The Use and Effectiveness of Speech Translation Applications in Multilingual Group Activities in Educational Settings

In multilingual group activities, majority language speakers of ten assume leadership roles, creating a power gradient in which minority speakers follow. This study examined whether such gradients could be reduced by creating a situation in which minority members held a linguistic advantage. Group interviews with international students were conducted using a speech translation application, and effectiveness was assessed based on speech duration and post-task subjective mental workload. Although mistranslations and omissions by the application frequently disrupted conversational flow, these errors sometime s contributed to a more relaxed atmosphere. Nevertheless, international students who served as interviewers did not speak more than Japanese students, even when they understood both languages, and they did not display more proactive behavior. Overall, subjective mental workload was below zero. However, Japanese students reported effort as the highest workload component, whereas international students reported frustration as the highest.