Module overview
This module aims to give students a comprehensive introduction to two of the most commonly used computer assisted translation tools, Trados and MemoQ. The module will blend hands-on experience with an understanding of how the tools work, thus future proofing students for developments in the field of computer assisted translation.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- evidence advanced theoretical knowledge and professional skills over an extended piece of work
- analyse and reflect on your own professional practice through the critical evaluation of the effectiveness of relevant CAT tools and your use of them
- undertake a substantial translation project and produce work of publishable standard with the aid of CAT tools
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Monitor and evaluate professional activity, including self-reflection
- Work at a professional level across at least two languages
- Manage deadlines and make effective use of your time
- Use specialist IT skills confidently and appropriately in relevant professional contexts
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- Industry requirements in terms of use of technology to produce work of a professional standard.
- Effective use of technology in translation and multilingual settings
- how translation theory is applied in a professional setting, dealing with the complexities of working and thinking globally and across cultures.
Syllabus
Week 1: 2 full day workshops, one for each package. The workshops will give you a conceptual understanding of how the packages work, an introduction to the main features of the packages and hands-on practice using them.
Week 2: 3 hour practical, group-based session in which you will use the software packages to translate a text.
Weeks 3-12: 1hr practical sessions working in groups and individually using the CAT tools to translate a variety of texts and to discuss issues which arise from this activity.
Week 6: 2hr post-editing workshop
Students will also be expected to make use of the online tutorials provided by the software manufacturers.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
As described, above, the module will be a blend of longer workshops, including theoretical and practical elements and weekly practical sessions, in which the focus will be using the CAT tools to translate texts, as well as evaluating the results and individual practice. You will need to practice using the CAT tools extensively outside the sessions in order to give maximum opportunity for discussion and feedback in the practical sessions.
Type | Hours |
---|---|
Independent Study | 123 |
Workshops | 14 |
Practical | 13 |
Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
General Resources
Software package, plus user manual and online tutorial. - Trados software package, plus user manual and online tutorial - MemoQ software package, plus user manual and online support material
Internet Resources
Textbooks
Bowker, L. (2002; 2012 edition). Computer-Aided Translation Technology: a Practical Introduction.. University of Ottawa Press.
Quah, C.K. (2006). Translation and Technology. Palgrave Macmillan.
Austermuhl, F. (2001). Electronic tools for translators. Manchester: St Jerome.
Sharon O'Brien (Author, Editor), Laura Winther Balling (Editor), Michael Carl (Editor), Michel Simard (Editor), Lucia Specia (Editor) (2014). Post-Editing of Machine Translation: Processes and Applications. Newcastle, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Assessment
Formative
This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.
Translation exercise
- Assessment Type: Formative
- Feedback: Group and individual, principally oral but also some written
- Final Assessment: No
- Group Work: No
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Reflective report | 60% |
Translation exercise | 40% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Translation exercise | 40% |
Reflective report | 60% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Translation exercise | 40% |
Reflective report | 60% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal