Translation versus Machine Translation Post-editing

Given that language students currently use free online raw machine translation output for their foreign language written assignments we aim at suggesting a good use of raw MT output in the foreign language class. We do this not as a means to writing in or translating into the foreign language but to complement written production practice and to introduce the students to machine translation post-editing an activity that is growing in demand for language-skilled professionals. Thus one of the main issues under investigation is evaluating the difficulty of post-editing into the foreign language against translation into the foreign language.