420004 SE Approaches to Quality in Translation (2026S)

Quality is a major theme in translation studies and is closely intertwined with a number of key aspects, such as translator competence, professionalism, training, and reception. Nevertheless, a clear definition and proven methods for the evaluation of translation and interpreting services are still lacking. With the rapidly advancing automation of various forms of translation and interpreting, the topic of evaluation has become particularly relevant, not least with regard to the parity of human and machine performance. This seminar therefore includes a thorough examination of the concepts of quality and evaluation from various theoretical perspectives as well as the critical exploration and testing of a range of assessment approaches, from various forms of error analysis to holistic and analytical criteria-based evaluation and to automated metrics from the field of machine translation. Seminar participants will examine selected evaluation methods with regard to their theoretical foundations and empirical application.