Machine Translation in the Language Classroom: Turkish EFL Learners’ and Instructors’ Perceptions and Use
Online machine translation (OMT) tools are not exclusively designed for language learners; however, these tools are popular among them. This quantitative study investigated the perceptions and attitudes of Turkish speaking EFL learners and instructors in a university English program regarding the us...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
The International Academic Forum
2021-08-01
|
| Series: | IAFOR Journal of Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://iafor.org/journal/iafor-journal-of-education/volume-9-issue-4/article-6/ |
| _version_ | 1818492547540975616 |
|---|---|
| author | Murat Ata Emre Debreli |
| author_facet | Murat Ata Emre Debreli |
| author_sort | Murat Ata |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Online machine translation (OMT) tools are not exclusively designed for language learners; however, these tools are popular among them. This quantitative study investigated the perceptions and attitudes of Turkish speaking EFL learners and instructors in a university English program regarding the use of OMT tools. Two online questionnaires were administered to 462 Turkish-speaking learners and 34 instructors. The results revealed that 94% of the learner participants reported using OMT tools for their language learning studies. The learners predominantly used these tools for single-word or phrase translations. Reading and writing assignments were the main areas where the learners most frequently referenced to OMT tools. The learner participants thought the accuracy of the tools was not high, and the ethicality of using them depended on how they were used. Three-quarters of the instructor participants reported using OMT tools, and their judgements concerning the accuracy of these tools were more positive than the learners’. The results also revealed a mismatch between learners’ and instructors’ perceptions and attitudes regarding OMT tools in foreign language learning. Accordingly, the instructors often overestimated how much learners use OMT tools, while learners underestimated the instructors’ interest in them. These findings suggest policies should be developed within language learning institutions to guide students’ use of OMT tools, as well as improve the mutual understanding between students and teachers in terms of their ethicality. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T17:44:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6e433165e4a647de9737c59d0e9e5d84 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2187-0594 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T17:44:43Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | The International Academic Forum |
| record_format | Article |
| series | IAFOR Journal of Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-6e433165e4a647de9737c59d0e9e5d842022-12-22T01:39:17ZengThe International Academic ForumIAFOR Journal of Education2187-05942021-08-019410312210.22492/ije.9.4.06Machine Translation in the Language Classroom: Turkish EFL Learners’ and Instructors’ Perceptions and UseMurat Ata0Emre Debreli1Middle East Technical University, Northern Cyprus CampusEuropean University of Lefke, Northern CyprusOnline machine translation (OMT) tools are not exclusively designed for language learners; however, these tools are popular among them. This quantitative study investigated the perceptions and attitudes of Turkish speaking EFL learners and instructors in a university English program regarding the use of OMT tools. Two online questionnaires were administered to 462 Turkish-speaking learners and 34 instructors. The results revealed that 94% of the learner participants reported using OMT tools for their language learning studies. The learners predominantly used these tools for single-word or phrase translations. Reading and writing assignments were the main areas where the learners most frequently referenced to OMT tools. The learner participants thought the accuracy of the tools was not high, and the ethicality of using them depended on how they were used. Three-quarters of the instructor participants reported using OMT tools, and their judgements concerning the accuracy of these tools were more positive than the learners’. The results also revealed a mismatch between learners’ and instructors’ perceptions and attitudes regarding OMT tools in foreign language learning. Accordingly, the instructors often overestimated how much learners use OMT tools, while learners underestimated the instructors’ interest in them. These findings suggest policies should be developed within language learning institutions to guide students’ use of OMT tools, as well as improve the mutual understanding between students and teachers in terms of their ethicality.https://iafor.org/journal/iafor-journal-of-education/volume-9-issue-4/article-6/attitudesefllanguage learninggoogle translatemachine translationperceptions |
| spellingShingle | Murat Ata Emre Debreli Machine Translation in the Language Classroom: Turkish EFL Learners’ and Instructors’ Perceptions and Use IAFOR Journal of Education attitudes efl language learning google translate machine translation perceptions |
| title | Machine Translation in the Language Classroom: Turkish EFL Learners’ and Instructors’ Perceptions and Use |
| title_full | Machine Translation in the Language Classroom: Turkish EFL Learners’ and Instructors’ Perceptions and Use |
| title_fullStr | Machine Translation in the Language Classroom: Turkish EFL Learners’ and Instructors’ Perceptions and Use |
| title_full_unstemmed | Machine Translation in the Language Classroom: Turkish EFL Learners’ and Instructors’ Perceptions and Use |
| title_short | Machine Translation in the Language Classroom: Turkish EFL Learners’ and Instructors’ Perceptions and Use |
| title_sort | machine translation in the language classroom turkish efl learners and instructors perceptions and use |
| topic | attitudes efl language learning google translate machine translation perceptions |
| url | https://iafor.org/journal/iafor-journal-of-education/volume-9-issue-4/article-6/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT muratata machinetranslationinthelanguageclassroomturkishefllearnersandinstructorsperceptionsanduse AT emredebreli machinetranslationinthelanguageclassroomturkishefllearnersandinstructorsperceptionsanduse |