Main Page -- The front page of the Simple English Wikipedia project.
- Simple English Wikipedia -- An expanded description of the project's goals and the simple form of English used there.