Computer- Assisted
Translation Activity
This
activity will help you evaluate computer- assisted translations.
Step1: Research.
Due_________________________
Locate
two computerized language translation tools.
List sources found:
1._________________________________
2._________________________________
Step 2: Try it out (Part
I). Due_________________________
A. Translate the following
pairs of sentences on each of the two Internet Translation services you found.
(Translate first from English to French, and then back to English.):
The
bats fly into the room
The
bats fly into the dugout when the batters hit too hard.
I
like ice cream with nuts on top.
Some
people think I’m nuts.
I
can drink a can of soda.
Can you dance the can-can?
When
I was a kid, I found a silver dollar.
On
what date did Bill Gates found
Microsoft?
If
I get any more chocolates, I’ll get sick of them.
If
you study your math, you’ll eventually get
it.
B. Print the second English translation
out, write “source I” or “source 2” on it, and hand in. Which one did better,
and why?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Step 3: Try it out (Part
II).
Due_______________________
Write
a one-paragraph autobiography in English (type this in a word
processor).Include your name, age, family or friends, likes and/or dislikes,
future plans.)
_____
Print it out.
_____Choose
the best translator from step 2. Paste in your English paragraph; translate it
into French.
_____Translate
the French into any language other than English (for example, Spanish). Now,
translate the product of that back into English.
_____Print
out the final translation (Eng-Fr-X-Eng).
_____In
a brief paragraph (in English) below the translation, compare the original
version with the final English version.
Step 4: Reflection Due______________________
Check
all that seem true:
_____My
teacher will be able to tell easily if I’ve used an online translator.
_____Online
translators do a good job.
_____I
might use an online translator for verb forms.
_____I’m
going to double-check anything I do on an online translator.
_____This
was a useful activity for me.
Computer-Assisted
Translation Project
-Purpose and
Rubric -
The
world is changing. Technology that was unimaginable 25 years ago is commonly
available today. One of these new technologies is computer-assisted
translation. Often we see a new technology and accept it without evaluating it.
But is it good, ethical, wise in all situations? When is it a useful tool, and
when does it cause more problems? This exercise will help you evaluate
computer-assisted translations.
Rubric:
(Completion of each step earns you the total points):
_____Step
I (Research): 10 points
_____Step
II(Try it out, Part 1) :10 points
_____Step
III (Try it out, Part 2): 25 points
_____Step
IV (Reflection checklist): 5 points
Name_______________________________________________