Research on the Translation System for the Aid of Students and Teachers in Schools Engaged in Cross-cultural Communication with Overseas Schools via the Internet.

1997 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 08680242
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Educational technology
• Research Institution: MUKOGAWA WOMEN'S UNIVERSITY
• Principal Investigator: NAKAUYE Masahiko School of Letters, Dept.of Education, MUKOGAWA WOMEN'S UNIVERSITY Associate Prof., 文学部・教育学科, 助教授 (20237209)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): ADACHI Kazumi School of Letters, Dept.of English, MUKOGAWA WOMEN'S UNIVERSITY Associate Prof., 文学部・英米文学科, 助教授 (40151071)
• Project Period (FY): 1996 – 1997
• Keywords: International Exchange / Interpretation System / the Internet / Electronic Bulletin Board / Cross-cultural understanding

Research Abstract

There is, naturally, a problem of the language and the difference of the culture when the schools in Japan do cooperate study and exchanges the information about culture with an overseas school by using the internet.
This research is to find the best "translation cooperation system" to help translation, to clear up the language problem and to promote the international exchange that the school teachers would do for their students.
The translation cooperation system
・The flow of translation.
Coordinator put the mail on the bulletin board from overseas school students, translator translate it and put it on the board again, and Japanese school teacher get the both of English and Japanese mails from the board and show them to his/her students. From Japan side, the procedure is as much as the same.
・Translator's role.
It is omitted that the translator proceeds to the exchange school by using an electronic bulletin board because of the over-duty for them. We are coming to the conclusion that the du ty of translator would be translation and to email it only. This was effective to obtain the translator for the long term widely. Because the translator should be the voluntarily people of the school area because of they understand the culture the school have.
・The Electronic Bulletin Board System.
It turned out reliance only to e-mail system enforce the new duty to the translator and teachers of recording the documents (e-mails) and the arrangement of the document and make it impossible to cooperate translation by two or more translators about one exchange mail. Therefore, the bulletin board is an indispensable element.
・The Electronic Translation Software.
For the automated translation software, we checked and compared the sentences the software made with translator. We found that it is difficult for the teachers to use it by themselves because of the ability of the software. There should be need the reviewing from an English viewpoint after automated translation.
Children's Japanese sentences are still not logical especially when it is translated into English automatically.
Conclusion.
At present, the translator, teacher and the coordinator who manages an electronic bulletin board and e-mail doing with the computer system is best "Translation cooperation system".