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Translation Technology Training in Saudi Arabia: Aligning BA Programmes with Industry Requirements / Abdelalah Alsolami

Swansea University Author: Abdelalah Alsolami

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DOI (Published version): 10.23889/SUthesis.70841

Abstract

The modern translation industry is characterised by rapid evolution of technologies, the growth of collaborative projects and an expansion in the roles of translators. The Saudi Vision 2030 calls for a transition to a knowledge-based economy and the elevation of the higher education sector to global...

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Published: Swansea 2025
Institution: Swansea University
Degree level: Doctoral
Degree name: Ph.D
Supervisor: Fernández-Parra, María ; Yang, Jun
URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70841
first_indexed 2025-11-05T11:41:45Z
last_indexed 2025-11-07T05:10:42Z
id cronfa70841
recordtype RisThesis
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This thesis provides recommendations to improve BA programmes in Saudi Arabia by aligning them with the technology-related requirements of the translation industry and aims to fill a literature gap around industry needs and translators&#x2019; technological competence. The first to incorporate all BA programmes responsible for preparing future translators, this research comprises three studies with different stakeholder groups (translators, employers, programme directors, and trainers), along with three research questions serving one overarching research question and was carried out with a mixed-methods design. Industry requirements (RQ1) were determined through the perspectives of translators and employers, who agreed on the importance of five competencies: Machine Translation (MT), Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) tools, terminology, multimedia and desktop publishing (DTP), adding the growing influence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI). Google Translate and Microsoft Translator were rated as most important, along with eight CAT tools, with Trados Studio and memoQ the most frequently used. Translators&#x2019; technological competence (RQ2) was found to lie from early to advanced conscious competence on Howell&#x2019;s (1982) model. Saudi BA programmes (RQ3) do not currently align with the requirements identified in RQ1. Challenges are evident in translation technology integration, lab infrastructure, trainer expertise, curriculum variations, teaching strategies, and industry involvement. To improve these programmes, a Translation Accreditation Council (TAC) should be established to facilitate industry-academia partnerships and encourage accreditation through standardisation based on best practices. Universities must invest in infrastructure to equip labs, gain access to tools, and improve off-campus access via cloud-based integration. 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spelling 2025-11-05T11:59:48.5286931 v2 70841 2025-11-05 Translation Technology Training in Saudi Arabia: Aligning BA Programmes with Industry Requirements 285e1dae2179d1b0112897933fc5bd8a Abdelalah Alsolami Abdelalah Alsolami true false 2025-11-05 CACS The modern translation industry is characterised by rapid evolution of technologies, the growth of collaborative projects and an expansion in the roles of translators. The Saudi Vision 2030 calls for a transition to a knowledge-based economy and the elevation of the higher education sector to global rankings. This thesis provides recommendations to improve BA programmes in Saudi Arabia by aligning them with the technology-related requirements of the translation industry and aims to fill a literature gap around industry needs and translators’ technological competence. The first to incorporate all BA programmes responsible for preparing future translators, this research comprises three studies with different stakeholder groups (translators, employers, programme directors, and trainers), along with three research questions serving one overarching research question and was carried out with a mixed-methods design. Industry requirements (RQ1) were determined through the perspectives of translators and employers, who agreed on the importance of five competencies: Machine Translation (MT), Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) tools, terminology, multimedia and desktop publishing (DTP), adding the growing influence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI). Google Translate and Microsoft Translator were rated as most important, along with eight CAT tools, with Trados Studio and memoQ the most frequently used. Translators’ technological competence (RQ2) was found to lie from early to advanced conscious competence on Howell’s (1982) model. Saudi BA programmes (RQ3) do not currently align with the requirements identified in RQ1. Challenges are evident in translation technology integration, lab infrastructure, trainer expertise, curriculum variations, teaching strategies, and industry involvement. To improve these programmes, a Translation Accreditation Council (TAC) should be established to facilitate industry-academia partnerships and encourage accreditation through standardisation based on best practices. Universities must invest in infrastructure to equip labs, gain access to tools, and improve