Iwona Sikora

Technical University of Czstochowa

University of Applied Sciences in Nysa

ADAPTING TRANSLATORS EDUCATION TO PROFESSIONAL

REALITY: A PROPOSAL FOR A TRANSLATION TECHNOLOGY
COURSE FOR STUDENTS OF BUSINESS LANGUAGE

Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Let me do and I understand.

Confucius

Abstract
Business English students during their studies acquire a range of skills in three areas linguistic competence in the
English language, business-oriented knowledge and translation skills which prepare them to work, among others,
as translators of specialized texts. To become competitive and successful translators well prepared to the translation
industry market requirements the students need to master a set of competences, among which the technical and
information mining competences are equally important as the linguistic or translation skills. The range of skills a
professional translator should posses is specified, among others, by two standards which can be treated as
guidelines for translators training and translation services quality, namely the European Masters in Translation
and EN-15038:2006. As demonstrated, the programs of Business English Studies at PWSZ Nysa and Technical
University of Czestochowa cover the topic of computer technologies training to some, however not sufficient, extent.
In the following paper the rationale for teaching computer technologies to the students of English Studies,
specialization in Business English, is provided and a proposal for a tentative translation technology course is
submitted.

Key terms: CAT tools, translation technologies, translator education, translator competences, European Masters in
Translation, European norm EN 15038, Business English, translation market requirements, translation technologies
course

1. Introduction
The developments of the past twenty years in computer as well as information and
communication technologies have exerted an enormous impact on the way we work. This is
especially evident in the translation and language services sector, and the immense and
transforming impact of computer technologies cannot be denied or further ignored. Computers
have become an indispensable tool in many professions, and their usefulness in translators work
is beyond any discussion. Translators use various computer tools as well as information and
communications technologies (ICT) for a wide range of tasks ranging from contacting their

1
clients, information and terminology search, through invoicing, document translation, editing and
preparation and finishing with localization of websites and software. The tools which are used by
translators may be simple general-use computer applications or very sophisticated translation-
dedicated software such as translation memory, terminology management or subtitling tools.
Regardless of the level of technological sophistication, computer tools facilitate translators work
in many aspects and render it more efficient. Since translators work almost exclusively in a
computerized environment, it is obvious that the role of computers and ITC cannot be
undermined or, even worse, ignored. The importance of computer technologies, or rather the
ability to use them efficiently, is also reflected and confirmed in the market requirements set for
professionals wishing to work in the translation sector. As many researchers concerned with the
issue of translators training report, the profile of a translator has changed and currently
possessing only purely linguistic competence is simply not enough.1 It is widely admitted that
this competence should cover also technical skills, skills in multilingual documentation,
localization or multimedia translation.2 There are many voices calling for reforming the present
approach to translators training and adapting the course to real market requirements 3. A new
approach to teaching translation and computer technologies in education institutions is necessary
to equip future translators with practical knowledge and hands-on skills which will enable them
to become successful and efficient participants of the labor market and which may enhance their

1
Cf. A. Pym: Translator training. Pre-print text written for the Oxford Companion to Translation Studies.
2009, p. 6. http://usuaris.tinet.cat/apym/on-line/training/2009_translator_training.pdf [accessed on 3.06.2013]; G.
Palumbo: Puzzling it out Creating web-based teaching materials to support translation classes. [In:] A. Baldry,
M. Pavesi, C.T. Torsello, C. Taylor: From Didactics to Ecolingua: an Ongoing Research Project on Translation
and Corpus Linguistics: [8]. EUT - Edizioni Universit di Trieste 2008, p.230 (pp. 229-238)
http://hdl.handle.net/10077/2862 [accessed on 14.07.2013]; M. Kornacki: Teaching computer translation skills
to English philology students at the University of d. [In:] . Bugucki (ed.): Teaching Translation and
Interpreting: Challenges and Practices. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholar Publishing 2010, p. 15.
2
Cf. M. Ulrych: Training translators: programmes, curricula, practices. [In:] M. Tenneth (ed.): Training for
the New Millennium: Pedagogies for Translation and Interpreting. New York: John Benjamins Publishing Co.
2005, p. 5; A. Alcina: Translation Technologies: Scope, tools and Resources [In:] Target: International Journal on
Translation Studies, p.79. http://repositori.uji.es/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10234/18016/28696.pdf [accessed on
3.06.2013]; G. Palumbo: Puzzling it out - Creating web-based teaching materials to support translation classes.
[In:] A. Baldry, M. Pavesi, C.T. Torsello, C. Taylor: From Didactics to Ecolingua: an Ongoing Research Project
on Translation and Corpus Linguistics: [8]. EUT - Edizioni Universit di Trieste 2008, p.230 (229-238).
http://hdl.handle.net/10077/2862 [accessed on 14.07.2013].
3
Cf. M. Ulrych: Training translators: programmes, curricula, practices. [In:] M. Tenneth (ed.): Training for
the New Millennium: Pedagogies for Translation and Interpreting. New York: John Benjamins Publishing Co.
2005, p.3, Training in Translation and Interpreting [In:] TNP Languages Dissemination Project Annexes to
the Final Report, p. 132; A. Alcina: Translation Technologies: Scope, tools and Resources [In:] Target:
International Journal on Translation Studies. p. 79.
http://repositori.ui.es/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10234/18016/28696.pdf [accessed on 14.07.2013].

