Advancements in Translation Technology and Translation Training Process: A Survey on the Italian Students’ Perception of CAT Tools

The following thesis project focuses on the usage of computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools. Precisely, it involves the analysis of relevant data collected from a survey conducted among recently graduated students and students in Italian universities. The survey includes both multiple-choice and open-ended questions with two of the latter based on the “free-association” method. Respondents were prompted with the Italian terms “software di traduzione assistita” and “memoria di traduzione”, and their responses involved associating between two and five names and/or adjectives. The paper begins by providing a brief overview of certain translation technologies and their functionalities within the present-day translation industry, with particular emphasis on machine translation (MT) systems and CAT tools. Furthermore, it delves into the historical development of these translation tools, exploring current innovations and seeking to understand their differences and similarities, thereby enabling their optimal usage. In this respect, the paper analyses some of the CAT tools, classifying them as either desktop-based or cloud-based CAT tools, then it examines three CAT tools’ core components: translation memory (TM), terminology management systems and quality assurance (QA) tools. Once a comprehensive understanding of CAT tools is established, the paper addresses the impact that CAT tools and MT systems have had on the translation training process. It explores how the integration of CAT tools and MT systems has influenced the learning objectives and curriculum of translation training programs, necessitating the acquisition of additional technological skills alongside language proficiency and translation abilities.