An integrated curricular design for computer-assisted translation tools: developing technical expertise

ABSTRACT

Increasing project complexity and a high level of specialization in the language industry have resulted in a demand for translation professionals with sophisticated technical skills. This has made computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools indispensable for translators in order to meet project requirements. With a rapidly changing industry environment, the traditional translation curriculum needs to be refined so as to incorporate additional translator competences that bridge the gap between the classroom and emerging industry practices. This article presents an introductory graduate-level course with the following highlights: (a) a curricular design with modules on project setup, terminology management, translation memory systems, post-editing, and software localisation; (b) refined learning outcomes for the CAT classroom in order to accelerate the acquisition of technical skills; (c) implementation of virtual reality simulation (VRS) and task-based learning as teaching methodologies; and (d) a portfolio assessment that enhances critical thinking. The learning outcomes for the course have been assessed in a pilot graduate class that was taught at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Charlotte, USA). The results from direct assessment of the outcomes are discussed in this article, and the overall rationale for the approach adopted for curriculum design is justified.

KEYWORDS:

• Computer-assisted translation
• task-based learning
• virtual reality simulation
• machine translation
• post-editing

Acknowledgments

The author wants to thank the software companies mentioned in this article for their support with software licensing.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. In this article, a module is defined as a grouping of interrelated topics. Therefore, each module represents the organising principle of thematic subsections spread out thorough the semester.