Translation and Interpreting Technologies
Code: 101516 ECTS Credits: 3| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Translation and Interpreting | OB | 3 |
Contact
- Name:
- Adria Martin Mor
- Email:
- adria.martin@uab.cat
Teachers
- Xenia Amoros Soldevila
- María Do Campo Bayón
- Meritxell Dominguez Sala
- Adria Martin Mor
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
The student must master the use of the general technological resources applied to translation and interpreting. Specifically, students must be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of general technological resources for file and data management in translation and interpretation.
- Apply this knowledge to editing texts in various formats and perform linguistic correction at all levels.
- Apply this knowledge to the basic automation of actions and objects in translation and interpretation.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the basic tasks of CAT tools (Computer-Assisted Translation tools).
Objectives and Contextualisation
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the use of specific tools in the field of translation and interpreting. On successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
• Show that they are familiar with the resources specific to the field of translation and interpreting.
• Apply their knowledge to automate translation and interpreting tasks by means of macros, automatic texts and the alignment of texts.
• Apply their knowledge to producing invoices related to translation assignments and interpreting services.
• Apply their knowledge to efficiently use assisted translation programs and translation memories.
Competences
- Learning in a strategic, independent and continuous manner.
- Using technological resources in order to interpret.
- Using technological resources in order to translate.
- Working effectively in teams.
Learning Outcomes
- Applying technological resources of collection, preparation and analysis of information in order to interpret: Applying technological resources of collection, preparation and analysis of information in order to interpret.
- Applying technological resources of collection, preparation and analysis of information in order to translate: Applying technological resources of collection, preparation and analysis of information in order to translate.
- Applying the technological resources to solve interpretation problems: Applying the technological resources to solve interpretation problems.
- Learning in a strategic, independent and continuous manner: Learning in a strategic, independent and continuous manner.
- Students must demonstrate they know the technological resources needed to interpret: Students must demonstrate they know the technological resources needed to interpret.
- Students must demonstrate they know the technological resources needed to translate: Students must demonstrate they know the technological resources needed to translate.
- Working effectively in teams: Managing in a constrictive way group differences, disagreements and conflicts.
Content
• Word count and billing: data setup, production control, budgeting and invoicing.
• The alignment of texts: creation of new resources in the form of corpora, parallel texts, translation memories.
• Assisted Translation: the basic components of a translation project, translation memories, translation functions, interactive tools, etc.
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Characteristics of Automatic Translation and Computer Assisted Translation: architecture, components and applications | 6.75 | 0.27 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 |
| Introduction activity: automation of the translation process | 5 | 0.2 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 |
| Management of folders and files | 5.25 | 0.21 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 |
| Project: Counting words and billing | 5 | 0.2 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 |
| Project: The configuration of translation projects using CAT tools | 5 | 0.2 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Billing exercise | 1.5 | 0.06 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 |
| Exercise in importing and exporting translation memories | 1.5 | 0.06 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 |
| Exercise in macros: management and conversion of file formats | 1.5 | 0.06 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 |
| Exercise in the alignment of texts | 1.5 | 0.06 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 |
| Word counting exercise | 1.5 | 0.06 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Creation of a translation project using CAT tools | 5.25 | 0.21 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 |
| Development of an alignment project using CAT tools | 5.25 | 0.21 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 |
| Management of different components created using CAT (computer assisted translation) programs | 5.25 | 0.21 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 |
| Order / Project: The configuration of translation projects with CAT tools | 5 | 0.2 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 |
| Preparation of translation project | 5.25 | 0.21 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 |
| Self-learning and management of new resources or functions presented ad hoc | 5.25 | 0.21 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 |
In this course, project-based learning is applied. During the course, real-world translation assignments are simulated using authentic texts. These assignments involve:
• Completing and solving specific tasks through various technological solutions;
• Managing and developing components to integrate them into the translation assignment received;
• Transferring and using the resources created to reuse them with other applications.
Therefore, from an instrumental point of view, students learn to apply technology to process and automate the work phases of translation.
The student's dedication is defined by the type of activity that they must perform. Therefore, the dedication of the student to the subject is not limited to attending class sessions or the acquisition of knowledge, but to the hours that must be devoted throughout the course, both within and outside the classroom. Regarding the work dynamics, this course involves individual work, pair-work and work in small groups of students.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-learning exercise in a group related to a translation process tool and classroom presentation | Groups test: 30% | 5.25 | 0.21 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
| Translation project using a CAT system. Includes: (1) text alignment, translation memory management, importing, exporting and extracting terminology; (2) the translation of texts; and (3) preparation of the invoice for the tasks performed | Individual test: 35% | 2 | 0.08 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 |
| Translation project using a CAT system. Includes: (1) text alignment, translation memory management, importing, exporting and extracting terminology; (2) the translation of texts; and (3) preparation of the invoice for the tasks performed | Individual test: 35% | 2 | 0.08 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 |
Continuous assessment
This course employs continuous and fragmented evaluation based on the activities that the student must complete. The activities are graded in the following order:
- Monitoring activities (supervised activity)
- 70% Task automation exercises, localization fundamentals, computer-assisted translation, etc.
- Self-learning activities (guided, supervised, and autonomous activities)
- 30% Collaborative group work on tools related to the digitised translation process.
Students must provide evidence of their progress by completing various tasks and tests. These activities are detailed in the table at the end of this section of the Study Guide.
