Computer-aided translation (CAT) (C)-German 3200-M1-1CATCN
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 SDL Trados), their architecture and particular components, and also developing students' translation skills using the capabilities of those programs.
For a (greater) 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:
0. An outline of the history of CAT programs: reasons for creating them and the main stages of their development.
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 SDL Trados programs: advanced options and settings, personalization of settings, main keyboard shortcuts; (percentual) degrees of matches of corresponding segments.
4. Using external resources – mainly electronic/internet dictionaries, term bases and parallel corpora – in CAT tools.
5. Quality control in MemoQ and SDL Trados, 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. Using the machine (pre)translation (MT) – pros and cons of this function.
10. 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, tender requirements, patents, bulletins and 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.
Type of course
Mode
Prerequisites (description)
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Knowledge: the graduate
K_W01 has an in-depth understanding of the complex structure of language as a system.
K_W02 has an in-depth understanding of the psycholinguistic, biological, cultural and linguistic aspects of language use.
K_W03 has an in-depth knowledge of specialist terminology in the field of linguistics.
K_W05 has an in-depth knowledge of the main directions of development and contemporary research trends in linguistics, as well as the main research centers in linguistics.
K_W07 has a professional knowledge of the concepts and principles of intellectual property protection and copyright law.
K_W09 has an in-depth knowledge of the links between linguistics and other fields of science.
K_W10 has an in-depth knowledge of the principles of creating and developing various forms of entrepreneurship in the translation market.
K_W11 has an in-depth knowledge of the ethical conditions of professional activity.
K_W13 has an in-depth knowledge of the basic principles of creating and developing various
forms of entrepreneurship in the translation market.
S1_W01 in-depth knowledge of key concepts related to translation studies and the main trends in contemporary translation studies.
S1_W02 in-depth knowledge of translation strategies and techniques used in various types of written and audiovisual texts and in various translation contexts.
S1_W03 in-depth knowledge of the latest trends, issues and research methodologies in the field of written and audiovisual translation and knows where the most important translation research centers in Europe and worldwide are located.
S1_W04 in-depth knowledge of the fundamental issues of translation as an interlingual and intercultural phenomenon.
S1_W05 in-depth knowledge of the principles of intellectual property protection and copyright in the context of written and audiovisual translation.
S1_W06 in-depth knowledge of the economic and legal conditions of working as a translator.
S1_W07 in-depth knowledge of the translator's working environment and the translation process.
S1_W08 in-depth knowledge of the principles of creating various forms of entrepreneurship and the functioning of a translator within various forms of entrepreneurship (freelance, translation agencies, etc.) on the domestic and international market.
Skills: the graduate is able to
K_U03 search for, analyze, evaluate and select information in their native language and foreign languages.
K_U04 use advanced linguistic research tools and select research methods appropriate to the problems being addressed.
K_U05 communicate in their native and foreign languages in various professional situations with specialists, using various channels, techniques and communication strategies for this purpose.
K_U07 use language B at level C2 and language C at level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
K_U08 cooperate and work in a group, taking on the role of a language mediator.
K_U09 independently acquire knowledge in the field of linguistics and assess the usefulness of the methods, practices and procedures learned in their own professional activity.
K_U10 independently plan and implement their own education using their knowledge of foreign languages.
K_U11 cooperate with representatives of linguistic and cultural communities.
S1_U01 use theoretical knowledge of translation studies to solve complex problems in translation by creatively interpreting the source text, selecting appropriate sources (e.g. industry dictionaries, glossaries, corpora), and make an adequate assessment of the function of the translation and the selection of translation strategies appropriate for the target text and its audience.
S1_U02 use knowledge of translation studies by selecting the right tools in the translation process, including advanced information and communication technologies such as CAT tools, machine translation and post-editing.
S1_U03 use knowledge of research methodologies used in contemporary translation studies to plan and conduct methodologically sound scientific research in the field of translation, analyze its results and determine its implications.
S1_U04 translate various types of texts from languages B and C into their native language (language A) and from their native language (language A) into languages B (and C), recognize the type of text being translated and translate it into the target language, selecting appropriate equivalents that are adequate for the given social context.
S1_U05 communicate on translation-related topics with clients, institutions and translation recipients in a manner that is understandable to non-specialists, and justify the decisions made and translation strategies used.
S1_U06 lead a discussion on translation, understood both as a process and a product, taking into account different points of view and the latest results of translation research.
S1_U08 independently plan and implement their own lifelong learning thanks to their knowledge of various translation-related centers and sources that can be used to improve their translation skills.
Social competences: the graduate is ready to
K_K01 recognize the importance of the latest knowledge in the field and to critically evaluate the content received.
K_K02 adequately identify and resolve problems of interlingual and intercultural communication.
K_K03 participate actively and continuously in cultural life, using traditional and modern forms and means of communication.
K_K04 perform the role of a language mediator in accordance with the principles of professional ethics.
K_K05 recognize the importance of knowledge in solving cognitive and practical problems and to seek expert advice.
K_K06 apply scientifically based criteria for evaluating different types of translation.
S1_K01 to critically evaluate original texts and their translations.
S1_K02 to recognize the importance of knowledge, including translation knowledge, in solving translation problems.
S1_K03 to critically evaluate research in the field of translation studies, in particular that
published in scientific journals and monographs as well as popular science sources.
S1_K04 to inspire and organize activities to promote media accessibility for people with
disabilities by creating and popularising audio description, interlingual subtitles, subtitles
for the deaf and sign language interpretation.
S1_K05 to join organizations that bring together translators and undertake activities to promote the profession of written and audiovisual translation in society.
S1_K06 to initiate and conduct translation research, in particular to improve the quality, role and accessibility of translation in society.
S1_K07 to responsibly perform the professional role of a translator of written and audiovisual texts, taking into account changing social and market needs.
S1_K09 to actively participate in the translation process at every stage.
S1_K10 to think and act in an entrepreneurial manner within the framework of translation projects, as well as individual activities on the domestic and international translation market.
Assessment criteria
Continuous evaluation (on the basis of attendance, ongoing preparation for classes, activity and individual translations, performed both at home and in class), written mid-semester tests and the final written test. Each requirement must be fulfilled independently; hence their share in the final mark is not determined.
Criteria for the evaluation of written assignments and the final written test:
99–100% – 5!
98–91% – 5
90–86% – 4,5
85–76% – 4
75–71% – 3,5
72–60% – 3
less than 60% – 2 (fail)
Due to the strictly technical and practical nature of the classes, participation is obligatory – there is no way to make up for any missed classes above the limit of 2 per semester. Excessive absences will have a negative impact on the final grade.
Bibliography
Although the classes are of a practical character, reading at least some of the following books/articles is recommended (sharp parentheses contain the information on the availability of the items in selected UW libraries):
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
Hejwowski, Krzysztof (2015): Iluzja przekładu. Przekładoznawstwo w ujęciu konstruktywnym. Katowice: Śląsk [especially Chapter 2: „Proces tłumaczenia” and 9: „Błędy tłumaczeniowe”]
Kozłowska, Zofia; Szczęsny, Anna (2018): Tłumaczenie pisemne na język polski. Kompendium. Warszawa: Wyd. Nauk. PWN [especially Chapter 1: „Podstawy tłumaczenia pisemnego”]
Olohan, Maeve (2016): Scientific and technical translation. London & New York: Routledge
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), pp. 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: