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105 

 

 
ELT FORUM 11(2) (2022) 

 

Journal of English Language Teaching 

 
http://journal.unnes.ac.id/sju/index.php/elt 

 
 

Understanding technical term translation using language translator as Mobile-

Assisted Language Learning (MALL) 

 

Danti Pudjiati1, Tira Nur Fitria2 

 
1STKIP Kusuma Negara Jakarta, Indonesia 
2Institut Teknologi Bisnis AAS Indonesia, Indonesia

 

Article Info 
________________  
Article History: 

Received on 14 

March 2022  
Approved on 27 July 

2022 

Published on 30 July 

2022 

________________  
Keywords:  

Technical Terms; 

Translation Strategies; 

Mobile-Assisted 

Language Learning 

(MALL); Language 

Translator  
____________________ 

 

 

 

 

 

Abstract 
___________________________________________________________________ 
Language barriers often prevent a person from understanding information. For that, 
internet users need to know the best mobile application to translate or translate 

foreign languages. Numerous mobile apps can be used for English language 
learning. The apps grow as technology improves then other apps were created 

specifically for the purpose to teach any subject. Mobile-Assisted Language Learning 
(MALL) is a prominent practice nowadays. The MALL for translation usage is 

gradually established for EFL students because of the development of ICT. 

However, the research that discussed this issue is still far on the ground. This 
research is conducted to fill this void. There are four concerns to consider namely 1) 

MALL in improving students’ translation skills, 2) Students’ way of translating 
technical terms  3) The most translation strategy applied by the students to translate 

the technical terms (4) Challenges faced by students when translating the technical 
terms from English into Indonesian by using MALL. This research was carried out 

with a qualitative method. The data were taken from both an online survey and a 

semi-structured interview. The findings revealed that the students were helpful to use 
Language Translator (LT) for translating technical terms, especially in determining 

word choice. They selected three strategies for translating technical terms, i.e. 
translation by definition, literal translation, and borrowing. The strategy that the 

students used was a translation by definition. The challenge that they faced when 

using MALL was primarily regarding guidance availability. Nonetheless, most of 
them agreed that the LT was very supportive.      

  

Correspondence Address: p-ISSN 2252-6706 | e-ISSN 2721-4532 
B3 Building FBS Unnes  

Sekaran, Gunungpati, Semarang, 50229  

E-mail: tiranurfitria@gmail.com  

http://issn.pdii.lipi.go.id/issn.cgi?daftar&1333515478&1&&
http://issn.pdii.lipi.go.id/issn.cgi?daftar&1576658845&1&&


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INTRODUCTION 

By closing or eliminating learning activities as usual by all educational institutions, it is hoped that it 

can reduce the spread of COVID-19, especially by protecting students from being exposed to or 

becoming carriers of this COVID-19. This policy makes the government, related educational 

institutions, and teachers (as the spearhead of education implementers) act quickly to present 

alternative educational processes for students). Due to a Coronavirus disease outbreak, the 

government of Indonesia has the policy to implement an online mode for educational activities the 

level primary up to tertiary. In response to this condition, several technological tools are required in 

managing that mode, particularly for EFL students. 

One of the technological tools that can provide access to language learning is a mobile phone 

(smartphone). The level of development of smartphone devices which is getting higher and relatively 

cheaper is a factor supporting the increasing number of smartphone users. Indonesian smartphone 

users are also growing rapidly. The presence of mobile learning is intended as a complement to 

learning and provides opportunities for students to learn material that is less mastered anywhere and 

anytime. Mobile learning that will be studied is based on Android so that it can be used by students 

to increase interest in learning. Mobile phones or smartphones are devices equipped with an 

operating system for the wider community. Its function is not only for SMS and calling, but users 

can freely add other applications and functions or change them according to the user's wishes. In 

other words, a smartphone is a mini-computer that has the capabilities of a telephone.  

Mobile phones allow users to learn languages through certain applications. The type of 

language learning that uses mobile phones and can be accessed anywhere is called Mobile Assisted 

Language Learning (MALL). MALL in translation is increasingly prevalent among Indonesian EFL 

students due to ICT development and practical usage in teaching and learning (Fitria, 2021d). 

MALL is part of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) for mobile learning (m-learning) 

and language learning. Therefore, the MALL knowledge in translation has great importance for skill 

improvement both for EFL students and educators.  Paying attention to MALL, multi-functional 

mobile devices can give a contribution to language learners in terms of the teaching environment 

(Yang, 2013). Wu et al. (2018) also stated about mobile device usage proved language acquisition 

improvement. After that, it was obvious that  MALL confirmed significantly in contextualization 

learning  (Alona & Hagit, 2019). 

Many studies pertinent to MALL, especially for increasing the competence of English were 

already completed. First, Baleghizadeh & Oladrostam (2010) state that pre-intermediate Iranian 

female students who had benefitted from mobile-assisted learning performed considerably better on 

a multiple-choice grammar posttest than those in the control group. Second, Taj et al. (2016) stated 

that MALL was a beneficial tool for the development of language acquisition. Third, Ahmad et al. 

(2017) state that Vocabulary acquisition occurred in both non-MALL and MALL migrant women 

English learners; however, the MALL atmosphere offered a much more enriched vocabulary 

learning experience. As a result, the MALL framework has the potential to improve migrant 

women's learning and vocabulary development. Fourth, Miqawati & Wijayanti (2017) state that the 

use of flashcards in combination with MALL lets students participate fully in communication while 

maintaining proper pronunciation. Fifth, Keezhatta & Omar (2019) state that MALL systems and 

apps, in general, create a compelling learning environment for teaching reading, which has 

beneficial consequences for students in four public secondary schools in Saudi Arabia's Riyadh 

District. Sixth, Hadi & Emzir (2016) state that action research at Muhammadiyah University of 

Jakarta's English Department in enhancing English speaking ability utilizing Mobile Assisted 

Language Learning (MALL) has shown that MALL significantly improves students' ability to speak 

English.  Seventh, Islam & Hasan (2020) discuss the MALL's effectiveness in increasing listening 

skills. They reviewed papers from empirical research of university students. They were validated 

regarding the content of listening skills and the MALL as well.  Eighth, Gharehblagh & Nasri (2020) 

state that on the post-hoc interview revealed that MALL students were enthusiastic about the use of 

mobile technology in writing classes. 

Considering the previous research, most of them scrutinize the MALL's effectiveness to 

promote both learning English and finding out the perception about the mobile. In other words, 

while existing studies have established the benefits of MALL in learning and teaching English, they 

have not addressed MALL in the realm of translation for EFL learners. To fill the void, research 

with the main focus on technical terms translation from English into Indonesian was conducted. As 

stated by Fitria (2021), since almost everyone has had prior experience with machine translation, 



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translation practice experience in translating an English text using a mobile device, in this case for 

pre-service teachers, is an important activity (Fitria, 2021b). This type of translation may be found 

for free on the internet, is easy to use, and gives accurate results in a matter of seconds. 

Consistent with the background, this research is about the translation of technical terms from 

English into Indonesian by using MALL. Concisely, four questions about this issue, such as 1) How 

Mall can help the students to improve their translation skills, 2) How do the students translate the 

technical terms?, 3) Which is the most translation strategy applied by the students to translate those 

technical terms?, and 4) What challenges do students face during translating the technical terms 

from English into Indonesian by using MALL? 

This research aimed at exposing the answer finding to the research’s problems. First, it was to 

elucidate the practice of MALL for assisting the students to translate technical terms from English to 

Indonesian. Subsequently, it was to describe how the students translate technical terms. And, it was 

to reveal the most translation strategy taken by the students in translating technical terms. Lastly, it 

was to identify the challenge that students face when translating the technical terms from English 

into Indonesian using MALL. Hence, this knowledge was considered to be an advantageous input 

to EFL learners at the tertiary education level.    

  

Strategies of technical terms translation 

Three strategies of technical terms translation discussed are borrowing, literal translation, and 

description translation. According to  Pym (2017), borrowing a word or expression in the source 

language into the target language has an aim. It was to overcome an unknown concept found in the 

culture of the target language. Borrowing is also utilized for introducing the essence of the culture in 

the source language. In other words, the choice of borrowing a word or expression of the source 

language is to introduce an element of the source language as well as to create meaningful effects. 

For example, a radio which is from English as a source language is translated into radio in 

Indonesian as a target language. Fitria (2019) states two types of borrowing. Pure borrowing is when 

a word is copied directly from the source language (SL) and entered into the target language (TL) 

without any changes to the letters. Naturalized borrowing, on the other hand, allows a term to be 

naturalized to match the spelling rules of the target language (TL) so that readers may readily 

comprehend what it means. 

The literal translation is also well known as the word-for-word translation. It is the direct 

transfer of source language text into an appropriate target language text in terms of grammar. 

Principally, the literal translation is the reversible solution. This means that a literal 

the translation is commonly applied when translating between two languages of the same family 

(e.g. between French and Italian) and the same culture. While the descriptive translation is used in 

parallel with the transcription. However, this strategy is usually taken for terms, cultural words, and 

unique objects translation with no lexical equivalents in the target language. Therefore descriptive 

translation aims to explain so that the reader of the target language gets a comprehension meaning 

(Polyakova et al., 2019).  

 

Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) 

A mobile translator is a mobile application that can be utilized for translating from English to any 

other dialect, and vice versa (Ogundokun et al., 2021). One example of a mobile translator is 

Language Translator (LT). Viberg & Grönlund (2013) state that MALL referred to the function of 

mobile devices as the technological advancement for acquiring a language. This definition was in 

line with Ishaq et al. (2020). He described mobile learning is considered as a sophisticated device 

used for instructional goals. Furthermore, Son (2014) explained that MALL became more popular 

as a device for language learning. Therefore its potential usage leads to be researched, besides 

CALL.  Dominic (2016) and Muhammad et al. (2020) described MALL as a CALL novel subfield. 

The process of learning a language tended to be more at ease to complete by using MALL because 

the form promotes practicality. The learners may gain language knowledge through cell phones 

(Matthew, 2021). We used Language Translator (LT) as an example of MALL for this research.  

 

Language Translator (LT) 

A language translator is a program that converts statements from one computer language to another, 

without changing the meaning. Language Translator (LT) manages over 100 languages in the world. 

The Language Translator software enables users to swiftly, efficiently, and effortlessly search up or 



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translate words and sentences using a dictionary. Additionally, it enables users to swiftly submit text 

using the speech recognition feature and to listen to the translated text via the voice broadcast 

capability. It is completely free, and users can use it even while they are offline. This application is 

perfect to translate texts fast on our phones or tablet. With this online translator, we won't have 

communication problems. 

Among the features are the following: 1) Support for offline translation in 59 languages. 2) 

Rapid translation: simply choose the text and translate it to any location. 3) Voice recognition and 

broadcasting in all 47 languages (speech recognition and text-to-speech). 4) Detect and translate text 

from images: users may pick a picture and the program will assist them in detecting and translating 

text. 5) Can be used in conjunction with a dictionary. 6) Copy and paste translated content directly 

into other programs. 6) A straightforward and user-friendly interface. 7) Extremely convenient when 

traveling. 7) A slew of other user-friendly features. Besides that, the interface is simple and stylish, 

the translations are done instantly, the application is free, possibility to copy the translated text by 

using one button, possibility to delete the text by clicking one button, and users can translate from 90 

different languages, users can translate by using our voice, and users can listen to translations. 

 

 

Figure 1. Language Translator 

 

Based on figure 1 depicted Language Translator (LT) which is found in Google Play. The 

software allows us to look up words or phrases in a dictionary. Also, it translates such phrases with 

ease and fast. This application is completed as well by a speech recognition that permits the user to 

input a text right away. Then, a voice broadcast lets us listen to the text being translated. It could be 

used not only with an internet connection but also offline. Overall, Language Translator (LT) 

supports text detection derived from both image and voice recognition.  

 

METHODS 

This study was managed under a qualitative method because the result is presumed to explore the 

value of MALL in translation activities (Phakiti, 2014). Hence, in obtaining the answer to four 

research questions, we applied an online survey and semi-structured interview as the research 

instrument.  We decided to implement more than one data source, i.e. online survey and interview. 

The reason was such triangulation or data collection may improve the credibility of research findings 

(Creswell, 2015). 

Twenty-two students, including male and female, took part in this research. They came from 

the graduate program of English education study program with the age of between 21 and 24 years 

old. A model sample of an information-oriented was used in selecting participants. We both 

concentrated on the perspective of academic background because they completed the subject of 

translation. Besides, they also agreed to participate voluntarily in this study. The main objective of 

the subject is for the students can translate many kinds of text which were taken from different fields 

of knowledge from English to Indonesian. During the course, the students use both English and 

Indonesian. Therefore, it remains appropriate to support us in probing this topic and gathering the 

data. 

All of the participants had instructions to fill in the online surveys to obtain information. The 

information regarding in what way MALL can help them to improve their English. This survey was 



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created using Google Forms. They answered the questions by a means of selecting the optional 

boxes. In addition, they also expressed their opinion with an open answers. The online interview 

was also completed to record the participants’ reflections in line with their experiences of making use 

of LT in translating technical terms.  

Technical terms they had to translate were taken from the video. It was about video editing 

and definitions for beginners. The video was originally from YouTube. After they watched it, there 

were eleven technical terms that they need to translate. These terms are “jump out, transition, zoom 

in, scale-up, ripple delete, copy attributes, B roll, keyframe, L-cut”. The students also had the 

experience to operate the MALL. In this case, we used the Language Translator (LT) application 

developed by one of the leading companies. In the beginning, they installed it on their cellular phone 

and were explained to work with it through online sessions. The aim is they understand how to use 

it for translating the text from Indonesian into English and from English into Indonesian, 

particularly technical terms.  

The quantitative data were analyzed based on students' responses. Their responses were 

grouped into four categories, i.e. the benefit of MALL (BM), Translation Technical Terms (TTT), 

Translation Strategy (TS), and the challenge of MALL (CM). We employed an analysis of thematic 

to evaluate the data. Initially, the semi-structured interviews were transliterated. After that, we 

examined the data based on meaning units (Bryman, 2016). It referred to two different topics i.e. the 

translation strategy to translate technical terms and the difficulty using MALL. The topics analyzed 

were based on the interview and the questionnaire. The finding report was organized in line with the 

research questions. To sum up, the data were investigated in three steps, namely the description of 

data, the display of data, and the verification of data. 

 

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 

Findings 

Concerning the stated research goals, the analysis results of this study were presented in detail. The 

data sources were online surveys and interviews. They would be explained below:  

 

MALL helps students to improve translation skills 

 Two out of 22 students stated that Language Translator (LT) was not useful because they can use 

other devices which are favorable for them. They did not want to inform others about this 

application as well since it has the same function as other MALL. Nine students expressed positively 

about the function of a Language Translator (LT). Mostly, they described that this application was 

easy and practical to operate. Moreover, the features and the services offered were complete, such as 

converting the source language in the form of text to voice and vice versa. It can be used offline too. 

In brief, they can increase their knowledge in terms of translation skills. 

 
“The reason is LT is easy to download.  To use this application I don’t have to make registration so it 

can be used right away” 

“LT is easy and practical. No need to connect with the internet”. 

