The impact of translation apps on translation students’ performance

Utilizing translation technologies, such as computer-aided translation tools, online dictionaries, and parallel corpora, has become integral to the professional practice of translation. However, further research is necessary to investigate the effect of these technologies on translation quality and translator performance. The aim of the current study was to assess the impact of mobile translation apps on the performance of trainee translators. To achieve this aim, 59 undergraduate translation students were required to translate a text from English into Arabic. The sample was divided into three groups based on the translation app they used. The first group did not use any translation apps, the second group used the Google Translate app, and the third group used the Reverso Context app. The participants’ translations were evaluated and scored using a rubric that is based on the standardized error-marking rubric developed by the American Translators Association’s Certification Program. Students’ scores and translation errors were statistically analyzed to detect differences in the performance of the three groups. Results indicated a statistically significant difference in scores among the three groups in favor of Reverso app users. Students who used the Reverso app had fewer Lexical, Cohesion, Omission, and Text-type errors than those who did not use a translation app. The results highlight the importance of integrating translation apps in translation training classrooms to enhance students’ translation competence.