This week, I worked on translating a wedding photography theme into Dominican Spanish (es_DO). I completed about half of the translation while waiting for confirmation on some of my other contributions. This gave me time to focus on the theme and work through its strings.
While waiting, I also started translating into Mexican Spanish. I was surprised by how similar the two languages were in many cases. Although Dominican and Mexican Spanish have differences in vocabulary, expressions, and everyday language, much of the wording can be translated in a similar way and i know how to translate both. Working on both locales gave me a better understanding of how Spanish changes depending on the audience. Even when two locales share the same language, translations should sound natural to the people who will actually use them. I learned that translating is not just about changing words from one language to another, but also about choosing wording that fits the target audience.
Oh!
I Also helped 2 people on the forums and even explained that one of their pages was not viewable before of a no follow command. Tho i don’t know if it was something he did on purpose
Overall, this week helped me gain more experience with the WordPress translation platform and become more comfortable working independently. I plan to continue translating the wedding photography theme and make progress on Mexican Spanish translations
When I first started contributing to WordPress, I felt confused and a little scared. I was still learning how the community worked, where to find information, and how to make my first contributions. I was not sure how much I should communicate with other contributors, so I only spoke in Slack a few times at first. However, whenever I did reach out, everyone was very friendly and willing to help. The experience felt different from what I expected an internship to be. It did not feel like a traditional job where someone was constantly watching over me or telling me what to do.
My first contributions was on Sep 27 involved suggesting translations and learning how the review process works. Sadly it was on my Original account that needed to be switched up and i had no choice but to give it up before i moved to my new one. I used that day and the next to understand how things are done. I also helped people on the forums 2 times that day. As I continued, I became more comfortable working independently and making progress without someone constantly supervising me. At the same time, I learned that independence does not mean working completely alone. Other contributors are available to answer questions, provide feedback, and help new contributors understand the process.
Sep 30: One of my first steps was reaching out to Ramsés Del Rosario, a Project Translation Editor (PTE), to ask about the Dominican Spanish translation team and how I could become more involved. I was happy to discover that he was Dominican too. We connected over our shared background, and he pointed me toward the WordPress Polyglots team and the guidelines for requesting translation editor access. That conversation made the community feel more welcoming and gave me a clearer idea of how I could contribute. He was the only Team member that was active at the time too. I tried to become a PTE as well but
Oct 8 I also asked other contributors whether translating an entire wedding theme was a good use of my time as a WordPress Credits student. Their responses helped me understand that there is no single correct way to contribute, but that it is important to follow the locale’s translation guidelines and consider which projects will help the most users. I learned that translating themes can be a useful way to practice, while WordPress core and popular plugins may reach a larger audience. I also learned that the Dominican Spanish locale, es_DO, has a lot of work waiting to be reviewed and completed.
What surprised me most was how much trust and independence contributors are given. I expected an internship to involve more direct supervision and screaming, but instead, I was able to explore projects, ask questions when needed, and decide how to approach my work. I also expected the community to feel more formal, but the friendly conversations in Slack helped me feel comfortable reaching out. One question I still have is how I can become more involved in the es_DO translation community and eventually take on more responsibility, such as becoming a translation editor. I would like to understand more about the expectations for that role and how experienced contributors decide which translations are ready to be approved. My next step is to keep contributing, study the translation guidelines more closely, learn from reviews, and ask experienced contributors for advice when I need it. I also plan to translate for Mexico too 🙂
I chose the Polyglots team because I speak Dominican Spanish and wanted to use my language skills to contribute to WordPress. My main project is translating and reviewing WordPress themes and plugins into Spanish for the Dominican Republic (es_DO). I want to help make WordPress more accessible to Dominican Spanish speakers by making translations clear, accurate, and natural. I also started translating for Mexico as well.
My face after i was told to make a new account
My first contributions were made under my previous WordPress.org account, @ajr1214, which I was told needed to be changed because of an account-related error. Under that account, I suggested translations and participated in the Support forums. I later continued contributing under my current account, @ajr129, focusing mainly on Polyglots while also answering questions in the WordPress Support forums. This experience has helped me explore different ways to contribute to the WordPress community.
One skill I already have is my knowledge of Dominican Spanish and my ability to understand English. These skills help me compare the original English text with Spanish translations and choose wording that sounds natural to the intended audience. I am also becoming more familiar with GlotPress, where I suggest translations and learn from the review process. On October 9, 2026, I reached a milestone when 125 strings were translated under my current account.
One area I still need to improve is my understanding of the technical side of WordPress translation. I want to become more confident working with placeholders such as %s and %1$s, understanding plural forms, and following the Dominican Spanish locale glossary. My next step is to pay closer attention to these details when reviewing strings and consult the locale guidelines when I am unsure about a translation.
By the end of the WordPress Credits program, I hope to improve my translation skills, understand the contribution process more deeply, and become more comfortable collaborating with other contributors. I also want to continue exploring the Support team and learn more about WordPress development. I also would like to be a main PTE (Project Translation Editor) because besides 1 person i speak too the group is dead somewhat and i am keeping it alive
I chose WordPress.com because it provides hosting and makes it easier to create a website without having to set up a separate hosting provider and cause i’m lazy lol.
One challenge I encountered was figuring out how to customize my website. I had to explore the site editor to learn how to change the background, work with the header, and create an About page. At first, it was difficult to find the right settings because the editor has different options That became overwhelming for me even though i remember learning it a few days ago.
future WP Credits student‘s
My advice would be to start with the basic setup first and learn how posts, pages, themes, and categories work before worrying too much about the design. You can always improve the website as you gain experience. It looks overwhelming but trust me that it stops looking scary after you learn the basics.
This experience helped me understand WordPress better, and I’ll continue improving my website as I document my contributions to the WordPress Credits program.
