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Microsoft Translator for Education

Create a more inclusive classroom for both students and parents with live translation and captions

What is Translator for Education?

The Translator for Education site provides free resources, tools, and how-to guides for live captioning and translation in the classroom. Schools are increasingly diverse. Teachers manage many types of learners, including students who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) who require assistive technology, and language learners (and their parents) who may not speak or understand the language of the classroom well. Microsoft Translator helps bridge these communication gaps, supporting accessible classroom learning with live captioning, cross-language understanding, and even multilingual casual conversations to help with student integration.

Lectures & Presentations

Start using the Translator apps to translate and caption live presentations and engage students who are non-native speakers, deaf or hard of hearing, dyslexic, or having trouble taking notes.

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Engage parents and the school community by providing real-time language translation for parent-teacher conferences.

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Discuss group projects and work together across many languages for English Language Learners and deaf or hard-of-hearing students.

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The Translator app's conversation feature helps teachers better communicate with students in class or for one-on-one conversations.

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Watch how a group of Chinese students used the Translator multi-device conversation feature to interact with a live, captioned, and translated presentation.

Learn how to have a live, translated parent-teacher conference using the Translator app. Parents can download the app in advance, scan or enter the conversation code when they arrive, and translations appear on their device in real-time. We even provide fully translated letters you can send to parents in their languages to tell them how to participate.

In this video, a group of students must work together to finish an assignment. However, language and hearing barriers exist which make the group study effort difficult. Watch how the Translator app's conversation feature is a useful resource when attempting to communicate in real-life scenarios.

In this video, a professor and a student who is hard-of-hearing are meeting one-on-one. The student is having difficulty reading the professor’s lips, so she takes out pen and paper to communicate, but it’s very time-consuming and inefficient to write every sentence on paper. Watch how Translator can be a useful resource when attempting to communicate in real-life scenarios.

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Translation activities in the language classroom

This article looks at the role of translation as an activity for learners in the ELT classroom.

It does not consider the role of the L1 as a teaching tool, for example for classroom management, setting up activities, or for explaining new vocabulary. This question has been discussed elsewhere on the Teaching English site. The article starts by looking at what we mean by translation as an activity in the language classroom, and then briefly reviews the history of translation in language learning within the framework of various methodologies. It then considers some of the many objections ELT thinkers and practitioners have had to translation, and some of the possible benefits of its use. It concludes with some observations about how to make translation tasks successful, and some activities.

Introduction Translation was a significant part of ELT for a long time, and then a significant missing part for a long time also. With the arrival and then total dominance of communicative methodologies, translation was quickly consigned to the past, along with other ‘traditional' tools such as dictation, reading aloud and drills. However, it and these other abandoned activities are now a feature of many communicative classrooms and successful aids to learning, although the approach to using them has changed. As Duff (1989) says, teachers and students now use translation to learn, rather than learning translation. Modern translation activities usually move from L1 to L2, (although the opposite direction can also be seen in lessons with more specific aims), have clear communicative aims and real cognitive depth, show high motivation levels and can produce impressive communicative results.

The history of translation in ELT methodologies As mentioned above, translation was the basis of language teaching for a very long time, and then rejected as new methodologies started to appear. It was a key element of the Grammar Translation Method, which was derived from the classical method of teaching Greek and Latin. This was not a positive learning experience for many: as well as learners memorizing huge lists of rules and vocabulary, this method involved them translating whole literary or historic texts word for word. Unsurprisingly, new methodologies tried to improve on this. The Direct or Natural Method established in Germany and France around 1900 was a response to the obvious problems associated with the Grammar Translation Method. In the Direct Method the teacher and learners avoid using the learners' native language and just use the target language. Like the Direct Method, the later Audio-Lingual Method tried to teach the language directly, without using the L1 to explain new items. Subsequent ‘humanistic' methodologies such as the Silent Way and Total Physical Response and communicative approaches moved even further away from the L1, and from these arise many of the objections to translation.

Objections to using translation We can consider possible problems with using translation by looking at possible negative impact on learners and then on teachers. Under each heading we can consider some of the concerns expressed.

Learners  Translation teaches learners about language, but not how to use it. Translation does not help learners develop their communication skills.