Review
When publishing final marks prior to recording themon 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. In case of retaking, maximum grade will be 5 (Pass[JM1] ).
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 subject may be assessed under the single assessment system in accordance with the terms established in the academic regulations of the UAB and the assessment criteria of the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting.
Students must make an online request within the period established by the faculty and send a copy to the lecturer responsible for the subject, for the record.
Single assessment will be carried out in person on one day during week 16 or 17 of the semester. The Academic Management Office will publish the exact date and time on the faculty website.
On the day of the single assessment, teaching staff will ask the student for identification, which should be presented as a valid identification document with a recent photograph (student card, DNI/NIE or passport).
Single assessment activities
Single assessment will include a minimum of three assessment activities of different types, as stated in the assessment guidelines.
Grade revision and retake procedures for the subject are the same as those for continual assessment. See the section above in this Study Guide.
Bibliography
- Baker, Mona; Piróth, Attila (2020). Volunteerism in translation: Translators Without Borders and the platform economy. Dins: Esperança Bielsa i Dionysios Kapsaskis (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of translation and globalization. Routledge.
- Baker, Mona; Saldanha, Gabriela (eds.) (2009). Routledge encyclopedia of translation studies. Londres/Nova York: Routledge.
- Baumgarten, Stefan; Tieber, Michael (ed.). (2025). The Routledge Handbook of Translation Technology and Society. Routledge.
- Diaz Fouces, Oscar; García González, Marta (eds.) (2008). Traducir (con) software libre. Granada: Comares.
- Esselink, Bert (2000). A practical guide to localization. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
- Forcada, Mikel L., Sánchez-Martínez, Felipe, i Pérez-Ortiz, Juan Antonio (2016). Manual d’informàtica i de tecnologies per a la traducció. Universitat d’Alacant. https://rua.ua.es/dspace/handle/10045/53085?locale=ca.
- Garcés, Marina (2017, juliol 27). Preparem-nos per a una revolució. Ara.cat. https://www.ara.cat/suplements/diumenge/Preparem-nos-revolucio_0_1841815805.html.
- Guerberof Arenas, Ana (2020). Pre-editing and post-editing. Dins: E. Angelone, M. Ehrensberger-Dow, & G. Massey (Ed.), The Bloomsbury companion to language industry studies. Bloomsbury Academic.
- Hinojo, Àlex (2020). Somien els viquipedistes en enciclopèdies elèctriques? Present i futur de la Viquipèdia i el rol de la comunitat catalanoparlant. Revista de Llengua i Dret, 73. https://doi.org/10.2436/rld.i73.2020.3424.
- Jiménez-Crespo, Miguel Ángel (2013). Translation and web localization. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
- Kenny, Dorothy (2022). Machine translation for everyone: Empowering users in the age of artificial intelligence. (Translation and Multilingual Natural Language Processing 18). Berlin: Language Science Press. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6653406
- Martín-Mor, Adrià; Piqué, Ramon; Sánchez-Gijón, Pilar (2016). Tradumàtica, tecnologies de la traducció. Vic: Eumo Editorial.
- Matamala, Anna (2019). Accessibilitat i traducció audiovisual. Vic: Eumo Editorial.
- Moniz, Helena; Parra Escartín, Carla (2023) Towards Responsible Machine Translation - Ethical and Legal Considerations in Machine Translation. ISBN 978-3-031-14688-6
- O’Hagan, Minako (2009). "Computer-aided translation (CAT)". Dins: Mona Baker i Gabriela Saldanha (eds.), Routledge encyclopedia of translation studies (p. 48-51). Londres: Routledge.
- Oliver, Antoni (2016). Herramientas tecnológicas para traductores. Barcelona: UOC.
- Oliver, Antoni; Moré, Quim (2007). Les tecnologies de la traducció. Barcelona: UOC.
- Olohan, Maeve (2017). Technology, translation and society: A constructivist, critical theory approach. Target, 29(2), 264-283. https://doi.org/10.1075/target.29.2.04olo
- Ping, Ke. (2009). "Machine translation". Dins: Mona Baker i Gabriela Saldanha (eds.), Routledge encyclopedia of translation studies (p. 162-168). Londres: Routledge.
- Riera Irigoyen, Marc; Ivars Ribes, Xavier; Orga Esteve, Pere; Montané Camacho, Joan: Mas Hernández, Jordi; i Vicedo Cremades, Artur V. (2020). Softcatalà: Nous reptes per garantir la vitalitat del català a les tecnologies. Revista de Llengua i Dret, 73. https://doi.org/10.2436/rld.i73.2020.3396.
- Sin-wai, Chan (ed.) (2015). Routledge encyclopedia of translation technology. Londres/Nova York: Routledge.
- Softcatalà (2025). Les aventures de Softcatalà. Edicions del 1979. ISBN 978-84-1281-8-1-9-2.
- Somers, Harold (2003). Computers and translation: a translator's guide. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
- Tijani, Miriam; López, Manuel (2022). Màquina total. directa.cat. https://directa.cat/maquina-total/
- Revista Tradumàtica: http://revistes.uab.cat/tradumatica
Software
CAT tools (OmegaT, Matecat, memoQ or others).
Text processors and office suites (LibreOffice Writer, Microsoft Office Word).
Internet browsers (Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, etc.).
Text editors (Notepad++).
Other specific tools will be presented in the classroom.
Groups and Languages
Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 1 | Spanish | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 2 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 3 | Spanish | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 4 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 5 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |