Translating a Policy Document into Plain English

This assignment, by Timothy Laquintano, is from TextGenEd: Teaching with Text Generation Technologies in the WAC Clearinghouse Repository.

The Abstract from the site explains:

This assignment asks undergraduate students to translate a complex policy document into plain English and then compare their output to the output of a large language model asked to do the same task. Students critically examine the semantic choices and sacrifices they made during the translation with the meaning lost during the machine translation, which attunes them to the risks and benefits of LLM output. It can be adapted to most disciplines and course levels.

Key Features of the Assignment

Plain Language Translation

Students translate a complex policy document into plain English, enhancing their ability to simplify and clarify technical content for broader audiences.

AI Comparison

The assignment includes comparing students’ translations with those generated by a large language model, fostering critical analysis of human versus machine output in terms of accuracy and readability.

Critical Examination

Students evaluate semantic choices and identify potential meaning losses in both human and AI translations, deepening their understanding of the strengths and limitations of AI in technical communication.

Find the full version of this assignment at the WAC Clearinghouse.