Cotelli Kureth, Sara

2023-12-07, Cotelli Kureth, Sara, Delorme Benites, Alice, Haller, Mara, Noghrechi, Hasti, Steele, Elizabeth

This article looks at a widespread yet erroneous use of machine translation (MT): looking up single words, thus treating MT systems as online bilingual dictionaries (ODs). After a literature review of this trend in research about MT, we consider data from a large survey that we carried out in 2021 at all Swiss universities on MT use and users’ attitudes. When analysing users’ metalinguistic awareness, we discovered that nontranslators perceive the text to translate, mostly at word level, leading to the misuse of MT systems as ODs. Moreover, the survey results revealed confusion between the different digital tools for language learning, namely MT, online parallel corpora like Linguee and ODs. We therefore suggest broadening the scope of MT literacy to include training learners in general digital literacy to enable them to use such tools appropriately.

2023, Cotelli Kureth, Sara, Nissille, Christel

Cet article présente la première chronique de langage de Suisse romande du début du 20e siècle: Les Locutions vaudoises d'Ernest Lugrin, publiées dans la Gazette de Lausanne entre 1913 et 1931. Après avoir introduit cette chronique dans le discours épilinguistique de la Suisse romande du 19e et du début du 20e siècle, nous analyserons le riche fontenu de ces articles volumineux qui mettent au premier plan les dialectalismes d'origine francoprovençale mais qui citent également d'autres types de régionalismes. Nous nous intéresserons également aux idéologies langagières qui émergent des Locutions vaudoises et à la façon dont les différentes langues et variétés de langues sont présentées: le français normatif (français de référence), le patois (dialecte francoprovençal) et le français régional.

2022, Aquino-Weber, Dorothée, Cotelli Kureth, Sara

2021, Cotelli Kureth, Sara, Nissille, Christel, Aquino-Weber, Dorothée, Cotelli, Sara, Skupien Dekens, Carine

2023, Cotelli Kureth, Sara, Summer, Elana

University students, especially language learners, have increasingly been using machine translation (MT) systems in the last decade and for all kinds of texts, including homework, assignments and exams. This ubiquity does not translate into visibility as few teachers address the subject in class. Several researchers have shown that MT systems, while technically very easy to access and use, are not always employed in a critical manner. They have therefore suggested that users should develop MT literacy skills. As part of a larger Swiss project on digital literacy in university contexts (DigLit), an action research project at the University of Neuchâtel Language Centre (UniNE LC) seeks to investigate whether delivering a 20-min presentation about machine translation in all L2 classes (French, German, English) at the beginning of the semester was sufficient to foster minimal MT literacy in language learners. All LC students were surveyed at the end of the semester. These survey results were compared with those from a survey of Swiss university students carried out in spring 2021 as part of the DigLit project. These results have allowed us to monitor and enhance the teaching of MT literacy skills in our LC.

2023, Aquino-Weber, Dorothée, Cotelli Kureth, Sara, Kristol, Andres, Reusser-Elzingre, Aurélie, Sauzet, Maguelone

Passionnée par sa langue maternelle, le francoprovençal, Federica Diémoz a consacré sa carière académique à son étude sous toutes ses facettes. Scientifique polyvalente, elle a ainsi collaboré avec des collègues de nombreuses disciplines: ethnologie, ethnolinguistique, linguistique historique, sociolinguistique, étude du français régional et dialectologie, discipline de sa thèse de doctorat à l'Université de Neuchâtel en 2004. Professeure de dialectologie galloromane et de sociolinguistique dans cet établissement et directrice du Centre de dialectologie et d'étude du français régional entre 2014 et 2019, Federica Diémoz a marqué la dialectologie galloromane par son travail scientifique, son enseignement captivant et les nombreuses collaborations qu'elle a déployées en Suisse, en Europe et au Canada. Très affectés par sa tragique disparition, ses collègues et amis lui rendent hommage par les textes réunis dans ce volume. Ils représentent toutes les écoles scientifiques qui lui étaient chères.

2022, Cotelli Kureth, Sara, Aquino-Weber, Dorothée

2023, Cotelli Kureth, Sara, Noghrechi, Hasti

This article reports on the innovative design of an autonomy workshop that allowed us to accommodate the very diverse social and learning background of our students. We based the inclusive strategies on the Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) (Scott and Edwards 2018) and specifically worked on the choice of tools, the task creation process and the method of instruction. This design also help foster learners’ autonomy and their digital literacy, alongside most traditional language-related goals.

2022, Cotelli Kureth, Sara, Delorme Benites, Alice, Lehr, Caroline, Steele, Elizabeth

This short paper presents the quantitative results of an online survey of Swiss university students and staff on their use of Machine Translation (MT). The analysis of the 3,713 responses throws light on the context, purposes, degree of successive revisions, and ethical considerations surrounding the use of MT. With regards to language teachers and students, the quantitative data allows us to draw three preliminary conclusions: MT is a well-established but unspoken practice in Swiss universities, MT is not seen as an alternative to language learning, and MT is seen and already being used as a tool to improve language skills.

2021-8-20, Cotelli Kureth, Sara, Kamber, Alain

Many universities offer translation courses in their modern language curricula as part of L2 teaching. Each one defines different modalities in terms of the resources allowed for these exercises, especially during exams. In recent years, however, a growing number of online tools – monolingual and bilingual dictionaries, bi-concordances, terminology databases, machine translators and corpora – have become available to learners. Such an explosion in the offer and accessibility of tools is likely to impact both teaching/learning and the way in which acquired skills are tested. This article presents the first results of an action research on the progressive introduction of digital tools in two L2 French translation courses. Two series of semi-structured interviews conducted with our students will first allow us to establish what tools are spontaneously used by translation students today. Secondly, these results will be compared to the real practices of the candidates during the examination validating the semester.