Workshop Description

Career pathways in translation require a contemporary knowledge of available techniques and are open to students of foreign language regardless of their area of expertise—from law to literature and beyond. This intensive 1.5-day workshop brings professionals from academia and industry who use machine translation (including CAT—computer assisted translation—and artificial intelligence tools) in their training programs and work. The sessions planned will offer a view into the professional world of translation and demystify techniques and employment prospects. Also vital are questions of ethical dilemmas and responsible use of machine translation tools and techniques; the workshop will keep that discussion at its center.

Drawing on local experts and well-known professionals, the workshop offers opportunities for theoretical as well as hands-on practical learning for students in the graduate and undergraduate translation and interpretation certificate programs as well as students in language and culture MA/PhD and area studies MA programs who want to add to their skill set.

Goals include: exposure to new knowledge and acquisition of hard skills; creation of a cohort of like-minded students; networking with academic and industry professionals to provide career opportunities. Projects (individual or small group) will be launched during the workshop, with a celebration planned for the end of the semester for presentation of projects and discussion of process and learning. Students will learn the pros and cons, and the ethics, of machine translation. Bringing a mix of students together—in Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Spanish etc—will enrich the experience and help to create the cohort.