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Real-Time Machine-Translated Instant Messaging: A Brief Overview with Implications for Translator Training

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Translation Education

Part of the book series: New Frontiers in Translation Studies ((NFTS))

Abstract

Over the decades, machine translation (MT) systems have contributed to improving the quality of MT output. Consequently, MT has become increasingly popular and is currently applied in more domains and fields of studies than ever before. The integration of MT into mobile communication technology, especially into real-time instant messaging (IM), a global fast-growing, and highly researched communication medium, has partially led to the elimination of linguistic barriers. Users of IM translation, who speak various languages, can now converse with each other. This chapter examines the usefulness of MT, briefly outlines current IM translation clients, and examines the impact of IM translation particularly on foreign language (FL) learning, translation theory, and translation practice. The article lays the groundwork for future research that seeks to better comprehend the crucial role of machine-translated IM in our society.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Information obtained on Feb. 10, 2020 from https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/stat/default.aspx.

  2. 2.

    Marianne Foley is the systems librarian at SUNY College in Buffalo, USA.

  3. 3.

    https://www.tandem.net/ (Accessed on Feb. 10, 2020).

  4. 4.

    https://www.mylanguageexchange.com/Default.asp: Accessed: Feb. 09, 2020.

  5. 5.

    Pin-hsiang Natalie teaches at Chien-kuo Technology University, Taiwan.

  6. 6.

    Michelle Kawamura teaches at Ritsumeikan University, Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate Institute of Interpretation and Translation (GIIT), Shanghai International Studies University (SISU), Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

    Kizito Tekwa

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  1. Kizito Tekwa
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Correspondence to Kizito Tekwa .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Translation Studies, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China

    Junfeng Zhao

  2. Center for Studies of Translation, Interpreting and Cognition, University of Macau, Macau, China

    Defeng Li

  3. School of Interpreting and Translation Studies, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China

    Lu Tian

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Tekwa, K. (2020). Real-Time Machine-Translated Instant Messaging: A Brief Overview with Implications for Translator Training. In: Zhao, J., Li, D., Tian, L. (eds) Translation Education. New Frontiers in Translation Studies. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-7390-3_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-7390-3_9

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