UCJAOPBK27 Localization in Translation

Faculty of Philosophy and Science in Opava
Winter 2025
Extent and Intensity
0/0/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. PhDr. Pavel Kolář, CSc. (seminar tutor)
doc. PhDr. Michaela Weiss, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
PhDr. Libor Práger, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Michaela Weiss, Ph.D.
Institute of Foreign Languages – Faculty of Philosophy and Science in Opava
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course focuses on the issues of localization and translation in the context of contemporary uses of artificial intelligence. While automated tools can now handle technical translations with high accuracy, space for human creativity remains primarily in the literary, essayistic, and artistic domains, where cultural context, poetics, humor, and aesthetic effects must be considered. The aim of the course is therefore to connect theoretical insights from localization with practical translation exercises focused on literary and culturally specific texts. Students will work both with texts that have never been translated into Czech (attempting a “first translation”) and with texts that exist in multiple Czech versions, which will allow for comparative analysis of human translations, students’ own work, and AI outputs.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
explain the basic principles of localization and its relation to translation,
critically evaluate AI translations and identify their strengths and weaknesses,
recognize and respond to linguistic and cultural differences in literary texts,
adapt translations for different target audiences (e.g., children, specialists, general readers),
reflect on and justify their own translation strategies and decisions.
Syllabus
  • The course consists of 8 weekly blocks. Each block includes a short theoretical introduction and a discussion of students’ translations of assigned texts. The texts are selected for their translational challenges and availability (texts selection may vary in individual semesters):
  • Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray (Preface)
  • Artemus Ward, A Comic Lecture
  • Coleridge, Kubla Khan
  • Whitters, písňový text (Everything She Ain't)
  • Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Mad Tea-Party)
  • Silverstein, Where the Sidewalk Ends (selected poems)
  • Emerson, Self-Reliance (introductory section)
  • Kipling, If—
  • Cooper, The Last of the Mohicans (opening)
  • Sui Sin Far, Mrs. Spring Fragrance (short story)
  • Joyce, Dubliners (Araby)
  • Cummings, anyone lived in a pretty how town
Literature
    required literature
  • Munday, Jeremy. Introducing Translation Studies: Theories and applications. info
    recommended literature
  • Náhradní obsah: Sanjun Sun, Kanglong Liu, and Riccardo Moratto (eds.). Translation Studies in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Teaching methods
Seminar
Assessment methods
The course ends with a written exam.
Written part (in-class): translation of an unseen short text + commentary on strategy.
Oral part: in-class presentation of two own translations and comparison with one AI or Czech translation.
Evaluation is based on translation quality, ability to critically reflect, and argumentation in defending translation choices.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is also listed under the following terms Winter 2021, Winter 2022, Winter 2023, Winter 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.slu.cz/course/fpf/winter2025/UCJAOPBK27