Translation Technology: Imperial College e-course on Localisation

30 April – 13 July 2012

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What does "Translation Technology" mean?
A. "Translation Technology" refers to the fact that this e-course combines aspects of translation (i.e. practical translation exercises) with aspects of technology (i.e. understanding the structure of software/resource and help files).

Q. Do I have to be a professional translator in order to take part in this course?
A. No, you don't have to be a professional translator to take part in this course.

Q. The course is advertised as suitable for anyone “wanting a career in translation industry”. Will it be too simple for project managers or translators already working in localization?
A. It is an introductory course so someone working in localisation will recognise some of the material but probably not every little detail. The course is a mixture of theory with a strong practical element in it and participants will also be able to learn from each other in this course as there will be collaborative work.

Q. Please tell me a little bit about the qualifications of the tutors.
A. The e-course is run by the author of this course who has 15 years full-time experience as a localiser and is actively working as a localiser. The author has an MSc in Technical Translation (Mechanical and Electrical Engineering), a City & Guilds Qualification in Teaching Adults, has completed an online course on e-learning (design and implementation) and has taken part in a 3-year EU-funded project as an industry partner with several European universities whose aim it was to create an online Masters in Translation. The author has also been teaching on the MSc in Scientific, Technical and Medical Translation with Translation Technology since the course was launched. The author is online daily for any questions that participants may have during the e-course. Every participant also has a language-specific tutor assigned to him/her, and the qualifications of this tutor depend on the language combination. Most language-specific tutors are sourced from either current tutors on the MSc Trans at Imperial College or graduates who have completed this course and shown exceptional ability in this field.

Q. Once I start the course do I have to complete it within 3 months or can I complete it in my own time?
A. There is a fixed start and finish date for this course, with reading and tasks to be completed every week, either within a group with other participants or individually by yourself. This means you must complete the course within the 3 months, however, you can organise your workload throughout the week (including weekends) as you wish.

Q. How much time and effort is required from the participant during the course? What time of day will the lessons be held?
A. About 1 hour per week of reading plus another 1-2 hours for exercises/practical tasks. As this is an online course it does not happen at any one fixed time; units have to be studied within a week but can be studied at any time depending on when it is most suitable for the participant.

Q. Is there any support from a tutor online?
A. Yes. The main e-course moderator is available online every day at a specified time to reply to any questions and provide support. Every participant also has a language-specific tutor who will give feedback to the translation-related exercises.

Q. What software is being used to deliver the course? Is only Windows software covered? How about Open Source software? Do I need to buy any expensive software?
A. The course is going to be delivered via the WebCT virtual learning environment, which can be logged into over the WWW. Reference is made in the course literature to Photoshop because there’s an optional course unit that offers a tutorial in certain features of that program. We are not paid by any software company to promote their products. While it is true that open source software does not feature explicitly in the course, it may well be covered informally in on-line discussions.

Q. Is there an exam at the end of the course or is it assignment based?
A. There is no exam but you have to complete at least 5 of the 6 tasks in order to receive a certificate of completion for this course.

Q. Can I complete this course on an Apple Macintosh computer?
A. Yes you can, the course is conducted entirely online and requires no specialist software.  It is recommended that if you are using a Mac you should use Firefox rather than Safari as your web browser for this course.

Q. How easy is it to find a job with this qualification?
A. Completing this course will give you an additional qualification which is always a good thing. We can't say how easy it is to find a job with it as it also depends on what else you have done in the past and where you live.