Translation and AI CPD Course

Cut through the hype and counter the pessimism

Available exclusively to members of professional associations affiliated with FIT Europe, the Centre for Translation Studies is offering the translators’ community an in-depth professional development course that helps develop a fresh perspective on the use of AI in translation.

By addressing the key themes translators need to understand to make AI a powerful tool in their work, this course will empower them to find their own answers to questions and enable a proficient and effective use of AI.

The academic experience of the instructors guarantees an independent, non-commercial view on all matters related to AI. Rather than offering lists of solutions that have hardly been tested, this course helps participants develop a knowledgeable and critical view on all things AI and translation.

Across five different modules, the course offers practical tasks and discussions of case studies, contributing to specialist knowledge of AI and of why, because of AI, translation may become one of the most sought-after professions.

The course will start on Friday 16th May taking place every Friday 14:00-15:30 BST, with the final session on the 18th July.

This online course will be delivered using Microsoft Teams and will consist of five modules, each comprising of two 90 minute sessions, followed by an optional 30 minute Q&A. In addition you will have the following benefits:

Recordings and course materials available on demand
Interactive participant chat to encourage networking and discussion
Access to an extended reading list
Weekly quiz to test your knowledge and understanding of the module
A final assessment with individual feedback and a course certificate once the course has been completed

Course Modules

Module 1: Introduction to the risks of using AI in translation

Professional translation as risk management
Risk in the use of AI by clients and professional translators
Presentation of use cases that highlight difficult-to-identify risks
Presentation of strategies to minimise and control risk for professional translators
Discussion on ways of adapting AI to the purposes of translators.

Module 2: Creativity and AI

Presentation of creativity as a fundamental competence for translators
Discussion on the presence of creativity in AI outputs
Test and demonstration of applications of AI writing tools
Suggestions for using AI to support the work of translators.

Module 3: Introduction to the technological side of AI and LLMs

Introduction to the main concepts in AI
Explanation of what LLMs are and how they can be used
Demonstration of using LLMs to prepare translation assignments, by extracting terms from source texts and translating them into the target language
Discussion on how to optimise LLM prompting as support for translators.

Module 4: Neural Machine Translation

Opening the black box of NMT as the main AI tool used by translators
Explaining NMT as a mathematical process applied to language data
Demonstration of methods for using NMT as a tool for translators
Discussion of methods for, and alternatives to, using NMT in translation.

Module 5: Impact of AI on translation as a profession

Critical appreciation of the influence of AI on the translation business
Discussion of the reliability of AI-related sources of information in translation
Discussion of different business models in translation and their resilience to AI
Discussion of strategies to offer translation services as management of risk in the use of AI
Presentation of strategies for translators to work and communicate as AI experts.

Fees

£375 per person

These fees cover attendance of 10 live sessions in an online environment in Microsoft Teams, each session including the analysis of the most updated information and relevant uses cases related to Translation and AI, practical exercises with AI tools, and discussions involving attending participants. Participants have access to the recordings of all sessions for catch-up or review, during the course and for a short period after the course ends. Participants can also use channels and chats within Microsoft Teams to; raise questions and discuss them both with instructors and with other participants, find suggestions for further reading, answer progression-checking quizzes, and ultimately help raise a community of professionals that are engaged in getting ready for a future in which Translation fully incorporates the use of AI. The CTS team provides clear guidance and full support to help all users make the most of the tools provided by Microsoft Teams and the technological tools used in the course.

All registered participants receive a course attendance CPD certificate at the end of the course, and those that complete the final suggested assessment receive a course completion certificate.

How to apply

To book your place on the course, please follow the below instructions:

Complete the registration form
One of our team will be in touch with details about how to make online payment via the Surrey Online Store.
Make payment to confirm your place

Please note, places on this course are limited and we will be offering places on a first come first serve basis.

If you have any questions or would like further information please do not hesitate to contact us. cts_inquiries@surrey.ac.uk