• Translation encourages learners to use L1, often for long periods of class time, when the aim of modern teaching is to remove it from the classroom. 
• The skills involved in translation may not be suitable for all kinds of learners. It may, for example, be best for learners who are more analytical or have preferences for verbal-linguistic learning strategies. It may not be suitable either for young learners or lower levels. 
• Learners may not see the value of translation as an activity to help them learn English, and instead see it as a specialised, and difficult, activity.
• Translation is a difficult skill which must be done well in order to be productive and rewarding. Learners and teachers not only have to take into account meaning but also a range of other issues, including form, register, style, and idiom. This is not easy, but too many translation activities rely on it being done well.
• Translation activities are tricky to set up and take a lot of preparation, especially anticipating possible problems.
• Translation requires a motivated class.
• The teacher needs to have a sophisticated knowledge of the L1 and the L1 culture. Without this translation can create more problems than benefits. This level of awareness is almost impossible in a multi-lingual class. 
• Following on from this, if a teacher uses L1 in a translation activity then this can undermine their work to maintain an English-speaking environment in the class. Learners inevitably see them as an L1 resource. 
• Translation is by definition text-bound, and confined to the two skills of reading and writing. This makes it hard to justify for many classes with time restrictions.
• Translation is time-consuming and difficult but the teacher must be as good as and better than the learners at it, to be able to manage the activity well.

Benefits Many ELT teachers and theorists now see the validity and value of translation as an activity in communicative classrooms (although few coursebook writers offer ideas and materials for this area). Below are some of the ways translations can have a positive impact; many of these also serve as responses to the objections and criticisms expressed above:

• Designed well, translation activities in the classroom can practise the 4 skills and the 4 systems. In terms of communicative competence, they require accuracy, clarity and flexibility. Duff: it ‘trains the reader to search (flexibility) for the most appropriate words (accuracy) to convey what is meant (clarity)'.
• Following on from this, translation is by its nature a highly communicative activity; the challenge is to make sure that the content being communicated is relevant and that we exploit all possibilities for communication during the activity.
• Translation in groups can encourage learners to discuss the meaning and use of language at the deepest possible levels as they work through the process of understanding and then looking for equivalents in another language.
• Translation is a real-life, natural activity and increasingly necessary in a global environment. Many learners living in either their own countries or a new one need to translate language on a daily basis, both informally and formally. This is even more important with the growing importance of online information.
• Whether we encourage it or not, translation is a frequently used strategy for learners; if we accept this, we need to support them in developing this skill in the right way, e.g. by discussing its role.
• Translation can be a support for the writing process, especially at lower levels. Research has shown that learners seem able to access more information in their own L1, which they can then translate.
• Discussion of differences and similarities during the translation process helps learners understand the interaction of the two languages and the problems caused by their L1. It also helps learners appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of the L1 and L2, for example in the comparison of idiomatic language such as metaphors.
• Teachers can focus translation activities on highly specific learning aims, such as practice of certain vocabulary, grammar points, styles and registers, etc. It also lends itself well to work with other tools such as e-mail and class web pages.
• Finally, for many learners developing skills in translation is a natural and logical part of reaching higher levels, and being able to do this well is highly motivating.

Classroom approaches Translation is a difficult activity to set up and can go badly wrong, producing some of the objections described above. There are many aspects to designing and running tasks.

Firstly, it is necessary to plan carefully and fully, and to identify the right kinds of aims. Ensure that your source material really does focus on these, and has not been introduced just because you like it. Try to integrate translation with other skills/systems practice where possible. Make sure you have dictionaries and usage sources available. It is important to recognise the problems associated with traditional approaches to translation (a solitary, difficult and time-consuming activity using literary texts) and find solutions to these, such as ensuring these tasks are short (not easy), always working in groups, and maintaining the element of a communication gap where possible.

As the objections above showed, learner perception of this activity is key. It is useful to explain your aims and discuss any concerns that your learners have; many activities use materials that can be generated by learners, which can have positive impact on motivation and dynamics. Avoid activities which require your learners to use their L1 a lot if you don't have a consensus in your class. Think about the possibilities and pitfalls of this kind of work in a multi-lingual group - discussion and comparison of L1 idioms may be very rewarding, for example, but working on a text not.

Think about the different benefits of translation and more specifically L1 - L2 or L2 - L1 work in the context of aims and also of the class profile. If you are struggling to get learners to use L2 in the class, this may not be the best time to do translation work, for example; if you are not confident of your role in an activity where learners translate back into their own L1 or of how they will perceive this kind of work, then don't do it. Finally, if you have interested learners, encourage them to explore translation further by themselves - it is a fascinating, complex and worthy process.

Some ideas for classroom activities

• Learner groups work on translating different sections of a text, and then regroup to connect together their parts into a full text, with suitable connecting language.
• Learners bring in examples of L1 language (in their own country) or L2 (in another country) for discussion and translation. Signs can be particularly interesting. This can also be done by sharing material via group e-mails.
• Learners bring in short texts/proverbs/poems and present them to the class, explaining why they like them. These are then used for translation.

