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Instructors' Perceptions of Students' Google Translate Use in Language Learning

Year 2023, Issue: Çeviribilim Özel Sayısı, 474 - 482, 25.02.2023
https://doi.org/10.29110/soylemdergi.1186593

Abstract

Online machine translation has become one of the most commonly used applications among university students, and google translate (GT) is the most popular among them due to the availability of mobile devices with the internet. This mixed-method study investigated university prep school instructors' attitudes and perceptions of GT use regarding its effectiveness, ethicality, frequency, and students' purposes of using it. An online questionnaire was administered to 46 instructors, and semi-structured interview sessions were held with 11 instructors. Results indicated that nearly all of the participant instructors' students frequently use GT. Another important finding was that many students use GT in reading and writing classes. Results also revealed that students tend to use GT far more beyond a dictionary function, and this overuse dramatically decreases instructors' perception of the effectiveness and ethicality of GT. Although instructors are worried about its usage for longer segments and adverse effects on student learning, they do not prefer banning or limiting its usage in language classes due to its simplicity and practicality. Therefore, there is a need to have a working policy to avoid the harmful effects of GT and use them effectively in language classes.

References

  • Ata, M., & Debreli, E. (2021). Machine Translation in the Language Classroom: Turkish EFL Learners' and Instructors' Perceptions and Use. IAFOR Journal of Education: Technology in Education, 9 (4), 103-122.
  • Baskin, S., & Mumcu, M. (2018). Dictionary culture of university students learning English as a foreign language in Turkey. International Education Studies, 11(3), 101–114. https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v11n3p101
  • Benda, J. (2014). Google Translate in the EFL classroom taboo or teaching tool? Writing & Pedagogy, 5(2), 317–332.
  • Briggs, N. (2018). Neural machine translation tools in the language learning classroom: Students' use, perceptions, and analyses. The JALT CALL Journal, 14(1), 3–24.
  • Chandra, S. O., & Yuyun, I. (2018). The use of Google Translate in EFL essay writing. LLT Journal: A Journal on Language and Language Teaching, 21(2), 228–238.
  • Clifford, J., Merschel, L., & Munné, J. (2013). Surveying the landscape: What is the role of machine translation in language learning? The Acquisition of Second Languages and Innovative Pedagogies, 10, 108–121.
  • Correa, M. (2011). Academic dishonesty in the second language classroom: Instructors' perspectives. Modern Journal of Language Teaching Methods, 1(1), 65–79.
  • Ducar, C., & Schocket, D. H. (2018). Machine translation and the L2 classroom: Pedagogical solutions for making peace with Google translate. Foreign Language Annals, 51(4), 779–795. https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.12366
  • Garcia, I., & Pena, M. I. (2011). Machine translation-assisted language learning: writing for beginners. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 24(5), 471–487. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2011.582687
  • Glendinning, I. (2014). Responses to student plagiarism in higher education across Europe. International Journal for Educational Integrity, 10(1), 4–20. https://doi.org/10.21913/IJEI.v10i1.930
  • Groves, M., & Mundt, K. (2015). Friend or foe? Google Translate in language for academic purposes. English for Specific Purposes, 37, 112–121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2014.09.001
  • Harris, H. (2010). Machine translations revisited: issues and treatment protocol. The Language Teacher, 34(3), 25–29.
  • Jolley, J. R., & Maimone, L. (2015). Free online machine translation: Use and perceptions by Spanish students and instructors. In A. J. Moeller (Ed.), Learn languages, explore cultures, transform lives (pp. 181-200). Minneapolis: 2015 Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.
  • Knowles, C. L. (2016). Investigating instructor perceptions of online machine translation and second language acquisition within most commonly taught language courses (Doctoral dissertation). The University of Memphis.
  • Lee, S., & Briggs, N. (2021). Effects of using machine translation to mediate the revision process of Korean university students' academic writing. ReCALL, 33(1), 18–33.
  • McCarthy, B. (2004). Does online machine translation spell the end of take-home translation assignments? CALL-EJ Online, 6(1), 6–1.
  • Niño, A. (2009). Machine translation in foreign language learning: Language learners' and tutors' perceptions of its advantages and disadvantages. ReCALL, 21(2), 241–258. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0958344009000172

Öğretim Görevlilerinin Öğrencilerin Dil Öğreniminde Google Çeviri Kullanımına İlişkin Algıları

Year 2023, Issue: Çeviribilim Özel Sayısı, 474 - 482, 25.02.2023
https://doi.org/10.29110/soylemdergi.1186593

