diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 0bb1abc5..0124196b 100755
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@ ifeq ($(strip $(po_files)),)
 endif
 mo_files := $(patsubst %.po,%.mo,$(po_files))
 
+WORKING_DIR := $(module_root)
+EXTRACT_DIR := $(WORKING_DIR)/conf/locale/en/LC_MESSAGES
+EXTRACTED_DJANGO_PARTIAL := $(EXTRACT_DIR)/django-partial.po
+EXTRACTED_DJANGO := $(EXTRACT_DIR)/django.po
+
 .PHONY: help
 help:  ## This.
 	@perl -ne 'print if /^[a-zA-Z_-]+:.*## .*$$/' $(MAKEFILE_LIST) \
@@ -133,3 +138,7 @@ docker_shell:
 docker_static: ; make build_docker; $(run-in-docker)  ## Compile static assets in docker container
 docker_translations: ; make build_docker; $(run-in-docker)  ## Update translation files in docker container
 docker_test: ; make build_docker; $(run-in-docker)  ## Run tests in docker container
+
+extract_translations: ## extract strings to be translated, outputting .po files
+	cd $(WORKING_DIR) && i18n_tool extract
+	mv $(EXTRACTED_DJANGO_PARTIAL) $(EXTRACTED_DJANGO)
diff --git a/freetextresponse/conf/locale b/freetextresponse/conf/locale
deleted file mode 120000
index 5ac33629..00000000
--- a/freetextresponse/conf/locale
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-../translations
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/freetextresponse/translations/ar/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo b/freetextresponse/conf/locale/ar/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo
similarity index 100%
rename from freetextresponse/translations/ar/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo
rename to freetextresponse/conf/locale/ar/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo
diff --git a/freetextresponse/translations/ar/LC_MESSAGES/text.po b/freetextresponse/conf/locale/ar/LC_MESSAGES/text.po
similarity index 100%
rename from freetextresponse/translations/ar/LC_MESSAGES/text.po
rename to freetextresponse/conf/locale/ar/LC_MESSAGES/text.po
diff --git a/freetextresponse/translations/config.yaml b/freetextresponse/conf/locale/config.yaml
similarity index 100%
rename from freetextresponse/translations/config.yaml
rename to freetextresponse/conf/locale/config.yaml
diff --git a/freetextresponse/translations/de_DE/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo b/freetextresponse/conf/locale/de_DE/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo
similarity index 100%
rename from freetextresponse/translations/de_DE/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo
rename to freetextresponse/conf/locale/de_DE/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo
diff --git a/freetextresponse/translations/de_DE/LC_MESSAGES/text.po b/freetextresponse/conf/locale/de_DE/LC_MESSAGES/text.po
similarity index 100%
rename from freetextresponse/translations/de_DE/LC_MESSAGES/text.po
rename to freetextresponse/conf/locale/de_DE/LC_MESSAGES/text.po
diff --git a/freetextresponse/translations/en/LC_MESSAGES/text.po b/freetextresponse/conf/locale/en/LC_MESSAGES/django.po
similarity index 100%
rename from freetextresponse/translations/en/LC_MESSAGES/text.po
rename to freetextresponse/conf/locale/en/LC_MESSAGES/django.po
diff --git a/freetextresponse/translations/en/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo b/freetextresponse/conf/locale/en/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo
similarity index 100%
rename from freetextresponse/translations/en/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo
rename to freetextresponse/conf/locale/en/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo
diff --git a/freetextresponse/conf/locale/en/LC_MESSAGES/text.po b/freetextresponse/conf/locale/en/LC_MESSAGES/text.po
new file mode 120000
index 00000000..00820747
--- /dev/null
+++ b/freetextresponse/conf/locale/en/LC_MESSAGES/text.po
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+django.po
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/freetextresponse/translations/eo/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo b/freetextresponse/conf/locale/eo/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo
similarity index 100%
rename from freetextresponse/translations/eo/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo
rename to freetextresponse/conf/locale/eo/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo
diff --git a/freetextresponse/translations/eo/LC_MESSAGES/text.po b/freetextresponse/conf/locale/eo/LC_MESSAGES/text.po
similarity index 100%
rename from freetextresponse/translations/eo/LC_MESSAGES/text.po
rename to freetextresponse/conf/locale/eo/LC_MESSAGES/text.po
diff --git a/freetextresponse/translations/es_419/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo b/freetextresponse/conf/locale/es_419/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo
similarity index 100%
rename from freetextresponse/translations/es_419/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo
rename to freetextresponse/conf/locale/es_419/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo
diff --git a/freetextresponse/translations/es_419/LC_MESSAGES/text.po b/freetextresponse/conf/locale/es_419/LC_MESSAGES/text.po
similarity index 100%
rename from freetextresponse/translations/es_419/LC_MESSAGES/text.po
rename to freetextresponse/conf/locale/es_419/LC_MESSAGES/text.po
diff --git a/freetextresponse/translations/fr_CA/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo b/freetextresponse/conf/locale/fr_CA/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo
similarity index 100%
rename from freetextresponse/translations/fr_CA/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo
rename to freetextresponse/conf/locale/fr_CA/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo
diff --git a/freetextresponse/translations/fr_CA/LC_MESSAGES/text.po b/freetextresponse/conf/locale/fr_CA/LC_MESSAGES/text.po
similarity index 100%
rename from freetextresponse/translations/fr_CA/LC_MESSAGES/text.po
rename to freetextresponse/conf/locale/fr_CA/LC_MESSAGES/text.po
diff --git a/freetextresponse/translations/vi/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo b/freetextresponse/conf/locale/vi/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo
similarity index 100%
rename from freetextresponse/translations/vi/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo
rename to freetextresponse/conf/locale/vi/LC_MESSAGES/text.mo
diff --git a/freetextresponse/translations/vi/LC_MESSAGES/text.po b/freetextresponse/conf/locale/vi/LC_MESSAGES/text.po
similarity index 100%
rename from freetextresponse/translations/vi/LC_MESSAGES/text.po
rename to freetextresponse/conf/locale/vi/LC_MESSAGES/text.po
diff --git a/freetextresponse/tests/test_all.py b/freetextresponse/tests/test_all.py
index d82f9c1b..39d8aca4 100644
--- a/freetextresponse/tests/test_all.py
+++ b/freetextresponse/tests/test_all.py
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 
 from freetextresponse.models import Credit
 from freetextresponse.views import _is_at_least_one_phrase_present  # noqa
-from freetextresponse.utils import _
 from freetextresponse.xblocks import FreeTextResponse
 