2
employability. Actually, the question concerns not the issue whether or not to teach computer
technologies to future translators but the issue how to teach them.
In this article I would like to discuss the reasons which speak in favor of computer
training and present a tentative proposal of a syllabus for a course in translation technologies for
students of Business English, a specialization offered at the School of Higher Vocational
Education in Nysa in the Institute of Modern Languages and also Technical University of
Czstochowa.

2. Teaching computer translation technologies to Business English students

However, is teaching computer translation technologies to students of business English really
necessary? First of all, as the graduate profile 4 specifies, students of business English are
prepared to work as translators in business entities, governmental bodies, public administration
institutions or translation agencies. During their studies they develop linguistic skills, which
allow them to achieve a near-native competence, and acquire knowledge and expertise in
business-related fields.5 Yet, if they are to become successful translators and find employment in
a highly competitive market, apart from linguistic and economic knowledge, they should also
possess practical translation skills which would enable them to meet the requirements of their
future employers and work up to the standards of the translation profession. The students of
business English have an opportunity to combine these three fields of knowledge (i.e. linguistic
skills, knowledge in business-oriented topics and translation), since the curricula of business
English specialization at PWSZ in Nysa and Technical University of Czestochowa 6, offer also a
course in theory of translation and specialized languages and two courses in practical translation
and interpretation, respectively. These three courses were introduced into the studies curriculum 7
in the academic year of 2011/2012 in order to respond to the changing market requirements and

4
Cf. Technical University of Czstochowa, Management Faculty, English Philology, specialization Business
English http://www.zim.pcz.czest.pl/menu-212,filologia-jezyk-biznesu; PWSZ Nysa, Institute of Neophilology,
specialization Business English
http://www.pwsz.nysa.pl/dwm/pliki/katalog/katalog_17_m_1_calosc_2012_13.pdf [accessed on 15.07.2013].
5
See: M. Walczyski: Knowledge Management as a Challenge of the 21st Century: Teaching Knowledge
Management within B.A. Studies in Business English. [In:] J. Maliszewski (ed.): Knowledge Management in ESP
Training. Czstochowa: Wydawnictwo Politechniki Czstochowskiej 2013 [in print].
6
PWSZ Nysa - the program contains a lecture in translation theory and specialized languages (30h) and
practical classes in translation (60h) and interpretation (30 h), Technical University of Czstochowa the
program contains a lecture in translation theory and specialized languages (30h) and classes in practical
translation (60h), no classes in interpretation are offered so far.
7
Cf. http://www.pwsz.nysa.pl/dwm/pliki/katalog/siatki_17_2012.pdf [accessed on 14.07.2013].

3
equip future graduates not only with theoretical knowledge but also with hands-on linguistic and
translation skills. The programs of the translation-oriented courses cover, among other topics,
also issues devoted to computer tools and their usage in the translation process. However, due to
time limits, the courses only introduce these topics and provide students with some hints on the
usefulness of computer tools in translators work. Yet, since the majority of the courses is
dedicated to discussing theoretical issues of translation or practicing translation and interpretation
skills on various text types and in various professional contexts, there is not much time left for
teaching practical usage of computer technologies. It has to be added, though, that information
technology is a subject taught within general education courses8, and constitutes an obligatory
course for students of all majors and specializations in accordance with the education standards
specified by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. 9 However, the scope in which this
subject is taught and the range of topics it covers is not sufficient to care for the needs of future
translators. This is not to undermine the significance of this course or the range and content of the
topics taught, since during the course students master the two basic and essential MS Office
applications, namely MS Word and MS Excel, which are indispensable in any office work.
However, taking into account the total number of hours offered to the students of the BE program
devoted to teaching computer technologies (as specified in the table below), it can be without any
doubt stated that this important subject is not covered to a sufficient extent.

