Barrieren abbauen, Sprache gestalten

Leichte Sprache ist ein zentrales Konzept der barrierefreien Kommunikation. Fachtexte, Informationsbroschüren und andere Texte aus dem täglichen Leben dabei werden in leicht verständliche Texte übersetzt. Die drei Beiträge der vorliegenden Publikation untersuchen verschiedene linguistische Aspekte der Leichten Sprache. Im Speziellen ordnen sie Leichte Sprache als einen Fall von intralingualer Translation ein. Sie untersuchen Komplexität von Leichter Sprache, die Vereinfachungsstrategien, die beim Verfassen von Texten in Leichter Sprache verwendet werden sowie die Strategien, die zur Explizierung in Leichte Sprache Texten verwendet werden.The concept of easy-to-read language is a central one in the area of barrier-free communication. Among other thing, it involves the translation of technical texts, information materials and other texts used in everyday situations into texts that are easy to read. The three contributions in this publication report on investigations of various aspects of easy-to-read language. In particular, they consider easy-to-read language as a special case of intralingual translation. They explore the complexity of easy-to-read language, the simplification strategies that are used in the production of easy-to-read texts, and the strategies that are used for explicitation in such texts

The ergonomics of translation tools : understanding when less is actually more

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in "The Interpreter and Translator Trainer" on 18 Nov 2020, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/1750399X.2020.1839998Professional translation and consequently translation training involve a wide range of technological aids and translation tools. Agreat deal of effort has been devoted to developing and implementing features that can contribute to higher consistency, productivity and quality but less attention has been paid to the needs of learners and users. Research with professionals at the workplace suggests that there is potential to optimise the ergonomics of certain features of computer-aided translation tools. An exploratory study of the usability of two such tools with very different interfaces was carried out with students enrolled in a Master of Arts (MA) programme in translation. Quantitative measures from process monitoring software and qualitative indicators from post-task interviews highlight how students interacted with the two tools as they translated comparable source texts. The process measures and the comments suggest that the CAT tool with the leaner interface might be easier for students to use. In-depth analyses of three pairs of comparable segments support this finding, as do the evaluations of the target text segments by a separate cohort of MA students. We consider the implications of our findings in light of recent calls for improved cognitive, physical, and organisational ergonomics at the translation workplace

A combination of ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol to test the effectiveness and safety in the fragile X syndrome: study protocol for a phase II, randomized, placebo-controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is an inherited neurodevelopmental condition characterised by behavioural, learning disabilities, phisical and neurological symptoms. In addition, an important degree of comorbidity with autism is also present. Considered a rare disorder affecting both genders, it first becomes apparent during childhood with displays of language delay and behavioural symptoms. Main aim: To show whether the combination of 10 mg/kg/day of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and 10 mg/kg/day of α-tocopherol (vitamin E) reduces FXS symptoms among male patients ages 6 to 18 years compared to placebo treatment, as measured on the standardized rating scales at baseline, and after 12 and 24 weeks of treatment. Secondary aims: To assess the safety of the treatment. To describe behavioural and cognitive changes revealed by the Developmental Behaviour Checklist Short Form (DBC-P24) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Revised. To describe metabolic changes revealed by blood analysis. To measure treatment impact at home and in an academic environment. METHODS/DESIGN: A phase II randomized, double-blind pilot clinical trial. Scope: male children and adolescents diagnosed with FXS, in accordance with a standardized molecular biology test, who met all the inclusion criteria and none of the exclusion criteria. Instrumentation: clinical data, blood analysis, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Revised, Conners parent and teacher rating scale scores and the DBC-P24 results will be obtained at the baseline (t0). Follow up examinations will take place at 12 weeks (t1) and 24 weeks (t2) of treatment. DISCUSSION: A limited number of clinical trials have been carried out on children with FXS, but more are necessary as current treatment possibilities are insufficient and often provoke side effects. In the present study, we sought to overcome possible methodological problems by conducting a phase II pilot study in order to calculate the relevant statistical parameters and determine the safety of the proposed treatment. The results will provide evidence to improve hyperactivity control and reduce behavioural and learning problems using ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and α-tocopherol (vitamin E). The study protocol was approved by the Regional Government Committee for Clinical Trials in Andalusia and the Spanish agency for drugs and health products. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01329770 (29 March 2011

Verzahnung von Terminologie, Sprachtechnologie und Fachtextübersetzen in Übersetzungsstudiengängen

Verzahnung der Komponenten „Terminologie“, „Sprachtechnologie“ und „Fachtextübersetzen“ im Masterstudiengang „Angewandte Linguistik“ des Departements Angewandte Linguistik an der ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften. Bisher wurden die drei oben genannten Studienkomponenten an der ZHAW unabhängig voneinander unterrichtet. Im Tutorial soll am Beispiel der Vorgehensweise an der ZHAW eine Möglichkeit aufgezeigt werden, wie die drei Studienkomponenten verzahnt werden können. Ein wichtiges Ziel des Tutorials ist auch der Erfahrungsaustausch mit den Teilnehmenden, um eventuell gemeinsam neue Strategien für die Verzahnung der Studienkomponenten zu entwickeln

