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Integrating translation technology at undergraduate level. Belinda Maia University of Porto. Institutional factors Attitudes to Translation Technology. Ignorance Fear Scepticism Conversion Over-enthusiasm Informed understanding Balanced view. Ignorance & Fear.
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Integrating translation technology at undergraduate level Belinda Maia University of Porto
Institutional factorsAttitudes to Translation Technology • Ignorance • Fear • Scepticism • Conversion • Over-enthusiasm • Informed understanding • Balanced view
Ignorance & Fear • Most institutions that educate translators are humanities based • General ignorance of state-of-the-art of TT • Specific ignorance of Translation software • Fear of TT due to: • Will it substitute human beings? • Practical difficulties in coping with it • Simple intellectual snobbery
Scepticism - attitudes • OK – it exists, but: • Universities should supply culture and literature, not technological training • Translators need to TRANSLATE • Most students can use computers • Anyone can learn how to use a programme after a short course • These programmes are commercial – the ‘market’ should teach them
Conversion & Over-enthusiasm • Wow! This Technology thing is great! • If we invest in everything we shall: • Look good • Get students • Keep our jobs • (And our students will get jobs) • Let’s use those grants to get technology • Spend, spend, spend!
Informed understanding • All universities must have computers and Internet • Students must be trained to use Information Technology (IT) • Translation software: • Doesn’t teach translation or substitute the teacher • Needs specific training of teachers and students • Is expensive and needs constant upgrading • Needs annual modernisation of course work
Balanced view - Essential needs • General computer skills • Education in the Internet as source of information • Explicit contrast between current Translation Theory and Translation Technology in professional translation • Understanding that Technology forces texts and translations to be different • Understanding of different types of translation – and translators
Balanced view • Understanding of Advantages of translation software • Understanding of Disadvantages of translation software • Integration of software use into translation teaching • Variety of specializations for translators
Ideal scenario Obligatory factors • Computers and Internet routine in translation classrooms • Training in information retrieval • Wide variety of general software • Training in general software • All major translation software • Training in translation software
Ideal scenarioSpecializations • Machine Translation • Localization • Sub-titling • Dubbing • Project Management • Natural Language Processing tools
Integration of technology with teaching • Word-processing of translation in and out of class • Information technology, general language corpora, etc – all translation types • Translation software for technical and scientific translation – using all formats • Training for roles as project manager, translators, terminologists, revisers…. • Project management – real group projects
Integration of theory and practice • Terminology using and creating • Corpora • Terminology databases • Contrastive Linguistics using: • Parallel and comparable corpora • Machine translation • Multimedia translation using: • Subtitling / dubbing software • Web pages • Etc
Cost factors • How much can your institution afford? • Necessary hardware? • General software? • Full versions of translation software? • Special university / training licences? • Demo / evaluation versions? • Do-it-yourself technology?
Staffing factors • Can your institution afford to employ computer experts / computational linguists? • Do you want them?! • How do you and your colleagues react to integrating technology with your teaching?
Group work • Prepare short analyses of the use of general IT and /or translation IT in: • Your teaching institution • Teaching institutions in your country • Professional translation in your country • Describe attitudes of teachers and students