Computer-aided translation (CAT) (C)-French 3200-M1-1CATCF

The aim of the course is to broaden students’ knowledge in the area of selected, currently used computer-aided (or -assisted) translation programs (CAT tools: primarily MemoQ and/or SDL Trados, Omega T), their architecture and particular components, and also developing students' translation skills using the capabilities of those programs.

For a part of the students, the course is a continuation of a similar course conducted at ILS at the 1st level of studies (“Translation and translation technologies” specialization). Training materials consist of (para)specialised texts suitable for computer-aided translation (mainly on technical and legal topics), characterized by medium and high degrees of translation difficulty.
Direction of translation: C→A and (to a lesser extent) A→C.

Student’s workload:
in-class work: 30 class hours,
preparation for the classes: 20 hours,
preparation for evaluation: 5 hours;
total: 55 hours = 2 ECTS points

Main contents of the course:

1. Methodology of working with CAT software; strengths and limitations of these tools and the influence of text types on the efficiency of work with CATs.
2. Becoming familiar with both program interfaces; preparatory actions: correcting automatically (OCR-) processed texts; creating new projects; importing source text files and (possibly) converting their formats.
2. The impact of segmentation on the translation consistency – the usefulness of the preview; precautions when using suggestions.
3. Architecture of the MemoQ and OmegaT programs: advanced options and settings, personalization of settings, main keyboard shortcuts; (percentual) degrees of matches of corresponand SDL Tradoding segments.
4. Using external resources – mainly electronic/internet dictionaries, term bases and parallel corpora – in CAT tools.
5. Quality control in MemoQ, filtering options, ways of making corrections (doing proofreading).
6. Creating glossaries (also with a more complex entry structure); exporting and importing such glossaries in the CAT programs, making use of the SDL MultiTerm base.
7. Alignment (of a source and a target text) – using texts of advanced complexity; tagging of text elements.
8. Using concordances (on the example as above).
9. Norms referring to translation services: the ISO 17100:2015 norm; certification.

FORMS OF WORK:
▪ translation in the CAT programs during classes; translation at home in the exported file in the two-column rtf format and importing the translation back to the project with checks and approval;
▪ preparation of vocabulary at home, preparation of glossaries in the CAT software during classes (individually or in groups), technical exercises, discussion on the finished translation.
WORK METHODS:
presentation, individual work, group work, discussion.
TYPES AND SUBJECTS OF TEXTS:
(Para)specialised texts of medium and advanced translational difficulty from various fields, suitable for an effective translation with the use of CAT tools: price lists, technical specifications, other documents with repetitive content elements.

CREDIT REQUIREMENTS:
1. attendance (2 absences allowed, including those excused; the student is required to make up for the material covered during his/her absence). Due to the specifics of the classes, in the case of more than two absences, the decision on the conditions of getting a passing grade is at the teacher’s discretion.
2. systematic and timely preparation of homework assignments;
3. reliable performance of tasks during classes;
4. passing mid-term tests and the final test

The second-term credit shall follow the same rules and form as the first-term credit, unless this is not technically possible.