Machine Translation Literacy
These days, digital tools are often used to produce and process texts. This brings with it opportunities and risks. BFH is developing training in machine translation literacy as part of the Digital Literacy in University Contexts project.
Factsheet
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Schools involved
School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences
RSR - Institute(s) Knowledge Systems and Knowledge Sharing
- Research unit(s) Knowledge Systems and Knowledge Sharing
- Funding organisation BFH
- Duration 01.01.2021 - 30.06.2025
- Head of project Elizabeth Steele
- Project staff Mara Haller
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Partner
ZHAW
Pädagogische Hochschule Zürich
Université de Neuchâtel - Keywords machine translation, machine translation literacy, digital skills, PgB
Situation
Machine translation, such as DeepL or GoogleTranslate, has made considerable progress in recent years and is increasingly used for writing and understanding texts in other languages. Such tools are free and deliver high-quality translations – at first glance, at least. To use them effectively, however, requires user training and appropriate teaching scenarios for second-language learning.
Course of action
This sub-project aims to develop the competent and critical use of machine translation and other digital language tools in Swiss university contexts. Users will learn how to harness these technologies effectively and become (more) aware of the risks and opportunities. After an initial literature review, a survey will be conducted to analyse the current practices of members of Swiss universities with regard to machine translation. Based on the survey results, interventions will be developed and implemented in the participating universities. The sub-project outcomes will be disseminated to other Swiss universities and the wider applied linguistics community.
Result
Early in the project, an online survey showed that members of all Swiss universities use machine translation regularly and with little reflection. The focus was subsequently on foreign language acquisition involving machine translation on the one hand and 'machine translation literacy' on the other. Language teachers were trained in workshops on the effective use of machine translation in their teaching and made aware of how they can foster a critical and reflective approach to machine translation among their students. These interventions took place at all Swiss universities, enabling the project to contribute to the further development of this specific digital skill. The project output includes three videos on machine translation: one on what machine translation is, one on the critical and proficient use of machine translation, and one on the ethical aspects of machine translation. At BFH, the project also included training and awareness-raising for university staff on the use of machine translation. A further BFH-specific ouput from the project is the institutionalisation of a policy on the use of machine translation for all its members.
Looking ahead
At BFH, which prides itself on being a trilingual university, machine translation will continue to play an important role. That is why critical, reflective use of machine translation remains a topic of discussion at BFH and perhaps even a duty.
