Machine translation and post-editing 3200-M1-TMP
The aim of the course is to familiarize students with machine translation technology (MT), both in theory and practice, and with the increasingly popular model of the translators’ work: post-editing of machine translation (PEMT). Course participants will use the available MT solutions, they will also try to build their own ones. The possibilities of integrating MT systems with CAT tools will also be presented. Great emphasis will be placed on practical translation work - a post-editing of machine translated texts in accordance with ISO 18587:2017.
During the course students will get acquainted with:
- the history of MT and various types of MT;
- MT engine operation modes, typical errors in their operation;
- rules of picking the right MT solution for a given translation task; ISO 18587:2017 international standard, which regulates the rules of using MT tools in the work of a translator;
- available solutions for building custom MT engines; necessary requirements, data preparation, typical data formats;
- methods of manual and automatic assessment of MT quality;
- ways of integrating MT tools with CAT tools;
- post-editing as a type of translation work; levels of post-editing, ways of doing the post-editing.
They will also perform practical tasks in the field of selection, training, quality assessment of MT engines and in the field of post-editing texts in various domains, in different language pairs, translated using various MT tools.
Forms of work:
- elements of presentation and lecture;
- independent and team work with configuration of MT tools and CAT tools;
- independent post-editing of machine translated texts, performed during classes and at home;
- error analysis in MT and own translations;
- independent and team exercises in quality evaluation of machine translations.
Student’s workload:
30 class hours;
15 hours of preparation for classes;
5 hours of preparation of the final project
Total 50 hours.
Type of course
Mode
Prerequisites (description)
Course coordinators
Term 2024L: | Term 2025L: |
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course,
KNOWLEDGE: the graduate knows and understands
K_W01 — in depth the complex structure of a language as a system,
S1_W01 — in depth the key concepts related to translation studies and the main trends in contemporary translation studies,
K_W02 — in depth the psycholinguistic, biological, cultural, and linguistic aspects of language usage,
S1_W02 — in depth the translation strategies and techniques used in various types of written and audiovisual texts and in various translation contexts,
K_W03 — in depth the specialist terminology of language studies,
S1_W03 — in depth the latest trends, issues and research methodologies in the field of written and audiovisual translation, and knows where the most important translation research centres in Europe and worldwide are located,
S1_W04 — the fundamental problems of translation as an interlingual and intercultural phenomenon,
S1_W05 — the intellectual property and copyright protection in the context of written and audiovisual translation,
K_W07 — professionally the basic concepts and principles related to the intellectual property and copyright protection,
S1_W07 — in depth the translator's working environment and the translation process,
K_W09 — in depth the links between language studies and other academic disciplines,
K_W10 — in depth the principles for establishment and development of various forms of entrepreneurship on the translation market,
K_W11 — in depth the ethical contexts of professional activity,
K_W13 — in depth the basic principles for establishment and development of various forms of entrepreneurship on the translation market.
SKILLS: the graduate can
S1_U02 — apply knowledge of translation studies by selecting the appropriate tools in the translation process, including advanced information and communication technologies such as CAT tools, machine translation and post-editing,
K_U03 — search for, analyze, evaluate, and select information in the native language and in foreign languages,
K_U04 — use advanced research tools of language studies and select research methods appropriate for the problems under consideration,
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), recognise the type of text being translated and translate it into the target language, selecting appropriate equivalents that are relevant to 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 to justify the decisions made and translation strategies used,
K_U07 — use the B language at the C2 level, and the C language at the C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages,
K_U08 — cooperate and work in a group, assuming the role of a language mediator,
S1_U08 — autonomously plan and implement the lifelong learning independently thanks to his/her knowledge of various translation-related centres and sources that can be used to improve his/her translation skills,
K_U09 — autonomously acquire knowledge in the field of language studies and assess the usefulness of the learnt methods, practices, and procedures in professional activity,
K_U10 — autonomously plan and pursue self-learning, using the knowledge of foreign languages,
K_U11 — cooperate with members of a language and cultural community.
SOCIO-CULTURAL COMPETENCE: the graduate is prepared to
K_K01 — recognize the importance of the most recent findings in the discipline and critically assess the ideas received,
S1_K01 — critically evaluate original texts and their translations,
S1_K02 — recognise the importance of knowledge, including translational knowledge, in solving translation problems,
S1_K03 — critically evaluate research in the field of translation studies, in particular that published in scientific journals and monographs as well as popular science sources,
K_K05 — recognize the importance of knowledge in resolving cognitive and practical problems, and of seeking experts’ opinions,
K_K06 — use research-based criteria for the evaluation of various types of translation.
Assessment criteria
Requirements:
1. attendance;
2. active work during workshop classes;
3. small “entry” tests from readings;
4. a final project in the field of post-editing and evaluation of own post-editing work or in the field of training and / or evaluation of the quality of available MT solutions.
Criteria for evaluation of the tests and final project:
• 99% - 100 - 5!
• 98% - 91% - 5
• 90% - 86% - 4.5
• 85% - 76% - 4
• 75% - 71% - 3.5
• 70% - 60% - 3
• less than 60% - 2 (failing grade).
Each requirement, if assigned, must be fulfilled independently, hence their share in the final mark is not determined.
Bibliography
Readings provided by the teacher on the didactic platform.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: