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1.2 Activities for Machine Translation

Emily Hellmich and Kimberly Vinall

Activities

Activity 1: Exploring MT Tools

In this activity, you will explore how changing the input impacts the output of various MT tools.

First, select two MT tools, such as Google Translate, DeepL, Yandex, etc.

 

Step 1: Look up each of the inputs listed in the table below in the first MT tool you selected and write the outputs in column 2. Also include the date/time of your search. As Carré et al. (2022) reminds us, MT outputs are variable over time as they are continuously improved through user input and new training data, so it is recommended that users always include the date they created the outputs, especially given that this information might be important in comparing outputs.

What happens when you…

      • toggle the language back and forth?
      • add punctuation to a sentence?
      • refresh the page or retry the input a second time?

Include your observations in the Notes column of Table 1 below.

 

Step 2: Look up each of the inputs in the second MT tool and write the outputs in column 3. Also include the date/time.

What happens when you….

      • toggle the language back and forth?
      • add punctuation to a sentence?
      • refresh the page or retry the input a second time?

Include your observations in the Notes column of Table 1 below.

 

Step 3: Compare the outputs in column 2 and 3 and note any observations or differences in column 4. You might also compare with the example completed tables (French/Spanish), listed at the end of this chapter.

Exploring MT Tools – Example 1

Input: Target word / phrase Tool 1: Output Tool 2: Output Notes
Fly [verb]
To fly
The fly
To fly
I fly to Rome next Tuesday
Time flies
A fly on the wall
Table 1

Step 4: Reflection

Now take some time to reflect on the following questions:

      • What did you observe? How does the output change based on what you searched?
      • What happens to MT output when you include/exclude [articles, adjectives, subjects, pronouns, punctuation, whole sentences, etc.]?
      • When would you want to include [articles, adjectives, subjects, pronouns, etc.] in your search? Why?
      • How will you use these tools in the future?

Activity 2: Reflective Online Tool Use

In this activity, you are going to explore how you are already using online tools through an online tool journal and then to reflect on how you might alter your usage of online tools in the future based on different situations.

You can use the following online tool journal whenever you are working on a writing task in the language you are learning–this can be for a structured language class or not.

 

Step 1. As you write, complete the following table if and when you draw on online tools.

Exploring MT Tools – Example 2

What online tool(s) do I use? What do I input into the online tool? What output do I receive? What questions do I have about the output? Do I conduct additional searches? If so, for what?
Table 2

Step 2: Reflection

Take some time to reflect on the following questions:

    • What did you learn about the tools and their strengths or weaknesses?
    • Based on your exploration, what can you do if…
      • you don’t understand individual words in the output or the output in its entirety?
      • you aren’t sure if the output matches what you want to express?
      • don’t recognize a specific verb form from the output?
      • you are attempting to use figurative language (i.e., idioms) but aren’t sure if there are cultural/linguistic equivalents?
      • are unsure if the register (i.e. formal vs. informal) matches the context of use?
      • want to use a specific variety of the language you are learning, but you know that it is not the dominant variety?
      • aren’t sure if the connotation of the word or phrases (feelings / emotions) match the feelings or emotions you want to convey?

English to French Example

Target Word/Phrase Google Translate DeepL Notes
Fly (verb) mouche Voler (alternatives: mouche, vol, volez) GT provides a noun (insect) without any alternatives, DeepL provides one verb option (used for birds, aircraft), as well as nouns (insect, flight) and conjugated verb (flying, second person plural) as alternatives
to fly voler à voler GT provides one verb (used for birds, aircraft), DeepL provides same verb with inappropriately added preposition
the fly la mouche la mouche (alternatives: la braguette) GT and Deep L provide the noun (insect); Deep L also provides the noun for pants zipper
fly to Voler vers S’envoler vers (alternatives: voler vers, s’envoler pour, s’envoler) GT’s translation is quite literal and largely incorrect; DeepL’s translation would be more appropriate for some subjects (birds, planes, disappearing)
I fly to Rome on Tuesday Je m’envole pour Rome mardi Je prends l’avion pour Rome le mardi. GT’s translation would not be accurate for human subjects; DeepL’s translation is more accurate and used
Time flies Le temps passe Le temps passe (alternatives: le temps file, le temps passe vite) Both translations are adequate, but do not capture the full meaning of the idiom; Deep L’s alternatives get closer to the intended meaning
Time flies! Le temps passe! Le temps passe vite! Deep L gets much closer to the intended meaning of the idiom
This is the fly that they killed C’est la mouche qu’ils ont tué C’est la mouche qu’ils ont tuée (alternatives: Voici la mouche qu’ils ont tuée; C’est la mouche qu’ils ont tué)

 

 GT defaults to the masculine form of “they;” misses agreement with “fly.” DeepL also defaults to masculine form of “they;” correctly does the agreement.
A fly on the wall voler sur le mur la mouche du coche GT gives a very literal and very incorrect translation (to fly on top of the wall). Deep L provides an idiom involving a fly but not the correct one. One appropriate translation of this idiom would be “une petite souris”
Table 3

English to Spanish Example

Target Word/Phrase Google Translate (GT) DeepL Notes
Fly (verb) volar Mosca (alternatives: volar, vuela, vuela a) GT provided the verb, DeepL provided the noun. The preferred verb in Spanish would be “viajar en avión” (to travel in a plane) since volar can also mean “to pilot.”
the fly la mosca la mosca (alternatives: el moscardón) No options are given for other possible meanings of the fly, i.e., those found on pants.
to fly para volar volar (alternatives: para volar, a volar, de volar) Para volar would be used to express “in order to fly,” as in, “In order to fly it is necessary to have identification.”
I fly to Rome on Tuesday Vuelo a Roma el martes. Vuelo a Roma el martes (alternatives: Volaré a Roma el martes) GT added a period. DeepL provides the future tense as an alternative.
Time flies El tiempo vuela El tiempo vuela (alternatives: El tiempo pasa volando, El tiempo pasa) The DeepL alternatives are more accurate, although not a direct translation = time passes flying.
Look how time flies. Mira como pasa el tiempo. Mira cómo vuela el tiempo. The GT translation is more accurate, the DeepL is a literal translation. Both use the verb in the third person singular or as an informal command.
to fly high volar alta (feminine) volar alto GT provides the feminine form, making alta an adjective.
fly by night volar de noche volar de noche Neither translation captures the meaning of this idiom.
They are fly-by-night workers. Son trabajadores de la noche a la mañana. Son trabajadores improvisados. GT provides a literal translation (they are night time workers). DeepL translates fly- by-night (meaning unreliable) as unprepared.
Table 4
definition

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