 from .tests_utils import make_xblock
@@ -73,7 +72,7 @@ def test_generate_validation_message(self):
         msg = 'weight attempts cannot be negative'
         result = ValidationMessage(
             ValidationMessage.ERROR,
-            _(msg)
+            msg
         )
         test_result = self.xblock._generate_validation_message(msg)
         self.assertEqual(
@@ -345,7 +344,7 @@ def test_used_attempts_feedback_normal(
         self.xblock.max_attempts = max_attempts
         self.xblock.count_attempts = count_attempts
         self.assertEqual(
-            _(result),
+            result,
             self.xblock._get_used_attempts_feedback(),
         )
 
@@ -371,7 +370,7 @@ def test_get_word_count_message(
         self.xblock.min_word_count = min_word_count
         self.xblock.max_word_count = max_word_count
         self.assertEqual(
-            _(result),
+            result,
             self.xblock._get_word_count_message(),
         )
 
@@ -391,7 +390,7 @@ def test_get_user_alert(self, **test_data):
         self.xblock.min_word_count = test_data['min_word_count']
         self.xblock.max_word_count = test_data['max_word_count']
         self.assertEqual(
-            _(str(test_data['result'])),
+            str(test_data['result']),
             self.xblock._get_user_alert(
                 ignore_attempts=test_data['ignore_attempts']
             ),
@@ -420,7 +419,7 @@ def test_get_submitted_message(
         )
         self.xblock.submitted_message = 'test submission received message'
         self.assertEqual(
-            _(result),
+            result,
             self.xblock._get_submitted_message(),
         )
 
@@ -436,7 +435,7 @@ def test_get_problem_progress(self, **test_data):
         self.xblock.weight = test_data['weight']
         self.xblock.score = test_data['score']
         self.assertEqual(
-            _(test_data['result']),
+            test_data['result'],
             self.xblock._get_problem_progress(),
         )
 
diff --git a/freetextresponse/translations b/freetextresponse/translations
new file mode 120000
index 00000000..618b7e29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/freetextresponse/translations
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+conf/locale
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/freetextresponse/utils.py b/freetextresponse/utils.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 75cc9cd2..00000000
--- a/freetextresponse/utils.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
-"""
-Make '_' a no-op so we can scrape strings
-"""
-
-
-def _(text):
-    """
-    :return text
-    """
-    return text