Effects of machine translation on L2 writing proficiency: The complexity accuracy, lexical diversity, and fluency
Date
2024-07-08
Authors
Contributor
Advisor
Department
Instructor
Depositor
Speaker
Researcher
Consultant
Interviewer
Narrator
Transcriber
Annotator
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center
Center for Language & Technology
Center for Language & Technology
Volume
28
Number/Issue
1
Starting Page
1
Ending Page
19
Alternative Title
Abstract
With recent improvements in machine translation (MT) accuracy, MT has gained unprecedented popularity in second language (L2) learning. Despite the significant number of studies on MT use, the effects of using MT on students’ retention of learning or secondary school students’ use of MT in L2 writing has rarely been researched. The current study investigates the effectiveness of using machine translation on Korean middle school students’ L2 writing over an extended period of time. This study evaluated the complexity, accuracy, lexical diversity, and fluency of four versions of the students’ writing (pretest, MT-assisted version, posttest, and 2-week or 4-week retention tests) and measured errors in punctuation, spelling, vocabulary, and grammar in each version. The study employed a quantitative research method including descriptive statistics, repeated measures ANOVA, and paired t tests. The results showed that fluency, accuracy, and complexity significantly increased in the MT-assisted version in every aspect of writing, but decreased in the subsequent versions without MT (post- and retention tests). Decreases occurred more frequently with grammatical items than with lexical items. Despite the decreases, all of the items measured in the study scored higher in the retention tests than in the pretest, which indicates that the use of MT had a positive effect on L2 writing.
Description
Keywords
Machine Translation, L2 Writing, Accuracy, Lexical Diversity
Citation
Lee, S-M., & Kang, N. (2024). Effects of machine translation on L2 writing proficiency: The complexity accuracy, lexical diversity, and fluency. Language Learning & Technology, 28(1), 1–19. https://hdl.handle.net/10125/73585
Extent
19
Format
Geographic Location
Time Period
Related To
Related To (URI)
Table of Contents
Rights
Rights Holder
Local Contexts
Collections
Email libraryada-l@lists.hawaii.edu if you need this content in ADA-compliant format.