I’ve been experimenting recently with using Microsoft’s translation tool as opposed to other online doc translators or sites such as Google Translate. Although such tools will never be perfect, the translation feature built in to programs such as Word and PowerPoint does show some promise in making content comprehensible for EAL learners who are literate in their home languages.
Why would you use it?
I’ve have used it with EAL learners that are literate in their home language and at the early stages of developing proficiency in English.
By translating the main slides from a lesson, we can make content more comprehensible to our EAL learners by providing them with content in their home language.
EAL learners at the early stages of developing proficiency in English can have access to the same content as their peers.
How do you use it?
- Click on the text box you want translating.
2. Click on the review tab found on the ribbon at the top.
3. Click on Translate & a side pain will open up.
4. Under the ‘To’ button click on the language you want your text box to be translated into.
5. Click on the ‘insert’ button under the translated text.
6. You will find the translated text inserted into the selected text box.
7. So that I provide both the English and home languages slide, I duplicate the slide I want translating. Then when I come to print the slides, I choose either the 4 or 6 slide horizontal Handout option. This then prints the English and home language slides next to each other for the learner to refer to.
To ensure more accurate translations, it is always better to translate a short amount of text. I know of teachers that have used this in the mainstream classroom and it is another way that we can make content more comprehensible for our EAL learners who are literate in their home languages.
You can also follow the same process as above with Word.
I also recommended Immersive Reader and Office Lens from Microsoft for translating. I wrote about this in a previous blog post which you can find by clicking here
EAL in the Daylight 