Comparisons

• Learners work in groups on short texts then regroup and compare their versions, before producing a final text. This can then be compared with an ‘official' published version.
• Learners translate and then other learners back translate, then compare versions and discuss why there are differences.
• Learners look at ‘bad' translations and discuss the causes of errors. Translation software programmes and web pages are good sources of these (see below).
• Ask learners to find different kinds of texts for comparison and translation, for example recipes, e-mails, graffiti, technical texts, post-its, etc.

Project work Learners translate the script of a scene from a film, then dub over the scene itself with their new version in the L2.

• Learners develop a webpage or blog with their own translated work.
• Learners participate in live online forums such as Word Reference (see below).
• Learners research and then present their findings on the translations of a particular group of words, such as those of their own professional field.
• Learners evaluate translation software/web pages and then report back to the group.

Conclusion Translation as part of the communicative ELT classroom approach is still a controversial area and one that provokes strong opinions. If you would like to share your opinions and your approach to the use of translation in the English language classroom, please do sign in and leave a comment below.

Further reading

Published material: Duff, A (1989), Translation, OUP. Duff, A (1990) Bringing translation back into the language class (Practical English Teaching 10/3) Deller, S & Rinvolucri, M (2002), Using the Mother Tongue: making the most of the learner's language, Delta Publishing. Murphy, B (1988), Teaching translation and teaching through translation (MET 15/4) Tudor, I (1987), Using translation in ESP (ELT Journal 41/4) Automatic translation: www.jollo.com (compares various applications) Forums: http://forum.wordreference.com/ (discussion forums for various languages)

by Paul Kaye, Freelance Writer, Teacher , Trainer

Wriiten translation from L1 to L2 also helps oral proficiency

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Understanding Assignments

What this handout is about.

The first step in any successful college writing venture is reading the assignment. While this sounds like a simple task, it can be a tough one. This handout will help you unravel your assignment and begin to craft an effective response. Much of the following advice will involve translating typical assignment terms and practices into meaningful clues to the type of writing your instructor expects. See our short video for more tips.

Basic beginnings

Regardless of the assignment, department, or instructor, adopting these two habits will serve you well :

• Read the assignment carefully as soon as you receive it. Do not put this task off—reading the assignment at the beginning will save you time, stress, and problems later. An assignment can look pretty straightforward at first, particularly if the instructor has provided lots of information. That does not mean it will not take time and effort to complete; you may even have to learn a new skill to complete the assignment.
• Ask the instructor about anything you do not understand. Do not hesitate to approach your instructor. Instructors would prefer to set you straight before you hand the paper in. That’s also when you will find their feedback most useful.

Assignment formats

Many assignments follow a basic format. Assignments often begin with an overview of the topic, include a central verb or verbs that describe the task, and offer some additional suggestions, questions, or prompts to get you started.

An Overview of Some Kind

The instructor might set the stage with some general discussion of the subject of the assignment, introduce the topic, or remind you of something pertinent that you have discussed in class. For example:

“Throughout history, gerbils have played a key role in politics,” or “In the last few weeks of class, we have focused on the evening wear of the housefly …”

The Task of the Assignment

Pay attention; this part tells you what to do when you write the paper. Look for the key verb or verbs in the sentence. Words like analyze, summarize, or compare direct you to think about your topic in a certain way. Also pay attention to words such as how, what, when, where, and why; these words guide your attention toward specific information. (See the section in this handout titled “Key Terms” for more information.)

“Analyze the effect that gerbils had on the Russian Revolution”, or “Suggest an interpretation of housefly undergarments that differs from Darwin’s.”

Additional Material to Think about

Here you will find some questions to use as springboards as you begin to think about the topic. Instructors usually include these questions as suggestions rather than requirements. Do not feel compelled to answer every question unless the instructor asks you to do so. Pay attention to the order of the questions. Sometimes they suggest the thinking process your instructor imagines you will need to follow to begin thinking about the topic.

“You may wish to consider the differing views held by Communist gerbils vs. Monarchist gerbils, or Can there be such a thing as ‘the housefly garment industry’ or is it just a home-based craft?”

These are the instructor’s comments about writing expectations:

“Be concise”, “Write effectively”, or “Argue furiously.”

Technical Details

These instructions usually indicate format rules or guidelines.

“Your paper must be typed in Palatino font on gray paper and must not exceed 600 pages. It is due on the anniversary of Mao Tse-tung’s death.”

The assignment’s parts may not appear in exactly this order, and each part may be very long or really short. Nonetheless, being aware of this standard pattern can help you understand what your instructor wants you to do.

Interpreting the assignment

Ask yourself a few basic questions as you read and jot down the answers on the assignment sheet:

Why did your instructor ask you to do this particular task?

Who is your audience.

• What kind of evidence do you need to support your ideas?

What kind of writing style is acceptable?

• What are the absolute rules of the paper?

