Assessing the Application of Online Computer Translators while Learning English in Ukraine (KhSAC)

Introduction

In a modern digital society, digital tools are actively used in any area of human activity: computers and software, information networks and their resources and services. Interlanguage contacts have already expanded significantly compared to the past 20th century, thanks to the developments of computer specialists around the world, who develop and improve translation programs from one language to another.

The development of modern lexicography is characterized by a change in many genres of dictionaries and the strengthening of their educational orientation. An educational dictionary can be used not just as a reference material, but also as an independent teaching aid for the development of all types of speech activity and the formation of communicative competence [1]. Of particular importance for learning a foreign language at any level are online dictionaries that are aimed at finding the meaning and translation of individual words. And at the same time, students actively use online translators which can translate texts, although initially students need to have their own vocabulary to correct the translation received. It should be noted that some online translators combine the functions of translators and dictionaries, such as Multitran, Bing, Babylon, Babelfish and others. They are already related, like translator programs, to online services.

Experts believe that the effectiveness of English language learning by students can be increased through more effective development of lexical and translation skills by using a computer or electronic dictionary based on modern advances in information technology. Especially when students have to deal with specialized texts where the meaning of the term is not always determined by the first of the many translation options provided. Professional training is based on the creation of new technological approaches to the organization of students’ activities connected with modern information and communication technologies. The use of a full range of technical training and information resources in foreign language teaching corresponds to the modern educational paradigm and increases the cognitive activity of students [2, p. 346].

The relevance of the subject of the article is confirmed by numerous Internet publications of various authors: linguists, teachers, translators, who emphasize the scientific and educational aspects of computer translation, and also advertise some translation services. However, an important point for the successful development of teaching foreign languages is not only the professional opinion, but also the evaluative opinion of students who actively use online dictionaries in the process of learning languages, in particular, English. Thanks to them, user priorities for online service such as dictionaries and translators in the complex can be highlighted.

The aim of this research is to analyze the experience, possibilities and benefits of using computer online translators and dictionaries for learning English for Ukrainian-speaking users by surveying the evaluative opinions of students of the Kharkiv State Academy of Culture.

Analysis of Recent Studies and Publications

“Studies on dictionary use have been gaining ground over the last three decades or so, but while dictionary use has moved dynamically into the digital medium, user research on digital dictionaries has been somewhat slow in coming” [3, p. 232].

Lew provides us with basic classifying criteria for online dictionaries. They are: general/special subject, general/special purpose, L1/L2/FL speaker, expert/layman, contemporary/historical, etc [4, p. 231].

We analyzed many publications on the subject of the study, the authors of which note that students have problems when using online dictionaries. In particular, Umwari and Triastuti say that “despite the general role of a dictionary in teaching and learning vocabulary, students today prefer online dictionaries to the printed ones but their use remains problematic” [5, p. 380]. Almost the same point of view we can find in the report by Farina, Vrbinc and Vrbinc. The authors have provided a study based on interviews with students from the University of Ljubljana. Researchers reached some recommendations: the improvement of drop-down menus; the inclusion of the form(s) of a target word; illustrative examples; the use of italics, boldface, and colors as well as what types of information should be displayed or available if needed [6].

According to [7] one of the most essential components in the foreign language learning process are online dual-language dictionaries. E. Vulkott states that the tendency of rejection of traditional dictionaries-phrasebooks, which are already becoming a thing of the past, is becoming obvious. A recent study by the British Council found that in the 16-34 age group, two-thirds of respondents in a foreign language environment use mobile translation applications. For example, Google released the Pixel Buds in-ear headphones that can translate 40 languages in real time, although the quality of their translations is questionable. Overall, machine translation, whose quality is comparable to that of a human-made translation, appears to be quite an achievement. But even Microsoft admits that translating news articles is not the same as translating a live conversation, which is characterized by idioms, accents, and dialectics. One in five of the interviewed said that they faced difficulties due to incorrect automatic translation [8].

Many authors write about the efficient use of the dictionaries during the study of foreign languages. Butaev Sh.T. [9], Karomatova Z.F. [1], Khusanova Sh.E. [10], Haritska S.V. [11] and others are some of these researchers. Olkhovska A. [12] describes the results of introducing the newly developed methodology of teaching students majoring in philology to translate social and political texts from English into Ukrainian with the help of one of the leading computer-assisted translation software tools (CAT-tools) – SDL Trados.

Special attention is paid to modern technical means of translation, among which the use of Internet resources is gaining popularity in teaching the vocabulary of the English language [13]. The use of electronic lexicographic systems in the process of studying the discipline "Foreign Language" in universities is an effective tool for the formation and development of competencies in the field of translation of special texts [2], [1]. At the same time the specifics of the texts and the professional field of communication should be taken into account.