 “LT is very easy to use anywhere and anytime even without the internet”. 

 

However, eleven students proved that Language Translator (LT) was informative for 

translation practice because of its various services. It helped them in determining the word chosen 

for the translation as well as to translate the word or the term or the expression that the students 

were not familiar with. They felt that it became easy to understand the meaning of the word in 

English with Language Translator (LT).  

       

“I am the type of person who is a bit difficult to memorize, with the LT application. 

“It is easier for me to find and memorize difficult words”. 

 “LT is very helpful to translate some words from English into Indonesian and vice versa”. 

 “LT can help remind words from Indonesian to English”. 
 “Yes, LT helps to translate words that I don't know”. 

 

95.5 % of students agreed that using Language Translator (LT) can improve their translation 

skills and all of them completely agreed that it was easy to operate. The majority of them liked the 

service offered by this application. On the other hand, they said that it was their first to translate a 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5wv6fefbUU


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text (technical terms) using Language Translator (LT). In other words, it confirmed that they were 

uninformed about this application before. 

 

Students’ technical term translation 

There were eleven technical terms relating to the process of editing videos to be translated by the 

students. They were “jump out, transition, zoom in, scale-up, ripple delete, copy attributes, B roll, 

keyframe, and L-cut”. The students have the freedom to apply the translation strategies for the 

translation of technical terms after using a Language Translator (LT). They preferred three 

translation strategies, namely literal, borrowing, and descriptive translation. 

For example, “Jump cut” is translated literally into lompatan gambar. This translation is taken 

from the word stated in the dictionary or more specifically in the video editing dictionary or 

glossary. “Jump cut” is translated with a borrowing into “jump cut”. This means that the translation 

is the same as the term in the source language. The word “Jump cut” is translated by descriptive 

translation into two options i.e. (1) “Lompatan gambar pada rangkaian shot yang disebabkan oleh 

perubahan posisi karakter atau obyek dalam satu latar,  (2) Posisi karakter dan obyek tetap namun 

latar berubah seketika secara tidak wajar”. In English it means (1) an image jumps in a series of 

shots due to changes in the position of characters or objects in the same setting,  (2) the position of 

characters and objects remains but the background changes in an unnaturally way). This translation 

strategy provided more explanation in detail so that the readers would understand the meaning of a 

term comprehensively.  

 

Translation strategies to translate technical terms 

To know the most translation strategy to translate technical terms, the researchers conduct an online 

survey of the students, the result analysis can be seen in the table below: 

 

Table 1. Translation Strategy for Technical Terms 

No Translation Strategy Percentage 

1.  Translation with definition 50 % 

2.  Translation literally 40 % 
3.  Borrowing 10 % 

 

Based on the table above, the students perceived positively the proportion of 50 % for 

translation with definition. Most of them said in the interview that the descriptive translation 

strategy gave the readers more information so that they will understand technical terms correctly. 

They do not mind the translation will expand as long as they can comprehend the meaning of the 

term.  Particularly, the domain of the original terms was not known well by students.  

 
“For me, to translate technical terms with a descriptive translation is the right one because I can 

understand it fully. 

“I am satisfied with the result of translation with a descriptive translation”. 

“Frankly speaking, it is hard to translate the technical term. It becomes harder if we are not familiar with 

the field of knowledge where the technical terms are taken”. 

 

The second-highest proportion was 40 % for translation literally. The students described that 

the aim of translation literally is to maintain the message conveyed in this case the technical terms. 

In other words, the students preferred to translate literally for preserving the similar meaning of 

technical terms between the source language and target language.    

 
“I like to translate technical terms literally because the reader may understand it at ease”.  

“For those who want to be more precise in translation of the term, it’s better to choose literal translation”.  

“In my opinion translation literally is the most applicable for translating the technical term”. 

 

The third percentage went to translation strategy and borrowing. There were two students out 

of 22 who took borrowing strategy for translating technical terms. The translation result by applying 

the borrowing strategy is a similar term used between the source language and target language. It did 

not change at all for the translation. This strategy is taken as long as the readers recognized well the 

technical terms being translated.  



