Discoveries in the Making
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Can Machines Help Solve Canada’s Growing Translation Woes?
The demand for translation – particularly in countries like Canada which have a policy of official bilingualism – far exceeds the number of translators available to do the needed work. Can Computer-Aided Translation Technology (CATT), which operates much more cheaply and quickly than human translators, be used to help? Lynne Bowker, an Associate Professor with uOttawa’s School of Translation and Interpretation, is currently identifying the translation needs of different minority language communities across Canada with a view to determining which communities have needs that could be partially met by using CATT systems. She believes the key to effectively integrating CATT into translation services lies in managing user expectations and in finding the right kinds of texts – ones that play to the computer software’s strengths. Bowker is also exploring whether Anglophones and Francophones are equally receptive to machine translation, and whether translation is being sought to meet purely linguistic needs, or whether cultural issues come into play as well.
Lynne Bowker, Associate Professor, School of Translation and Interpretation
E-mail: lynne.bowker@uottawa.ca
Telephone: 613 562-5800 ext. 3059.
Available for interviews in both English and French.