Table 1. Number of hours devoted to teaching computer technologies to students of Business English at PWSZ
Nysa and Technical University of Czstochowa
SEMESTER NAME OF MAIN TOPICS NUMBER OF HOURS DEVOTED TO
THE COVERED COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES
COURSE PWSZ NYSA TECHNICAL
UNIVERSITY IN
CZSTOCHOWA
1 Information MS Office applications: 30 h 30 h lecture
technology MS Word and MS Excel, (15 h lectures, (no practical classes!)
PowerPoint: 15 h practical
text editing classes)
working with
spreadsheets
using presentation
programs
5 Theory of General introduction to 2 2
translation computer-assisted-
8
Cf. http://www.pwsz.nysa.pl/dwm/pliki/katalog/siatki_17_2012.pdf [accessed on 4.07.2013].
9
Cf. Standardy ksztacenia dla kierunku studiw: Filologia. Appendix no. 29.
http://www.bip.nauka.gov.pl/_gAllery/23/46/2346/29_filologia.pdf [accessed on 4 .07.2013].

4
 and translation tools
specialized
languages
5,6 Practical Application of a computer, 2 2
translation text editors, the Internet
and other tools facilitating
the translation process
6 Practical Computer tools used in 2 0
interpretation interpreting
TOTAL NUMBER OF HOURS 36 34
NUMBER OF PRACTICAL EXERCISES DEVOTED 15 0
TO TRAINING IN COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES

As can be seen, the students have a chance to practice text editing, learn how to use spreadsheets
and create formulas or perform calculations, are introduced to various useful search techniques
with the use of Internet browsers, or have a chance to learn about the existence of translation-
dedicated computer tools, yet they do not have a chance to learn how to use these tools in
practice. Taking into account the ubiquity of computers and the vast application of information
and communication technologies in any type of professional activity, this somewhat narrow scope
of topics and practical exercises offered to future translators, which partially results from the
small number of hours designed for this subject, is simply inadequate. Also, as a lecturer and
bachelor papers supervisor and reviewer I have a chance to observe the level of computer skills
demonstrated by the students in various types of written assignments and finally in their bachelor
papers. The observations are, unfortunately, not very optimistic and clearly indicate that the
students lack practical skills in using even the basic text editing applications, since their papers
are often delivered with editing errors (e.g. paragraph formatting, line and paragraph spacing,
setting tabs, creating and editing tables, removing double spaces) or with spelling mistakes
(which clearly shows that the students did not know how to set the appropriate language or did
not use the spellchecker application at all). These observations lead to a conclusion that the
amount of practice the students obtain (in PWSZ Nysa 15 hours of practical classes in the
whole curriculum, in TUofCz none!) is simply not enough and they need more practice if they
are to develop their basic computer skills at a satisfactory level. Moreover, as commonly known,
text editing and document preparation constitute just a small fraction of computer skills a
professional translator should possess. Other translation-oriented and business management-
oriented activities include: terminology and information search, using translation software,
terminology management, using word-counting applications, invoicing, emailing clients, creating

5
and maintaining a directory of performed translations, converting documents to text editors
editable format, using OCR application, creating and sharing termbases or translation memories,
etc. All these activities are part of translators work, and should be covered, at least to some
extent, in the curriculum of a program educating future translators. It clearly follows from the
above that there is a need for extensive and comprehensive education in this scope.

3. Methodological considerations standards for translators education and translation

services provision
There exist two documents which can serve as guidelines or sources of reference in defining
educational standards for higher institution courses for translators. The first one is the European
Masters in Translation10 (EMT) project which was first commenced in 2006 and which is a
partnership project between the Directorate-General for Translation (European Commission) and
higher education institutions throughout Europe. The second is the European norm EN-1503811
published in 2006 by the European Committee for Standardization.

