Training students to use online translators and dictionaries: The impact on second language writing scores

Abstract

Online translators have become an ever-present component of language learning. Recent research has found that online translators are used for graded work at least sometimes by 87.7% of intermediate students learning Spanish and French (O'Neill, 2019). The same percentage of students self-reports using online dictionaries. Given how widespread these tools are, the impact of their usage needs to be explored. Although some research has looked into the effects of online translation on writing, no previous study has compared the composition scores of students using online translators with those using online dictionaries. This article reports the results of a study with over 1,000 compositions written by students in one of five groups: online translation use after training, online translation use with no training, online dictionary use after training, online dictionary use without training, and writing with the use of neither of these tools. The results (p < 0.05) show that students who used Google Translate after training scored the highest of all five groups on both experimental writing tasks, followed by those who used an online dictionary with prior training. The group that fared the least well was that which used neither tool. A posttest and delayed posttest however showed mixed results for online translators. Based on these findings, and given the difficulty of prohibiting the use of these tools on graded work outside the classroom, the author argues for training students in the responsible use of online dictionaries and translators for second language writing.

Translation as Translingual Writing Practice in English as an Additional Language

“…Our findings suggest that translation gives multilingual students opportunities to leverage their linguistic repertoires in ways that their teachers may not otherwise be able to support, particularly in linguistically diverse classes, where the teacher cannot be expected to be proficient in all of the students’ languages (see also Cummins, 2007; Vogel et al., 2018). Given the limitations of translation tools that also became apparent in our study, we agree with previous studies that suggest teaching effective use of translation tools (Fredholm, 2019; O'Neill, 2019). However, we would add that such strategy instruction can build on students’ existing strategies (see also Vogel et al., 2018).…”

“…A translingual perspective also legitimizes translation by student writers on a more fundamental level. Even studies that have demonstrated positive effects of translation on writing in an additional language have questioned the value of translation tools if they do not eventually train language learners to produce the same results in the absence of the tools (Fredholm, 2019; O'Neill, 2019). Indeed, seen through a monolingual lens, translation has often been positioned as a stage to surpass on the way to near‐native mastery of the target language (Horner & Tetreault, 2016).…”

“…However, translation is not only a teacher‐led activity but also a practice that students undertake spontaneously as part of writing in an additional language. Researchers have particularly focused on the comparative effects of using machine translation, print or digital dictionaries, or no reference tools on writing in an additional language (e.g., Fredholm, 2015, 2019; Garcia & Pena, 2011; O'Neill, 2019). Most of these studies have found the effectiveness, accuracy, or fluency of students’ writing to improve with the use of machine translation.…”

“…Most of these studies have found the effectiveness, accuracy, or fluency of students’ writing to improve with the use of machine translation. In particular, O'Neill (2019) found that students who received training on how to use machine translation received the highest holistic scores, compared to students using machine translation without training, no reference tools, or an online dictionary. However, the advantages to using machine translation have been shown to dissipate when students are subsequently prohibited from using such tools (Fredholm, 2019; O'Neill, 2019).…”

“…In particular, O'Neill (2019) found that students who received training on how to use machine translation received the highest holistic scores, compared to students using machine translation without training, no reference tools, or an online dictionary. However, the advantages to using machine translation have been shown to dissipate when students are subsequently prohibited from using such tools (Fredholm, 2019; O'Neill, 2019). Thus, machine translation may be more useful in any given writing task than for longer term language learning (Fredholm, 2019; Garcia & Pena, 2011).…”