Final Project

Databases for Translators

Translation and Free Software

PROBLEM DESCRIPTION (THEORY)

´Fulford and Granell-Zafra (2005) argue that in a study of UK, they found that many translators still look sceptical about levels of awareness of translation-specific software and technological tools.

´The Heriot Watt University (2010) supports that “we need to consider with great care the training provision for translators and interpreters. ICT can and must be a key element in the curriculum […] in a way which is consistent and constructive with the development of professional skills.”

´ According to the Heriot Watt University (2010) “ICT promote exchanges and cooperation; the work-space is not limited in time or space, so each learner has more flexibility to work in his own way.”(p.3)

CONTEXTUALIZATION

´The problem was observed in the Foreign Languages Bachelor from the Autonomous University of Zacatecas, focused on Translation professional training.

´One of the biggest problems of translators is looking for different meanings of words or common expressions in the target language. 

´In a two hours’ class, students only translate two or three paragraphs because they are in trouble with different meanings.

´Dictionaries do not give meanings of colloquial expressions.

´Online translators are out of context.

PURPOSE

• ´Translators can translate more in less time using free software.

´Open Office is going to be used as a Database to facilitate the search of colloquial expressions between target and source language.

 

Open Office is going to be an excellent tool because:

´ It can be used without internet connection

´ It is not a complicated program.

´People who requires it will be able to modify it, adding new expressions, words and meanings.

OBJECTIVES

• ´Reduce the time that people use in translation from English to Spanish.
• ´Improve the quality of the translations to get a better result in the target language.

APPLICATION DESCRIPTION

´In the class of translation (professional training), students do different translations every week, such as legal texts, songs, poems, scientific vocabulary, etc. All students try to work in team, so this project will be useful as far as students upload it.

´Teacher Judith Navarro is about to start a project of a new book by the publishing house “Texere”. Many students are going to be involved in the process, so this free software will be helpful to develop it “in time”.

RESULTS

ADVENTAGES

1. ´Translators can use Open Office without internet connection.
2. ´The databases can be opened in cellphones, tablets and computers.
3. ´Translators can add terms whenever they want.
4. ´They can share their databases with classmates and co-workers.
5. ´People can have a database for each language.

DISADVANTAGES

1. ´Translators have to update the databases constantly.
2. ´There are words that won’t appear.
3. ´An online platform cannot be used without internet connection.

REFERENCES

´FULFORD, Heather; GRANELL-ZAFRA, Joaquín. (2005) Translation and Technology: a Study of UK Freelance Translators. Loughborough University. UK.

´HERIOT WATT UNIVERSITY. (2010) ICT for Translation and Interpreting: The Relevance of New Technologies for the Training of Expert Linguists. UK. 

Free Software, Technology and Jobs

What is a free software?

"Free software" is software that respects the users' freedom and community. Broadly speaking, this means that users are free to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software. That is, the "free software" is a matter of liberty, not price.

A program is free software if users have the four essential freedoms :

1.The freedom to run the program as you wish , for any purpose. 

2.The freedom to study how the program works , and change it to do what you wish. 

3.The freedom to redistribute copies to help your neighbor.

4.The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others. This allows you to offer the community the opportunity to benefit from the changes. 

Stallman launched the GNU Project in September 1983 to create a Unix-like computer operating system composed entirely of free software. With this, he also launched the free software movement. 

Jobs affected by technology

For centuries, people have worried that new technologies will destroy jobs without creating enough new ones.

A hundred years ago, 20% of the occupations that we have today, did not exist; but that means 80% did. So, why we do  create new types of jobs?

The following jobs have existed for a long time with human workers because ONLY HUMAN WORKERS CAN DO THEM:

. Waiters

. Truck drivers

. Secretaries

. Teachers

. Nurses

Computers and robots could not yet do! :)

Computer industry, internet, telecom, electronics, aerospace, chemistry, science... Only 5% of jobs since the 1993 came from these industries.

