Exploring Foreign Language Students’ Perceptions of the Guided Use of Machine Translation (GUMT) Model for Korean Writing

Abstract

This study examines students' perceptions of the Guided Use of Machine Translation (GUMT) model and their perceptions of GUMT's impact on their foreign language (FL) writing. Adapted from O'Neill (2016O'Neill ( , 2019b, GUMT model activities were developed and implemented in an upper-elementary Korean as a FL course at a large southwestern U.S. university. At the beginning of the semester, students received an instructional session on how to use machine translation (MT) effectively as the first step of GUMT. The session included 1) the potential strengths and weaknesses of two online Korean MT platforms, Google Translate and Papago; and 2) the combined use of other online resources (e.g., image and news searches) to enhance students' awareness of pragmatic issues related to MT output. Throughout the semester, students applied the GUMT model to writing assignments and wrote reflections on their GUMT practice. Students also received continuous feedback from instructors on MT use. Analyses of pre-and post-surveys and students' reflections indicate that the GUMT model played an important role in fostering MT use strategies and improving students' confidence and selfperceptions of their fluency in FL writing.

AI in the Foreign Language Classroom: A Pedagogical Overview of Automated Writing Assistance Tools

“…Ranalli [1] Nova [35]; Conijn et al [36]; O'Neill and Russell [37]; Ghufron [38]; Huang et al [39]; John and Woll [40]; O'Neill and Russell [41]; Dale and Viethen [4] Dodigovic and Tovmasyan [42]; Zomer and Frankenberg-Garcia [43]; Dizon and Gayed [44]; Ranalli and Yamashita [3] AI-enabled machine translation O'Neill [45]; Lewis-Kraus [46]; Ellis [31]; Godwin-Jones [47]; Crossley [48]; O'Neill [45]; Fredholm [49] Godwin-Jones [50]; Hussein et al [20]; Enriquez Raiído and Saínchez-Torrón [51]; Lee [52]; Vinall and Hellmich [53]; Hellmich and Vinall [7]; Dale and Viethen [4] Urlaub and Dessein [54]; Zhang and Torres-Hostench [55]; Klekovkina and Denié-Higney [56]; Jolley and Maimone [57]; Ryu et al [58]; Vinall and Hellmich [10]; Pellet and Myers [9] Automatic text generation Ruder [59]; Dale [60]; Floridi and Chiriatti [61]; Ferrone and Zanzotto [62]; Dale [63] Dale and Viethen [4]; Dizon and Gayed [44]; Eaton et al [5]; Godwin-Jones [47]; Zhang and Li...…”

“…According to Hellmich and Vinall [7], among the possible drawbacks of promoting the use of Google Translate in the foreign language classroom are that it could lead both learners and teachers to form a wrong reductionist perception of language. In other words, it can promote the idea that human languages are merely discrete and unique codes that can be easily re-encoded from one language to another based upon a one-for-one transfer from one language to another [58]. As a result of mistakenly forming a simplistic and instrumentalist view of language Hellmich and Vinall [7] warned that some learners might think of Google Translate as an answer key to their language problems and, therefore, fail to accept the complexity and richness of human interaction [54].…”

Machine translation in language acquisition: A study on EFL students' perceptions and practices in Saudi Arabia and South Korea

“…Similarly, Lee (2022) and Rowe (2022) found that MT not only helped learners overcome uncertainty about vocabulary, spelling, and grammar but also resulted in better‐quality writing. Researchers have also noticed that MT tools are effective in raising learners' metalinguistic awareness of the target language when critically evaluating the output of MT (Garcia & Pena, 2011; O'Neill, 2019; Ryu et al, 2022; Tsai, 2019). Moreover, in 2022, Rowe highlighted various advantages of using MT tools such as Google Translate in classrooms with English as the medium of instruction.…”

“…Many studies indicated that MT tools could be used as a language‐learning resource that has merits related to improved writing, vocabulary, grammar, spelling, and pronunciation (Chung & Ahn, 2021; Knowles, 2022; Lee, 2021; O'Neill, 2019; Ryu et al, 2022; Tsai, 2019). More specifically, English as a foreign language (EFL) learners find L2 writing the most challenging language skill, mainly when using a broader vocabulary and more extensive phrases (Lee, 2021).…”

“…More specifically, English as a foreign language (EFL) learners find L2 writing the most challenging language skill, mainly when using a broader vocabulary and more extensive phrases (Lee, 2021). Learners use MT when uncertain about the choice of words or need help finding the appropriate terms (Lee, 2021; Ryu et al, 2022). However, students are relying on MT at increasing rates for reasons including increased accuracy with translation software (Lee, 2021), and perhaps too much reliance on MT harms L2 writing skills and learner autonomy.…”