Try to look at the question from the point of view of the instructor. Recognize that your instructor has a reason for giving you this assignment and for giving it to you at a particular point in the semester. In every assignment, the instructor has a challenge for you. This challenge could be anything from demonstrating an ability to think clearly to demonstrating an ability to use the library. See the assignment not as a vague suggestion of what to do but as an opportunity to show that you can handle the course material as directed. Paper assignments give you more than a topic to discuss—they ask you to do something with the topic. Keep reminding yourself of that. Be careful to avoid the other extreme as well: do not read more into the assignment than what is there.

Of course, your instructor has given you an assignment so that they will be able to assess your understanding of the course material and give you an appropriate grade. But there is more to it than that. Your instructor has tried to design a learning experience of some kind. Your instructor wants you to think about something in a particular way for a particular reason. If you read the course description at the beginning of your syllabus, review the assigned readings, and consider the assignment itself, you may begin to see the plan, purpose, or approach to the subject matter that your instructor has created for you. If you still aren’t sure of the assignment’s goals, try asking the instructor. For help with this, see our handout on getting feedback .

Given your instructor’s efforts, it helps to answer the question: What is my purpose in completing this assignment? Is it to gather research from a variety of outside sources and present a coherent picture? Is it to take material I have been learning in class and apply it to a new situation? Is it to prove a point one way or another? Key words from the assignment can help you figure this out. Look for key terms in the form of active verbs that tell you what to do.

Key Terms: Finding Those Active Verbs

Here are some common key words and definitions to help you think about assignment terms:

Information words Ask you to demonstrate what you know about the subject, such as who, what, when, where, how, and why.

• define —give the subject’s meaning (according to someone or something). Sometimes you have to give more than one view on the subject’s meaning
• describe —provide details about the subject by answering question words (such as who, what, when, where, how, and why); you might also give details related to the five senses (what you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell)
• explain —give reasons why or examples of how something happened
• illustrate —give descriptive examples of the subject and show how each is connected with the subject
• summarize —briefly list the important ideas you learned about the subject
• trace —outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current form
• research —gather material from outside sources about the subject, often with the implication or requirement that you will analyze what you have found

Relation words Ask you to demonstrate how things are connected.

• compare —show how two or more things are similar (and, sometimes, different)
• contrast —show how two or more things are dissimilar
• apply—use details that you’ve been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept works in a particular situation
• cause —show how one event or series of events made something else happen
• relate —show or describe the connections between things

Interpretation words Ask you to defend ideas of your own about the subject. Do not see these words as requesting opinion alone (unless the assignment specifically says so), but as requiring opinion that is supported by concrete evidence. Remember examples, principles, definitions, or concepts from class or research and use them in your interpretation.

• assess —summarize your opinion of the subject and measure it against something
• prove, justify —give reasons or examples to demonstrate how or why something is the truth
• evaluate, respond —state your opinion of the subject as good, bad, or some combination of the two, with examples and reasons
• support —give reasons or evidence for something you believe (be sure to state clearly what it is that you believe)
• synthesize —put two or more things together that have not been put together in class or in your readings before; do not just summarize one and then the other and say that they are similar or different—you must provide a reason for putting them together that runs all the way through the paper
• analyze —determine how individual parts create or relate to the whole, figure out how something works, what it might mean, or why it is important
• argue —take a side and defend it with evidence against the other side

More Clues to Your Purpose As you read the assignment, think about what the teacher does in class:

• What kinds of textbooks or coursepack did your instructor choose for the course—ones that provide background information, explain theories or perspectives, or argue a point of view?
• In lecture, does your instructor ask your opinion, try to prove their point of view, or use keywords that show up again in the assignment?
• What kinds of assignments are typical in this discipline? Social science classes often expect more research. Humanities classes thrive on interpretation and analysis.
• How do the assignments, readings, and lectures work together in the course? Instructors spend time designing courses, sometimes even arguing with their peers about the most effective course materials. Figuring out the overall design to the course will help you understand what each assignment is meant to achieve.

Now, what about your reader? Most undergraduates think of their audience as the instructor. True, your instructor is a good person to keep in mind as you write. But for the purposes of a good paper, think of your audience as someone like your roommate: smart enough to understand a clear, logical argument, but not someone who already knows exactly what is going on in your particular paper. Remember, even if the instructor knows everything there is to know about your paper topic, they still have to read your paper and assess your understanding. In other words, teach the material to your reader.

Aiming a paper at your audience happens in two ways: you make decisions about the tone and the level of information you want to convey.

