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Article published In: Approaches to Machine Translation
Edited by Mahdieh Fakhar, Monica Vilhelm and Paz Díez-Arcón
[Translation and Translanguaging in Multilingual Contexts 11:1] 2025
► pp. 31–47

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Machine translation post-editing through emotional narratives

A methodological approach

 | University of Alcalá
Published online: 7 January 2025
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/ttmc.00152.san
Abstract
Machine translation (MT) and post-editing (PE) have become increasingly common in translation training (Guerberof-Arenas, Ana, and Joss Moorkens. 2019. “Machine Translation and Post-Editing Training as Part of a Master’s Programme.” Journal of Specialised Translation 311: 217–238.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; Sánchez Ramos, María del Mar. 2022. “Public Service Interpreting and Translation Training: A Path towards Digital Adaptation to Machine Translation and Post-Editing.” Interpreter and Translator Trainer 16 (3): 294–308. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar). However, few studies have explored how trainee translators’ emotional responses to MT and PE impact their motivation to incorporate these tools in their translation practice. Understanding and managing the emotions of students is crucial to integrating MT and PE within translator training as a whole, and to fully preparing students for their professional careers. Building on previous studies applying emotional narrative analysis to translators’ experiences with technology (Koskinen, Kaisa, and Minna Ruokonen. 2017. “Love Letters or Hate Mail? Translators’ Technology Acceptance in the Light of Their Emotional Narratives.” In Human Issues in Translation Technology, ed. by Dorothy Kenny, 26–42. London: Routledge.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; Ruokonen, Minna, and Kaisa Koskinen. 2017. “Dancing with Technology: Translators’ Narratives on the Dance of Human and Machinic Agency in Translation Work.” The Translator 23 (3): 310–323. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar), this article explores the emotional responses of a group of 35 Spanish undergraduate translation students to MT and PE using an emotional narrative methodology. Participants were asked to write an emotional narrative in the form of either a love letter or a break-up letter addressed to MT. Overall, participants were found to be more positive than negative in their attitude towards MT and PE. Among the 35 emotional narratives, there were 20 love letters and 15 break-up letters. Thematic analysis revealed two main themes in the students’ narratives relating to (1) satisfaction with MT output and (2) the efficiency of MT. These exploratory findings reinforce Yang, Yanxia, and Xiangling Wang. 2019. “Modeling the Intention to Use Machine Translation for Student Translators: An Extension of Technology Acceptance Model.” Computers and Education 1331: 116–126. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar call for more research into what factors contribute to students’ intention to use MT and the consequent effects of using MT. They can also inform pedagogy so that translator trainers better understand the factors that motivate students to incorporate MT in their translation practice.
Article outline
  • 1.Evolution of MT and PE research
  • 2.Method: Participants, data collection, and procedure
  • 3.Analysis of the results
    • 3.1Satisfaction with MT
    • 3.2Efficiency
  • 4.Conclusion
  • References
References (58)
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