ABSTRACT
This study focused on Web Translation of Newspaper Reports to African Languages.
The study employed the use of survey and evaluation research method to provide a solid framework for the study with the aid of a structured questionnaire which served as variables for the research. Tables and simple percentages were employed for data analysis and presentation. The data gathered from the questionnaire formed the basis upon which discussions were made on the findings.
The study revealed that; Google accurately and efficiently translates newspaper reports to Swahili Language; Google accurately and efficiently translates newspaper reports to Shona Language; Google accurately and efficiently translates newspaper reports to Afrikaan Language; Google accurately and efficiently translates newspaper reports to Hausa Language; Google accurately and efficiently translates newspaper reports to Amharic Language; Google accurately and efficiently translates newspaper reports to Arabic Language.
The study concluded that Google Translate translation program accelerated the duration of the task, and it enabled the participants to produce translations faster. The study further recommended that; the experts in charge of the Google MT programme should provide it with the necessary instructions to let it cope with Arabic vowelings and others languages which might be difficult to be translated; Google MT programme should be made easy to use by users; supplying the programme is recommended with the necessary data to help it deal with simple Arabic and other languages prepositions; There should be more focus on the use of grammatical structures in English.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background to the Study
The invention and introduction of Web Translation services have been of great importance to Internet- driven media. According to Lingo Hub (2016), Web translation helps to communicate content to a larger number of people, because, where a person doesn’t understand, the content can be translated to the language understood by him or her. It also went further to state that the internet also needed to reach a larger number of more effectively and the only way it could do so was by Translating to the Language needed, this is why almost yearly, the internet tends to increase the number of Languages it can provide, so as to gain the trust of customers, (Munday, 2001).
Currently, there is a range of such services available online Newspapers and this services are; Google Translate, Bing Translator, Translate.com, SDL Free Translation, DeepL Translator and so many other services. This web pages, render services that are accessible to all, so they can easily get access to whatever research work they desire and translate it to whichever language is preferable to them.
Studies have proven that they translate major Global Languages like English almost perfectly. However, little is known as to how accurately they translate African Languages, (Muller, 2009). This study is designed to examine how accurately and efficiently they translate Newspaper Reports to African Language. A gap seems to building a strong wall of differences between what is seen after translation in comparison to what should be expected after translation.
We still have cases when, a work translated from English to Hausa still has a lot of English words in it, and even the authenticity of the Hausa Language in itself, is most likely to be questioned as the work translated does not convey the exact meaning of most of the English Reports.
This gap is what we are aiming to bridge in this research work by pointing out glaringly sharp potholes and looking for how to proffer the most suitable solutions to it. We will achieve this, by focusing on the matters arising in Web Translation of Newspaper Reports to African Languages. To ensure quality outcome this study will focus on Google Translate and will center on the following African Languages; Amharic, Arabic, Swahili, Shona, Hausa and Afrikaan.
1.2. Statement of the Problem
Previous research has shown that several researchers both locally and internationally have in one way or the other researched the issues arising in Web Translation of Newspaper Reports to African Languages. One of those researchers is, Abiodun Salawu who has written a number of articles centering around African Languages (2004).
Parisa Aslerasouli (2015) has also published material on Google Translate. Kent Fredholm (2014) has published material on The Effects of Online Translation.
This study, therefore, examines Google translation of African Languages with regard to the accuracy of outputs when translating newspaper reports to Swahili, Amharic, Arabic, Shona, Afrikaan and Hausa.
However, not much has been done to examine how accurately and efficiently newspaper reports can be translated to African Languages.
When focusing on how accurately the work can be translated, it will discuss; how near to the truth the work translated is, how correct the work translated is, how few are the mistakes in the work translated as well.
When focusing on how efficiently the work can be translated, it will discuss; how well is the work translated? Can the work translated be understood without wasting time or effort? How good is the work translated in relation to what it was intended to get, that is, the ratio of the output to input, how fast can the work be translated as well.
