The Department of Translation Studies at the University of Jaffna hosted a three-day workshop on Machine Translation and Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) Tools from 10^th to 12^th March 2025. The workshop was led by Mr.Chamila Liyanage, a Research Assistant,School of Computing at the University of Colombo

The primary objective of this workshop was to equip students with a comprehensive understanding of machine translation, CAT tools and their practical applications within the professional translation landscape. Each day of the workshop comprised two sessions: the first session ran from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, followed by a second session from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. The final day concluded at 12:00 PM.

 Day 1 : Introduction to Machine Translation and CAT Tools (10^th March 2025)

The first day commenced with a presentation by the guest lecturer, covering topics such as computer encoding and decoding, fonts, language systems in computers and Unicode. This session enabled students to understand the technical aspects of digital text representation. In the afternoon, the focus shifted to an introduction to machine translation and CAT tools, highlighting their significance within the translation industry and providing an overview of various CAT tools employed by professional translators.

 Day 2 : Practical Applications of OmegaT (11^th March 2025)

The second day concentrated on the practical applications of translation tools. In the afternoon session, students were introduced to the OmegaT CAT tool and engaged in hands-on translation exercises. Under the guidance of the guest lecturer, participants learned how to utilise OmegaT for translation memory, file uploads and optimising their workflow for efficient translations. This session allowed students to apply their theoretical knowledge to real-world translation tasks, enhancing their practical skills.

 Day 3 : Introduction to MateCat and Additional Resources (12^th March 2025)

On the final day, practical training continued with students working on the MateCat CAT tool. During the morning session, students participated in translation exercises using MateCat, gaining valuable experience with its features. Towards the end of the session, the lecturer introduced various online resources for proofreading, spell-checking, glossary creation and thesaurus usage, providing students with essential tools for refining their translations.

 Overall, the workshop successfully blended theoretical knowledge with hands-on experience, significantly enhancing students’ understanding of modern translation technologies. The practical training sessions with OmegaT and MateCat equipped students with the critical skills necessary for professional translation work. The Department of Translation Studies wishes to extend its heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Chamila Liyanage for his invaluable insights and expertise, which greatly enriched the experience for all participants.