And the question is: what do we do as a society? Do we need to work to survive?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQW2mxDf1n0

Use of ICT on languages 3

Services 3. Processes, Performance Drivers and ICT Tools in Human Resources Management

Goals:

1. Personnel  performance  
2. Human Resources-related  business  processes  
3. Supportive information and communication technology (ICT)

Human Resources Management

Development and well-being of the people working in organizations such as:

• human  capital  management
• corporate  social  responsibility
• organization development
• reward management
• employee relations 
• employee well-being 
• health and safety
• provision of employee services

Performance Drivers

The term “performance driver” is used to mark activities or actions that increase potential to achieve higher level of corporate performance.

Performance Drivers can be divided into two categories:

* generic and speficic

* recurring and no-recurring

1. free up time for critical management tasks
2. increased human resource processes/practices contribution to organizational outputs
3. attention to security and the necessity of “being prepared for anything”
4. quick return to adequate performance levels

Teaching 3. UNESCO ICT competency framework for teachers

UNESCO’s education policies & projects

1. Inculcating the community’s core values
   
   and passing on its cultural legacy.
2. Supporting the personal developtment of children, young people and adults.
3. Promoting democracy and increasing participation in society.
4. Encouraging cross-cultural understanding and the paceful resolution of the conflict.
5. Supporting economic developtment, reducing poverty and increasing widespread prosperity.

The frame-work project:

• ICT-CFT emphasizes poverty reduction, quality of life & improvements in the quality of education 
• ICT-CFT is the key to poverty reduction and increased prosperity
• ICT-CFT seeks to balance human well-being with sustainable economic development

3 approaches of the frame-work

The 6 aspects of a teacher's work:

1. Understanding ICT in education
2. Curriculum and assessment
3. Pedagogy
4. ICT
5. Organisation and administration
6. Teacher professional learning

- Curriculum→ improving basic literacy skills through technology 
- Pedagogical practice→ the use of ICT tools and digital content as part of a whole class
- Teacher practice→ knowing where and when to use technology for classroom activities 

Knowledge deepening

To increase the ability of students, citizens and the workforce to add value to the society and the economy by applying the knowledge gained in school subjects to solve complex real-world problems

• Problem solving
• Communication 
• Collaboration
• Experimentation
• Critical thinking
• Creative expression 

Implementation

Courses and professional  learning activities should not consist of a small number of disconnected competencies. 
They have to be selected (relevant) modules.
Professional learning providers and teacher-educators are encouraged to offer suggestions to UNESCO.

Development paths

Teacher educations programmes are often out of phase with development goals.

ICT-CFT provides education policymarkers 
with policy objectives in the form 
of new approaches to teaching.

Different Societies

However, countries differ in their social and economic situations and their development goals.

The aim of ICT-CFT is to provide a common education improvement framework applicable to MULTIPLE situations and  MULTIPLE development paths.
Countries with different growth strategies will find different parts of the framework useful.

A country may need to identify:

Economic goals

Social goals

=

Quality of teachers!!!

Translation 3. Translation and Technology: a Study of UK Freelance Translators 

There is a wide range of information and communications technologies (ICT) available to translators today: 

1. general-purpose software applications 

2. special- purpose software

Internet has transformed the way in which translators receive and deliver translation assignments, with much of this now being undertaken via electronic mail, rather than by fax or via the conventional postal system.

PROJECT

The purpose of the project is identfy the adoption of information and communication technologies by freelance translators in the UK. 

ICT strategy: covering translators' opinions and thoughts about ICT use in their translation workflow, their perceptions of translation technologies, and their approaches to business planning and strategy issues. 

Translator´s experience

• 24% had between 6 and 10 years 
• 36% had between 11 and 20 years' experience 
• 20% had worked as translators for over 20 years 
• 20% were relative newcomers 
• 63% were female
• 71% have a bachelor level or master degrees

The principal languages covered by the respondents were as follows: 

• German to English (37%),
• French to English (37%),
• Spanish to English (16%).

The most common subject specialisms were:

• business / commerce 
• technical translation (science and technology)
• legal translation

Respondents were asked to indicate the software applications they use in their translation work. 

1. Document production activities 
2. Information search and retrieval activities 
3. Translation creation activities
4. Communication activities
5. Marketing and work procurement activities
6. Business management activities

Majority of translators believed ICT to be important to support each of the activity! :)

The use of ICT by UK freelance translators is a high proportion of the translator community now working on a freelance basis, and given the growing array of software applications, both general-purpose and translation-specific, available for their use. 

