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Translation Automation

Code: 43775 ECTS Credits: 6
2024/2025
Degree Type Year
4315970 Automatic Translation: Technologies of Translation OB 0

Contact

Name:
Maria Pilar Cid Leal
Email:
pilar.cid@uab.cat

Teachers

Manuel Mata Pastor
Marta Junca Muņoz
Maria Pilar Sanchez Gijon
Sergio Alvarez Vidal

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

None


Objectives and Contextualisation

The main objective of the module is to acquire the fundamental knowledge and skills in using general and specific technological resources in the digitalised translation process.

The specific objectives are to:

  • Identify the phases and tasks in digitizing the translation process.
  • Describe the tools and resources that can be used in tasks related to digitalizing the translation process.
  • Acquire basic skills in using translation management and editing systems.
  • Acquire basic skills in using terminology databases.
  • Acquire knowledge and practical experience in using SDL Trados Studio's as a translation management and editing system.
  • Acquire knowledge and practical experience in translating digitised products.

Competences

  • Continue the learning process, to a large extent autonomously.
  • Design and conduct research projects on translation technologies, using suitable research methods and suggesting ways to improve.
  • Integrate knowledge and use it to make judgements in complex situations, with incomplete information, while keeping in mind social and ethical responsibilities.
  • Know and use specialist resources to gather information on topics within the field of translation technology.
  • Know the professional translation and post-editing market: its profiles, requirements and socio-economic role.
  • Make efficient use of assisted translation and correction software.
  • Manage one's own knowledge consistently and systematically, in coordination with other persons and independently, with the emphasis on quality.
  • Revise and correct a translation in accordance with the industry's quality standards.
  • Solve problems in new or little-known situations within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to the field of study.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Apply strategies towards efficient terminological documentation and research.
  2. Assess the reliability of sources of documentation.
  3. Continue the learning process, to a large extent autonomously.
  4. Create and manage server-based linguistic resources.
  5. Create and manage terminological databases.
  6. Create and manage translation memories.
  7. Define the fundamental principles of translation technologies.
  8. Integrate knowledge and use it to make judgements in complex situations, with incomplete information, while keeping in mind social and ethical responsibilities.
  9. Know different methods and resources for research into one of the areas of translation studies in the field of translation technologies.
  10. Make efficient use of search tools and engines.
  11. Manage one's own knowledge consistently and systematically, in coordination with other persons and independently, with the emphasis on quality.
  12. Provide a translation that meets the requirements of the client and the translation situation.
  13. Revise and correct one's own translations and those of others in the context of professional workflows.
  14. Solve problems in new or little-known situations within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to the field of study.

Content

  • Principles of the digitalized translation process. 
  • Introduction to translation management and editing systems.
  • Introduction translating digital products. 
  • Introduction to the SDL Trados Studio system. 
  • Terminology databases. 

Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Training activities carried out in the classroom 37 1.48 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
Type: Supervised      
Training activities supervised by the teaching staff 19 0.76 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
Type: Autonomous      
Training activities carried out by the student on a self-study basis outside the classroom. 94 3.76 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

  • Theoretical lectures.
  • Seminars.
  • Task-based classes for solving problems / cases / exercises.
  • Practical exercises in the classroom.
  • Reading: books / articles / reports.
  • Self-study.
  • Writing reports / coursework.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Classroom practices 10% 0 0 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
Control of practical knowledge 60% 0 0 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
Submission of reports and assignments 30% 0 0 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

  • Fundamentals of technologies: 10%
  • Translation on digital products: 40%
  • SDL Trados: 40%
  • Terminological databases: 10%

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT

Students must provide evidence of their progress by completing some tasks. Tasks deadlines will be indicated in the course schedule on the first day of class. The lecturer(s) teaching this course will provide a detailed description and breakdown at beginning of the course.

Review 

When publishing final marks prior to recording them on students' transcripts, the lecturer will provide written notification of a date and time for reviewing assessment activities. Students must arrange reviews in agreement with the lecturer. 

Missed/failed assessment activities 

Students may retake assessment activities they have failed or compensate for any they have missed, provided that those they have actually performed account for a minimum of 66.6% (two thirds) of the subject's final mark and that they have a weighted average mark of at least 3.5.  

The lecturer will inform students of the procedure involved, in writing, when publishing final marks prior to recording them on transcripts. The lecturer may set one assignment per failed or missed assessment activity or a single assignment to cover a number of such activities. Under no circumstances may an assessment activity worth 100% of the final mark be retaken or compensated for.  

Classification as "not assessable" 

In the event of the assessment activities a student has performed accounting for just 25% or less of the subject's final mark, their work will be classified as "not assessable" on their transcript. 

Misconduct in assessment activities 

Students who engage in misconduct (plagiarism, copying, personation, etc.) in an assessment activity will receive a mark of “0” for the activity in question. In the case of misconduct in more than one assessment activity, the student involved will be given a final mark of “0” for the subject. Assessment activities in which irregularities have occurred (e.g. plagiarism, copying, impersonation) are excluded from recovery. 

SINGLE ASSESSMENT

This module is not suitable for single assessment.


Bibliography

Each subject of the module will complete the following list with specific bibliography.

 

Diaz Fouces, O., García González, M. (eds.) (2008). Traducir (con) software libre. Granada: Comares.

Esselink, B. (2000). A practical guide to localization. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins.

Jiménez-Crespo, M. A. (2013). Translation and Web Localization. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.

Kenny, D. (2009). Corpora. Dins: Mona Baker i Gabriela Saldanha (eds.), Routledge encyclopedia of translation studies (p. 59-62). Londres: Routledge.

Martín-Mor, A.; Piqué, R.; Sánchez-Gijón, P. (2016). Tradumàtica: Tecnologies de la traducció. Vic: Eumo Editorial.

O’Hagan, M. (2009). "Computer-aided translation (CAT)". Dins: Mona Baker i Gabriela Saldanha (eds.), Routledge encyclopedia of translation studies (p. 48-51). Londres: Routledge.

Oliver, A. (2016). Herramientas tecnológicas para traductores. Barcelona: UOC.

Oliver, A.; Moré, Q. (2007). Les tecnologies de la traducció. Barcelona: UOC.

Ping, K. (2009). "Machine translation". Dins: Mona Baker i Gabriela Saldanha (eds.), Routledge encyclopedia of translation studies (p. 162-168). Londres: Routledge.

Somers, H. (ed.) (2003). Computers and translation: A translator’s guide. Amsterdam-Philadelphia: John Benjamins.


Software

-Text editors.

-Assisted-translation tools.

-Terminological databases.

-Free software and commercial software.


Language list

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(TEm) Theory (master) 1 Catalan first semester afternoon