Can computer translators ever beat speaking a foreign language?

Do you use translation software? What is your experience?

How is translation technology different to human?

Put the French meal crottin de chèvre into Google Translate, and you'll be told it means goat pooh.

Translation software like Google Translate are good for tourists. But when the stakes are higher, for example in business, law or medicine, it can be a problem.

This can be a big problem especially when the same word has many meanings.

More sophisticated software (CATs) does help with translations that are repeated a lot.

CATs (computer aided translations) are used as part of modern language degree courses these days. So how good are they?

One of the most popular new tools is the translation earpiece. This is usually paired with a smartphone app. They hear spoken foreign languages and translate them for the user.

Speech technology has made a huge leap forward in accuracy.

And CAT tools have made translating text a lot easier. One example is surveys.

For meetings, wearable translators are popular. But even this new technology has problems.

Computers still lack the small things that make human communication unique.

If you want to make a relationship with the reader, you need a human translator to make it sound natural and get the sentiment of what is said or what is read. Sentiment is needed to translate feelings.

Some believe CAT tools hinder creativity.  

But this problem could be resolved within the next 10 years.

Foreign language skills are still  wanted in jobs.

In the UK about 15% of the jobs posted on recruitment website Reed ask for a foreign language.

New research from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages shows 75% of manufacturing companies need employees with different language skills.

There are other reasons too. How can you get to know a country and embrace the culture if you don't speak the language.

Some say, even with the voice-activated apps available, you will still lose being able to fully enjoy the culture and language of another country.

Try to guess the meaning of the words in bold and match them with their closest meaning from the choices in the right. Some of the answers are very close and have similar meaning. The meaning of these words is how they are used in the reading. Some of these words have different meanings in the dictionary depending on how they are used.

 The answers are below the table.

A=4, B=1, C=8, D=6, E=2, F=7, G=3, H=5

Some example sentences using the new words or phrases from the meaning of how they are used in the reading to help you understand better.

1. For Korean students, the stakes are high for the university entrance exam.

2. She is a sophisticated woman. She speaks 3 languages and has a lot of culture.

3. Smart phones were a big leap forward in technology.

4. The Ginko tree is unique to Korea.

5. Her sentiment was that her boyfriend did not care because he forgot her birthday.

6. Eat your dinner. If you don’t it will hinder your strength.

7. I said thank you to the customer service lady because she resolved our problem well.

8. Younger people embrace technology faster than older people.

    

    

    

Some questions using the new words/phrases. Try to use the words/phrases in your answer.

1. Give an example when the stakes have been high for you.

2. Compare an app that is sophisticated (or software) with a simple app (or software).

3. What huge leaps forward in technology do you think will happen in the next 10 or 20 years?

4. What is unique about humans compared to AI?

5. Do you think that technology will have sentiments in the future?

6. What hinders technology from translating sentiments? How can this change?

7. Give an example when technology has resolved a problem for you?

8. Do you embrace new ideas and technology more or less than other people?