Translating the Environment: A Comparative Analysis of Monolingual Corpora and Corpus-Based Resources, their Usability and their Effectiveness in Improving Translation Students’ Comprehension and Usage of Specialized Terminology in the Field of the Environment

Abstract

Corpora and corpus-based resources have received much attention with regard to translator training, terminology, and specialized resource development. With a specialized monolingual corpus and a specialized online dictionary, the DiCoEnviro, we sought to provide insight into the usability and effectiveness of both types of resources in improving translation students’ comprehension and usage of specialized terminology in the field of the environment.

We assessed a specialized corpus and the DiCoEnviro through three lenses adapted from the usability framework proposed by Nielsen (2001): effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. We used data ( screen recordings, questionnaires, translation exercises) collected from six translation students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs at the University of Ottawa School of Translation and Interpretation (UO-STI).

Through quantitative and qualitative data analysis, we provide insight into the usability of both types of resources and into the prospective application of these findings in translator training programs and the development of specialized resources.