Publication type: Conference other
Type of review: Peer review (abstract)
Title: I looked it up in DeepL : online dictionaries and online machine translation
Authors: Delorme Benites, Alice
Cotelli Kureth, Sara
Lehr, Caroline
Steele, Elizabeth
Franciello, Laura
et. al: No
Conference details: Tralogy3 : Tralogy: Human translation and natural language processing: Forging a new consensus?, Paris, France, 7-8 April 2022
Issue Date: 8-Apr-2022
Language: English
Subjects: Machine translation literacy; Language learning
Subject (DDC): 410.285: Computational linguistics
418.02: Translating and interpreting
Abstract: The advent of neural machine translation in 2016 catapulted machine translation (MT) into a world that was already digitalizing at an accelerated pace. The last decade has also witnessed the digitalization of most well-established dictionaries (Merriam-Webster, Robert, Pons, Duden, etc.), including free online access and the emergence of bilingual concordancers (Linguee). As a result, language learners and translation students can use numerous online resources with a simple click. However, the process behind many online dictionaries (OD) is still human lexicographic work, while MT provides output based on natural language processing, i.e. artificial intelligence (AI), without human validation. A survey carried out among Swiss universities in 2021 shows that, in the context of higher education, machine translation tends to be used as a surrogate for online dictionaries. This chimes with observations by Briggs (2018) and O'Neill (2019), who noted an almost identical use of MT and OD amongst students. In the present survey, a large proportion of the respondents indicate that they use online MT systems primarily to look up words or to find synonyms. This conflation of MT and OD works both ways: respondents cited bilingual dictionaries when asked what MT systems they use. Further, the physical distinction between the two types of linguistic resources is also fading, since many online MT tools now include dictionary functions and vice versa. In this situation, the authority of human lexicographers seems to be tacitly challenged by AI and demonstrates the need to elucidate how human knowledge and AI should interact for building, maintaining and using linguistic resources. This communication will present the data consolidating this affirmation and will discuss practical consequences and implications, especially with respect to training needs in the area of MT literacy (Bowker 2020) and the informed use of digital literacy tools.
URI: https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/24846
Fulltext version: Published version
License (according to publishing contract): Licence according to publishing contract
Departement: Applied Linguistics
Organisational Unit: Institute of Translation and Interpreting (IUED)
Published as part of the ZHAW project: Digital Literacy im Hochschulkontext
Appears in collections:Publikationen Angewandte Linguistik

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Delorme Benites, A., Cotelli Kureth, S., Lehr, C., Steele, E., & Franciello, L. (2022, April 8). I looked it up in DeepL : online dictionaries and online machine translation. Tralogy3 : Tralogy: Human Translation and Natural Language Processing: Forging a New Consensus?, Paris, France, 7-8 April 2022.
Delorme Benites, A. et al. (2022) ‘I looked it up in DeepL : online dictionaries and online machine translation’, in Tralogy3 : Tralogy: Human translation and natural language processing: Forging a new consensus?, Paris, France, 7-8 April 2022.
A. Delorme Benites, S. Cotelli Kureth, C. Lehr, E. Steele, and L. Franciello, “I looked it up in DeepL : online dictionaries and online machine translation,” in Tralogy3 : Tralogy: Human translation and natural language processing: Forging a new consensus?, Paris, France, 7-8 April 2022, Apr. 2022.
DELORME BENITES, Alice, Sara COTELLI KURETH, Caroline LEHR, Elizabeth STEELE und Laura FRANCIELLO, 2022. I looked it up in DeepL : online dictionaries and online machine translation. In: Tralogy3 : Tralogy: Human translation and natural language processing: Forging a new consensus?, Paris, France, 7-8 April 2022. Conference presentation. 8 April 2022
Delorme Benites, Alice, Sara Cotelli Kureth, Caroline Lehr, Elizabeth Steele, and Laura Franciello. 2022. “I Looked It up in DeepL : Online Dictionaries and Online Machine Translation.” Conference presentation. In Tralogy3 : Tralogy: Human Translation and Natural Language Processing: Forging a New Consensus?, Paris, France, 7-8 April 2022.
Delorme Benites, Alice, et al. “I Looked It up in DeepL : Online Dictionaries and Online Machine Translation.” Tralogy3 : Tralogy: Human Translation and Natural Language Processing: Forging a New Consensus?, Paris, France, 7-8 April 2022, 2022.


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