Abstract

Çevrimiçi makine çevirisi, üniversite öğrencileri arasında çok yaygın olarak kullanılmaya başlamış ve internet erişimi olan cep telefonlarının yaygınlaşması nedeniyle Google çeviri (GT) bunların arasında en popüler hale gelmiştir. Bu karma yöntemli çalışma, üniversite hazırlık okulu öğretim görevlilerinin, öğrencilerin Google çeviriyi ne sıklıkta ve hangi amaçla kullandığını, bu kullanımın etkililiğine ve etikliğine yönelik tutum ve algılarını araştırmıştır. 46 öğretim elemanına çevrimiçi anket uygulanmış ve 11 öğretim elemanı ile yarı yapılandırılmış mülakatlar gerçekleştirilmiştir. Sonuçlar, katılımcı öğretim elemanlarının öğrencilerinin neredeyse tamamının sıklıkla GT kullandığını göstermiştir. Bir diğer önemli bulgu ise birçok öğrencinin bu uygulamayı okuma ve yazma becerileri derslerinde kullandığıdır. Sonuçlar ayrıca öğrencilerin GT'yi bir sözlük işlevinin çok ötesinde kullanma eğiliminde olduğunu ve bu aşırı kullanımın öğretim görevlilerinin GT'nin etkililiği ve etikliğine ilişkin algısını olumsuz anlamda etkilediğini ortaya koymuştur. Öğretim görevlileri, uygulamanın sözlük amacı dışında daha uzun dil yapılarının çevirisi için kullanılmasından ve öğrencilerin öğrenmesi üzerindeki olumsuz etkilerinden endişe duysalar da sadeliği ve pratikliği nedeniyle yabancı dil derslerinde kullanımını yasaklamayı veya sınırlamayı tercih etmemektedir. Bu nedenle GT'nin zararlı etkilerinden kaçınmak ve bunları dil derslerinde etkin bir şekilde kullanmak için işleyen bir politikaya ihtiyaç vardır

References

  • Ata, M., & Debreli, E. (2021). Machine Translation in the Language Classroom: Turkish EFL Learners' and Instructors' Perceptions and Use. IAFOR Journal of Education: Technology in Education, 9 (4), 103-122.
  • Baskin, S., & Mumcu, M. (2018). Dictionary culture of university students learning English as a foreign language in Turkey. International Education Studies, 11(3), 101–114. https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v11n3p101
  • Benda, J. (2014). Google Translate in the EFL classroom taboo or teaching tool? Writing & Pedagogy, 5(2), 317–332.
  • Briggs, N. (2018). Neural machine translation tools in the language learning classroom: Students' use, perceptions, and analyses. The JALT CALL Journal, 14(1), 3–24.
  • Chandra, S. O., & Yuyun, I. (2018). The use of Google Translate in EFL essay writing. LLT Journal: A Journal on Language and Language Teaching, 21(2), 228–238.
  • Clifford, J., Merschel, L., & Munné, J. (2013). Surveying the landscape: What is the role of machine translation in language learning? The Acquisition of Second Languages and Innovative Pedagogies, 10, 108–121.
  • Correa, M. (2011). Academic dishonesty in the second language classroom: Instructors' perspectives. Modern Journal of Language Teaching Methods, 1(1), 65–79.
  • Ducar, C., & Schocket, D. H. (2018). Machine translation and the L2 classroom: Pedagogical solutions for making peace with Google translate. Foreign Language Annals, 51(4), 779–795. https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.12366
  • Garcia, I., & Pena, M. I. (2011). Machine translation-assisted language learning: writing for beginners. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 24(5), 471–487. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2011.582687
  • Glendinning, I. (2014). Responses to student plagiarism in higher education across Europe. International Journal for Educational Integrity, 10(1), 4–20. https://doi.org/10.21913/IJEI.v10i1.930
  • Groves, M., & Mundt, K. (2015). Friend or foe? Google Translate in language for academic purposes. English for Specific Purposes, 37, 112–121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2014.09.001
  • Harris, H. (2010). Machine translations revisited: issues and treatment protocol. The Language Teacher, 34(3), 25–29.
  • Jolley, J. R., & Maimone, L. (2015). Free online machine translation: Use and perceptions by Spanish students and instructors. In A. J. Moeller (Ed.), Learn languages, explore cultures, transform lives (pp. 181-200). Minneapolis: 2015 Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.
  • Knowles, C. L. (2016). Investigating instructor perceptions of online machine translation and second language acquisition within most commonly taught language courses (Doctoral dissertation). The University of Memphis.
  • Lee, S., & Briggs, N. (2021). Effects of using machine translation to mediate the revision process of Korean university students' academic writing. ReCALL, 33(1), 18–33.
  • McCarthy, B. (2004). Does online machine translation spell the end of take-home translation assignments? CALL-EJ Online, 6(1), 6–1.
  • Niño, A. (2009). Machine translation in foreign language learning: Language learners' and tutors' perceptions of its advantages and disadvantages. ReCALL, 21(2), 241–258. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0958344009000172
There are 17 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Language Studies
Journal Section ARAŞTIRMA MAKALELERİ
Authors

Seçkin Can 0000-0002-6710-7633

Publication Date February 25, 2023
Submission Date October 9, 2022
Acceptance Date January 11, 2023
Published in Issue Year 2023 Issue: Çeviribilim Özel Sayısı

Cite

APA Can, S. (2023). Instructors’ Perceptions of Students’ Google Translate Use in Language Learning. Söylem Filoloji Dergisi(Çeviribilim Özel Sayısı), 474-482. https://doi.org/10.29110/soylemdergi.1186593