Further Experiments in Language Translation

1972 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 1-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Wallace Sinaiko ◽  
George R. Klare
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Study ◽  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Air Force ◽  
Computational Linguistics ◽  
Reading Speed ◽  
Language Translation ◽  
Student Pilots ◽  
Cloze Procedure ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
Comprehension Tests

Abstract Application of computational linguistics, i.e., language translation by computer, has been proposed as a means of producing readable translations of technical English-to-Vietnamese. This report is about an experimental study of the readability of translations that could be used for training or equipment maintenance. The experiments involved assessing the readability of Vietnamese that had been translated from English by three methods: (1) expert human translators, (2) un-edited translation by computer, and (3) edited computer translation. English was a control condition. Readers included two groups of student pilots : 168 in the Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF) and 88 in the USAF. Material that was translated consisted of three 500-word passages sampled from a standard Air Force text, Instrument Flying. Readability was measured by : (1) reading comprehension tests, (2) cloze procedure, and (3) clarity ratings. Time to complete each of these tasks was also measured. Major conclusions of the study are : (1) expert human translators produce more readable translations of technical English-to-Vietnamese than is done by computer; (2) Vietnamese readers, trained in English, show the highest comprehension when dealing with that language; (3) comprehension loss becomes relatively greater, as more and more difficult material is read, for computer-based translations than for human translations; (4) method of translation does not affect reading speed.

Further Experiments in Language Translation

1973 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 29-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Wallace Sinaiko ◽  
R.George Klare
Keyword(s):  
Rating Scale ◽  
Reading Speed ◽  
Language Translation ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Highly Qualified ◽  
Cloze Procedure ◽  
Series Of Experiments ◽  
Control Instruction ◽  
Comprehension Tests

Abstract Language translation by computer has been proposed as a solution to the backlog of training and operational manuals awaiting translation by more conventional means. This study reports one of a series of experiments to assess the quality of translations produced by human translators and computers. The type of material under study was technical text (i.e., maintenance manuals) and the translation was from English to Vietnamese. Utility or readability of the translations was assessed by reading comprehension tests, the cloze procedure (in which readers filled in blanks where words had been systematically deleted) and a rating scale for judging clarity. Time to perform each of these tasks was also measured. The subjects were 141 Vietnamese Navy officer candidates and a control group of 57 U.S. Navy officer candidates. A 500-word passage, from a U.S. Navy casualty control instruction, was translated by computer into a rough (un-edited) and a finished (post-edited) version; also, highly competent human translators prepared a Vietnamese text. Some Vietnamese subjects served as controls and took all tests based on the English, or untranslated, version. Major conclusions were: (1) Translations produced by highly qualified humans were consistently more comprehensible than those produced by computer, whether edited or un-edited; post-edited versions of computer produced text were more comprehensible than unedited ones; most differences were not statistically significant; (2) Vietnamese Navy officer candidates were able to read text in English as well as its best Vietnamese version and their test scores were about as high as those of American control subjects. Reading speed was not affected by mode of translation.

scholarly journals Using Eye-Tracking Measures to Predict Reading Comprehension

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane Caroline Meziere ◽  
Lili Yu ◽  
Erik Reichle ◽  
Titus von der Malsburg ◽  
Genevieve McArthur
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Common Good ◽  
Sentence Comprehension ◽  
Reading Speed ◽  
Task Demands ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Comprehension Tests ◽  
Reading Comprehension Tests

Research on reading comprehension assessments suggests that they measure overlapping but not identical cognitive skills. In this paper, we examined the potential of eye-tracking as a tool for assessing reading comprehension. We administered three widely-used reading comprehension tests with varying task demands to 79 typical adult readers while monitoring their eye movements. In the York Assessment for Reading Comprehension (YARC), participants were given passages of text to read silently, followed by comprehension questions. In the Gray Oral Reading Test (GORT-5), participants were given passages of text to read aloud, followed by comprehension questions. In the sentence comprehension subtest of the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT-4), participants were given sentences with a missing word to read silently, and had to provide the missing word (i.e., a cloze task). Results from linear models predicting comprehension scores from eye-tracking measures yielded different patterns of results between the three tests. Models with eye-tracking measures always explained significantly more variance compared to baseline models with only reading speed, with R-squared 4 times higher for the YARC, 3 times for the GORT, and 1.3 times for the WRAT. Importantly, despite some similarities between the tests, no common good predictor of comprehension could be identified across the tests. Overall, the results suggest that reading comprehension tests do not measure the same cognitive skills to the same extent, and that participants adapted their reading strategies to the tests’ varying task demands. Finally, this study suggests that eye-tracking may provide a useful alternative for measuring reading comprehension.

