Résumé
Although second or foreign language (L2) learners have embraced online translators, the practice often remains underground in secondary schools, and many studies point to the heterogeneous skills of learners when using these tools. Online translators are, however, potential cognitive tools that could facilitate the completion of complex tasks for non-expert learners. The case study presented here is based on the analysis of a semi-directed interview with a high school English teacher and of data collected from two students (dynamic screenshots and self-confrontation interviews). It aims to determine the extent to which the three participants have developed MT literacy, and how their practices can contribute to L2 learning in a school context. The results show that, despite discrepancies between certain practices observed and the specificities of online translators, the students have developed arts of doing that may be relevant from a learning perspective. However, the teacher's digital insecurity and the controversial place of cell phones in secondary schools raise questions of legitimacy that may explain some teachers'reluctance to fully integrate these tools into the English classroom.