Empowering Migrant Communities through Machine Translation Literacy: A Pathway to Socio-Economic Inclusion

Narongdej Phanthaphoommee; Wichaya Pidchamook; Sheila Castilho; Joss Moorkens

doi:10.29333/ejecs/2668

Authors

Narongdej Phanthaphoommee Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia, Mahidol University, Thailand https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5607-6261
Wichaya Pidchamook Thammasat University https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2550-6204
Sheila Castilho School of Applied Languages and Intercultural Studies/ADAPT Centre, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8416-6555
Joss Moorkens School of Applied Languages and Intercultural Studies/ADAPT Centre, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0766-0071

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/2668

Keywords:

machine translation, migrant worker, humanitarian, inclusion, MT literacy

Abstract

This article presents the results of a pilot study aimed at designing an effective training program to teach migrant workers how to use machine translation (MT) tools (specifically Google Translate) by themselves. Employing a reflection and observation approach, the research team documented both participant experiences and their insights throughout the pilot. The training sessions were designed to improve practical skills and to raise participants’ awareness of privacy issues. The article shows how we designed and reflected on participants’ varying levels of familiarity and proficiency with translation technologies, examining key features such as image-based translation and identifying usability challenges. Drawing on the pilot study, we identified some potential challenges in applying MT literacy concepts to train migrant workers. These allowed us to revise the training plan and design activities and materials for the full-scale training programs that meet specific needs and linguistic backgrounds of Myanmar migrant workers. Key takeaways to ensure participants’ gain of practical skills for everyday use of MT include clearer instructions on tool functions, particularly voice input and camera mode (Google Lens), for optimal results.

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Author Biographies

Narongdej Phanthaphoommee, Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia, Mahidol University, Thailand

Narongdej Phanthaphoommee is an assistant professor at the Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia, Mahidol University, Thailand. His recent works have been published in Translation Spaces, Multilingua, Sexualities, Babel, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, the Peter Lang New Trends in Translation Studies Series, and the Routledge Global LGBTQ Activism edited volume. His research interests focus on ideology and translation, public service translation/interpreting, and translation by/for the marginalized community.

Wichaya Pidchamook, Thammasat University

Wichaya Pidchamook is a lecturer in translation at the Faculty of Liberal Arts at Thammasat University, where she held the position of founding head and served on the administrative committee of the B.A. Program in Translation and Interpretation in the Digital Age. Her current research interests include translator training, translation competence, and translation technology literacy.

Sheila Castilho, School of Applied Languages and Intercultural Studies/ADAPT Centre, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland

Sheila Castilho is an assistant professor in SALIS at Dublin City University. She worked as an Irish Research Council Research Fellow at the Adapt Centre on the DELA Project, which involved testing sentence-level metrics for document-level machine translation evaluation and establishing best practices. Sheila has actively contributed to various EU projects. Her research output includes over 50 publications, covering topics on translation technology, post-editing of MT, user evaluation of MT, and translators' perception of MT.

Joss Moorkens, School of Applied Languages and Intercultural Studies/ADAPT Centre, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland

Joss Moorkens is an associate professor at the School of Applied Language and Intercultural Studies in Dublin City University (DCU), Science Lead at the ADAPT Centre, a member of DCU’s Institute of Ethics and Centre for Translation and Textual Studies, and board member at the European Masters in Translation Network. He has published over 70 articles, chapters and papers on the topics of translation technology interaction and evaluation, translator precarity, and translation ethics. He is General Coeditor of the journal Translation Spaces, coeditor of several books and special issues, and coauthor of two textbooks on translation technology.

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