Paper versus Screen: Impact on Reading Comprehension and Speed

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ely Shuhadah Tajuddin ◽  
Fitri Suraya Mohamad
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Study ◽  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Reading Speed ◽  
Public University ◽  
General Interest ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Paper Format

Choosing the appropriate reading format is important for students to achieve effective reading. This quasi-experimental study investigates the effects of paper versus screen on reading comprehension and speed among undergraduate students who are currently enrolled in a public university in Sarawak. The general objective of this study is to investigate the formats for effective reading and comprehension among undergraduates. Instruments that have been used in this study were a set of questionnaires, a set of general interest articles, corresponding comprehension questions, and an online timer.  Findings revealed that students tended to have better reading comprehension when reading on the screen. Conversely, students were able to read faster using the paper format. Data also revealed that there is significant difference between paper and screen formats for both reading comprehension and reading speed.

Improving the Students’ Achievement in Reading Comprehension by Using Inquiry Technique

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gigin Sappena Ginting ◽  
Siti Aisah Ginting
Keyword(s):  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Reading Process ◽  
English Teacher ◽  
Comprehension Score ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
Comprehension Tests ◽  
Orientation Test

This study attemps to imorove the students’ achivement in reading comprehension through inquiry technique. The study was conducted by using classroom action research. The subjects of the research were the 45 students of Grade XI SMA Negeri 1 Bahorok. It was conducted in two Cycles and consisted of six meetings.The instruments for colecting data used Reading Comprehension tests for quantitative data and Diary Notes, Interview Sheet, and Observation Sheet for qualitative data. Based on the Reading Comprehension score, students score in pre test, kept improving in every test. Based on Diary Notes, Observation sheet and Interview Sheet, it was found that the students were actualy involved in reading process. The results of the reasearch showed that Inquiry Technique can improve the students’ achivement in Reading Comprehension. In orientation test the mean of the students’ score was 53, the mean of the students’ score in Cycle I was 62.07, and the mean of the students’ score in Cycle II was 71.6. Based on the Observation Sheet, Diary Notes, and Interview Sheet, it was found that the teaching-learning process run well. The conclusion is that Inquiry Technique improved the students’ reading Coprehension and it is suggested to the English teacher to apply Inquiry Technique in Reading Comprehension. Keywords : Improving, students’ achievement, Inquiry Technique

Exploring which test-taker characteristics predict young L2 learners’ performance on listening and reading comprehension tests

2021 ◽  
pp. 026553222199113
Author(s):  
Sarah Sok ◽  
Hye Won Shin ◽  
Juhyun Do
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Test Taker ◽  
Phonological Working Memory ◽  
Young Learners ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
L2 Listening ◽  
Comprehension Tests ◽  
Reading Comprehension Tests

Test-taker characteristics (TTCs), or individual difference variables, are known to be a systematic source of variance in language test performance. Although previous research has documented the impact of a range of TTCs on second language (L2) learners’ test performance, few of these studies have involved young learners. Given that young L2 learners undergo rapid maturational changes in their cognitive abilities, are susceptible to affective factors in unique ways, and have little autonomy with respect to the context of L2 acquisition, the relationship between their personal attributes and their test performance merit separate research attention. To fill this gap, we investigated the extent to which sixth-grade, Korean-L1, EFL learners’ ( n = 107) TTCs predicted their performance on tests of L2 listening and reading comprehension. The TTCs under investigation included three cognitive characteristics (aptitude, phonological working memory, L1 competence), one affective factor (motivation), and two demographic variables (socioeconomic status and gender). Results showed that aptitude and phonological working memory significantly predicted participants’ performance on both L2 listening and reading comprehension tests, whereas motivation predicted performance on the L2 listening comprehension test only. These findings suggest that higher aptitude, phonological working memory, and motivation contribute positively to young learners’ L2 outcomes.

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