New submission from Al Sweigart:

I'd like to propose adding foreign language names for the names in the turtle 
module. This would effectively take this code:

    import turtle
    t = turtle.Pen()
    t.pencolor('green')
    t.forward(100)

...and have this code in French be completely equivalent:

    import turtle
    t = turtle.Plume()
    t.couleurplume('vert')
    t.avant(100)

(Pardon my google-translate French.)

This would be built into the turtle module (the "turtle" name itself would be 
unchanged). They would be available no matter what the OS's localization 
settings were set to.

This, of course, is terrible way for a software module to implement 
internationalization, which usually does not apply to the source code names 
itself. But I'd like to explain why the turtle module is different.

The turtle module is not used for professional software development, but 
instead as a teaching tool for children. While professional developers are 
expected to obtain proficiency with English, the same does not apply to school 
kids who are just taking a small computer programming unit. Having the turtle 
module available in their native language would remove a large barrier and let 
them focus on the core programming concepts that turtle provides.

The popular Scratch tool has a similar internationalized setup and also has 
LOGO-style commands, so the translation work is already done.

Technically, it would be possible to mix multiple natural languages in the same 
program. This would be a bad practice, but I also don't see it as a common one.

The color strings (e.g. 'green') are tk-dependent, but this can be worked 
around in the turtle module without requiring changes to tk.

----------
components: Library (Lib)
messages: 249586
nosy: Al.Sweigart
priority: normal
severity: normal
status: open
title: Foreign language support in turtle module
type: enhancement
versions: Python 2.7, Python 3.2, Python 3.3, Python 3.4, Python 3.5

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Python tracker <rep...@bugs.python.org>
<http://bugs.python.org/issue24990>
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