3.1. European Masters in Translation project goals and translators competences

The main goal of the EMT project is to improve the quality of translator training and
consequently to provide the market with highly skilled professional translators who would keep
up with the requirements of the knowledge society 12, and whose skills and competences would
be in line with the institutional requirements for translation profession in the European Union
public institutions. As the EMT informational leaflet specifies:

There is a growing demand for highly qualified translators able to handle multilingual communication in both the
public and private sector. Moreover, the evolution of translation markets has led to professional translators having to
cope with activities not traditionally regarded as pure translation, such as localisation, editing, subtitling, project
management, etc. Professionally oriented translator training is needed to ensure a good match between graduate
competences and employer requirements.13

10
See: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/translation/programmes/emt/index_en.htm [accessed on 14.06.2013].
11
See: http://qualitystandard.bs.en-15038.com/ [accessed on 14.07.2013].
12
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/translation/programmes/emt/key_documents/emt_strategy2012_en.pdf [accessed on
14.06.2013].
13
http://gsite.univ-provence.fr/gsite/Local/lea/dir/user-1369/Master_MdT/docs/emt_factsheet_en.pdf
[accessed on 14.06.2013].

6
The project, by delineating the set of basic skills and competences which should be covered by
M.A. university programs for translators, establishes a quality label, a common framework of
reference, for translator training institutions which should design programs that meet agreed
professional standards and market demands14. Universities which comply with the specified
quality standards can be admitted to the EMT network and obtain the EMT approval. Originally,
the EMT network included 34 programs from 16 countries and in 2011 20 new programs were
admitted. By optimizing education programs in the EU and improving the quality of translator
education the EMT group aims also at enhancing the status of the translation profession and
industry in the EU.
The most important point of reference for translators training programs is the translator
competence profile which the EMT project defines and which should serve as a model in
designing M.A. programs. As mentioned above the project states that contemporary translation
market requires translators to possess not only translation-related skills but also competences
requisite for the widely understood translation service provision (e.g. reviewing, correcting,
project management, marketing, customer relations, time and budget management and invoicing,
etc.) as well as expertise in new technologies, translation forms and specialist fields (e.g.
localization, subtitling, web-editing, AVT, etc.) 15 Therefore, the EMT describes in detail the range
of competences the graduates of programs admitted to EMT network should acquire, which are
presented in the figure below:

Fig.1 Translation competence profile proposed by the EMT.16

14
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/translation/programmes/emt/index_en.htm [accessed on 15.06.2013].
15
Cf. http://www.euractiv.com/culture/eu-launches-master-translation-n-news-223191 [accessed on
15.06.2013].
16
Y. Gambier: Competences for professional translators, experts in multilingual and multimedia
communication. EMT 2009, p. 4.
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/translation/programmes/emt/key_documents/emt_competences_translators_en.pdf
[accessed on 16.06.2013].

7
As demonstrated in the EMT competence wheel a student in an EMT program acquires the
following six competences:
1. translation service provision competence including customer relationship management
and business-oriented skills,
2. language competence proficiency in S and T languages, text summary skills,
3. intercultural competences the ability to understand information containing cultural
allusions,
4. information mining competence the ability to search for information, by looking
critically at various information sources,
5. technological competence the ability to use a range of computer tools for various
purposes,
6. thematic competence - knowledge in specialist fields.
Mastering all these competences allows the graduates of the EMT program to provide high
quality services in all types of multimedia and multilingual communication, however it is noted
that the defined set of skills is the minimum requirement professional translators should possess
and which can be further extended by other specific competences (e.g. in localization or AVT).17
It has to be underlined that apart from the skills traditionally related to translation
profession, namely the linguistic and translation competence, data-mining and technological
competences are also included and considered to be significant components which lead to the
mastery of transversal supercompetence which can be termed competence in translation.18
The above clearly demonstrates that these two competences should form integral part of
translators training and cannot be omitted in course curricula by higher education institutions
which want to educate translators well prepared to meet market requirements and therefore
having higher chances to find employment.
Although the EMT project was created to provide educational standards for M.A.
programs, it can also serve as guidance for B.A. studies, as the set of competences it describes
should be developed gradually from the beginning of education of future translators. Moreover,

17
Y. Gambier: Competences for professional translators, experts in multilingual and multimedia
communication. EMT 2009, p. 3.
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/translation/programmes/emt/key_documents/emt_competences_translators_en.pdf
[accessed on 17.06.2013].
18
European Masters in Translation (EMT), Frequently Asked Questions 2009, p. 3.
http://www.nbu.bg/PUBLIC/IMAGES/File/departamenti/4ujdi%20ezitsi%20i
%20literaturi/Izsledvaniya/Evropeiska_MPpoprevod_RBardarska_310510.pdf [accessed on 17.06.2013].

