An analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of multimedia application in English translation

Abstract

This paper studies the effects of four different translation forms, namely Chinese, English, Chinese + picture and English + picture, on incidental vocabulary learning of Chinese students in a multimedia environment. The results showed that, except for the fill-in-the-blank task, Chinese translation promoted incidental vocabulary learning more than English translation. Combined translation of words and pictures is more conducive to incidental lexical learning than text-only translation. Among the four kinds of translation, the combination of Chinese and picture translation is the most effective for incidental vocabulary learning. The results of incidental vocabulary learning and word memory retention of learners with higher English proficiency are significantly better than those with lower English proficiency.