Basis and Methods of Localisation. Translation of Computer Products and Video Games

Study the history and evolution of localisation with a focus on the current market dynamics, profiling key stakeholders, subsector peculiarities, product characteristics and challenges across software, web, and video games!

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CIVIS focus area
Digital and Technological transformation
Open to
  • Bachelor's
  • Master's
Field of studies
  • Computer Science and IT
  • Engineering & Technology
  • Social Science and humanities
Tipo
  • Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP)
Course dates
7 October - 8 November 2024

The programme of the project “Basis and Methods of Localisation. Translation of Computer Products and Video Games” is a university course which brings together society, culture, translation, multilingualism and digital tools in order to create common European university spaces where translation and knowledge transfer are present in a transversal way to the acquisition of communication and digital skills.

This project is an international partnership between the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM, Spain), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB, Belgium), Aix-Marseille Université (AMU, France) and the Hassan II University of Casablanca (UH2C, Morocco). Our goal is to promote and establish a plural, civic and democratic university, where professors and students find a university space for the exchange of opinions and the transfer of knowledge, through a transnational and transdisciplinary study programme.

The objective of this course is the panoramic study of the history of localisation and its evolution perspectives, paying special attention to the current configuration of the localisation market and studying the main profiles of the agents involved (clients and intermediaries, suppliers, standardisation bodies, etc.). The peculiarities of the subsectors that make up this market (software, web and video games) are analysed and defined, emphasising their points of convergence and divergence (in the personal, domestic, professional, business, industrial or institutional spheres), and characterising the products that are localised (operational, informative, educational, recreational, etc.) and the difficulties involved in doing so (technical, intercultural, linguistic, commercial, legal, etc.). The types of localisation projects are studied, as well as the strategies commonly adopted, the procedures and common practices, and the tools and technologies that are usually used (both generic computer-assisted and machine translation tools and specific tools for localisation projects). This course is part of the subject “Bases and Methods of Localisation” (3 ECTS) of the Interuniversity Master in Audiovisual Translation and Localisation UAM_UCM (60 ECTS) (https://sites.google.com/site/mastertravloc/?authuser=0) of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, in Spain, a pioneering master in its field whose philosophy lies in innovative ways of learning and teaching, learning based on the translatological expertise of the audiovisual and IT market, where artificial intelligence is present in challenge-based approaches in order to address societal challenges.

Our aim is to consolidate the study of localisation, knowing its main ramifications and analysing the points of intersection between them and the main peculiarities of each one, related to translation and artificial intelligence. Students will learn about the types of localisation projects and their workflows, as well as the strategies, procedures and tools commonly used in the localisation of different types of software (desktop applications, apps for mobile devices, etc.), websites and web content (both static and dynamic), and video games for different platforms (consoles, personal computers, etc.).

Main topics addressed

The contents of the training will be:

1. Introduction to localisation in the context of translation work.

2. The GILT process: Globalisation, Internationalisation, Localisation, Translation.

3. The localisation industry:

3.1 Types of localisable products: websites and web content, software, apps, video games. Examples applied to each type of product.

3.2 Workflow and professional profiles involved.

4. Cultural, linguistic and technical conventions in the localisation process. Practical cases of sampling and recognition of localisation errors.

Learning outcomes

By following the course students will:

  • Examine the current configuration of the localisation market.
  • Learn the main profiles of the agents involved in localisation (clients, intermediaries, suppliers, standardisation bodies, etc.).
  • Learn how to analyse the translation market using the GILT process.
  • Identify localised products (operational, informative, educational, recreational, etc.).
  • Discern the difficulties involved in localisation (technical, intercultural, linguistic, commercial, legal, etc.).
  • Learn the strategies commonly adopted, procedures and tools used in localisation projects, within the framework of the translation of computer products and video games.
  • Recognise localisation errors.

Among the learning outcomes, during the physical component, students will learn to examine the current configuration of the localisation market, know the main profiles of the agents involved in localisation, know how to analyse the translation market using the GILT process and identify localised products.

In the case of the virtual component, the learning outcomes to be achieved by the students are related to discern the difficulties involved in localisation (technical, intercultural, linguistic, commercial, legal, etc.), know the strategies commonly adopted, procedures and tools used in localisation projects, within the framework of the translation of computer products and video games and recognise localisation errors.

Dates: 7 October 2024 - 8 November 2024 Total workload: 75 hours
Format: Blended ECTS: 3*
Location: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco Campus, Madrid, Spain Language: English (B2), Spanish (B1), French (B1)

Contacts: aranzazu.gil@uam.es, joseramon.trujillo@uam.es,

 irene.atalaya@uam.es

  

*Recognition of ECTS depends on your home university.

