Google Translate Reflection

I used to consider GT as an online dictionary. Whenever I found words unfamiliar to me, or when I cannot decide what term is more proper, I tend to use GT to check online.

​

I think how to use GT is common sense, and I believe there is no need for extra lessons teaching students how to use an online translator. But it can be fine if the lesson’s purpose is not teaching us how to us GT but to translate a whole video with GT.

​

I tend to post the whole context on GT and pick up specific errors in terms of word choices or grammar. I think using GT properly can save us a lot of time, but overusing it might decrease the language sense. For example, I use GT to translate Bantaoyao scripts and then revise by myself.

​

I would read the translation produced by GT for a few times while revising it, the process will last until I find the context being fine enough. And I think teacher feedback is more efficient than peers review, for that most peer review I had did not really match my expectation.

​

Sometimes GT cannot distinguish between nouns and verbs in terms of Chinese context, and it would produce strange translation. I did not remember every mistake GT had made. But I then post small part of context for many times rather than post the whole context for once, which did lower the occurrence of mistakes.

​

GT is quite helpful in terms of saving time when I was handing subtitle translation and Bantaoyao preparation. And I think it helped the most at the time when I was helping building the proper terms for us to use in Bantaoyao tour guide, for that most word choice was not so familiar to me.

​

I have to say that GT is helpful almost in every class. I cannot figure out in which class GT is not helpful.

​

To me, Google translate is a convenient tool. In fact, it has impressed me not only a few times. This affiliated function of Google research is underestimated by most people, for they still consider GT the artificial intelligence which outputs silly translations. However, GT has already become an advanced technology. Most of my work is done with GT’s aid.

 

However, as a student of Foreign language department, I have to show my concern that we people might lost English senses if we overuse convenient AI translators. GT is convenient and helpful for sure, but I still worry that if we don’t keep enhancing our language ability, oneday we will be totally overrode by  AI translators such as GT.