Machine Translation and Post-editing in Foreign Language Teaching and Learning: A Systematic Review

Abstract

In recent years, the improvement of machine translation (MT) has facilitated advancements in the new translation mode of Machine Translation Post-editing (MTPE). This study compiles and synthesizes existing literature on post-editing, specifically focusing on text type, evaluation, and pedagogical implication. It is conducted by Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework. The findings suggest that the majority of source texts utilized for MTPE in language learning involve in the general domain, with newspapers being the most frequently employed option. Meanwhile, the results indicate that the translation outputs of NMT post-editing and from-scratch translation were comparable when evaluating PE outcomes in terms of accuracy and fluency. Furthermore, the framework proposed by Krings [1] for assessing Post-editing Effort (PEE) has gained significant acceptance in the field. Ultimately, the utilization of NMT can yield benefits and efficacy in the field of language acquisition. The review also suggests future research directions to analyze issues and advance regarding to post-editing.