Physical mobility

The physical mobility part will be running from 4 to 8 November 2024 in Madrid, Spain (Cantoblanco Campus, Autonomous University of Madrid), from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m (CET).

During these 5 days, the course will consist of several seminar sessions, lectures, round tables, an evaluation test and a translation activity and cultural immersion. In these sessions, specialists in the localisation of websites, software, apps and video games will meet to discuss current translation issues in the localisation market, present their own experiences and talk to students about real problems in the market of globalisation and internationalisation.

For more information, please see the attached timetable.

Virtual part

In general, the activities and proposed timetable of the training merged as follows, but can be modified according to the programme and timetable of the project:

1. Group tutoring: 4h (of which 3h in mobility)

2. Classes: 12h

3. Seminars: 12 h in mobility

4. Conferences: 4 hours in mobility

5. Individual student work: 36h (of which 14h in mobility)

6. Assessment session: 2h (assessment test)

7. Translation activity and cultural immersion: 5h

The virtual part will be running from 7 to 28 October 2024. More specifically, the program of the virtual part consists of 6 online meetings, as follows:

  • Monday 07/10/24 (from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. CET): Introduction to localisation in the context of translation work.
  • Wednesday 09/10/24 (from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. CET) and Monday 14/10/24 (from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.): The GILT Process: Globalisation, Internationalisation, Localisation, Translation.
  • Monday 21/10/24 (from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. CET) and Wednesday 23/10/24 (from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.): The localisation industry: IT products.
  • Monday 28/10/24 (from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. CET): The localisation industry: video games.

Requirements

This course is open to Bachelor's and Master's students at CIVIS member universities, with an academic background and an interest in the following fields of study: Computer Science and IT, Engineering & Technology, Social Science and humanities, Translation, Localisation of computer products and video games.

A B2 level in English, B1 in French and B1 in Spanish is required to enable students to follow the course and read the reference bibliography.

The class sessions given by Dr. Gil et Dr. Atalaya will be taught in Spanish and English and the seminars and conferences given by Dr. Matis, Dr. Voskaki, Dr. Pantazara and Dr. El Imadi in English and French. Knowledge of Spanish and English will be desirable in order to be able to interact with the members of the university community of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and the citizens of the city of Madrid (services, transport, accommodation, restaurants, etc.).

Skills such as: Critical analysis, Market insight, Stakeholder management, Subsector expertise, Cultural sensitivity, Problem-solving, Technical proficiency, Strategic planning, Multidisciplinary approach are also required. 

NB: Visiting Students - Erasmus Funding Eligibility

To be eligible for your selected CIVIS programme, you must be a fully enrolled student at your CIVIS home university at the time you will be undertaking the programme. Click here to learn more about the eligibility criteria.

This course is also open to students with the same academic profile, who are enrolled at a CIVIS’ strategic partner universities . Please check here, if you can apply and this particular course is open to applications from your university. Successful applicants will be nominated for an Erasmus+ grant covering travel and subsistence costs during their stay. Erasmus+ grant rules apply. Applicants should be willing to extend their stay at the host university for 1-3 weeks for additional research and/or training purposes.

Application process

Send your application by filling in the online application form by 28 April 2024. Don't forget to also include:

  • CV

  • Motivation Letter

  • Level of language (according to CEFR)

Applications will be evaluated based on: CV, level of English (B2), French (B1) and Spanish level (B1) of academic achievement and suitability of academic background.

Apply now

Assessment

- The teaching staff involved will follow the activities in theory-practice sessions, which will consist of readings, reflections, applications, practical exercises of the theory according to the methodology and approaches proposed and knowledge test.

- Each professor will supervise the activities corresponding to his/her session and they will be shared in a final continuous assessment.

- In addition, at the end of the course, each student will be asked to complete an assessment test covering the content studied in the BIP course. The questions will be multiple choice, short answer and essay (in-depth reflection of the theories and concepts studied).

Blended Intensive Programme

This CIVIS course is a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP): a new format of Erasmus+ mobility which combines online teaching with a short trip to another campus to learn alongside students and professors across Europe. Click here to learn more about CIVIS BIPs.