Programmes, principles and practices at the IUED Institute of Translation and Interpreting, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) : Webinar

WebinarThis webinar presents the mission, principles, goals, programmes, profiles, teaching practices and staff development at the IUED Institute of Translation and Interpreting of ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, in Switzerland. It highlights the evolving MA translation curriculum, with particular reference to barrier-free or accessbile communication, to translation technologies and how they are taught, to special approaches to process-oriented and collaborative teaching, and concludes by addressing ways in which staff and organisational development are implemented

Transcending barriers with technology: teaching accessible communication

In this talk, we present the strategic and operational considerations behind offering a new study profile in accessible communication in the Professional Translation MA programme at ZHAW's IUED Institute of Translation and Interpreting. The presentation covers the didactic and technological implementation of the profile as well as its advantages for graduate employability in enhancing core competences and transferable skills. Discussing the use case of the recently developed Accessible Communication Lab in the ZHAW School of Applied Linguistics, the presentation ends by emphasising the need for national and international network-building among all actual and potential stakeholders in the research, teaching, learning, industry and target-group communities

Teaching quality assessment and revision with CAT tools : a case study

References: EMT Board. 2017. European Master’s in Translation: Competence Framework 2017. https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/emt_competence_fwk_2017_en_web.pdf Kappus, M. and M. Ehrensberger-Dow. 2020. “The Ergonomics of Translation Tools: Understanding When Less Is Actually More.” Special Issue of The Interpreter and Translator Trainer 14 (4): 386–404. Koponen, M., B. Mossop, I. S. Robert, and G. Scocchera, eds. 2021. Translation Revision and Post-editing. Industry Practices and Cognitive Processes. Abingdon: Routledge. Mossop, B., J. Hong, and C. Teixeira. 2020. Revising and Editing for Translators. 4th ed. Abingdon: Routledge.Training in translation technology and quality assessment are now core elements of translator training programmes and recognised as key skills by the EMT (2017) Competence Framework. However, there appears to be little overlap in training these two skills. Translation technology courses tend to focus on understanding how the technology can be helpful, understanding the main functionalities of one or two tools and practising their implementation, while revision courses often focus on understanding the different translation quality assessment (QA) models, differentiating between revision and post-editing, and understanding the value of QA in the translation market. Given that the boundaries between translation revision and post-editing are now converging in most CAT systems (see Kappus and Ehrensberger-Dow 2020; Koponen et al. 2021), a strong argument can be made that explicit training in translation technology for revision work would foster additional valuable skills. What is less clear is how, when and in which course(s) to include such input in the translation training curriculum. Given the complexity of current translation technology, it is difficult for students to discover the best workflow processes with CAT tools on their own, including QA settings and the risk of false or undetected errors (see Mossop et al. 2020). In our presentation, we will report on a training session we have introduced into our MA programme that is devoted to QA/revision with a CAT tool, co-taught by the translation technology instructor and a translation teacher. We will report on the design of the input and how the activities are meant to empower the students to use the technology not only for their QA/revision processes but also as the basis for dialogue between translator and reviewer. We will also discuss recommendations for curriculum design on the basis of feedback from students who participated in the training session in different semesters in their MA programme

An ergonomic comparison of translation tool interfaces

Technology has become so much a part of the translation workplace that few professional translators would be comfortable working without access to the internet, online dictionaries, termbases and/or CAT tools. The latter have contributed to higher consistency and productivity, but recent research suggests that there is potential for improvement in ergonomic terms (e.g. Ehrensberger-Dow et al. 2016; O’Brien et al. 2017; Teixeira & O’Brien 2017). Examples from our corpus of workplace and classroom recordings include repetitive reformatting of source files and complicated work-arounds to accomplish tasks that could be automated by using macros and changing the default settings. Other examples from self-report data relate to apparent overload of cognitive resources by the amount of information presented on crowded screens. The tasks of translating with TM, selecting matches from a variety of sources and post-editing MT are merging in many professional contexts, so it is imperative to develop ways to best prepare students for working seamlessly between both modalities (cf. Krüger 2018). In this presentation, we report on a usability comparison of two translation tool interfaces that differ with respect to the amount of information and number of functions available on the screen. One of the interfaces has several fields with supporting functions visible, and the other has a simpler look. Quantitative measures from eye tracking and qualitative indicators from retrospective commentaries and interviews highlight how MA students interact with the two interfaces. We consider the implications of our findings in light of cognitive, physical and organizational ergonomics in order to open the discussion of whether ergonomic conditions can be more efficiently reduced by limiting the options available to the translator or by identifying and applying individualized settings for any given user