Trainee translators´ use of digital technologies: An exploratory-descriptive study based on key-logging

ESTRELLA, PAULA

Nueva ReCIT. Revista del Área de Traductología

Facultad de Lenguas

Lugar: Córdoba ; Año: 2022

his paper presents an exploratory-descriptive study that investigates the patterns in the user activity during translation evaluations with free digital technologies such as online resources, a CAT tool and a word processor. The study bases its analyses on a combination of qualitative and quantitative data collected by key-logging in a natural learning context. These were random samples made from evaluations in technical translation of undergraduate students. A wide range of data including keyboard logs, mouse logs, time used, no-key activity and screenshots was analysed. The findings demonstrate that all participants fulfilled the translation evaluations by carrying out the basic functions of a free CAT tool within which we considered the source text loading, the translation of segments, the tag management, the glossary usage, the dictionary usage, and the target text generation. Most of the trainee translators reproduced the visual aspect of the source text in the target text. The a