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Students’ challenges to translate technical terms using MALL 

To know the students’ challenges to translate technical terms using MALL, the researchers conduct 

an online survey of the students, the result analysis can be seen in the table below: 

 

Table 2. The Students’ Challenges to Translate Technical Terms Using MALL 

No Translation Strategy Percentage 

1.  Guidance availability 36.5 % 
2.  Technical problems 22.7 % 

3.  Time management 22.7  % 
4.  Others 16.2 

 

Based on the table above, shows that the students met four types of challenges when applying 

MALL to translate technical terms as indicated before. According to 36.5 % of students, there is no 

one to guide them is the most challenging. The same percentage, 22.7 %, went through technical 

problems and time management. The rest, 16.2% was for others such as their cellular quality is 

supported by installing the LT application and this made them wait for loading.  

Based on the result of the interview, students had a problem with technical concerns. They 

faced difficulty accessing their translation history. Additionally, some students told that they still 

needed assistance because it was their first experience using Language Translator (LT). Though, 

several of them produced contradictory statements. They had a great understanding of how to utilize 

LT since they had listened carefully to online sessions which are organized by researchers. 

 

Discussion  

The need for translating exists in many activities, ranging from activities in the education room to 

activities while traveling. Translator or translator applications, such as Google Translate, are 

certainly very useful at times like this. Of course, Google Translate is not the only translator app that 

can help us translate anything. There are many similar applications that we can choose from the 

Google Play Store or Apple's App Store. The type of translator app we need depends on our needs. 

These translator apps can generally translate text, speech, images, or even have a real-time 

conversation with someone who speaks a different language. Some other applications offer audio 

pronunciation, example sentences, or there are even applications that pack offline support so that we 

can continue translating without an internet connection.  

Along with the development of information technology in recent times, several innovative 

apps appear, notably on mobile phones (Tedjosurya & Suharjito, 2014). The usage of mobile 

phones, apart from being a communication medium, is also a medium of learning, such as 

translation applications. Translation application may be a tool to learn a language, such as the 

English to Bahasa Indonesia translator application. Mobile technology was very helpful in terms of 

improving translation skills because of the supported features. Because of the advancement of ICT 

and its practical use in teaching and learning, MALL in translation is becoming more common 

among Indonesian EFL students (Pudjiati et al., 2022). 

The majority of students believed that utilizing Language Translator (LT) helped them 

improve their translation skills, and they all thought that it was extremely straightforward to use. 

The majority of them expressed satisfaction with the service provided by this application. On the 

other side, they stated that this was their first time utilizing Language Translator to translate a 

document (technical words) (LT). In other words, it verified that they had previously been unaware 

of this application. After utilizing Language Translator, students are allowed to use their translation 

procedures for technical words (LT). Indeed, they favored three modes of translation: literal, 

borrowing, and descriptive.  

Students rated translation with definition positively at a rate of 50 %. The majority of them 

stated during the interview that the descriptive translation technique provided additional 

information to help readers comprehend technical phrases correctly. They don't mind if the 

translation widens as long as they understand the term's meaning. Students, in particular, lacked 

familiarity with the area of origin words. 

According to the interview results, students encountered difficulties with technological issues. 

They had difficulties in gaining access to their translation history. Additionally, several students said 

that they required additional support because this was their first time using Language Translator 



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(LT). Several of them, though, made contradicting assertions. They had a firm grasp of how to use 

LT, having listened attentively to an online session prepared by researchers. The interview data 

showed that the students expressed positively toward MALL. Along with previous research, MALL 

was an aid that is applicable for acquiring a language, particularly in terms of translation 

Conversely, as a technological issue, for example, the lack of Google Translation or GT service of 

speaker setting option, became one of the discussions that the students had regarding MALL. At the 

time students listened to the native speaker's voice GT was sputtering, which it made kind of difficult 

for them to use. 