8
the data-mining competence as well as the technological competence (to a certain extent,
excluding the ability to use specific CAT tools) are the kind of skills which have become
indispensible to function successfully in the information era and knowledge society.

3.2. EN-15038 goals and translators competences

The other significant document worth considering when designing studies for translators is the
European Norm EN-15038 approved by the European Committee for Standardization and
published officially in May 2006. This document defines the quality standard for translation
services and its goals are:
- to standardize the translation service provision by establishing the obligatory phases of
the translation process as well as other related activities,
- to define a set of procedures and requirements translation service providers should
comply with in order to meet market requirements.
- to define the formal education requirements for translators and other participants of the
translation process
- to specify the range of professional competences of translation service providers.19
First of all, the most important issue addressed by the standard is defining the stages of
the translation process which are necessary to ensure the delivery of a high quality end-product.
Thus, the standard specifies that the translation process in general consists of three phases: pre-
translation, translation and post-translation as well as value-added services (e.g. pre- and post-
editing, localization, back-translation, language or culture consultancy, to name a few) 20. As far as
the translation proper is concerned the standard indicates that it should contain three obligatory
stages: translation, checking (self-checking performed by the translator) and revision (by another
translator who has competence in both SL and TL and domain specific translation experience)
which may be further optionally complemented by: review (performed by a TL specialist in a
relevant domain who conducts a monolingual check of the TT and does not have to know the
SL), proofreading (checking to obtain a publishable version of TT), final verification (also
obligatory, whose aim is to ensure that the final product is in line with the service
specifications).21 What is worth emphasizing is the fact that the standard concentrates on the
translation process and not the translation product. It provides measures of verification of the
19
See: European Committee for Standardization: EN 15038:2006 Translation servicesService requirements
Brussels 2006, p.7.
20
Ibidem, pp.11, 17.
21
Ibidem, pp. 11-12.

9
translation service, but does not provide any assessment tools to check the quality of the
translated text. However, by describing the necessary steps of the translation process it helps
clients to identify translation agencies/companies which follow the required procedures and
consequently can be expected to provide translation services of good quality.
Another important issue addressed by the standard is defining the educational and
experience requirements for translators (which are: a recognized degree in translation or an
equivalent degree in another domain backed up by 2-year experience in translation or 5-year
documented experience in translation) and other translation service providers (especially revisers,
but also reviewers, proofreaders, project managers, terminology managers, etc). 22 Delineating the
educational and experience requirements for professional translators is aimed at raising the
quality of translation service and improving the status of translation industry. Moreover, the
standard defines also the range of professional competences which translators should possess and
which, consequently, should be acquired in the course of formal education as mentioned above.
This set of competences is in general analogous to the skills delineated by the EMT project and it
consists of:

Translating competence: Translating competence comprises the ability to translate texts to the required
level (). It includes the ability to assess the problems of text comprehension and text production as well as
the ability to render the target text in accordance with the client-TSP agreement () and to justify the
results.
Linguistic and textual competence in the source language and the target language: Linguistic and
textual competence includes the ability to understand the source language and mastery of the target
language. Textual competence requires knowledge of text type conventions for as wide a range of standard-
language and specialised texts as possible, and includes the ability to apply this knowledge when producing
texts.
Research competence, information acquisition and processing: Research competence includes the ability
to efficiently acquire the additional linguistic and specialised knowledge necessary to understand the source
text and to produce the target text. Research competence also requires experience in the use of research
tools and the ability to develop suitable strategies for the efficient use of the information sources available.
Cultural competence: Cultural competence includes the ability to make use of information on the locale,
behavioural standards and value systems that characterise the source and target cultures.
Technical competence: Technical competence comprises the abilities and skills required for the
professional preparation and production of translations. This includes the ability to operate technical
resources ().23
22
Ibidem, p. 7.
23
Ibidem, p. 7. [Italics by I.S.]

