As a lecturer introducing students to computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools, I observed that beginners often face specific challenges when starting to use these tools. These mistakes, while common, can be avoided with a few tips and hands-on practice. Based on my teaching experience, here’s a breakdown of the most frequent errors and practical advice on how to avoid them.
1. Incorrectly Setting Up the Translation Memory (TM)
One common mistake is not properly configuring the translation memory at the start of a project. This can lead to misaligned segments or missing translations, affecting both quality and consistency.
How to Avoid It: Before starting, ensure that the TM is correctly set up. Double-check the source and target languages, and test a few segments to confirm that the TM is capturing translations accurately. Also, make it a habit to regularly update the TM to avoid losing translations.
2. Ignoring Project Terminology
CAT tools often provide terminology management features, but beginners may overlook these, leading to inconsistent terminology, especially in specialized fields.
How to Avoid It: Create a glossary or terminology database at the start of each project, adding key terms as soon as possible. If your CAT tool allows it, integrate this glossary so it can suggest correct terminology translations as you work.
3. Over-Reliance on Machine Translation (MT)
Some students tend to accept machine translation suggestions without verification, which can result in inaccurate or contextually inappropriate translations.
How to Avoid It: Use MT as a starting point, but always review each segment to adapt the translation to the specific context. Learn to recognize common errors in MT in your field to improve your corrections.
4. Misusing Tags
Tags are essential for maintaining the formatting of the target text, but incorrect use can cause formatting issues.
How to Avoid It: Familiarize yourself with tags and make sure to place them correctly in the translated text. Most CAT tools allow you to validate tags before finalizing the project, which helps avoid formatting errors in the final file.
5. Rushing to the Export Stage
Many beginners hurry to export the final file without performing a quality check, which can lead to unnoticed translation or formatting errors.
How to Avoid It: Before exporting, use the quality assurance features built into the CAT tool to check for inconsistencies, untranslated terms, or tag errors. A final manual review of the text is also essential to ensure optimal quality.
6. Forgetting to Enable Autosave
CAT tools often offer autosave options, but some users forget to enable these, which can result in lost work if a system issue occurs.
How to Avoid It: Enable autosave from the start and make it a habit to manually save files regularly, especially on longer projects. Consider backing up files to the cloud or an external drive for added security.
Thèse common mistakes can be easily avoided by following a few best practices. As a lecturer, I encourage my students to practice regularly with CAT tools to become familiar with their features and to develop these essential habits early on. Using CAT tools effectively requires attention to detail and a strong grasp of their functions—skills that develop with practice and experience.
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