Translating Google Translate to the language classroom: pitfalls and possibilities

Valijärvi, Riitta-Liisa and Tarsoly, Eszter (2019) Translating Google Translate to the language classroom: pitfalls and possibilities. Practitioner Research in Higher Education, 12 (1). pp. 61-74.

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Abstract

We propose ways of incorporating Google Translate into the teaching of Finnish and Hungarian in a higher education setting at different skill levels. The task types tested in our study were: analytical tasks (dictionary-like exercise, word-building, part-of-word identification), discovery method tasks (elicitation, problem solving), and awareness raising tasks (error correction, text-level error analysis, guided essay writing in the target language). Students were interviewed about their experience as users of Google Translate and the usefulness of the exercises conducted in class. In line with the principles of action research, the survey results enabled the practitioners to reflect on and improve the teaching of two morphologically complex languages, Finnish and Hungarian, and optimise the ways in which Google Translate is used in the language classroom. With the development of their Finnish and Hungarian language skills, students become more critical, and more competent, users of online translation tools as well.

Item Type:	Article
Journal / Publication Title:	Practitioner Research in Higher Education
Publisher:	University of Cumbria
ISSN:	1755-1382
Departments:	Academic Departments > Institute of Education (IOE) > Initial Teacher Education (ITE)
Additional Information:	Riitta-Liisa Valijärvi, University College London, Uppsala University, Sweden and Eszter Tarsoly, University College London, UK.
Depositing User:	Anna Lupton
Date Deposited:	21 Mar 2019 16:00
Last Modified:	13 Jan 2024 08:32
URI:	https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/4577

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