10
As can be seen, the European norm also underlines the significance of the technical competence
and research competence (or as referred to in the EMT project data-mining competence)
considering both of them to be indispensable components leading to the mastery of the overall
translation supercompetence. Moreover, it stresses also that these competences should be
further expanded in continuous professional development.24

3.3. Implications for translators training in translation-oriented computer technologies

Both documents discussed above are gaining wider recognition and more and more educational
institutions and translation agencies/companies seek to obtain the EMT approval 25 or EN
certification, respectively. Both certifications can help to build competitive advantage and can be
treated as a guarantee of quality in translator training and translation service provision.
Consequently, both standards contain important implications for educational institutions in terms
of translators training and should serve as guidance when planning study programs and curricula
of specific courses if these institutions want to educate translators well prepared to meet the
market requirements.
As can be seen, technical competence is regarded to be one of the indispensable
components of the general translation competence. Summarizing the specifications of EN 15038
and the EMT project in terms of technical competence translators should:
possess skills and abilities necessary for the professional production of translations in
different formats and for different technical media,
be able to use effectively and rapidly software necessary for the production of translations
at different translation process stages such as correction, translation, terminology, editing,
various forms of search (the range of software includes: texts editors, spellcheckers,
internet resources, translation memories, termbases, optical and voice recognition
software, etc.),
be able to create and manage a database and files,
be able to learn how to use new tools quickly (e.g. for translation of multimedia material),

24
Ibidem.
25
In Poland, there are only two programs which hold the EMT label M.A. studies, major: culturology,
specialty: linguistics, specialization: intercultural translation and communication at Jagiellonian University of
Krakw, UNESCO Chair for Translation Studies and Intercultural Communication and M.A. studies in
specialized and professional translation at Adam Mickiewicz University in Pozna, Institute of Neophilology -
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/translation/programmes/emt/universities/#poland [accessed on 20.06.2013].

11
 be able to use MT and be aware of its limitations.26
As far as information-mining competence is concerned according to the two documents
translators should:
know their information and documentation requirements,
develop effective strategies for documentary and terminological research,
be able to locate obtain and process information necessary for a completion of a particular
task,
be able to evaluate available information and terminology resources,
be able to use various research methods, techniques and tools effectively,
be able to manage and archive their documents.27
It is worth emphasizing again that the competences defined in the norms are considered to be the
minimum which should be further developed in more specialized education, which means that all
higher education studies training translators should attempt to integrate and cover these topics in
the courses offered.

4. Market requirements and translators training

Increasing the employability of the graduates should be the main concern of all higher education
institutions. As mentioned before, the market requires the translator to possess a range of skills
which are not any longer limited to the linguistic and translation competences but include also
expertise in translation of new multimodal text types or ability to use and quickly adapt new
technologies. As Fiorenza Mileto and Luigi Muzii observe, the translation market has specific
expectations towards graduates, who should be prepared to deal with specialized translation,
terminology management and information technology, possess adequate practical training,
sensitiveness and awareness of cultural issues as well as be able to organize themselves
autonomously or work independently or in teams, solve problems or establish and effectively
manage social relations on the job. 28 However, as they note further, universities training
translators still offer courses which are not fully adapted to the translation market reality and
graduates lack skills and preparation in the above mentioned areas.29 Richard Samson voices a
26
Cf. European Committee for Standardization: EN 15038:2006 Translation servicesService requirements
Brussels 2006, p. 7; Y. Gambier: Competences for professional translators, experts in multilingual and
multimedia communication. EMT 2009, p. 7.
27
Ibidem.
28
See: F. Mileto, L. Muzii: Teaching Computer-Assisted Translation and Localization: A Project Based
Approach. [In:] . Bugucki (ed.): Teaching Translation and Interpreting: Challenges and Practices. Cambridge:
Cambridge Scholar Publishing 2010, p. 5.
29
Ibidem.

12
similar opinion in relation to technical competence of translation graduates considering
deficient computer skills () [to be] a blight on all professionals in todays
world as companies in the language industry frequently bemoan the lack of
qualified job candidates that bring together both translation and computer
skills.30
In view of all the changes affecting the nature and character of translation profession it is
obvious that translation training cannot be any longer separated from the professional reality. This
need to match the educational offer to the reality has already been recognized also by Polish
institutions, which is reflected in the growing number of courses in translation technologies, a
greater number of specialized courses in e.g. AVT, localization or legal translation or generally in
modified studies programs offered at all higher education levels. This expanding didactic offer
demonstrates that educators realize that educational programs for translators must be adapted to
the market and translation industry standards. However, there is still much to be done in this
respect, as these modifications are only a fraction of what is actually needed.

