Students’ Linguistic Challenges in Post-Editing of Machine Translation

Abstract

This research seeks to investigate linguistic challenges encountered by students in translating news from English into Indonesian through a process of post-editing of machine translation (PEMT). Since the research on this particular language pair has not been widely explored by Indonesian researchers, therefore, this study should be thoroughly undertaken to provide the students with a comprehensive description of the linguistic problems faced in their translating activities. A qualitative method with a case study design was implemented to portray 58 students who voluntarily participated in the PEMT process. Research data were obtained from students' survey questionnaires, students' in-depth interviews, and students' translation documents taken from some online media individually selected by students in a Practice of Translating (PoT) course. The data were analyzed by using a thematic analysis with regard to the students' translating activities and their obstacles found during PEMT practices. Three dominant themes drawn from the data, including: students' insufficient subject knowledge in translating proper names; particular grammatical problems found in the use of pronouns and in the differences of language structures between English and Indonesian; and mechanical errors identified in the use of punctuations, capitalization, spelling, and inconsistency in using specific terminologies. These research findings have recommended that appropriate teaching techniques should be created by the lecturers to optimally reach the objectives of PEMT teaching.