Discussions in the field of translation studies and language teaching methods are not always unequivocally in favor of the need to turn to a professional dictionary. There are some opinions [8] about the problems and errors of automatic translation. To eliminate such errors, machine learning algorithms in translation applications are constantly being refined. They check previous queries, take into account the context in which a word has previously been used, and select the most appropriate meaning. Furthermore You, Xu and Xu [14] presented a novel online dictionary with a confidence parameter. “The confidence indicates the scale of the update of atoms during online learning; frequently estimated atoms are thus supposed to be updated less aggressively than those of low usage frequency” [14, p. 707]. Sun, Liu, Yang and Fang [15] established a continual learning framework for multi-modal learning an effective online dictionary updating method to study language more effectively.

The use of modern online dictionaries and their tools has been researched by various authors. In particular Kol and Schcolnik [16] studied the effect of online monolingual (Rewordify) and bilingual (Reverso) tools on reading comprehension in English. The study was conducted to check student preference for one or the other tool. The study showed that these tools allow for more immediacy and speed than previous dictionary tools [16]. The other study by Łukasik and Sulik [17] describes usefulness of selected bilingual online dictionaries in specialised translation. The study aim was to look “into the effectiveness of terminology searches across selected online dictionaries in the translation of a specialised text” [17, p. 27].

However, the situation has changed over a recent few years and we see significant activity in the use of online dictionaries. There is “a demand for reliable empirical information on how online dictionaries are actually being used and how they could be made more user-friendly” [18, p. 1]. Thus, a considerable number of researches about the importance of applying online dictionaries to learning process and about pros and cons of their usability have been conducted. Recommendations for their improvement based on users’ interviews have been given. Meanwhile, the most frequently used online dictionaries have not been explored. Thus, this research is providing this information.

Research Methods

Research methods are determined by the specifics of the object of study based on the application of a set of methods and approaches. The following methods were used at different stages of the study: source search, content analysis of scientific publications and Internet publications; evaluation method to finalize the analysis and synthesis of individual research tasks; generalization and substantiation of conclusions, as well as sociological methods: observation, survey, abstraction, generalization, formalization. Among the sociological methods, the method of interviewing students as main users of online translators and dictionaries was of particular importance for the study.

Results and Discussion

On the Internet, you can find many programs for translating texts. However, it is difficult to choose a program that will satisfy all the needs of a user. Such programs whose functions most often include a dictionary are one of the ways to qualitatively increase the vocabulary of the target language. Online translators help not only read the English-language texts, but also, among other things, easily memorize English words, learn other meanings of a familiar word, learn to recognize shades of meanings in context [19].

It should also be noted that among the high-quality software translators that are available in the market and do all the mechanical work of translating sentences thus allowing a person to concentrate only on conveying the stylistic features of a particular text there are programs developed in post-Soviet countries (or CIS countries) which are not targeted at Ukrainian-speaking users.

Analysis and Characteristics of Online Translators and Dictionaries for Internet Users

Serious requirements as for the semantic analysis of texts and accurate transfer of meaning of the original text as well as its general style and emotional coloring are imposed on these modern programs. In addition, a convenient graphical interface and interaction with basic user applications are important. Online translators are also called desktop translators. The recommendations and advertising ratings of online translators on the network indicate 5, 6, 7 or 10 titles of the best translators [19] – [24]. They are in Table 1.

Such frequently used translators as: Google Translate, PROMT.One, Yandex.Translator and DeepL can be distinguished in the Ukrainian-speaking segment of the Internet.

Internet publications provide generalized assessments of online translators in terms of professional translation. First of all, they distinguish Google Translate as the most popular. It is easy to use and has an intuitive interface. In addition to the main function, there are additional features such as responsive design, the ability to enter a text by voice, and even by drawing letters on the screen, translation from more than 20 languages using a camera, the ability to save the translated text and others. There are also disadvantages of the program, among which the most frequent mistakes are incorrect endings of words, as well as word-for-word, rather than literary, interpretation of the text. It is believed that it is suitable for informal communication, but after using this service for the translation of business documents it’s better to have them checked by a person who knows the language. Another service is called SmartCAT which is characterized by the simplicity of working with a glossary (dictionary). There is a possibility of communication between the translator and the editor within the system. There are statistics of processed texts for translators. This program is focused on professional use, mainly by translators.

Nevertheless, it should be noted that the effectiveness of using only online computer translators, no matter how perfect they may be, when learning English, is insufficient. The efficiency of combining the understanding of the context of the processed text with the use of online dictionaries is much higher. When working with dictionaries, it is necessary to read the explanation of the word in English, examples of its use in the sentence and then make a decision on its relevance. In this way, you can also find collocations that will make the translation even more "alive" [25].

