Feedback as an Interface: Controlling Form and Detail in LLM Translation Refinement

Abstract:Feedback presentation shapes how LLMs use evaluator judgments during translation refinement. We introduce a machine translation protocol that keeps the evaluator score, main issue, and recommendation fixed while varying feedback form and supporting detail. Across seven models and six translation directions, low-load feedback outperforms high-load feedback in all 42 translator-direction settings under xCOMET. On the 29,400-record rewriting subset, mean xCOMET scores multiplied by 100 are 83.30 for low-load feedback and 80.67 for high-load feedback; the full-matrix original-translation reference mean is 83.46. MetricX-24 supports the low-load advantage on a stratified subset. A no-feedback second pass yields a small improvement over the original translations, and direct evaluator prompting reproduces the low-load advantage without a separate rewriting stage. These results show that compact feedback limits the quality loss from evaluator-guided refinement in the evaluated high-resource MT settings.

Computation and Language (cs.CL)

arXiv:2610.15661 [cs.CL]

(or arXiv:2610.15661v1 [cs.CL] for this version)

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2610.15661 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite (pending registration)

arXivLabs is a framework that allows collaborators to develop and share new arXiv features directly on our website.

Both individuals and organizations that work with arXivLabs have embraced and accepted our values of openness, community, excellence, and user data privacy. arXiv is committed to these values and only works with partners that adhere to them.

Have an idea for a project that will add value for arXiv's community? Learn more about arXivLabs.