• Tone means the “voice” of your paper. Should you be chatty, formal, or objective? Usually you will find some happy medium—you do not want to alienate your reader by sounding condescending or superior, but you do not want to, um, like, totally wig on the man, you know? Eschew ostentatious erudition: some students think the way to sound academic is to use big words. Be careful—you can sound ridiculous, especially if you use the wrong big words.
• The level of information you use depends on who you think your audience is. If you imagine your audience as your instructor and they already know everything you have to say, you may find yourself leaving out key information that can cause your argument to be unconvincing and illogical. But you do not have to explain every single word or issue. If you are telling your roommate what happened on your favorite science fiction TV show last night, you do not say, “First a dark-haired white man of average height, wearing a suit and carrying a flashlight, walked into the room. Then a purple alien with fifteen arms and at least three eyes turned around. Then the man smiled slightly. In the background, you could hear a clock ticking. The room was fairly dark and had at least two windows that I saw.” You also do not say, “This guy found some aliens. The end.” Find some balance of useful details that support your main point.

You’ll find a much more detailed discussion of these concepts in our handout on audience .

The Grim Truth

With a few exceptions (including some lab and ethnography reports), you are probably being asked to make an argument. You must convince your audience. It is easy to forget this aim when you are researching and writing; as you become involved in your subject matter, you may become enmeshed in the details and focus on learning or simply telling the information you have found. You need to do more than just repeat what you have read. Your writing should have a point, and you should be able to say it in a sentence. Sometimes instructors call this sentence a “thesis” or a “claim.”

So, if your instructor tells you to write about some aspect of oral hygiene, you do not want to just list: “First, you brush your teeth with a soft brush and some peanut butter. Then, you floss with unwaxed, bologna-flavored string. Finally, gargle with bourbon.” Instead, you could say, “Of all the oral cleaning methods, sandblasting removes the most plaque. Therefore it should be recommended by the American Dental Association.” Or, “From an aesthetic perspective, moldy teeth can be quite charming. However, their joys are short-lived.”

Convincing the reader of your argument is the goal of academic writing. It doesn’t have to say “argument” anywhere in the assignment for you to need one. Look at the assignment and think about what kind of argument you could make about it instead of just seeing it as a checklist of information you have to present. For help with understanding the role of argument in academic writing, see our handout on argument .

What kind of evidence do you need?

There are many kinds of evidence, and what type of evidence will work for your assignment can depend on several factors–the discipline, the parameters of the assignment, and your instructor’s preference. Should you use statistics? Historical examples? Do you need to conduct your own experiment? Can you rely on personal experience? See our handout on evidence for suggestions on how to use evidence appropriately.

Make sure you are clear about this part of the assignment, because your use of evidence will be crucial in writing a successful paper. You are not just learning how to argue; you are learning how to argue with specific types of materials and ideas. Ask your instructor what counts as acceptable evidence. You can also ask a librarian for help. No matter what kind of evidence you use, be sure to cite it correctly—see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial .

You cannot always tell from the assignment just what sort of writing style your instructor expects. The instructor may be really laid back in class but still expect you to sound formal in writing. Or the instructor may be fairly formal in class and ask you to write a reflection paper where you need to use “I” and speak from your own experience.

Try to avoid false associations of a particular field with a style (“art historians like wacky creativity,” or “political scientists are boring and just give facts”) and look instead to the types of readings you have been given in class. No one expects you to write like Plato—just use the readings as a guide for what is standard or preferable to your instructor. When in doubt, ask your instructor about the level of formality they expect.

No matter what field you are writing for or what facts you are including, if you do not write so that your reader can understand your main idea, you have wasted your time. So make clarity your main goal. For specific help with style, see our handout on style .

Technical details about the assignment

The technical information you are given in an assignment always seems like the easy part. This section can actually give you lots of little hints about approaching the task. Find out if elements such as page length and citation format (see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial ) are negotiable. Some professors do not have strong preferences as long as you are consistent and fully answer the assignment. Some professors are very specific and will deduct big points for deviations.

Usually, the page length tells you something important: The instructor thinks the size of the paper is appropriate to the assignment’s parameters. In plain English, your instructor is telling you how many pages it should take for you to answer the question as fully as you are expected to. So if an assignment is two pages long, you cannot pad your paper with examples or reword your main idea several times. Hit your one point early, defend it with the clearest example, and finish quickly. If an assignment is ten pages long, you can be more complex in your main points and examples—and if you can only produce five pages for that assignment, you need to see someone for help—as soon as possible.

Tricks that don’t work

Your instructors are not fooled when you:

• spend more time on the cover page than the essay —graphics, cool binders, and cute titles are no replacement for a well-written paper.
• use huge fonts, wide margins, or extra spacing to pad the page length —these tricks are immediately obvious to the eye. Most instructors use the same word processor you do. They know what’s possible. Such tactics are especially damning when the instructor has a stack of 60 papers to grade and yours is the only one that low-flying airplane pilots could read.
• use a paper from another class that covered “sort of similar” material . Again, the instructor has a particular task for you to fulfill in the assignment that usually relates to course material and lectures. Your other paper may not cover this material, and turning in the same paper for more than one course may constitute an Honor Code violation . Ask the instructor—it can’t hurt.
• get all wacky and “creative” before you answer the question . Showing that you are able to think beyond the boundaries of a simple assignment can be good, but you must do what the assignment calls for first. Again, check with your instructor. A humorous tone can be refreshing for someone grading a stack of papers, but it will not get you a good grade if you have not fulfilled the task.

Critical reading of assignments leads to skills in other types of reading and writing. If you get good at figuring out what the real goals of assignments are, you are going to be better at understanding the goals of all of your classes and fields of study.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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1 Translation result for assignment in Spanish

Assignment noun.

Example sentences of assignment noun

• • The students were given a homework assignment .
• • The reporter's assignment is to interview the candidate.
• • The reporter is here on an assignment .
• • The reporter is here on assignment .
• • The article discusses the recent assignment of senators to some of the more powerful committees.
• • her assignment to the embassy in India
• • the computer's assignment of a number to each image
• • She asked if she could change her seating assignment .

Synonyms of assignment noun

• Tenga en cuenta la pronunciación. La g no se pronuncia y la i se pronuncia /ai/.

Detailed synonyms for assignment noun

Reverse translation for assignment.

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Meaning of assignment in English

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• It was a jammy assignment - more of a holiday really.
• He took this award-winning photograph while on assignment in the Middle East .
• His two-year assignment to the Mexico office starts in September .
• She first visited Norway on assignment for the winter Olympics ten years ago.
• He fell in love with the area after being there on assignment for National Geographic in the 1950s.
• act as something
• all work and no play (makes Jack a dull boy) idiom
• be at work idiom
• be in work idiom
• housekeeping
• in the line of duty idiom
• undertaking

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

assignment | American Dictionary

Assignment | business english, examples of assignment, collocations with assignment.

These are words often used in combination with assignment .

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Translations of assignment

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Word of the Day

on top of the world

extremely happy

Keeping up appearances (Talking about how things seem)

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• on assignment
• American    Noun
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English-German translation for "assignment"

"assignment" german translation, „assignment“ : noun, overview of all translations.

• An-, Zuweisung feminine | Femininum f assignment allocation assignment allocation
• Bestimmung feminine | Femininum f assignment fixing Festlegung feminine | Femininum f , -setzung feminine | Femininum f assignment fixing assignment fixing
• (Schul)Aufgabe feminine | Femininum f assignment school work Arbeit feminine | Femininum f assignment school work assignment school work
• Auftrag masculine | Maskulinum m assignment of journalist assignment of journalist
• assignment syn vgl. → see „ task “ assignment syn vgl. → see „ task “
• Angabe feminine | Femininum f assignment producing, ascribing Anführen neuter | Neutrum n assignment producing, ascribing Zuschreiben neuter | Neutrum n assignment producing, ascribing assignment producing, ascribing
• assignment of reasons Angabe von Gründen assignment of reasons
• Beilegung feminine | Femininum f assignment mathematics mathematics | Mathematik Mathematik MATH Zuordnung feminine | Femininum f assignment mathematics mathematics | Mathematik Mathematik MATH assignment mathematics mathematics | Mathematik Mathematik MATH
• Übertragung feminine | Femininum f assignment commercial term, commerce | Wirtschaft/Volkswirtschaft WIRTSCH legal term, law | Rechtswesen JUR handing over Übereignung feminine | Femininum f assignment commercial term, commerce | Wirtschaft/Volkswirtschaft WIRTSCH legal term, law | Rechtswesen JUR handing over Abtretung feminine | Femininum f assignment commercial term, commerce | Wirtschaft/Volkswirtschaft WIRTSCH legal term, law | Rechtswesen JUR handing over Zession feminine | Femininum f assignment commercial term, commerce | Wirtschaft/Volkswirtschaft WIRTSCH legal term, law | Rechtswesen JUR handing over assignment commercial term, commerce | Wirtschaft/Volkswirtschaft WIRTSCH legal term, law | Rechtswesen JUR handing over
• assignment of claims Forderungsabtretung assignment of claims
• assignment of debts Forderungsabtretung assignment of debts
• assignment of income finance finance | Finanzen und Bankwesen Finanzen und Bankwesen FIN Einkommensverschiebung assignment of income finance finance | Finanzen und Bankwesen Finanzen und Bankwesen FIN
• assignment of policy Abtretung der Versicherungsforderung assignment of policy
• assignment in blank American English | amerikanisches Englisch US Blankoindossament assignment in blank American English | amerikanisches Englisch US
• Abtretungs-, Zessionsurkunde feminine | Femininum f assignment legal term, law | Rechtswesen JUR document of assignment assignment legal term, law | Rechtswesen JUR document of assignment
• Festsetzung feminine | Femininum f assignment legal term, law | Rechtswesen JUR fixing Bestimmung feminine | Femininum f assignment legal term, law | Rechtswesen JUR fixing assignment legal term, law | Rechtswesen JUR fixing
• assignment of dower Festsetzung des Witwenteils assignment of dower
• Anweisung feminine | Femininum f assignment commercial term, commerce | Wirtschaft/Volkswirtschaft WIRTSCH payment, transfer trassierter Wechsel assignment commercial term, commerce | Wirtschaft/Volkswirtschaft WIRTSCH payment, transfer assignment commercial term, commerce | Wirtschaft/Volkswirtschaft WIRTSCH payment, transfer

