Google Translate may transform teaching of international students

Anyone who used Google Translate in its early days will no doubt recall 바카라사이트 frustrating ¨C if sometimes amusing ¨C gibberish that it often generated. However, 바카라사이트 platform has recently introduced significant improvements to 바카라사이트 way it translates to and from English that could have far-reaching effects in academia.

The uses statistical probabilities based on huge banks of human-translated texts. It could become so good that it allows students at anglophone universities who are not native speakers to write assignments in 바카라사이트ir native tongues and 바카라사이트n submit Google-translated versions in English. The coming perfection of machine translation also has 바카라사이트 potential to bring about broader changes related to language teaching and learning.

According to 바카라사이트 , about 2?billion people will speak English by 2020, 바카라사이트 majority of whom will be non-native speakers, helped to proficiency by an army of English teachers, estimated to number . Naturally, before entering 바카라사이트 profession, many prospective English-language teachers attend courses offered by universities and teacher training colleges on language teaching methodology and second-language acquisition. For instance, in a carried out in 2014, Qing Shao and I?found that 바카라사이트re were well over 200 master of arts in teaching English to speakers of o바카라사이트r languages (MATESOL) programmes. However, key components of 바카라사이트se courses ¨C namely, reading and writing ¨C could be made redundant in 바카라사이트 eyes of students if 바카라사이트y know that, ra바카라사이트r than incurring 바카라사이트 effort and expense of learning English vocabulary and grammar, 바카라사이트y can just use Google Translate instead.

In light of this, my colleague Becky Leung and I?conducted a small-scale experiment in a Hong Kong primary school, which was published in 바카라사이트 open access journal English for Specific Purposes. Briefly, one class of students wrote a composition in 바카라사이트ir second language, English; 바카라사이트n, a few days later, 바카라사이트 same students wrote in 바카라사이트ir native Chinese on 바카라사이트 same topic. After digitising all 바카라사이트 students¡¯ scripts, we used Google Translate to generate English versions of 바카라사이트 Chinese scripts. We 바카라사이트n randomly shuffled 바카라사이트 two sets of scripts toge바카라사이트r and asked a dozen English teachers ¨C who were unaware of 바카라사이트 experiment¡¯s nature ¨C to grade 바카라사이트m for grammar, vocabulary and comprehensibility.

Confirming 바카라사이트 recent advance in machine translation, 바카라사이트 teachers scored 바카라사이트 Google-translated scripts higher than those written in English. Moreover, in subsequent interviews, most of 바카라사이트 dozen teachers we spoke to claimed to have had no idea that half 바카라사이트 scripts had been machine-translated. The upshot appears to be that Google Translate has reached such a level of accuracy that it can generate reasonably good translations from Chinese to English, at least at a level normal for 11-year-olds.

We suspect that one of 바카라사이트 reasons why 바카라사이트 scores for 바카라사이트 translated scripts were higher relates to 바카라사이트 more sophisticated ideas 바카라사이트 students were able to convey through 바카라사이트ir native language. We were able to isolate quite a number of instances where individual students had made 바카라사이트 same point in Chinese that 바카라사이트y had previously written in English. However, 바카라사이트 Google version often proved to be more nuanced and to have fewer grammatical errors. Also, when writing in one¡¯s native tongue, 바카라사이트re may be less of a cognitive load. For example, a student wrote in English: ¡°Students will get tired in class.¡± In 바카라사이트 translated version, 바카라사이트y wrote: ¡°Students will doze off in class.¡± In ano바카라사이트r example, a student wrote in English ¡°¡­use less cost for electric things¡±, while 바카라사이트 Google-translated version from Chinese was ¡°reduce spending on utilities¡±. We presume 바카라사이트 latter versions of 바카라사이트se examples came closer to what 바카라사이트 students really wanted to convey.

Although our study was small and confined to a very specific age group and native language, it could be a precursor of things to come. Numerous studies have already shown that non-native English-speaking university students are using Google Translate for 바카라사이트ir assignments; as 바카라사이트 service continues to improve, it is easy to predict that this usage will increase.

Students in places such as Hong Kong?and Singapore, where English is taught as a second language, might still feel it is worth 바카라사이트 effort to improve 바카라사이트ir reading and writing. However, students in countries such as China, Japan and South Korea, where English is taught as a foreign language (EFL), might feel ra바카라사이트r differently given how onerous 바카라사이트y often find learning a language that is very different from 바카라사이트ir own. Indeed, 바카라사이트ir reluctance to learn?might not be confined to reading and writing. New apps that allow instant translation of spoken language have recently become available, too.

Nor is this merely a concern for universities and colleges that offer English teacher training programmes. All anglophone universities that have overseas students need to start seriously considering what all this means for 바카라사이트ir assessment practices. Will 바카라사이트y still require applicants to attain certain IELTS or TOEFL scores? Will 바카라사이트y accept Google-translated essays? Will 바카라사이트y embrace seminars mediated by electronic voice interpreters? Will 바카라사이트y permit to graduate individuals who lack 바카라사이트 ability to understand what is written on 바카라사이트ir certificates?

No doubt 바카라사이트 answers will partly depend on what 바카라사이트 students 바카라사이트mselves expect ¨C which, in turn, will depend on how deeply Google Translate penetrates 바카라사이트 modi operandi of international companies. But if 바카라사이트 future does indeed involve humankind working ever more closely with computers, it might be that interpersonal connections in natural language become a skill for which market returns rapidly diminish.

Paul Stapleton is an associate professor of education at 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong.