Optional subject: Computer-aided translation, CAT tool 3200-L2-0PF3
The course is conducted in the form of practical workshops; therefore, particular emphasis will be placed on developing specific practical skills related to the use of CAT tools.
The syllabus covers the following topics:
1) The history of computer-assisted translation tools
2) An overview of CAT programs available online free of charge
3) Types of CAT tools, their specific features, and their graphical user interfaces
4) Creating a translation project: text segmentation, translation memory, term base
5) Creating and using translation memories; translation project management in CAT tools, including file formats and import/export procedures
6) Creating and using glossaries and term bases; working with terminology resources, including methods of creation, editing, and updating
7) Using concordance
8) Machine translation and post-editing
9) Translation project management
Other useful functions and skills (working with different file formats and their export/import, segmentation, pre-translation, machine translation). That also involves working with PowerPoint and video files.
Student workload: 30 contact hours and 20 hours of individual work (50 hours total), corresponding to 2 ECTS credits.
Translation direction: A–B and B–A.
Teaching methods: in-class translation using CAT tools, preparing vocabulary and designing glossaries at home, CAT tools drill exercises, discussions about the quality of completed translations.
Type of course
Mode
Prerequisites (description)
Course coordinators
Term 2026L: | Term 2024L: | Term 2025L: |
Learning outcomes
Upon completing the course, the student will aquire specialised knowledge as well as the following skills and competences:
KNOWLEDGE
The student is familiar with the structure of language as a system and understands the importance of terminology and lexicographic resources in the process of specialised translation. The student is familiar with the principles of term formation and definition, as well as the basic models of translational equivalence; is aware of the technological and ethical conditions of the translator’s work when using CAT tools; and understands the necessity of continuously developing translation competences.
(S1.2_W01, S1.2_W05, S1.2_W06, S1.2_W09, S1.2_W10, S1.2_W13, S1.2_W14, S1.2_W15)
Furthermore, the student is familiar with the main trends in translation technologies, including translation memories, term bases, quality-assurance modules, and contemporary methodologies for translation quality assessment. The student understands the advantages and limitations of MT and AI language models in CAT environments and their implications for translation process efficiency.
(S1.2_W03, S1.2_W12, S1.2_W11)
The student understands the interdisciplinary nature of computer-assisted translation studies, including its connections with terminology, computer science, project management, and the economics of language services. They also know the basic principles governing the work of translators and terminologists in the national and international labour market, with respect to models based on CAT tools in particular.
(S1.2_W13, S1.2_W16)
SKILLS
The student is able to identify and solve translation problems arising in the process of CAT-assisted translation by selecting appropriate translation strategies and methods. The student works with specialised texts in two foreign languages and Polish, applying equivalent syntactic and terminological structures while avoiding interference errors.
(S1.2_U01, S1.2_U02, S1.2_U03)
The student can also search for, evaluate, and select linguistic and terminological data in corpora, term bases, translation memories, and online dictionaries. Moreover, the student can interpret lexicographic data, assess the degree of terminologisation in a text, conduct micro- and macrotextual analyses, and identify features typical of specialised texts.
(S1.2_U07, S1.2_U08, S1.2_U10, S1.2_U11, S1.2_U12)
The student can identify the origin and function of specialised terms, including those of Latin origin, and is able to apply this knowledge to improve accuracy and terminological consistency in translation memories and term bases.
(S1.2_U06, S1.2_U09)
SOCIAL COMPETENCES
The student is able to identify and resolve dilemmas of specialised communication in the context of cultural differences and the asymmetry of language systems when working with CAT tools, and in accordance with professional ethics.
(S1.2_K01, S1.2_K05)
The student is also able to collaborate on translation projects involving CAT tools, including in teamwork-based settings, while maintaining standards of data quality, version control, terminological consistency, and professional conduct.
(S1.2_K03, S1.2_K06)
The student is ready to act resourcefully, including designing independent terminology or translation projects, using CAT tools to develop a competitive edge, and operating in the language-services market as a professional in localisation and specialised translation processes.
(S1.2_K07)
Assessment criteria
Continuous assessment (attendance control, preparation for classes, activities and translations performed individually, both in class and at home), mid-semester written tests and/or final written test. Each requirement, if assigned, must be fulfilled independently; their share in the final grade is thus not specified.
Detailed requirements and evaluation criteria are spelled out by each instructor in a particular course cycle.
Grading scale:
100% - 5!
90-99,99% - 5
80-89,99% - 4,5
70-79,99% - 4
60-69,99% - 3,5
50-59,99% - 3
Allowed number of absences: 2 absences per semester. Exceeding the limit of two absences results in failing the course.
If technically possible, retake takes place in the same form as the first attempt.
Bibliography
Learning resources published on www.memoq.com
Bogucki, Łukasz (2009): Przekład wspomagany komputerowo. Warszawa: Wyd. Nauk. PWN
Bowker, Lynne (2008): Computer-Aided Translation Technology. A Practical Introduction. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press
Cronin, Michael (2013): Translation in the Digital Age, London & New York: Routledge [wyd. pol.: Cronin, Michael (2016): Przekład w epoce cyfrowej. Kraków: Wyd. UJ (przeł. Marta Błaszkowska, Magda Heydel et al.)]
Pietrzak, Paulina i Michał Kornacki (2021): Using CAT Tools in Freelance Translation. Insights from a Case Study. New York and London: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group
Rothwell, Andrew, Joss Moorkens, María Fernández-Parra, Joanna Drugan, and Frank Austermuehl. Translation Tools and Technologies. 1st ed. London: Routledge, 2023.
Somers, Harold (ed.) (2000): Computers and Translation. A Translator’s Guide. Amsterdam & Philadelphia: John Benjamins
von Kleist, Simon (2013): „Quality assurance in computer-assisted technical translations”, Komunikacja Specjalistyczna, nr 6 (2013), s. 25-43; http://www.ks.uw.edu.pl/NUMER_6-2013.pdf
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: