Academic honesty requires that students produce work that is their own work. In contrast, academic dishonesty is a student's attempt to claim and show possession of knowledge and/or skills that they do not possess or aiding another in doing the same. Academic dishonesty is prohibited and includes but is not limited to:
Using dishonest, deceptive, or fraudulent means to attempt to obtain credit for academic work
Using notes, aids, or assistance of others other than expressly permitted by the teacher
Talking during individual assessment about test questions or content
Copying from or allowing another student to copy from an assessment or practice unless collaboration or sharing expectations are expressly explained and permitted by the teacher
Submitting Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated work or answers as your own is dishonest
Plagiarizing materials
Plagiarism is using people’s “works” (including translating those works) without giving them credit or having their permission to use their works. “Works” is whatever form the author has chosen to use to state the information they are trying to share. This includes works that are both published and unpublished. (Copyrighted and those not copyrighted.)
Examples of work: Research, Art, Pictures, Quotes, Music, Computer Programs, Movies, Textbooks, Magazines, Books, Newspapers, Websites & Their Contents, Photos, Paintings, Charts/Diagrams/Graphs, Data, Speeches, Handouts, Student’s Papers, Notes, Teacher’s Lectures
How do I know if I am plagiarizing?
When you are creating your own “work,” ask yourself if you have used one sentence, one phrase, one paragraph or more from someone else’s “work.” If you have, you need to give them credit by citing them in your references. If you have read or seen their “work” and used their ideas to inspire you, expand upon, rearranged the wording in a different way or used different words to say the same thing, you also need to give them credit by citing them in your references.
After you read or see the person’s information, write your own information from memory. Do not cut and paste if using the internet.
Always give credit to the author if you are using a direct quote, parts of a sentence, unique words or ideas, or entire paragraphs in your work.
Any time you use another person’s pictures, diagrams, charts, maps, etc. always give credit to the author.
Better safe than sorry. If you have any doubt, it is better to err on the side of caution and add a citation.
“Avoiding Plagiarism.” Online Writing Lab. 1995-2004. Purdue University, 4 May 2005
“Plagiarism: A Guide to Understanding and Avoiding” Dahlgren Memorial Library, Georgetown University, 4 May 2005
Students who engage in academic dishonesty will be asked to redo the work demonstrating their own learning.
The world language program values the integration of technology and tools that enhance students' learning. We want students to benefit from every opportunity to have accessibility tools as needed for them to successfully learn another language matched to their individual needs and learning styles.
However, some tools, such as electronic translators or Google Translate, can lead to students using these in lieu of creating their own work in a world language. The need to process vocabulary and grammar within context by creating original ideas and messages leads to the goal of language proficiency. Students must create their own work in order to apply the vocabulary and grammar to contexts-the vital daily practice that leads to developing skills. Writing something in English and then having a digital tool translate it for them will not build these skills. To learn a second language, students need to build their repertoire of vocabulary and rely on their memory and class practices to apply language skills for them to effectively acquire another language as an adolescent. The use of translations software and devices hinders development and growth in learning a language as students become over-reliant on them.
Using an electronic translator on a regular basis appears to be a "quick fix" and short-term remedy in lieu of creating one's own work but results in little to no progress in "real life" communication in a language and is a form of cheating. However, student and parents may ask and wonder, I thought I was able to use a dictionary or device to translate a word or phrase and look up a definition, what is the difference?
The answers to these questions may be complicated to differentiate, and therefore, the following information is being shared here to help provide some clarity and understanding to students and parents.
Please keep in mind that, foremost, our goal as educators is to model and expect ethical, moral, and legal behaviors on the pathway to providing all students programs of studies to enrich their knowledge, broaden their thinking, and develop skills in order for them to become respectful and good global citizens prepared to enter the workforce and their communities successfully. Second, in general, students are expected to do their own work whether it is homework, assignments, projects, and/or tests, whether oral or written.
Cheating and Plagiarism - Students are responsible for neither giving nor receiving assistance (written, orally, or otherwise) on tests, examinations, final evaluations, or class assignments that are to be graded as the work of a single individual. Cheating includes the giving or receiving of a computer file, program, part of a program, or other computer-based information without specific teacher direction or approval. Cheating encompasses any violation of rules where the violation involved dishonesty.
Plagiarism is a form of cheating. Students are responsible for giving due recognition of sources from which material is quoted, summarized or paraphrased, as well as to persons from whom assistance has been received.
While a student may ask the teacher, parent/another adult, or a classmate for help with how to come up with an answer, the student should not copy answers from someone else's paper nor receive the oral answers or dictation of an answer from anyone else. This includes use of any other device to create a translation, or a verbatim response not originally created by the student in the world language.
Google Translate provides a literal translation of text. Literal means word for word and not being able to discern the context in which words are being used, a vital part of correct interpretation and communication. For example, many expressions in English are called idiomatic expressions and cannot be translated word for word. A few are: It is raining cats and dogs; I am pulling your leg; or I am in high spirits today. Therefore, Google Translate will often give nonsensical translations, not representing the original meaning.
Teachers know what vocabulary and grammar students have been exposed to and can anticipate student errors. When complex language is used that has not yet been taught in the curriculum, unless they are native/heritage speaker students, this will trigger suspicion that the product is not the student's own work.
Therefore, the use of Google Translate, or any other digital translator, for use with phrases, full sentences or paragraphs is not acceptable or authorized throughout the profession. The only acceptable use of digital or print resources is in the case of looking up a single word via traditional dictionary, class textbook, or the online resource, Leo.org. Use of these resources are directed by the teacher, limited to classwork such as projects, and are not to be used on any form of assessment.
https://www.pwcs.edu/academics___programs/worldlanguages/online_translators