Faculty of Translation And Interpreting
Course Syllabus
2015-2016 Academic Year
Case study: Languages and Technology (21511) Degree programme: ​
Degree in Applied Languages
Year in the programme: ​
Second
Term: ​
Second
Number of ECTS credits: ​
4
Hours of student dedication to the course: ​
100
Course type: ​
Required
Plenary session teacher: ​
Juan María Garrido Almiñana
Language of instruction:​
Catalan
1. Course presentation
The goal of the course is to introduce students to language technologies and their applications, one
of the most challenging applied uses of knowledge in the coming years. It aims to give an overview
of the current offer of language-related applications, both for the general public and for
professionals, and of the linguistic technologies underlying these applications.
It is intended that students achieve the following objectives, from the study of a number of specific
areas where language technology is currently used:
1. Applied knowledge of the main types of linguistic applications currently available, both in
terms of functionalities and of possible scenarios of use.
2. General knowledge of the text and speech technologies behind these applications.
3. The development of a capacity for critical reasoning on the relationship between
languages ​
and technology:
● Knowledge of the main areas of contact between languages ​
and technology
● Knowledge of the advantages and disadvantages of using language technologies
today, both for the general public and for language professionals
4. Recognition of the development of language technologies as a possible way of
specialization and professional opportunities in the field of applied languages.
2. Competences to be attained
Competences
G.2. Analysis of scenarios and resolution of
problems
Learning Results
●
●
●
To identify the linguistic needs of the
analysed groups of people
To evaluate the linguistics applications
available at the market for these groups
To choose the best applications, specifying
the decision criteria
G.3. Critical reasoning
●
●
G.4. Search of documentation and sources of
information
G.6. Computer skills
●
G.13. Ability to work individually and as a team
●
●
●
G.14. Ability to work in international and
interdisciplinary contexts
●
●
●
G.17. Application of knowledge into practice
●
G.20. Ability for autonomous and continuous
learning
E.5. Expertise in one or more subject areas
●
●
To be able of evaluating in a critical way the
existing applications
To be able of express ideas in a critical way
about the relations between languages and
new technologies
To be able of searching the necessary
information to solve the proposed cases
To know the software using text and speech
processing technologies available at the
market
To be able of working in teams to solve the
proposed cases, by selecting the relevant
information, evaluating the studied
applications, making decisions and preparing
a report together
To be able of preparing individually a
summary-memorandum of the course, by
choosing and organising the most relevant
information learned during the course, and
making a critical comment
To know the international market of
applications using linguistic technologies
To know the needs of linguistic technology
of some groups of people
To have a general view of the
interdisciplinary process of developing
linguistic applications
To be able of using computational tools
including linguistic technology
To be able of learning in an autonomous
way by solving the proposed cases
Critical knowledge of the main types of
linguistic applications currently available and
of the linguistic technologies behind them
3. Course contents
1. Introduction: languages and ICT
The relationship between language and technology. Language, technology and user needs.
Applications using linguistic technology. The background of the applications: language
technologies. Text technology and speech technology. Applications based on language
technology as an emerging market. Application developers and language technology: companies
and research centres. Application development and language technology as a career.
2. Language Technologies in everyday life
Case 1: Linguistic needs of the general public
Language needs of individual users: writing, reading, communication in other languages,
human-machine communication. Available technologies. Evaluation of existing systems.
Technology behind these applications.
Case 2: Linguistic needs of companies
Language needs of companies: market analysis, branding, multilingual communication, customer
care. Available technologies: information search systems, telephone services, public information
systems. Evaluation of existing systems. Technology behind these applications.
Case 3: ​
Aid to disabled
Needs of users with language disabilities. Technological solutions to improve communication for
people with disabilities. Evaluation of the current offer. Technology behind these applications.
3. Linguistic Technologies and language professionals
Case 1. ​
Translation
Professional translation: translation of literary texts; translation of manuals, technical literature
and other texts; software localization. The agents of the translation: freelancers and translation
companies. Technological solutions for the translation: computer-assisted translation; automatic
translation. Assessment of current technological offer.
Case 2. ​
Language teaching
Language teaching today: classroom teaching and self-learning; L1 and L2 teaching. Technology
and language teaching: computer-assisted instruction. The current offer.
Case 3. ​
Speech and Language Therapy
Language and speech therapy. Linguistic stages of therapy: diagnosis and rehabilitation.
Professionals involved: speech therapists, doctors, teachers. Applications to support the
rehabilitation of speech and language. Available applications. Advantages and disadvantages.
4. Languages and Technology: present and future
4.1.The present of language applications and Technologies
Language applications today: Advantages and shortcomings. Possible areas for improvement.
Current Linguistic technologies. Role of language professionals in the development of language
technologies and applications.
4.2. Linguistic Technologies in the future
The future of linguistic applications: new needs and new technologies. Some examples: new
information systems; new language tools; linguistic technologies for leisure. The evolution of
technology in the future: challenges and problems. Linguistics and new technological challenges.
4. Evaluation and reassessment
The final grade of the course will be the result of:
●
●
The grades obtained in the activities about the studied cases carried out during the seminars
(report writing and oral presentation), which will be carried out individually or in groups;
every student or group will have to work in two different activities related to the studied
cases along the course.