We used Language Translator (LT) as an example of MALL for this research. IT can work 

well without connecting to the internet. Additionally, students had to download it on their android 

phones through Google Play. Then, it needed to set the target language for translation i.e. 

Indonesian because the source language i.e. English is already embedded. Language Translator (LT) 

also holds the resources which are from written text, oral, and pictures. For example, the voice was 

recorded as the source of language thus the translation could be both the text and the voice.  In other 

words, it serves voice translation and other linguistic services in a simpler feature. The uniqueness of 

this application is the simplicity of its appearance. Apart from that, users can also translate for free 

words in 90 languages. This app can translate written words and spoken foreign languages. 

However, a Language Translator requires an internet connection to function.  

In this modern era, anything can be done with the help of an application, one of which is 

when we find it difficult to interpret a foreign language to translate (Fitria, 2021c). The option that 

we have to do is to take advantage of an android or smartphone by installing the best translation 

application. Translating words and even sentences is not a difficult thing to do nowadays. Simply by 

using an application on our cell phone, the translation process can be done quickly. With the 

development of technology, everything can become easier and faster to do, including terms of 

translating languages. Translator applications or translators have an important role in this multi-

language world to help people to be able to communicate or understand the meaning of a 'foreign 

language' without having to study the language for a certain time.  

The type of translator app we need depends on our needs. These translator apps can generally 

translate text, speech, images, or even have a real-time conversation with someone who speaks a 

different language. Some other applications offer audio pronunciation, example sentences, or there 

are even applications that pack offline support so that we can continue translating without an 

internet connection. Before choosing, we should consider the following aspects of the existing 

translator applications: 1. Usage. What we are looking for from this app are usability and features. 

Make sure the features and capabilities match our needs. If it is difficult to use, difficult to manage, 

or the translation process takes too long, instead of helping, the translator application will be a pain. 

2. Language. No translator app supports all languages in the world. So, make sure the application 

that you download does support the language you need, especially when the language is not very 

common. 3. Pronunciation. If you need a pronunciation in a certain language, choose an application 

that offers audio pronunciation features. Applications with this kind of feature will be useful when 

we travel abroad. 4. Extra. Some apps are just a kind of dictionary that will translate words literally 

or based on lexical meaning. If there is an application that can translate text in the form of images or 

read menus in restaurants, it will certainly be more fun. However, it all comes back to our needs. To 

help with the work and needs of translating foreign languages, we can try some of these applications 

on our Android smartphones to find out the weaknesses or strengths of the mobile translator 

applications that we use. 

 

CONCLUSION  

Both the results and discussion denoted that using Language Translator (LT) as MALL gave 

beneficial effects on students' capacity to translate documents in the form of a text or a voice from 

English into Indonesian. This exposed the students' ability to translate technical terms. An online 

survey and semi-structured interviews have also generated encouraging results for the students. They 

felt that MALL aids them in translating and understanding the terms due to not only its fast 

response but also its simplicity. This research suggests using another text type of source language, 

such as figurative language and idiom from literary works. They will prove another function of 

MALL which can enrich their experience. Therefore, the comparison of the students' difficulty in 

translating both figurative language and idiom might be taken into account.  



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Language barriers often prevent a person from understanding information. For that, internet 

users need to know the best Android application to translate or translate foreign languages. 

Currently, there are so many translator applications with various features that make it easier for 

users, not only Google Translate. We can use other mobile translators depending on our needs, but 

before choosing it, we should consider the following aspects of the existing translator applications 

include usage, language, pronunciation, and extra features. To help with the work and needs of 

translating foreign languages, we can try some of these applications on our Android smartphones to 

find out the weaknesses or strengths of the mobile translator that we use. 

 

FUNDING STATEMENT 

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency. 

 

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language learning (MALL) on vocabulary acquisition among migrant women English learners. 

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