The importance of understanding the context is a priority when translating. Because the text may be about some everyday things, and may have a special context, such as medical, legal, or the text can be official or include slang. When working with a dictionary, an equally important step is to understand which parts of the language are translated: a noun, verb, adjective, etc.

Thus, the capabilities of online dictionaries that they have for users have been considered below.

Lingvo has many languages in its arsenal, including Ukrainian; examples from classical texts; word forms: all tenses, active and passive forms. In addition, it is possible to register and create your own dictionary. The dictionary is designed for users starting from the elementary level of language proficiency.

Multitran as an online service lets users contribute to the translation of an article; you can see comments on the translation of words; and there is a translation of words sorted by topic. In addition, the dictionary contains a large number of specialized dictionaries. The dictionary is designed for users with an average level of language proficiency and for professional translations.

PROMT allows translation into Ukrainian, but only in beta; the dictionary has free and paid mobile versions. The dictionary is designed for users with an initial level of language proficiency.

Cambridge Dictionary gives the user the opportunity to create their own account and add to their vocabulary. It translates from English to other languages, but there is no reverse translation, there is no translation into Ukrainian either. It has British and American pronunciations and is designed for users with a basic level of language proficiency.

Merriam-Webster has a specific American transcription and provides simplified word definitions as well as the etymology of words and also contains a thesaurus that includes synonyms, antonyms, and related words. It is designed for users with an advanced level of language proficiency.

The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English gives examples of the use of the word in a sentence. It is possible to listen to a sentence with a word. There are also collocations with the word. It has a built-in text translator up to 300 characters, including Ukrainian. It is designed for users with a basic level of language proficiency.

Macmillan Dictionary allows you to select the right words in a sentence, collocations and phrases, synonyms; and also, it provides the possibility of clicking on the word in the explanation. The dictionary is designed for users starting from the average level of language proficiency.

The Collins Dictionary has a video pronunciation of the word, as well as a picture or photo as an illustration of the word. It contains translation of words into many languages and provides the opportunity to translate into Ukrainian. The dictionary is designed for users starting from the average level of language proficiency.

Dictionary.com provides word definitions and provides synonyms, idioms and collocations with the word. The etymology of the word is given. The dictionary shows examples of the use of the word in a phrase, not in a sentence. The dictionary is designed for users with above-average language proficiency.

The Oxford Dictionary of English provides explanations of the word with examples from real articles, books, etc. It has synonyms for word and thesaurus and explains the use of the word in British and American English. It is designed for users from the average level of language proficiency.

Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries provides explanations of words and phrases. It contains collocations with the word and has separate articles on different parts of speech for one word. It also contains idioms and provides the opportunity to listen to British and American pronunciation of the word, and registered users can maintain their own dictionaries and add words. The dictionary is designed for the average level of language proficiency.

Urban Dictionary contains many explanations from different users and provides an opportunity to evaluate the interpretation of the word. The dictionary is designed for people over 16 years old, as it contains slang and profanity. It also contains idioms and collocations with explanations, as well as the opportunity to search in the dictionary. It is designed for a level of language proficiency above average.

Wooordhunt provides translation options and examples of word use in a phrase, sentence as well as transcription and pronunciation in British and American English. It has user help and allows to memorize words with word memorization exercises. It is designed for the level of language proficiency starting from the elementary level.

ReversoDictionary supports many languages. It provides translation of words in context. It is possible to see synonyms, antonyms of words with examples of use in a phrase or sentence. It provides the opportunity to listen to the pronunciation of the word in British and American English; it is possible to translate documents in different formats (.doc, .docx, .odf, .pdf, .ppt, .pptx, .ps, .rtf, .txt, .xls, or .xlsx) while preserving the formatting. The dictionary is designed for users starting from the elementary level of language proficiency.

As we can see, the dictionaries, in addition to the ability to translate texts, increase the efficiency of the process of learning English, because, they, for example, provide an opportunity to learn about the origin of the word, its meaning in combination with other words or in a particular field, examples of use, pronunciation and possible synonyms. This greatly enriches the active and passive vocabulary of the user and, most importantly, allows to understand the language itself.

In addition to these dictionary features, all reviewed and analyzed dictionaries have an online version and / or mobile application that provides ease of use with the dictionary.

In general, the characteristics and ratings of online translators and dictionaries indicated in the tables where Internet publications were used are, of course, subjective and / or advertising in nature. Each Internet user who has contacted a particular translator may have his own opinion about its merits and demerits. Although the indisputable advantage of each is free access, the majority of translators have a choice and a user-friendly interface.

