Translator Training Course

Lesson 1 • Ethics and Professional Responsibility

Introduces ethical obligations of translators regarding accuracy, confidentiality, and impartiality. Connects theory to professional codes of conduct.

Lesson 2 • What Translation Is and Does

Defines translation as cross-linguistic meaning transfer and situates it within communication theory. Establishes shared vocabulary for the entire course.

Lesson 3 • Major Schools of Translation Theory

Surveys linguistic, functional, and cultural approaches to translation. Students identify which school best fits a given text type and purpose.

Lesson 1 • Syntactic Structures Across Languages

Analyzes sentence-level grammar differences between source and target languages. Prepares students to restructure sentences without distorting meaning.

Lesson 2 • Pragmatics and Implied Meaning

Addresses speech acts, implicature, and cultural pragmatic norms that affect meaning. Students identify and transfer implied content accurately.

Lesson 3 • Discourse and Text Coherence

Examines cohesion devices, thematic progression, and genre conventions at the text level. Students learn to preserve logical flow across paragraph boundaries.

Lesson 4 • Lexical Analysis and Word Choice

Covers denotation, connotation, register, and polysemy as factors in word selection. Directly informs vocabulary decisions in subsequent translation work.

Lesson 1 • Sentence and Paragraph Restructuring

Teaches splitting, merging, and reordering sentences to match target language norms. Ensures natural-sounding output without altering source meaning.

Lesson 2 • Direct Transfer Techniques

Covers borrowing, calque, and literal translation as zero-adaptation strategies. Students identify when direct transfer is appropriate and when it fails.

Lesson 3 • Handling Untranslatables

Addresses culture-specific items, neologisms, and lexical gaps with systematic strategies. Students produce solutions that minimize information loss.

Lesson 4 • Technique Selection Decision Framework

Provides a decision tree for choosing among techniques based on text function and audience. Synthesizes all techniques into a coherent workflow.

Lesson 1 • Principles of Terminology Science

Introduces term formation, concept systems, and definition writing as terminological foundations. Enables students to analyse and document specialised vocabulary systematically.

Lesson 2 • Translation Memory and Terminology Tools

Introduces translation memory systems and terminology management software as productivity tools. Students integrate glossaries into a computer-assisted translation workflow.

Lesson 3 • Research Methods for Translators

Trains efficient use of parallel texts, reference corpora, and subject-matter experts. Students resolve terminology gaps within professional time constraints.

Lesson 1 • Marketing and Transcreation

Distinguishes transcreation from translation and applies creative adaptation to persuasive texts. Students produce culturally resonant marketing copy in the target language.

Lesson 2 • Medical and Scientific Translation

Addresses anatomical, pharmacological, and clinical terminology with accuracy requirements. Students apply verification strategies to prevent life-critical errors.

Lesson 3 • Legal Translation Fundamentals

Covers terminology, document types, and system-difference challenges in legal translation. Students translate contracts and official documents with precision.

Lesson 4 • Literary and Creative Translation

Explores voice, style, rhythm, and cultural allusion in literary texts. Students balance fidelity to authorial intent with target-language aesthetic norms.

Lesson 1 • Project Setup and File Management

Covers file format handling, project creation, and folder structure for organised delivery. Students set up a multi-file project from scratch.

Lesson 2 • CAT Tool Architecture and Interface

Explains the core components of CAT tools: editor, TM, term base, and QA module. Students navigate the interface and configure basic project settings.

Lesson 3 • Automated QA and Error Detection

Configures and runs automated QA checks for terminology, numbers, and formatting errors. Students interpret QA reports and resolve flagged issues efficiently.

Lesson 4 • Delivering and Archiving Projects

Covers export formats, TM update procedures, and archiving for future reuse. Students complete the full project lifecycle from setup to archived delivery.

Lesson 1 • Peer Review and Editing Workflows

Covers reviewer roles, feedback protocols, and track-changes etiquette in collaborative revision. Students practise giving and receiving constructive translation feedback.

Lesson 2 • Quality Models and Standards

Surveys industry quality frameworks and error typologies used in professional evaluation. Gives students a shared vocabulary for assessing translation quality.

Lesson 3 • Proofreading and Final Delivery Checks

Addresses formatting, typography, and completeness checks before final delivery. Ensures the delivered file meets all client specifications.

Lesson 4 • Post-Editing Machine Translation Output

Trains full and light post-editing of machine translation for speed and accuracy. Students calibrate effort to output quality and client requirements.

Lesson 1 • Understanding Client Briefs and Scope

Trains analysis of project briefs to identify scope, constraints, and deliverables. Prevents scope creep and misaligned expectations from the outset.

Lesson 2 • Pricing, Quoting, and Contracts

Covers rate-setting models, quote preparation, and essential contract clauses. Students produce a professional quote and basic service agreement.

Lesson 3 • Building a Professional Portfolio

Guides selection, presentation, and ongoing development of a translation portfolio. Students assemble a portfolio that demonstrates domain expertise and quality.

Lesson 4 • Working with Translation Agencies

Explains agency workflows, vendor onboarding, and performance evaluation criteria. Students understand how to position themselves as reliable agency vendors.