A Case Study of Machine Translation’s Possibilities as a Resource for Learning English: Learners’ Perspectives

抄録

As machine translation (MT) increases in accuracy, researchers and teachers of the English language have debated whether students can use it as a learning strategy in educational settings. Understanding the possibilities of MT from the perspective of learners’ learning strategies is crucial to determining whether it can be employed in this field. In this study, Google Translate (GT) was used because it is familiar among learners who use MT. This study aims to identify learners’ feelings and attitudes toward GT throughout the course of the class and determine the most important factors in selecting learning resources when students are free to use any, as well as the purposes and reasons for using GT as a learning resource. Qualitative analysis results revealed that students’ recognition of GT varied with respect to different tasks; however, students’ decision to consider a particular learning resource was influenced by the time and content of each task and their interest in the task. They had their own purposes and reasons to use GT as a learning resource. Further, students did not rely on it. Students in this experimental class learned to use GT in combination with other learning resources through their recognition of GT. The results suggest that introducing experimental lessons in regular classes provides learners with an opportunity to review the relationship between their learning resources and strategies for certain tasks, which can lead to self-regulated learning.