Such general conclusions can be compared with the opinion of students who are learning English and have real pragmatic assessments of online services.

Study and Analysis of the Possibilities of Using English-Speaking Online Translators for Students

In order to determine the most widely used online dictionary of English, a survey was conducted among students of various years of study and educational programs of the Kharkiv State Academy of Culture. The total number of respondents is 55 students.

The following online dictionaries are offered for selection (see Fig. 1):

As shown in Figure 1, the first place went to Google Translate - 50.9%, the second and third places Multitran and ReversoDictionary - 14.5% and 12.5% respectively from the list of proposed online dictionaries with a total of 16 with the ability to enter your version.

83.6% of respondents answered that the proposed online dictionaries allow to contain the translation of collocations, idioms and words with prepositions. And only 16.4% answered that there is no such possibility. 85.5% answered affirmatively about the possibility of searching for phrases. The presence of explanations to the words is present in 78.2%. In 70.9%, dictionaries provide examples of the use of words and / or phrases in a sentence. This is a very convenient feature because it allows to see the meaning of a word in context and understand how to use it in the structure of a sentence or phrase.

Figure 2 shows the results of the translation quality criterion. Grades were distributed as follows: 21.8% of respondents rated online dictionaries 5 out of 5 possible, 4 - 23%, 3 - 18%, 2 - 3.6%. This distribution of points gives grounds to claim that the quality of translation of online dictionaries in the opinion of respondents is above average.

Figure 3 shows the distribution of the evaluation of the convenience of working with online dictionaries. This convenience was assessed as excellent by 49.1% of respondents, which indicates a fairly high practicality of using online dictionaries. 74.5% of respondents answered that dictionaries contain Ukrainian which provides an opportunity to translate from English to Ukrainian and vice versa.

Among the advantages of using online dictionaries are the following: convenience, speed, the presence of words in context, the ability to translate from images, the availability of translation examples, the ability to refer to the dictionary at any time. These benefits apply to Google Translate, Multitran and ReversoDictionary, as just over 50% of respondents chose these dictionaries as the most used.

27% of the main shortcomings named by the respondents are the following: inaccuracy of translation, translation errors, literal translation.

Thus, based on the analysis, we can conclude that the most popular dictionary among the surveyed audience is Google Translate and it is mostly chosen because of its usability, speed, efficiency, but the quality was also rated quite highly. Also, according to respondents, when it is necessary to do a more detailed translation such dictionaries as Multitran or Cambridge Dictionary are usually referred to.

Such assessments were obtained after conducting an anonymous survey (see Appendix 1 - Questionnaire), which generally confirmed the usefulness of such dictionaries, thanks to the user-friendly interface, ease of access to them, the ability to translate from and into Ukrainian, although they rated the quality of translation as - above average, which indicates the need to use additional "intellectual" translation.

Conclusions and Prospects for Further Research

The use of digital technologies for learning foreign languages and, in particular, English is an objective trend in the development of modern society. Unlike paper dictionaries, online translators and electronic dictionaries are characterized by such properties as multimedia and hypertextuality which allow the user to search and navigate quickly to the necessary dictionary information as well as find synonyms and antonyms for a given word, words of the same semantic group, declension and conjugation paradigms, etc.

The generalized assessment of all online services (translators and dictionaries) was obtained. It is based on the results of the analysis of online translators and dictionaries systematized by the authors into tables. They include both disadvantages and advantages. So, the advantages comprise such things as saving time (translation is done by a computer program, and the result of the translation only needs to be edited); accessibility that is anywhere where the Internet works; saving finance. The disadvantages are that the involvement of human resources is imperative because automatic translation cannot be considered 100% high-quality; highly specialized terminology (formulas, etc.) cannot be translated qualitatively, just a literal version is given; and also editing and layout must be done by a person.

The study and analysis of the possibilities of using English-language online translators for educational purposes was carried out by the method of anonymous questionnaire survey of the students of the Kharkiv State Academy of Culture. Based on their answers, the authors conclude that positive assessments of the use of electronic translators prevailed. Such their properties such as a convenient interface, translation speed and efficiency in obtaining a result were noted. At the same time, respondents mentioned cases of inaccurate translation, translation errors and sometimes literal translation.

Taking into account all the assessments and opinions of professional users and non-specialists regarding automatic translation, the authors concluded that a high-quality translation cannot be obtained without human interference in the translation process itself, and that literary editing and processing of the resulting translated text is necessary.

Prospects for the development of online translators and dictionaries are developed within the framework of computer applied linguistics. Programs for the analysis and synthesis of natural language and data mining (Data Mining) are being developed. They are focused on a more perfect translation process and bringing the quality of machine translation closer to the standards of the intellectual translation.