How inclusivity can help develop machine translation (MT) literacy and autonomy: A Swiss experiment with learners of French.

The article focuses on an inclusive autonomy workshop designed to develop machine translation (MT) literacy and learner autonomy among diverse beginners of French, primarily Ukrainian refugees, at the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland. Grounded in the Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) framework, the workshop incorporated accessible digital tools (e.g., DeepL, Google Translate, Quizlet), multimodal materials like audiobooks, and flexible, semi-guided tasks to accommodate varied educational and linguistic backgrounds. The design aimed to foster learners’ French language skills alongside metalinguistic awareness and critical use of MT systems, supporting digital literacy and self-directed learning. Evaluation through surveys and interviews indicated that while some learners initially struggled with the format, most appreciated the supportive environment and intended to continue using the digital tools, highlighting the workshop’s effectiveness in promoting inclusivity and autonomy in language learning.