Fluent: A Bible Translation Tool To Serve The Global Church
- ETEN Innovation Lab
- Nov 5
- 4 min read
Learning and Building for the Future
Based on extensive experimentation with Bible translation tool partners, the ETEN Innovation Lab is now expanding its scope with a new application called Fluent — a tool that reflects both the latest advances in AI and the realities of Bible translation on the field.
The Innovation Lab was commissioned by ETEN to accelerate progress toward the All-Access Goals. To see people around the world receive translated Scripture, one of our top priorities is equipping the church with an ecosystem of open-license, open-source, and open-access tools. From recent research and experience, one of the Lab’s core Quality Assurance recommendations is that these tools encourage a multimodal translation process. This approach integrates text, audio, and visual elements to make translation more natural and accessible to language groups worldwide.
In light of this mission, the Lab recently conducted a field test of Fluent’s drafting tools with multiple translation teams in South Asia. The testing validated the design approach as translators found the workflow smooth and the interface easy to use. This is encouraging feedback and the continued testing of Fluent’s Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is a next step in developing tools that support real needs for communities involved in Bible translation.
What Is Fluent?
At its core, Fluent (which is currently in development) is a free, open, extensible, and multimodal translation product suite leveraging intelligently assisted technology (AI). It is designed to be easy to use and serve translators throughout the entire translation process (from drafting to checking to publishing) using AI-powered technology that enhances both the quality and pace of the work.
While Fluent is meant to be a helpful, user-friendly tool to support Bible translation, it is not the only one. Built using data and language resources from the open licensed content in the Aquifer, the tool is the latest in the existing ETEN ecosystem.
“We are not trying to make a single application that should replace all other applications,” says Joel Mathew, the Lab’s Translation Technology Strategy Leader in charge of the project’s development. Instead, he says Fluent is meant to be an app that is “complementary and supporting existing needs on the field.”
With a fresh, intuitive design that is meant to be iterative, Fluent allows translators to focus on Scripture, not on software. And the app is open-source and open-licensed so that anyone can use it, reproduce it, or develop it further.
Who Is Fluent For?
Fluent equips the global church to pursue quality and trustworthy Bible translation efficiently. It is being developed especially with Church-Based Bible Translation (CBBT) teams in mind — groups made up of local believers working in their own languages, sometimes with limited training or access to existing tools.
Many of these team members are pastors, leaders, or believers who may never have even touched a computer before but are motivated by a deep passion to see Scripture in a language they understand best. Fluent’s goal is to remove barriers, allowing people to start translating quickly and grow in confidence and capability.
“We are envisioning users who are not as technically savvy to be able to get started without months or weeks of training,” Joel explains. The app has been designed with these teams in mind, with the goal to not overcomplicate the process, but instead offer an easy starting point for those faithfully working to translate God’s Word.
Why Multimodality Matters
Multimodality goes far beyond adding audio or video to a text-based process. As Chris Klapp, Multimodal Translation Technology Strategy Leader, explains, it’s about transforming how translation happens: “It’s the process of people living the Scriptures as they are doing the translation work.”
Multimodal translation breaks the process out of pure text drafting and checking and allows people to interact with Scripture, act it out, recite it, create songs, meditate on the message, and internalize it before translation even takes place and throughout the project.
Fluent is designed to support this approach, seamlessly connecting text and audio workflows — and, in the future, video — to reflect the lived experience of Bible translation in diverse contexts.
The Roadmap Ahead
The Fluent MVP, launched in October 2025, is currently being field-tested and focuses on text drafting for desktop and web. From there, the team plans to roll out the following features through 2026 and beyond:
Phase 1 – Web Application (MVP)
Text drafting for CBBT translators
LLM-assisted drafting for target languages at the verse-by-verse level
AI-assisted quality checking tools for spelling, punctuation, and other textual checks
Project management including user creation, role, and work assignment
Commenting and project reporting at verse and chapter levels
Export support for open standards like USFM and Scripture Burrito
Phase 2 – Audio Integration
Recording and playback for oral translation workflows
AI transcription for faster text-audio alignment
Commenting and quality checking for audio projects
Lightweight audio editing for translation use cases
Phase 3 – Offline Mobile Companion App
Offline-first mobile version designed for low-connectivity contexts
Audio-first interface for Oral Bible Translation (OBT)
Automatic syncing with projects created in the web app when internet is available
AI features adapted for mobile use
Together, these developments aim to serve both text-based and oral translation teams across the globe. To stay updated on the roll-outs, visit: https://github.com/orgs/eten-tech-foundation/projects/4/views/4.
How to Get Involved
Fluent’s development is rooted in the value of collaboration by radically broadening involvement while utilizing advanced technology to make God’s Word accessible in language communities around the world.
“The All-Access Goals are audacious,” says Joel. “We really need all of us, the whole church, the body of Christ, coordinating together to do this.”
If you’re interested in contributing to Fluent’s development or field testing, there are several ways to join:
Provide feedback: Share real use cases, feature requests, or challenges faced on the field.
Test in the field: Pilot Fluent with your translation teams and share insights with the Lab.
Contribute to development: Fluent’s open-source model invites engineers and linguists to collaborate.
Visit etenlab.org/fluent for more information and to sign up for updates.
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