The grade of the final report on the contents of the course, which will be prepared
individually from the guidelines proposed by the teacher, and which will be submitted at the
end of the teaching period.
Reassessment
Evaluation
Evaluation
activities
(competences
evaluated)
Report activity 1
Percentage
of the final
mark
20%
It can be
made up
10%
It cannot
be made
up
20%
It can be
made up
10%
It cannot
be made
up
40%
It can be
made up
(G.2, G.3, G.4, G.6,
G.13, G.14, G.17,
G.20, E.5)
Oral presentation
activity 1
(G.2, G.3, G.4, G.6,
G.13, G.14, G.17,
G.20, E.5)
Report activity 2
(G.2, G.3, G.4, G.6,
G.13, G.14, G.17,
G.20, E.5)
Oral presentation
activity 2
(G.2, G.3, G.4, G.6,
G.13, G.14, G.17,
G.20, E.5)
Final report
It can /
cannot
be made
up
(G.2, G.3, G.4, G.6,
G.13, G.14, G.17,
G.20, E.5)
Percentage
of the final
mark
How is it
made
up?
20%
Rewriting
the report
20%
Rewriting
the report
40%
Rewriting
the report
Requisites
and
observations
5. Methodology: training activities
The course is based on the study of specific cases, but does not follow the methodology of
problem-based learning (PBL), as it was the case in previous courses. Several specific situations in
which language technology plays an important role, both from everyday life and language-related
professional activity, will be presented, and several activities related to them will be carried out. The
goal it that students build their own critical overview on of the current role of technology in the
activities related to language from the study of these cases.
●
●
‘Large group’ classes (15 hours): presentation/analysis of different cases or situations that
will allow students to work in an autonomous way in the proposed activities.
Seminars (10 hours): students will work on solving activities, gathering the necessary
information and making inquiries to the teacher; oral presentations of the activities will also
be made.
Students must complete their dedication to the subject with a number of working hours (about 75)
out of these sessions, which should be devoted to the resolution of the proposed cases, preparation
of presentations and drafting the final report.
6. Basic course bibliography
Basic
●
●
●
●
●
ANANIADOU, S. – McNAUGHT, J. – THOMPSON, J. (2012) ​
The English Language in the Digital
Age​
,
Meta-Net
White
Paper
Series,
Springer.
http://www.meta-net.eu/whitepapers/e-book/english.pdf
BEL, N. (2003) "Noves tecnologies i llengua", Llengua i ús. Revista tècnica de política lingüística
23:
55-63.
http://www6.gencat.cat/llengcat/liu/26_138.pdfhttp://www6.gencat.cat/llengcat/liu/26_138.pdf
LLISTERRI, J. (2003). Lingüística y tecnologías del lenguaje. Lynx. Panorámica de Estudios
Lingüísticos,
2,
9-71.
http://liceu.uab.cat/~joaquim/publicacions/Llisterri_03_Linguistica_Tecnologias_Lenguaje.pdf
MELERO, M. – BADIA, T. – MORENO, A. (2012) ​
La lengua española en la era digital​
, Meta-Net
White Paper Series, Springer. ​
http://www.meta-net.eu/whitepapers/e-book/spanish.pdf
MORENO, A. – BEL, N. – REVILLA, E. – GARCIA, E. – VALLVERDÚ, S. (2012) ​
La llengua catalana
a
l’era
digital​
,
White
Paper
Series,
Springer.
http://www.meta-net.eu/whitepapers/e-book/catalan.pdf
Complementary
●
BOLEDA, G., CUADROS, M., ESPAÑA-BONET, C., PADRÓ, L. L., MELERO, M., QUIXAL, M.,
ET AL. ​
(2009). El català i les tecnologies de la llengua. Llengua, Societat i Comunicació. Revista
de
Sociolingüística
de
la
Universitat
de
Barcelona,
7,
20-26.
http://www.raco.cat/index.php/LSC/article/view/138271 ●
LLISTERRI, J. (2007)​
. “El español y las nuevas tecnologías”. In M. Lacorte (Ed.),
Lingüística aplicada del español​
. Madrid: Arco/Libros, pp. 483-520. ●
MARTÍ, M.A. (2003) "Las tecnologías de la lengua y la sociedad de la información", in
MARTÍ, M.A. (Coord.) ​
Tecnologías del lenguaje​
. Barcelona: Editorial UOC (Manuales,
Humanidades). pp. 9-29. ●
MARTÍ, M. A. - LLISTERRI, J. (2001)​
. L'enginyeria lingüística en la societat de la
informació.
Digit-HVM,
​
3​
.
Retrieved
February
15,
2010,
from
http://www.uoc.es/humfil/digithum/digithum3/catala/Art_Llisterri_Marti/index.htm ●
VOSSEN, P. (2001) "Oportunitats per a l'enginyeria lingüística", ​
Digit-HVM, Revista
Digital
d'Humanitats
(Universitat
Oberta
de
Catalunya)
3.
http://www.uoc.edu/humfil/articles/cat/vossen/vossen.html