Example sentences from external sources for "assignment" (not checked by the Langenscheidt editorial team)

• Source: OPUS
• Original text source: Tatoeba
• Original text source: WIT³
• Original text source: TED
• Original database: TED Talk Parallel Corpus
• Original text source: Europäisches Parlament
• Original database: Europarl Parallel Corups

Synonyms for "assignment"

• naming , designation , appointment

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▾ dictionary english-french, assignment noun ( plural: assignments ) —, mission f ( plural: missions f ), attribution f, assign ( sb./sth. ) verb ( assigned , assigned ) —, attribuer v, affecter (qqn.) v, assigner qqch./qqn. v, nommer qqn. v, allouer qqch. v, mandater qqch./qqn. v, assign sb./sth. to sb./sth. verb —, assigner qqn./qqch. à qqn./qqch. v, assign sth. to sb. verb —, céder qqch. à qqn. v, assignment agreement n —, international assignment n —, stretch assignment n —, temporary assignment n —, assignment of receivables n —, random assignment n —, special assignment n —, new assignment n —, field assignment n —, group assignment n —, pre-assignment n —, current assignment n —, translation assignment n —, role assignment n —, assignment of personnel n —, assignment of tasks n —, initial assignment n —, priority assignment n —, proposed assignment n —, professional assignment n —, address assignment n —, internal assignment n —, direct assignment n —, product assignment n —, frequency assignment n —, rights assignment n —, core assignment n —, follow-on assignment n —, color assignment ae n —, channel assignment n —, document assignment n —, representation assignment n —, re-assignment n —, operational assignment n —, classic assignment n —, ▸ wikipedia, ▾ external sources (not reviewed).

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Assignment in the oxford-hachette french dictionary, assignment in the pons dictionary.

• assignment OFAJ Glossary "Intégration et égalité des chances"

Monolingual examples (not verified by PONS Editors)

Translations for assignment in the english » french dictionary (go to french » english ), assignment [ brit əˈsʌɪnm(ə)nt, am əˈsaɪnmənt] n.

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1. assignment (professional) :

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2. assignment (academic) :

3. assignment (of duties, staff, funds) :, 4. assignment law (of rights, contract) :, translations for assignment in the french » english dictionary (go to english » french ), translations for assignment in the english » french dictionary, assignment n, 1. assignment (task) :, 2. assignment no pl (attribution) :, 3. assignment school , univ :, assignment glossary « intégration et égalité des chances » courtesy of the french-german youth office, translations for assignment in the french » english dictionary.

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• assimilation

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Press Conference by Minister Saito (Excerpt)

*Note: This is a provisional translation for reference purposes only.

10:35 to 10:47 a.m. Friday, May 17, 2024 Press Conference Room, METI Main Building

Opening Remarks

Visit to hokkaido.

Good morning. To begin, I would like to mention one point.

On May 19, the day after tomorrow, I will visit Hokkaido to observe the Rapidus Corporation construction site. The 2-nanometer next-generation semiconductors that the company has been developing are indispensable for realizing digitization and decarbonization in a wide variety of industries, including autonomous driving and generative AI, and they are also a key technology that will determine the future economic growth of Japanese industry. Moreover, the semiconductors are important strategic goods from the viewpoint of economic security. Going forward, semiconductors are also considered critical for Japan in capturing the globally increasing demand.

We also expect that the Rapidus project will bring about a wide variety of ripple effects, including investments and employment involving related industries, as in the cases of TSMC and JASM in Kumamoto.

We have decided to provide a total of up to 920 billion yen in support to the project on the basis of the strict examination of the status of development conducted by outside experts. On the day of my visit, I will confirm the current state of the pilot line under construction and exchange opinions with the staff, including the workers at the site, on the progress made in the development and future prospects. I will end my remarks here.

