The Impact of Using Memsource Termbase System on Developing Terminological Competence for Saudi Freelance Technical Translators

Abstract

The current qualitative study aimed at assessing the impact of using the Memsource termbase system on developing terminological competence for 10 Saudi freelance technical translators registered in the Saudi freelance platform Bahr and the two social media websites Twitter and Telegram. As Arabic specialized translations often contain inconsistent and inaccurate use of terminology, this study focused on developing terminological competence using the terminology tool. To assess the impact of the terminology tool on the participants’ terminological competence, the participants in this study were divided into two groups: one group was assisted with the terminology tool—referred to as tool-assisted—and the other was not—referred to as non-tool-assisted—. Both groups completed a translation task and an open-ended questionnaire. As developing terminological competence assists in dealing with terms effectively, the terminology tool used by the participants in this study allowed the participants to create their termbases before translating the assigned technical text. These termbases were then incorporated into the tool, and when the participants started translating the text, the tool suggested the previously translated terms. To analyze the obtained data, descriptive content analysis and thematic analysis were used: the former was used to analyze the translations, and the latter was used to analyze the questionnaires’ responses. The study concluded that the terminology tool assisted in developing the tool-assisted participants’ terminological competence regarding identifying terms, creating term bases, and managing terminology during the translation process.