How users read translated web pages: occupational and purpose-based differences

Identificador:  TDX:2412

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX2412

Autores:  Choi, Yoonji

Resumen:
As a part of process-oriented research efforts, the study aimed to test occupational differences and purpose-based differences in reading pattern of a translated web page. The research used two reading groups with ten participants in each: a heavy-reading group, whose participants were reading professionals such as translators, editors and proofreaders, and a light-reading group, whose professions did not involve intensive reading, such as chefs, engineers, and military personnel. The participants in both groups completed four different tasks that were designed to provoke four different reading purposes: 1) reading without a specific task, 2) reading for studying subject matter, 3) reading for retrieving information, and 4) reading for sharing information. In order to learn more about how readers perceive translation errors and to test the relations between the reading patterns and the reading purposes, five different types of translation errors were planted in a web page. The participants’ screen activity was recorded by a screen recording software, and TAP is used for their verbal reports. In-depth analysis of the results suggests that occupations and reading purposes have meaningful impacts on the reading patterns of the translated web page. The heavy-reading group displayed very strict bottom-up approaches, with linear and thorough reading, whereas the light-reading group showed relaxed top-down approaches, with circular and not-thorough reading. The heavy group showed critical attitudes in detecting errors, while the light-reading group showed extremely low error-detection rates, with relaxed attitudes. Surprisingly, in spite of the critical error detection pattern, the tolerance level of translation errors in the process of comprehension was much higher in the heavy-reading group, and the frustration level of incomprehension was much higher in the light-reading group. The authority of the company producing the web page also heavily influenced the trust level of the light-reading group.