Use of ICT on languages 2

Services 2. The role of the information and communication technology sector in expanding economic opportunity.

 Business activity creates jobs, enables technology transfer, builds human capital and physical infrastructure, generates tax revenues for governments, and, of course offers a variety of products and services to consumers and other businesses.

There are 4 Key strategies used to expand economic opportunity:

1. Creating inclusive business models.

2. Developing human capital.

3. Building institutional capacity.

4. Helping to optimize the "rules of the game".

    

   1. Creating inclusive business models.

   Involving the poor as employees, entrepreneurs, suppliers, distributors, retailers, custumers, and sources of innovation in financially viable ways.

    

   2. Developing human capital.

   

   Improving the health, education, experience, and skills of employees, business, partners, and members of the community.

    

   3. Building institutional capacity.
   |11

   Strengthening the industry associations, market intermediaries, univesities, governments, civil society organizations, and grassroots groups who must all be able to play their roles effectively within the system. 

    

   4. Helping to optimize the "rules of the game".
    Shaping the regulatory and policy frameworks and business norms that help determine how well the economic opportunity system works and the extent to which it is explusive of the poor.
   
   

   "The Role of the ICT Sector in Expanding Economic Opportunity"

   
   • Hardware
   • Internet
   • Telephony
   • Application
   • Software
   • Support service 
    

The "network effect" is crucial and only increases productivity when lots of people share access. 

 ICT has become the foundation of every sector of every economy, everywhere. 

 ICTs increase:

• efficiency
• productivity
• access to goods, services, information, and markets.

Technologies help expand economic opportunity.

 Smart communications and Smart money have two primary objectives:
1. To differenciate itself in the market.
2. To reduce costumer churn.

With a smart money account you can deposit and withdraw cash at a Smart Store. (Internet)  

 

Teaching 2. An effective use of ICT education and learning and experience.

ICT as a change agent for education
 

In the last 20 years, ICT have become commonplace entities in all aspects of life.

  ICT and learning and teaching processes.

• Have the potential to accelerate, enrich, and deepen skills.
• To help in school experience to work practices.
• Revitalize teachers and students.
• Improve and develop the quality of education.

Teachers need to be involved in collaborative projects and development of intervention change strategies, with ICT as a tool.

How to introduce ICT in class?

Teachers need to be involved in collaborative projects  with ICT as a tool.
  1. Teachers should believe in the effectiveness of technology.
  2. Teachers should believe that the use of technology will not cause any disturbances.
  3. Teachers should believe that they have control over technology. 

Easy access to learning.

Now, students can access to:

• Resource persons.
• Mentors.
• Experts.
• Researches.
• Professionals. 

     Offer educational opportunities.

  ICT  ->          Add elements of vitality.

Improve the experience of students.

Modernize educational systems.

 ICT and learning motivation.

Learners find classes more interesting by using multi-media.

• Videos.
• Television.
• Multimedia computer software (text, sound and images).    

Translation 2. The new information and communication technologies (ICT) and translation competence.

 

Bilingual VS Translator.

   A bilingual person is someone that can communicate in two languages.
   A translator transforms words and ideas to another contexts. Has the knowledge to communicate in a different language to transfer ideas. 

 
There are specific competences/abilities that a translator has to have. 

• Excellent writing skills
• Excellent reading and comprehension skills
• Cultural knowledges in both languages   

What's a competence?

A competence is the ability to use knowledge in a new situation. Is the combination of skills, attitudes and behavior that enable us to perform in a certain situation.

Translation competence model.

• Knowledge about translation
• Isntruments
• Textual and communicative competence
• Cultural and intercultural competence
• Competences about the knowledge of the theme of translation
• Professional and instrumental abilities 
• Interpersonal competence
• Good composition and production of texts     

  ICT tools, helpful for translation

 

GENERAL TOOLS:

1. Internet
2. The use of corpus linguistics
3. Monolingual and bilingual dictionaries
4. General software (word, acrobat reader)   

SPECIFIC TOOLS FOR TRANSLATION:

1. Machine translation.
2. Computer assisted translation.
3. Specialized software.

Reception + transfer + formulation=

translation  

Reception: meaning, to understand the 100%.

Transfer: to move something (from one language to another).

Formulation: to create something new.   

ICT help to improve translation. :)