View Content #5600
| Contentid | 5600 |
|---|---|
| Content Type | 1 |
| Title | Internet Translators: Part 2 |
| Body | Continued from last week: What do to about student use of Internet tranlators has been a recent topic on the FLTEACH listserv. Many teachers have shared activities and projects they do to demonstrate to their students the drawbacks to the use of such tools. A search of the FLTEACH archives yields the following suggestions: --- One thing that I have done is ENCOURAGE my students to write a paragraph and then translate it using several of the translators and then write a comparative paper in ENGLISH comparing the translations to defend word choices, etc.and then come up with their own "composite" version. Also another things I have done is bring in an internet translated paper, put it on the overhead and use it as a teaching moment. One thing this does is it makes students aware of the fact that I am (A) very aware that such things exist, (B)and that the pitfalls are numerous. Daugherty, R. Re: Babblefish & other translators via internet. Foreign Language Teaching Forum (http://www.cortland.edu/flteach , 6 Jun 1999). --- I designed a Web activity (I think it is based on another FL Teacher's idea) that I used in both my upper level Spanish and French classes. You can find it at: http://www.geocities.com/dehamwey/mcdonalds.html . Hamwey, D. Internet Translators. Foreign Language Teaching Forum (http://www.cortland.edu/flteach , 27 Jan 2000). --- In order to preempt the misuse of free online translation sites, I have found it very effective for my students to complete several activities or exercises over a period of several days involving how to use a bilingual dictionary. (I am shocked to find that many of them do not know how to use an English dictionary because they do not understand the importanceof the parts of speech in their native language.) The last activity they complete involves a demonstration of several of the translation sites in which students type in a sample sentences in English and allow the online site to translate it. The message is really clear to them when they must verify the accuracy of the translation by highlighting, copying, and pasting the sentence in Spanish for the site to translate back to English. The students are shocked at the results. Of course, my sample sentences always involve an English idiom or slang expression to insure the desired results. Another source for very effective samples is to use some of the sentences that prior students erroneously produced using an online translator. Sherman, D. Internet Translators. Foreign Language Teaching Forum listserv (FLTEACH@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU, 31 Dec 2006). --- If you can get your hands on the book BRINGING THE STANDARDS FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING TO LIFE by Deborah Blaz, you will see a wonderful section about internet translators. I've used some of it with my students. Tuttle, L. Re: Internet Translators. Foreign Language Teaching Forum listserv (FLTEACH@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU, 31 Dec 2006). |
| Source | FLTEACH |
| Inputdate | 2007-01-14 09:54:04 |
| Lastmodifieddate | 2007-01-14 09:54:04 |
| Expdate | Not set |
| Publishdate | 2007-01-15 00:00:00 |
| Displaydate | Not set |
| Active | 1 |
| Emailed | 1 |
| Isarchived | 1 |