5. A proposal of a translation technology course for students of Business Language

As advocated in many recent approaches to translators training 31, a course in computer
technologies for translation purposes should be conducted in accordance with the idea of
professional realism, which means that, first of all, it should be practically and not theoretically
oriented. Such a course requires maximum of practical training in form of translation assignments
and projects which should enable the students to really acquire and reinforce new skills. It is
obvious that such a course cannot be done on paper and in theory only, because the students need
to put the new knowledge into practice to memorize it and be able to use it effectively in the
future. Moreover, such a course should be project-based and student-centered, which means that

30
R. Samson: Computer-assisted translation. [In:] M. Tenneth (ed.): Training for the New Millennium:
Pedagogies for Translation and Interpreting. New York: John Benjamins Publishing Co. 2005, p.104,
31
Cf. . Biel: Training translators or translation service providers? EN 15038:2006 standard of translation
services and its training implications. [In:] Journal of Specialised Translation (16) 2011, p.72; A. Pym:
Translator training. Pre-print text written for the Oxford Companion to Translation Studies. 2009, p. 6.
http://usuaris.tinet.cat/apym/on-line/training/2009_translator_training.pdf [accessed on 14.07.2013]; F. Mileto, L.
Muzii: Teaching Computer-Assisted Translation and Localization: A Project Based Approach. [In:] . Bugucki
(ed.): Teaching Translation and Interpreting: Challenges and Practices. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholar
Publishing 2010, p. 10.

13
in line with Kiralys social constructivism 32 students should discover the knowledge and skills for
themselves working in teams on authentic translation projects learning how to learn and gain
knowledge and how to cooperate with other translation service providers, while the teacher
should serve only as a guide showing the right direction. Furthermore, the course, to be effective,
has to be entirely based on computer and translation tools it is an essential requirement if the
students are to acquire real technical skills useful in their later professional work. Practicing the
application of CAT technologies in friendly in terms of time circumstances, when the
students can master their various functionalities without time pressure under which translators
usually work, will also make them more willing and better prepared to use these tools in their
future work.
Before outlining the plan of a course it would be also useful to define the range of tools
and skills which should be covered in the syllabus. In general, computer and internet skills
needed by translators can be divided into two groups. The first group includes universal skills
such as: text editing, emailing, using internet browsers and search engines, using internet forums,
file formatting and management, using word counting applications, spellcheckers or OCR tools.
The second group comprises more sophisticated translation-oriented skills such as: using
translation memory, terminology management, alignment tools together with all their functions.
As a guide in this matter could serve the division of translators activities proposed by Heather
Fulford and Joaquin Granell-Zafra, in which they distinguish six different levels of translators
activities (i.e. document production, information search and retrieval/terminology management,
translation creation, communication, marketing and work procurement and finally business
management) and enumerate skills and tools used at each of them. 33 The best method to combine
all these skills and activities will be assigning the students with a translation project in which they
will have to execute step by step all the activities usually performed by translators in delivering a
real translation product.
Another important aspect is technical resources. As mentioned above, a course in
computer technologies has to be completely practically-oriented, which means that students

32
Cf. D. Kiraly: A Social Constructivist Approach to Translator Education; Empowerment from Theory to
Practice. Manchester: UK & Northampton MA, St. Jerome Publishing 2000.
33
H. Fulford, J. Granell-Zafra: Translation and Technology: a Study of UK Freelance Translators. Journal
of Specialized Translation 4, p.5; H. Fulford, J. Granell-Zafra: The Freelance Translators Workstation: an
Empirical Investigation, Proceedings of the 9th EAMT Workshop Broadening Horizons of Machine Translation
and Its Applications (2004), p. 54-55.

14
should have the opportunity to work at his/her own computer station. Each computer should be
equipped with (at least) fast access to the Internet and an MS Office package (at least a text editor
with related functions). Other indispensable software would be an OCR application and CAT tool
(including translation memory, terminology management, alignment tool and MT modules). 34
Moreover, students should have access to electronic dictionaries and other sources of
information.
As far as teaching materials are concerned, the students should be provided real
documents from the domain of business English in which they would encounter various
economic and financial terminological problems covered also during other courses. Of course,
the materials should contain also a good deal of terms students are not familiar with so that they
would have an opportunity to actively use terminology and information search techniques. Texts
to be translated could be, for example, commercial correspondence or company documentation
(e.g. agreements, financial documents, etc.). It is also essential to ensure that the texts selected for
the translation project have a sufficient rate of term repeatability, as this will allow to demonstrate
and fully use the translation memory functions. For example, students could translate a version of
a financial report to set up and populate a translation memory and then be commissioned to
translate an updated version of the report by the same company which will demonstrate how a
TM can be used and how it can facilitate translation.
In the table below the goals, learning outcomes and contents of a course in computer
technologies for the students of Business English specialization are outlined. This plan should be
treated only as a draft version subject to further discussion and modifications.

