docs: improve translation visibility and lower barrier to entry

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -41,6 +41,27 @@ Pull requests may be closed without review if they contain:
 Using AI to assist learning and development is encouraged.
 Using it to bypass understanding or submit work you cannot explain is not.
 
+## Translations
+
+Help make GRASS accessible in more languages!
+No programming knowledge is needed — all translation work happens through
+[Weblate](https://weblate.osgeo.org/projects/grass-gis/), a web-based platform.
+
+### Getting started with translations
+
+1. Create an [OSGeo UserID](https://www.osgeo.org/community/getting-started-osgeo/osgeo_userid/)
+2. Sign in to [OSGeo Weblate](https://weblate.osgeo.org/) with your OSGeo UserID
+3. Browse the [GRASS GIS translation project](https://weblate.osgeo.org/projects/grass-gis/)
+4. Select your language (or request a new one if it's not listed)
+5. Start translating! The web interface guides you through each message
+
+Translations are automatically submitted to the GRASS repository as pull requests.
+For help or questions, join the
+[GRASS user community on Discourse](https://discourse.osgeo.org/c/grass/grass-user/70).
+
+See [locale/README.md](locale/README.md) for more technical details about the
+translation process.
+
 ## Changing code and documentation
 
 To contribute changes to GRASS GitHub repository, use a

README.md

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 [![DOI](https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.5176030.svg)](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5176030)
 [![Discourse](https://img.shields.io/badge/discourse-forum-blue?logo=discourse)](https://discourse.osgeo.org/c/grass/62)
 [![Binder](https://mybinder.org/badge_logo.svg)](https://mybinder.org/v2/gh/OSGeo/grass/main?labpath=doc%2Fexamples%2Fnotebooks%2Fjupyter_example.ipynb)  
+[![Translation status](https://weblate.osgeo.org/widget/grass-gis/svg-badge.svg)](https://weblate.osgeo.org/engage/grass-gis/)  
 [![Powered by NumFOCUS](https://img.shields.io/badge/powered%20by-NumFOCUS-orange.svg?style=flat&colorA=E1523D&colorB=007D8A)](http://numfocus.org)
 [![Hosted by OSGeo](https://img.shields.io/badge/hosted%20by-OSGeo-4cb05b.svg?style=flat&labelColor=00393f)](https://www.osgeo.org/)
 
@@ -71,9 +72,13 @@ or explore [GRASS commercial support](https://grass.osgeo.org/support/commercial
 
 ## Contributing
 
-All contributions are welcome! Join GRASS developer community on [Discourse](https://discourse.osgeo.org/c/grass/developer/61)
-to discuss your plans or simply open
-a [pull request](https://github.com/OSGeo/grass/pulls).
+All contributions are welcome! You can contribute to GRASS in multiple ways:
+
+- **Code contributions**: Join GRASS developer community on [Discourse](https://discourse.osgeo.org/c/grass/developer/61)
+  to discuss your plans or simply open a [pull request](https://github.com/OSGeo/grass/pulls).
+- **Translations**: Help make GRASS accessible in your language through [Weblate](https://weblate.osgeo.org/projects/grass-gis/).
+  No coding skills required!
+
 See [CONTRIBUTING file](CONTRIBUTING.md) for more details.
 
 ## Compiling GRASS

locale/README.md

@@ -1,24 +1,14 @@
-# HOWTO translate GRASS GIS messages
+# Translation Technical Details
 
-## Where to translate user message
+For instructions on how to contribute translations, please see the
+[Translations section in CONTRIBUTING.md](../CONTRIBUTING.md#translations).
 
-Translators work in <https://weblate.osgeo.org/projects/grass-gis/>.
-Messages translated in Weblate then will be automatically submitted to the
-GRASS GIS source repo as pull requests.
+## Technical notes for developers
 
-If you have any difficulties please ask for help
-on the GRASS development mailing list `grass-dev lists.osgeo.org`
-(subscribe at <https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/grass-dev>). Your
-willingness, time, and effort translating are valuable.
+Translations from Weblate are automatically submitted to the GRASS source repository
+as pull requests.
 
-Note that GRASS must be configured with `--with-nls` and (re)compiled
-to make use of the translated messages.
+GRASS must be configured with `--with-nls` and recompiled to use translated messages.
+Updating message catalogs requires a Unix-like system with `gettext` installed.
 
-**Please help us translate all the GRASS messages!!**
-
-## Notes
-
-GRASS GIS translation portal: <https://weblate.osgeo.org/projects/grass-gis/>
-
-Updating the message catalogs currently only works on
-unix-like systems and requires "gettext".
+**Translation portal**: <https://weblate.osgeo.org/projects/grass-gis/>