STUDENTS' LINGUISTIC CHALLENGES IN POST-EDITING OF MACHINE TRANSALTION : A CASE STUDY IN TRANSLATION FOR LEISURE AND EVENT COURSE

Abstract

This research seeks to investigate linguistic challenges encountered by students in translating advertisement from English into Indonesian through a process of post-editing of machine translation (PEMT). Since the research on this particular language pair has not been widely explored by Indonesian researchers, therefore, this study should be thoroughly undertaken to provide the students with a comprehensive description of the linguistic problems faced during the translation process. A qualitative method with a case study design was implemented to portray 20 students who voluntarily participated in the PEMT process. Research data were obtained from questionnaires fulfilled by the students and the students’ translation documents taken from some online media selected by the lecturer in a Translation for Leisure and Events class. The data were analyzed by using a thematic analysis with regard to the students’ translating activities and their obstacles found during the PEMT practices. Three dominant themes were drawn from the data, including: students’ insufficient subject knowledge in translating proper names; particular grammatical problems in the use of pronouns and in the differences of language structures between English and Indonesian; and mechanical errors identified in the use of punctuations, capitalization, spelling and inconsistency in using specific terminologies. These research findings have recommended that appropriate teaching techniques should be created by the lecturers to optimally reach the objectives of PEMT teaching.