online translation and students

[Lynne deBenedette]

In a related issue, I¹d be interested in seelangers¹ reactions to the
following scenario:

1st year student writing a biography report on a famous Russian locates
internet info in both Eng and Ru;
student runs Russian version through a translation program;
translation is horrid, but a sufficient number of words comes out close
enough that the student can piece together what parts of the Russian render
ideas expressed in the English version;
student quotes considerable amounts from the site;
student gets a native speaker fellow student to clean up endings.

Resulting essay features language one would be surprised to see used
consistently by a student in 3d year.
Course policy is that students¹ written work must be their own, meaning they
must be able to demonstrate command of whatever they put on paper.  If a
considerable percentage of the language doesn¹t seem typical for that
student¹s writing, s/he comes in and reproduces the essay under controlled
conditions.

In this case course policy was invoked, and the student was able to cope
with the controlled writing task reasonably well (to my great relief).  The
policy, of course, was meant to thwart attempts by heritage speakers to have
a more literate relative dictate the essay to them.  I haven¹t had this
particular combination of circumstances occur before‹in a class of 14 that
was the only essay containing so many constructions outside the student¹s
normal range.  Comments about use of online translation?  Suggestions for
policy?

Lynne
-- 
Lynne deBenedette
Senior Lecturer in Russian
Brown University / Slavic Languages
20 Manning Walk, Box E
Providence, RI 02912
tel 401-863-7572 or 401-863-2689
fax 401-863-7330
lynne_debenedette at brown.edu
SPRING 2003 Office Hours Tu 2.30-4; We 3.30-5



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