Question-and-Answer Session

Strategic energy plan.

Q: The Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy has started discussions on the revision of the Strategic Energy Plan to prepare the seventh edition. It has announced that interviews with experts are to be conducted on individual issues. At the Strategic Policy Committee meeting, some members pointed out, as to a desirable approach to advancing discussions, that it would be desirable to hear opinions from a wide range of individuals from different generations, including young people. What do you think is a desirable approach to advancing future discussions?

A: In formulating the next Strategic Energy Plan, we would like to consider measures while receiving opinions from people in a variety of positions, including young people. For this purpose, in formulating the Strategic Energy Plan, METI will not only hold discussions by the members of the Committee but also advance some efforts, including calling for public comments to take into account the opinions of a variety of people, conducting interviews with associations in a variety of areas in the discussion process of the Committee, and establishing an opinion submission section on the METI website to receive a wide range of opinions at any time in parallel with advancing discussions at the Committee.

In addition, we would like to ensure the transparency of the Committee’s discussions by publicizing all materials and minutes of the Committee and uploading each Committee’s meeting to YouTube on the day of the meeting to ensure that it is easily accessible. Moreover, we would like to regularly distribute articles explaining a variety of themes concerning the difficult energy situation faced by Japan on our website and also distribute video clips to enhance the public understanding of energy issues. Through these efforts, METI will endeavor to convey easy-to-understand information to the public on the energy situation surrounding Japan. By using various means as I mentioned, METI hopes to reflect the opinions of people in various areas, including young people, in its policies.

Q: Regarding the question that was raised just now, at the kick-off meeting involving the Strategic Energy Plan, you showed an awareness of the problem in that Japan is now confronting the most severe situation in its energy policy in the postwar period. Looking back on its postwar energy situation, I understand that triggered by the 1970s energy crisis, Japan established the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, and since then, it has been working on stable energy supply and other energy policies.

The most severe situation can be understood as a situation worse than the energy crisis. Could you once again explain your understanding of the severity of the situation Japan now faces?

A: I joined the then-Ministry of International Trade and Industry as a university graduate and my first assignment destination was the Policy Planning and Coordination Division of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy. For 40 years or so since then, I have faced and confronted many issues involving energy policies, both directly and indirectly.

Concerning the energy crisis you mentioned, I think that Japan now has a severe issue that is different from those during the crisis in terms of quality. At the meeting of the Committee on May 15, I expressed my opinion with a strong sense of urgency that Japan is confronting the most severe situation in the postwar period. This is because, first, Japan has not yet depicted a concrete approach to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Under this circumstance, I think that it is somewhat difficult to forecast the extent to which the demand for electricity will grow despite the expectation that the demand may greatly increase in Japan.

In addition, as various technological developments are advancing simultaneously, we are confronting a situation in which it is not easy to estimate the progress of the developments. Meanwhile, Japan needs to launch energy policies with a long lead time despite poor visibility, and under the condition that Japan's inability to secure a stable supply of carbon-free power sources would affect its international competitiveness. From this standpoint, I have made statements to the effect that Japan may be facing difficulties that are unprecedented in its history.

We would like to work on the formulation of the next Strategic Energy Plan with this strong sense of urgency.

Q: I, too, would like to ask you about the Strategic Energy Plan. At the recent meeting of the GX (Green Transformation) Implementation Council, Prime Minister Kishida said that there is a limitation to the method of presenting the numerical figures in the Energy Mix only based on a single predetermined assumption. Concerning the next Strategic Energy Plan, on which discussions have started, could you explain the future approaches along which you will advance discussions on the Energy Mix?

In addition, you have just mentioned a strong sense of urgency due to conditions that Japan might have never experienced before. In advancing the discussions, am I correct in understanding that Japan’s energy policy is still based on the premise of the S + 3E principle? Please explain your view.

A: I recognize that at the 11th meeting of the GX Implementation Council held on May 13, Prime Minister Kishida said that there is a limitation to the method of presenting the numerical figures in the Energy Mix only based on a single predetermined assumption. From my understanding, the Prime Minister believes that Japan should formulate the Energy Mix not just based on a single assumption, as Japan faces increasing uncertainty about future energy demand and technological innovation, as I mentioned earlier.

Regarding ideal approaches to the new Energy Mix, the Committee will hold discussions on the specifics, and I can say that the best way of coming to appropriate conclusion is nothing more than having the Committees discuss the Energy Mix in depth.

In addition, as the S + 3E principle is the core of our energy policy, I do not believe that this principle will change. At the meeting of the Committee held on May 15, some members pointed out that the principle should basically be maintained in the next plan as well. Accordingly, we would like to advance discussions toward the revision of the plan to prepare the next one under this principle.

Last updated:2024-05-17