Table 2. An outline of a course in computer technologies for BE students

Course duration 1 semester 30 hours
(preferably 2 semesters 60 hours)
Goals 1. To develop technical and information-mining
competences as specified by the EMT project and EN

34
As available CAT tools packages are in general costly, students could use a variety of demo versions
available online (MemoQ, DejaVu, WordFast, etc.). In this way students would be also able to learn how to use a
range of applications and would not be limited to the current market leader. However, if educational institutions
want to keep up with the fast pace of technological changes, some investment in the state-of the art technologies
would be also advisable. As translation software producers are interested in propagating their products and
boosting their income in the future, it is very likely that they will be willing to offer some discounts for
educational institutions and provide necessary training.

15
 15038:2006.
2. To develop an integrated approach to translation tools
and language and technical and management issues.35
3. To prepare students to work up to the technical
standards of the translation market.
Learning Outcomes 1. Students are able to translate a text with the use various
computer technologies and know their various
functionalities
2. Students can create and use translation memory and
terminology management tools together with other
related functions
3. Students can use various terminology and information
search techniques and available resources
4. Students can use a text editor and related applications to
prepare a final version of a translation in accordance
with clients requirements
5. Students can work in a team to realize a translation
project (keeping deadlines, sharing tasks and
responsibility, cooperating with other team members)
Contents 1. Translators tasks and activities; stages of the translation
process,
2. MS Word functions in document production
(spellchecker, word counting tool, revision functions,
basic and advanced editing and formatting options:
fonts, tables, layout)
3. File conversion and management
4. Terminology and information resources (databases,
termbases, text corpora, parallel texts, online and
electronic dictionaries, encyclopedias, libraries,
document archives, translation forums, etc.) And their
evaluation
5. Various terminology and information search methods
with the use of the Internet
6. Terminology management (creating a termbase,
management and sharing, term extraction and retrieval)
7. Translating a text with the use of a translation memory
software (creating a new TM, TM management and
sharing, translating an updated version of a document)
8. Using alignment tools to create a TM out of previously
translated documents
9. Preparation of a final version of a document (checking,
revision, proofreading, editing mistakes, formatting in
accordance with the clients requirements,)

35
F. Mileto, L. Muzii: Teaching Computer-Assisted Translation and Localization: A Project Based Approach.
[In:] . Bugucki (ed.): Teaching Translation and Interpreting: Challenges and Practices. Cambridge: Cambridge
Scholar Publishing 2010, p. 5.

16
 10. Business management related issues (calculating the
size and price of a translated document, invoicing,
contacting clients, sending the document and related
files)
11. EN 15038:2006 standard and the necessary stages in the
translation provision process

12. Conclusions
To sum up, it has to be emphasized that computer training should not be a matter of one course
exclusively. I share the opinion expressed by Samson who claims that CAT skills, in the broad
sense of computer literacy, are a cornerstone in translator training and need to be introduced in a
general way early on and developed in more specialized instruction in other subjects
appropriately.36 Samson appeals for mainstreaming of computing in undergraduate translation
studies which means that computer skills should be taught throughout the whole program of
studies and incorporated in every possible way and on every course, where working with
computers is possible. I am strongly convinced that this approach should be also adopted in the
case of Business English students, who are also trained to become translators in the future, and
who, like all other modern graduates, should possess a good level of computer literacy skills.

IWONA SIKORA, PhD, is an assistant professor at the Chair of Applied Linguistics in Management at
Czstochowa University of Technology and a lecturer in the Section of Business English of the Institute of
Modern Languages of the University of Applied Sciences in Nysa. She is a certified translator and
interpreter of the English language. Her research interests include audiovisual translation, translation
technology (CAT tools), specialized languages and terminology, theory and methodology for ESP training.

36
See: R. Samson: Computer-assisted translation. [In:] M. Tenneth (ed.): Training for the New Millennium:
Pedagogies for Translation and Interpreting. New York: John Benjamins Publishing Co. 2005, p.112.

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