Webquests in translator tools learning: a case study
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abstract
Today's students will be tomorrow's professionals and it is in the classroom context that everything begins. As such, and in accordance with the Bologna process, we have changed the shift to the students' empowerment in the light of the social
constructivist approach designed by Don Kirally (2000) where authentic and interactive learning happens through a reassessment
ofteacher's and student's roles in the classroom. Webquests, as proposed by Bernie Dodge (1995) correspond to a clearly student-centered methodology and are based on
the Internet research, where almost every resource can be used in arder to back up a set of didactic learning tasks.
This paper is the result of a case-study where we tried to assess the degree of usage and of self-learning regarding different
tools which support the translation process. As such the following tools were used to collect our data:
l) A questionnaire in order to characterize the group (Translation master students) and assess their knowledge of
Translation Technologies.
2) Observation grid regarding the three performed Webquests.
a) Tools and resources for Translation (Thematic portais, Search engines, webpages, glossaries, dictionaries, grammars,
encyclopaedias and digital terminological databases), materialized through a collaborative mind map and a single electronic
submission;
b) Computer Assisted Translation Tools (SDL TRADOS, OmegaT, Déjà Vu, Wordfast, WordFisher, MetaTexis, STAR Transit,
MultiTrans, etc.), the presentation of CAT tools to colleagues is the main objective as a result of learning based on the
recommended tutorials.
c) Machine Translation tools (Apertium, Google, PowerTranslator, Systran, Reverso), being the main goal to assess the
reflection this kind oftools have on the work ofthe translator through a discussion forum.
3) Questionnaire to assess the degree of usage of the tools and the result of learning about the tools.
After analysing the data it was suggested that the social constructivist approach applied to a particular environment and
task and, especially to this set of tools, can have a useful and measurable result for future translators.
