Foreign Language Writing Aid - Translations Aids

Translations Aids

There are many free translation aids online, also known as machine translation (MT) engines, such as Google translate and Yahoo! Babel Fish, that allow foreign language learners to translate between their native language and the target language quickly and conveniently. Out of the three major categories in computerised translation tools; computer-assisted translation (CAT), Terminology data banks and machine translation. Machine translation is the most ambitious as it is designed to handle the whole process of translation entirely without the intervention of human assistance.

Studies have shown that translation into the target language can be used to improve the linguistic proficiency of foreign language learners. Machine translation aids help beginner learners of a foreign language to write more and produce better quality work in the target language; writing directly in the target language without any aid requires more effort on the learners' part, resulting in the difference in quantity and quality.

However, teachers advise learners against the use of machine translation aids as output from the machine translation aids are highly misleading and unreliable; producing the wrong answers most of the time. Over-reliance on the aids also hinder the development of learners' writing skills, and is viewed as an act of plagiarism since the language used is technically not produced by the student.

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