Comprehension and trust in crises: investigating the impact of machine translation and post-editing

We conducted a survey to understand the impact of machine translation and postediting awareness on comprehension of and trust in messages disseminated to prepare the public for a weather-related crisis, i.e. flooding. The translation direction was English–Italian. Sixty-one participants—all native Italian speakers with different English proficiency levels— answered our survey. Each participant read and evaluated between three and six crisis messages using ratings and openended questions on comprehensibility and trust. The messages were in English and Italian. All the Italian messages had been machine translated and post-edited. Nevertheless, participants were told that only half had been post-edited, so that we could test the impact of post-editing awareness. We could not draw firm conclusions when comparing the scores for trust and comprehensibility assigned to the three types of messages—English, post-edits, and purported raw outputs. However, when scores were triangulated with open-ended answers, stronger patterns were observed, such as the impact of fluency of the translations on their comprehensibility and trustworthiness. We found correlations between comprehensibility and trustworthiness, and identified other factors influencing these aspects, such as the clarity and soundness of the messages. We conclude by outlining implications for crisis preparedness, limitations, and areas for future research

What's the Difference Between Professional Human and Machine Translation? A Blind Multi-language Study on Domain-specific MT

Machine translation (MT) has been shown to produce a number of errors that require human post-editing, but the extent to which professional human translation (HT) contains such errors has not yet been compared to MT. We compile pre-translated documents in which MT and HT are interleaved, and ask professional translators to flag errors and post-edit these documents in a blind evaluation. We find that the post-editing effort for MT segments is only higher in two out of three language pairs, and that the number of segments with wrong terminology, omissions, and typographical problems is similar in HT.Comment: EAMT 2020 (Research Track

CercleS 2022

CHAIRPERSON Manuel Moreira da Silva, Instituto Politécnico do Porto, Portugal EDITORS Ana Gonçalves, Estoril Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies, Portugal Célia Tavares, Instituto Politécnico do Porto, Portugal Joaquim Guerra, Universidade do Algarve, Portugal Luciana Oliveira, Instituto Politécnico do Porto, Portugal Manuel Moreira da Silva, Instituto Politécnico do Porto, Portugal Ricardo Soares, Instituto Politécnico do Porto, PortugalCercleS 2022 The Future of Language Education in an Increasingly Digital World: Embracing ChangeN/

Learning English Out of School: An Inclusive Approach to Research and Action

This volume reports on the main results of the research project Inclusive epistemologies and practices of out-of-school English learning. The study reacts to low attainment levels in English as a foreign language among socioeconomically disadvantaged youth. The contributors to this volume research teenagers’ existing practices of using and learning English out of school time and implement new, inclusive, nonformal English language educational initiatives. They evaluate the impact of the nonformal English language educational initiatives implemented and support their sustainability and transferability. The project embeds collaborative and arts-based methods into its methodology, fostering inclusive and creative educational practices and ways of knowing

INCREASING THE WILLINGNESS TO COLLABORATE ONLINE: AN ANALYSIS OF SENTIMENT-DRIVEN INTERACTIONS IN PEER CONTENT PRODUCTION

We investigate mechanisms that trigger collaborative work behavior in online peer communities. We regard the collaboration among Wikipedia editors as a social process influenced by specific communication practices. We analyze and quantify the way Wikipedia editors communicate their feedback and support towards each others’ work in form of sentiments and opinions, and explore to what extent this influences online trust among them. We show that peer content production in Wikipedia is influenced by sharing sentiments during discussions among editors. At the global level, sharing sentiments positively influences the level of online trust. We also find a significant difference in the amount of online trust among editors who share mainly positive or mainly negative sentiments. We further suggest that providing and receiving especially supportive feedback expressed in form of positive sentiments and opinions may be beneficial in terms of virtual teamwork

Contemporary Literature from Singapore

Literature in Singapore is written in the country’s four official languages: Chinese, English, Malay, and Tamil. Since 1999, with the state’s implementation of the Renaissance City Plan to revitalize arts and culture in Singapore, there have been various initiatives to increase the visibility of contemporary Singaporean writing both within the country itself and on an international scale. Translation plays a key role in bridging the linguistic and literary divides wrought by the state’s mother tongue policies, with several works by Cultural Medallion winners in different languages translated into English, which remains at present the shared language in Singapore. Literary anthologies are also invaluable forms through which the concepts of a national literature and national identity are expressed and negotiated. Writings about gender and sexuality have also become more prominent in single-author collections or edited anthologies, with writers exploring various inventive and experimental narrative forms. A number of poets and writers are also established playwrights, and theater has historically been and continues to be an extremely vital form of creative expression and cultural production. Graphic novels, crime and noir fiction, and speculative and science fiction publications are also on the rise, with the awarding of the Singapore Literature Prize to Sonny Liew’s The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye signaling that these genres merit serious literary consideration

Multilingual communication at Albany International

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Comunicação e Expressão, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Estudos da Tradução, Florianópolis, 2014.Línguas estrangeiras e tradução estão presentes em Corporações Multinacionais (MNCs). Este estudo de caso investiga o tratamento dado às línguas e à tradução na subsidiária da Albany International no Brasil. Esta MNC iniciou suas operações em 1895 em Albany, Nova Iorque  EUA para fornecer feltros para máquinas de papel e expandiu-se mundialmente. A primeira parte do estudo visa descobrir como aconteceu/vem acontecendo a expansão global da empresa, datas de acontecimentos relevantes, o quanto ela é multilíngue e multicultural e qual o papel das línguas e da tradução neste processo. Estas questões iniciais levaram a detalhes de como a subsidiária brasileira trata o problema das línguas em seus atuais processos e interações. Foram consideradas as perspectivas e regras da empresa, as percepções dos funcionários, a análise professional das práticas de traduções e línguas, além de fatores históricos e o papel da internet na comunicação multilíngue. A pesquisa utilizou-se de materiais fornecidos pela empresa, entrevistas com líderes de Marketing, Recursos Humanos e Tecnologias da Informação e entrevistas com vinte funcionários (as) envolvidos com a comunicação internacional de todas as áreas funcionais. O estudo revelou uma equipe multilíngue em uma MNC que exige falantes de Inglês (lingua franca) e Espanhol em múltiplas áreas e encontros frequentes. A tradução é necessária com frequência e abrange vários documentos que impactam na qualidade do trabalho. Não há política de línguas documentada, mas há uma série de práticas como aulas de Inglês e tradutor na empresa, além de recursos externos para resolver o problema.Abstract : Foreign languages and translation are present in Multinational Corporations (MNCs). This case study investigates how languages and translation are handled at Albany International´s subsidiary in Brazil. This MNC started its operations in 1895 in Albany, New York  USA to provide felts for paper machines and expanded globally. The first part of the study was intended to figure out how the company´s global expansion took/has taken place, when relevant events happened, the extent of its multilingual and multicultural status and the role of languages and translation in this process. These initial broad questions were narrowed down to how the Brazilian subsidiary has been dealing with the problem of languages in its contemporary processes and interactions. The latter considered the company´s perspectives and rules, the employees´ perceptions, and the professional analyses of translation and language practices, in addition to historical factors and the role of the internet in the multilingual communication. The research used company-provided materials, interviews with Marketing, Human Resources and Information Technologies leaders and interviews with twenty employees involved in cross-border communication in all functional areas. The study revealed a multilingual staff in a MNC that requires employees to speak English (lingua franca) and Spanish in multiple areas and frequent encounters. Translation is frequently needed and entails a wide range of documents that impacts on work quality. The company does not have a documented language policy, but a set of practices including in-company language classes and translation, in addition to external resources to respond to the problem