This study will focus on some of the consequences of poor translation of this Newspaper Reports and the Web Translation process as a whole. It will discuss the post- editing process which occurs as a result of poor editing and also on the effect of this post-editing.
The above listed matters are the gaps this study intends to bridge in regards to Web Translation of Newspaper Reports to African Languages.
1.3. Objectives of the Study
The study is aimed at examining the accuracy and efficiency of Google- Translated Newspaper reports with regards to African Languages.
In specific terms the objectives of this study is;
- How accurately and efficiently Google Translate, translates newspaper reports to Amharic Language.
- How accurately and efficiently Google Translate, translates newspaper reports to Swahili Language.
- How accurately and efficiently Google Translate, translates newspaper reports to Shona Language.
- How accurately and efficiently Google Translate, translates newspaper reports to Afrikaan Language.
- How accurately and efficiently Google Translate, translates newspaper reports to Hausa Language.
- How accurately and efficiently Google Translate, translates newspaper reports to Arabic Language
1.4. Research Questions
RQ1: What are the types of Web Translation errors?
RQ2: How accurately and efficiently does Google Translate handle Twi language?
RQ3: How accurately and efficiently does Google Translate handle Afrikaan language?
RQ4: How accurately and efficiently does Google Translate handle Swahili language?
RQ5: How accurately and efficiently does Google Translate handle Shona language?
RQ6: How accurately and efficiently does Google Translate handle Asante language?
RQ7: How accurately and efficiently does Google Translate handle Hausa language?
1.5. Scope of the Study
This study focuses on African newspaper stories available online and represented by Amharic, Arabic, Shona, Swahili, Afrikaan, and Hausa. The scope in time, covers stories published between 2010 and 2019.
1.6. Significance of the Study
The main aim of this research work is to look at the gap that has established itself between Web Translation of Newspaper Reports to African Languages. When the loopholes have been seen and analyzed, we then move on to proffering solutions to the glaring gaps. Since no valid empirical results have been done concerning, this exact study, we will then move on to thoroughly discuss it.
1.7. Limitations to the Study
To be covered later on in the research process.
1.8. Definition of Terms
Web: Dictionary definition: According to Merriam Webster dictionary (2019), a web or website is a group of World Wide Web pages usually containing hyperlinks to each other and made available online by an individual, company, educational institution, government or organization.
Translation: Scholarly definition, according to Namit Bhati (1992), tanslation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. For the purpose of the study, translation is defined as the conversion or changing from a particular Language to the Language desired, that is, the conversion of Newspaper reports to African Languages such as Twi, Swahili, Shona, Afrikaan and Hausa.
Web Translation: this involves the use of a group of World Wide Web pages usually containing hyperlinks that communicate the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text.
Reports: According to Merriam Webster dictionary (2019), to make a written record or summary of. But for the purpose of this study, reports refer to newspaper stories which will be used to check how effectively and efficiently Google Translate, translates to African Languages.
African Language: For the purpose of this study African Languages refers to Amharic, Arabic, Afrikaan, Swahili, Shona and Hausa.
Morphosyntactic Accuracy: According to research publishing.net (2014), refers to errors of word order, clause and sentence structuring, the use of adjectives instead of adverbs or vice-versa and the use of conjunctions counted to measure syntactic accuracy.
Lexical Pragmatic Accuracy: According to research publishing.net (2014), it is measured by the ratio of context inadequate words to the total number of words and the amount of misspelled words.
Translation Accuracy: For the purpose of this study, when focusing on how accurately the work can be translated, it will discuss; how near to the truth the work translated is, how correct the work translated is, how few are the mistakes in the work translated as well.
Translation Efficiency: When focusing on how efficiently the work can be translated, it will discuss; how well is the work translated? Can the work translated be understood without wasting time or effort? How good is the work translated in relation to what it was intended to get, that is, the ratio of the output to input, how fast can the work be translated as well.