off-campus access via cloud-based integration. This should also incorporate a move to student-centred teaching strategies (e.g., Simulated Translation Bureaus) to expose students to real-world working experiences. E-Thesis Swansea Translation Technology, Translator Training, Curriculum Development, Competence, Continuous Professional Development 30 10 2025 2025-10-30 10.23889/SUthesis.70841 ORCiD identifier: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-0366-326X COLLEGE NANME Culture and Communications School COLLEGE CODE CACS Swansea University Fernández-Parra, María ; Yang, Jun Doctoral Ph.D University of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia University of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 2025-11-05T11:59:48.5286931 2025-11-05T11:36:53.4567143 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences School of Culture and Communication - Modern Languages, Translation, and Interpreting Abdelalah Alsolami 1 70841__35556__9bcc6222b6e14d90b123e1b26fad0f13.pdf Alsolami_Abdelalah_PhD_Thesis_Final_Cronfa.pdf 2025-11-05T11:55:44.7263896 Output 4668527 application/pdf E-Thesis – open access true Copyright: The Author, Abdelalah Alsolami, 2025. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial No–Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) License. Third party content is excluded for use under the license terms. true eng https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/deed.en
title Translation Technology Training in Saudi Arabia: Aligning BA Programmes with Industry Requirements
spellingShingle Translation Technology Training in Saudi Arabia: Aligning BA Programmes with Industry Requirements
Abdelalah Alsolami
title_short Translation Technology Training in Saudi Arabia: Aligning BA Programmes with Industry Requirements
title_full Translation Technology Training in Saudi Arabia: Aligning BA Programmes with Industry Requirements
title_fullStr Translation Technology Training in Saudi Arabia: Aligning BA Programmes with Industry Requirements
title_full_unstemmed Translation Technology Training in Saudi Arabia: Aligning BA Programmes with Industry Requirements
title_sort Translation Technology Training in Saudi Arabia: Aligning BA Programmes with Industry Requirements
author_id_str_mv 285e1dae2179d1b0112897933fc5bd8a
author_id_fullname_str_mv 285e1dae2179d1b0112897933fc5bd8a_***_Abdelalah Alsolami
author Abdelalah Alsolami
author2 Abdelalah Alsolami
format E-Thesis
publishDate 2025
institution Swansea University
doi_str_mv 10.23889/SUthesis.70841
college_str Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
department_str School of Culture and Communication - Modern Languages, Translation, and Interpreting{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Culture and Communication - Modern Languages, Translation, and Interpreting
document_store_str 1
active_str 0
description The modern translation industry is characterised by rapid evolution of technologies, the growth of collaborative projects and an expansion in the roles of translators. The Saudi Vision 2030 calls for a transition to a knowledge-based economy and the elevation of the higher education sector to global rankings. This thesis provides recommendations to improve BA programmes in Saudi Arabia by aligning them with the technology-related requirements of the translation industry and aims to fill a literature gap around industry needs and translators’ technological competence. The first to incorporate all BA programmes responsible for preparing future translators, this research comprises three studies with different stakeholder groups (translators, employers, programme directors, and trainers), along with three research questions serving one overarching research question and was carried out with a mixed-methods design. Industry requirements (RQ1) were determined through the perspectives of translators and employers, who agreed on the importance of five competencies: Machine Translation (MT), Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) tools, terminology, multimedia and desktop publishing (DTP), adding the growing influence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI). Google Translate and Microsoft Translator were rated as most important, along with eight CAT tools, with Trados Studio and memoQ the most frequently used. Translators’ technological competence (RQ2) was found to lie from early to advanced conscious competence on Howell’s (1982) model. Saudi BA programmes (RQ3) do not currently align with the requirements identified in RQ1. Challenges are evident in translation technology integration, lab infrastructure, trainer expertise, curriculum variations, teaching strategies, and industry involvement. To improve these programmes, a Translation Accreditation Council (TAC) should be established to facilitate industry-academia partnerships and encourage accreditation through standardisation based on best practices. Universities must invest in infrastructure to equip labs, gain access to tools, and improve off-campus access via cloud-based integration. This should also incorporate a move to student-centred teaching strategies (e.g., Simulated Translation Bureaus) to expose students to real-world working experiences.
published_date 2025-10-30T05:31:06Z
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score 11.453587

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