This session is facilitated by Mwaniki Nyaga
About this session
The session will explore translation from a relatively unknown to a known language through providing problem sets in the form of colourful puzzle pieces. Through trying to solve these problems, participants will share their own approaches. From these different perspectives, we will delve into correlating translation from the perspective of human beings vis-à-vis that of machines.
Goals of this session
Introduction 10 min
Explaining to participants how they are going to use recycled tissue rolls as tools for learning. Two translation problems and their solutions will be provided constituting a printed Latinised Japanese word with its equivalent braille (tenji) representation made up of the painted rolls correctly arranged on a table. Each roll represents a dot character.
Activity 25 min
In groups, the participants race in matching four Japanese words printed out on paper with their equivalent tenji representation laid out on the floor.
Discussion 10 min
Each group shares in a pop-corn format what approach they used in learning patterns between Japanese and tenji. The facilitator compiles key points arising on sticky notes.
Input 10 min
Touching on machine translation concepts but heavily tied to the patterns emerging from the discussion, pointing out how a group’s experience maps onto machine translation on the web.
Summary 5 min