PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATION PRACTICE II - 2025/6

Module Overview

This module builds on the work of the Professional Translation Practice I module, by extending the approach of a connection between theory and practice to a connection between technology and practice. The module presents a sequence of themes related to the role of technology in translation, including the role of AI-powered tools such as neural machine translation and generative AI, recognising their different applications in translation and providing students with a growing perspective of the uses of technological tools to solve different professional translation challenges. The module focuses on several dimensions of tasks and roles translators need to perform in professional contexts. These are explored in a combination of language-specific and multilingual translation workshops and technology workshops, so that students have regular opportunities for hands-on practice and guidance from professional translators and experienced members of staff. As in semester 1, the languages we usually offer include: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Italian, Korean, Polish, Norwegian, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish andor Turkish, all paired with English. Other languages are available upon request (please ask). All languages are subject to demand and tutor availability. As part of the module, students also continue to work on their Professional Engagement Portfolio from semester one (see Professional Translation Practice I).

Module provider

Literature & Languages

Module Leader

DO CARMO Felix (Lit & Langs)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

Attendance and assessment of Professional Translation Practice I (TRAM493).

Module content

 




 

 


 


Indicative module content:

• Comparison and evaluation of different Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) tools


• Terminology in translation


• Collaborative translation


• Translation project management  


• Revision of translation


• Translation quality assessment


• Localization of software, web pages and games


• Ergonomics


• Translation process


• Augmented translation


• Professional challenges and ethical questions related to the use of technologies


• Machine translation and post-editing of machine translation

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

n/a

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate:

* quality of the translation outcome

* efficiency working in teams

* capacity to respond to challenges

* translation competence


The summative assessment for this module consists of:

* A Professional Engagement Portfolio Documenting a Minimum of 6 Extracurricular Activities Carried Out During the Programme (PASS/FAIL)

* Practical Based Assessment: a Translation of Approximately 500 Source-Text Words and a Commentary on new practices of translation (40%)

* Practical Based Assessment: a Time-Constrained Translation of Approximately 300 Source-Text Words and a Commentary on new practices of translation (60%)

 

Formative assessment

Students will be asked to submit one piece of work two weeks before the first summative assessment: a translation of circa 300 words, carried out according to a given brief, and a reflective commentary.

Feedback

Students are incentivised and free to submit work done in class or in independent study for individual feedback. All exercises are discussed and revised in class.

Module aims

• The module aims to: prepare students for professional tasks through a range of practical exercises and workshops
• provide the opportunity for students to gain a wide range of experiences in using technologies, associated with roles translators may be called to play in professional contexts, beyond the translation of texts
• allow students to practise a variety of translation tasks in different contexts, including in teams and involving project management, in the students¿ languages, promoting the development of translation competence
• stimulate engagement with the profession through extra-curricular activities

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

* provide a broad experience of texts and translation challenges to facilitate the development of flexible problem-solving strategies
* offer a wide range of exercises into the work languages of the students, maximising the applicability of the learnt procedures to the student’s experience
* expose students to knowledge and technical resources that enable them to make efficient and effective translation decisions
* discuss and raise awareness on subjects and situations that usually students only encounter when they start a professional life
* contextualise discussions with ethical and professional elements that make evident the importance of developing collaborative skills

 

The learning and teaching methods include:

• Workshops that offer opportunities for group and whole-class discussions and tutor feedback;


• Self-study, which consists of working on texts or participating in extra-curricular activities that may feed into the professional engagement portfolio

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: TRAM494

Other information

Surrey's Curriculum Framework is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills and capabilities in the following areas:

• The Professional Engagement Portfolio is a major contributor to the Employability of the students, based not only on the demonstration of their enlarged commitment with the professional world, but also by the connection to new professional practices, explored both in the technology workshop and in the translation practice classes.
• In the translation classes, students are engaged with the acquisition of practical language and translation skills, related to Global and Cultural Capabilities. The translation tasks help the development of core competences for professional translators, who work towards fostering communication across a globalised world, contributing to interchange of knowledge and integration of diverse cultures.
• In the translation workshops, students engage with Digital skills that have been presented and explored in the first semester, but which are here expanded and applied to new contexts. This module coordinates the achievements of the previous semester with the exploration of work in localisation of websites, collaboration in online platforms and reflection on the use of machine translation.
• In order to build Resilience and Resourcefulness, the module reflects on technological and practice trends in the industry, incentivising students to develop an adaptive attitude, sustained by a proactive focus on identifying the best sources of reliable support to their work. The workshop setting provides a supportive and safe space for students to exchange ideas and develop their skills in translation and technology.

• The module provides foundational concepts and skills for students to prepare their professional lives with a focus on Sustainability, expressed as a stable and continuous source of revenue in a healthy language industry, but also by the use of technologies that are developed within an ecological perspective. The sustainability of digital platforms and technologies themselves as part of translation practice is also of relevance to this module.

Each of the several components in this module has a different but complementary contribution to a holistic approach to educational development.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.