GDPR Consent

The CIVIS alliance and its member universities will treat the information you provide with respect. Please refer to our privacy policy for more information on our privacy practices. By applying to this course, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with these terms

  • Dr. Aránzazu Gil Casadomet is Assistant Professor of French language and linguistics at the Department of French Philology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Spain. Her teaching areas are French language and linguistics, computational and corpus linguistics and computer product localization. She develops her research works in French linguistics, argumentative semantics, applied linguistics, lexicography, computational linguistics, corpus linguistics and teaching-learning of the FLE and the FOS. She teaches on the degrees in Modern Languages, Culture and Communication and Translation and Interpreting at the UAM, and on the Master's Degree in international francophone studies (UAM), in Audiovisual Translation and Localisation UAM-UCM and in Intercultural Communication, Interpreting and Translation in the Public Services (UAH).
  • Dr. José Ramón Trujillo is a Associate Professor at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain, translator and writer. He has been Associate Professor of Translation at the Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio for fifteen years, and visiting professor at the Université Renes 2. His preferred lines of work are literary translation and its reception, editing and Digital Humanities, narrative from the Middle Ages to the Baroque, as well as discourse analysis and postediting. He has participated in eleven research projects and has also worked on two translational industrial projects on the development of technologies for the quality and traceability of localisation (L10n) and translation, and on MT feedback learning with translation memories. He is deputy director of the Master's Degree in Publishing at the UAM and coordinator of the Master's Degree in Audiovisual Translation and Localisation UAM-UCM.
  • With a degree in Translation and Interpreting from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and a PhD from the Universitat de Barcelona, Dr. Irene Atalaya has been attached to the Department of French Philology at the UAM since 2020. Her academic training in translation led her to do a Master's degree in Literary Translation and Cultural Transfers at the Université Aix-Marseille. Later, she was an FPI pre-doctoral researcher at the University of Barcelona, where she completed her thesis entitled Traducción y creación en la obra de Teodoro Llorente. She is part of the working group of the research project FFI2015-63748-P MINECO-FEDER Portal de Historia de la Traducción en España at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra and collaborates with the research groups Literatura, Imagen y Traducción at the University of Cádiz and DICLES. Discourse, Culture, Language, Teaching and Society at the University of Zaragoza. Her scientific activity is mainly focused on poetic translation and author-translators of the 19th and 20th centuries. As for her teaching activity, she has taught at the University of Barcelona, the University of Cadiz and the University of Zaragoza. She is currently a Assistant Professor on the degrees in Translation and Interpreting and Modern Languages, Culture and Communication, and on the Master's Degree in Audiovisual Translation and Localisation UAM-UCM. at the UAM.
  • Nancy Matis, with over 20 years in translation, works in various roles and now manages her own company in Belgium, focusing on localisation, project management, consulting, and training. She collaborates with a team of project managers, freelancers, and partners globally. Additionally, she teaches translation project management and e-content localisation at universities in France, Belgium (Université Libre de Bruxelles - ULB), and beyond. Matis has authored articles and been involved in European projects, contributing to training materials for translators and project managers. Her book on translation project management, initially in French, is now available in English, showcasing her expertise in the field.
  • Dr. Eleni Tziafa is Associate Professor at the Department of French Language and Literature, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. She holds a PhD in Translation and Computational Linguistics from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Her research interests focus on translation, technology and education, machine or computer-assisted translation, corpus linguistics and its applications in lexicography, natural language processing, critical discourse analysis, language teaching and technology. Her recent research focuses on the use of tools and methods of corpus linguistics in issues related to translation, discourse analysis and language learning, audio-visual translation, and the training of translators via new technologies.
  • Dr. Rania Voskaki is Assistant Professor at the Department of French Language and Literature, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. She holds a PhD in Computational Linguistics from the Marne-la-Vallée University in Paris. Her research interests focus on applied linguistics, computer-assisted language learning, corpus linguistics and computational linguistics.
  • Dr. Mavina Pantazara Mavina Pantazara teaches translation and new technologies (French-Greek) at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She is a graduate in Philology with a major in Linguistics (NKUA), and she holds a BA, an MA and a PhD in Sciences of Language (University of Paris 8, France). Her main research interests and publications focus on the contrastive study of French-Greek, computational linguistics, lexicography, terminology and translation. She has participated in national and European R&D projects as a junior researcher (Institute for Language and Speech Processing) and as a senior researcher (Neurolingo Language technology company), in natural language processing (NLP), in the design and encoding of general and specialised language resources and tools (i.e. text corpora, ontologies, computational lexicons, proofing tools), as well as in the design, compilation and editing of printed and electronic dictionaries for human users, and the design of educational material for teaching Greek as a foreign language.
  • Dr. Imane El Imadi is a Professor of English at Hassan II University in Casablanca, where her primary research endeavors revolve around the intersection of education and technology. Her scholarly focus encompasses diverse areas, including virtual exchange, English for specific purposes, discourse analysis, and media studies. With a notable track record, she has contributed articles to various esteemed journals and actively participated in academic conferences both within Morocco and on the international stage. Currently, her research extends to cutting-edge topics such as distance learning, hybrid devices, comodal devices, flipped classes, collaborative platforms, serious games, mobile learning, digital learning, and the metaverse. This comprehensive exploration underscores her commitment to staying at the forefront of advancements in educational technology.

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