The ergonomics of translation tools: understanding when less is actually more

Abstract

Professional translation and consequently translation training involve a wide range of general-purpose technological aids as well as specifically-designed translation tools. In response to market demands, a great deal of effort has been devoted to developing and implementing features in such tools that can contribute to higher consistency, productivity and quality. There has been less attention paid to the needs of learners and actual users, however. Previous research with professional translators at the workplace suggests that there is potential to optimize the ergonomics of certain features of computer-aided translation tools currently on the market. An exploratory study of the usability of two such tools with very different interfaces was carried out with students enrolled in a Master of Arts (MA) program in translation. Quantitative measures from process monitoring software and qualitative indicators from post-task interviews highlight how students interacted with the two tools as they translated comparable source texts. The global process measures and the subjective comments suggest that the CAT tool with the leaner interface might be easier for students to use. In-depth analyses of three pairs of comparable segments support this finding, as do the evaluations of the target text segments by a separate cohort of MA students. We consider the implications of our findings in light of recent calls for improved cognitive, physical, and organizational ergonomics at the translation workplace. In conclusion, we make recommendations for incorporating ergonomic considerations into technology modules in translator training.

Çeviri Teknolojileri Dersine Yönelik Bir Ders İzlencesi Tasarımı: Kuramsal Hususlar ve Uygulamalı Ödevler Işığında

“…In this way, students are also given an opportunity to select the tool that they find as the easiest and most comfortable to use in terms of the interface of the software. This was explained by Kappus & Ehrensberger-Dow (2020) within the scope of ergonomics of translation tools, in which they found that the more complicated a tool's interface is, the less optimal use it offers, which in turn makes the translators' workflow be interrupted and their cognitive load be increased.…”

Alles verandert altijd - Herziene editie

“…Vroeger streefden CAT-toolontwikkelaars naar een zo groot mogelijk aanbod aan functionaliteiten. Tegenwoordig bieden ze die functionaliteiten nog wel aan, maar willen ze de vertaler de vrijheid geven om de omgeving te 'customizen' (Kappus & Ehrensberger-Dow 2020). Ze hanteren steeds vaker een 'opt-inconstructie', waarbij je moet aangeven welke functie je nuttig vindt en welke niet (Moorkens & O'Brien 2017).…”

The interaction effect between source text complexity and machine translation quality on the task difficulty of NMT post-editing from English to Chinese: A multi-method study

“…As long as the MT output is not so poor that the post-editor decides to translate everything from scratch, or not so good that the post-editor could accept unedited raw MT, it is safe to say that a PE process entails evaluation of MT output, correction of MT errors, and translation from scratch at different levels. The extraneous cognitive load in PE is caused by external factors such as the user interface and working environment where a PE task is performed, which is gaining increasing interest in usability and ergonomics research (Kappus & Ehrensberger-Dow, 2020).…”