Merry Christmas & Happy 2025!

 Happy holidays!!!

Machine translation activity

1.   Read the text Please please - perfecting prospects for pleasure by Michael Haywood on the impact of Swiftenomics

2.   Pick up an idiom or a phrasal verb and translate it into your mother tongue using:

-An online corpus-based dictionary (e.g. Cambridge Dictionary or WordReference).

-An online corpus-driven dictionary (e.g. Linguee).

-2 or 3 machine translation systems (e.g. Google Translate, DeepL and/or Microsoft Translator).

-A generative AI chatbot (e.g. ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot)

3.   Compare different results, reflect on their suitability and discuss.

4.   Translate isolated words and isolated sentences into your mother tongue using different systems.

5.   Translate the whole source text into your mother tongue without punctuation marks using different systems.

6.   Translate the whole source text into your mother tongue with the correct punctuation using different systems.

7.   Try to pre-edit the source text in English and post-edit the source text in your mother tongue using the guidelines provided (see Editing guidelines below).

8.   Compare:

-The initial source text in English and the pre-edited source text in English.

-The initial target text in your mother tongue and the post-edited target text in your mother tongue.

9.   Reflect on the whole process and implications (including practical and ethical considerations) and discuss orally or write a report.

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Editing guidelines

1. Pre-editing guidelines:

-Lexical choice: Avoid lexical shifts in register; Avoid uncommon abbreviations; -Avoid unnecessary words; Be consistent (in the use of consistent terminology).

-Structure and style: Use short and simple sentences; Use complete sentences (without eliding or splitting information). Use parallel structures in related sentences (e.g., section headings, direct instructions); Use the active voice; Maintain a homogeneous style; Use simple verb tense forms (preferably the present or past simple); Avoid concatenated verbs.

-Referential elements: In the case of languages that reflect relationships between referent and pronominal forms through mechanisms such as gender and number agreement, the agreement may be lost. This particular kind of problem can usually be minimized by the use of simple sentences (for intratextual references). As regards extratextual references, in addition to all the references inherent to the nature of the documentation being translated – for example, specific legislation in documents of a legal nature – there are two types of references that need to be taken into account during the pre-editing phase: 1) those that address the reader, and 2) any cultural references the reader identifies with. From a stylistic point of view it is best to compose simple, short sentences and use a direct style with the active voice or passive sentences that include the agent and patient. This style is especially appropriate for instructive texts. Extratextual references to cultural aspects with which the reader of the source text particularly identifies are difficult to deal with generically. In many cases, pre-editing the text consists of making all the implicit information related to these cultural references as explicit as possible, keeping the global audience in mind.

2. Post-editing guidelines:

-Aim for grammatically, syntactically and semantically correct translation;

-Ensure that key terminology is correctly translated;

-Ensure that no information has been accidentally added or omitted;

-Edit any offensive, inappropriate or culturally unacceptable content;

-Use as much of the raw MT output as possible;

-Apply basic rules regarding spelling, punctuation and hyphenation;

-Ensure that formatting is correct.

Source: Adapted from Kenny, D. (2022). Machine translation for everyone: Empowering users in the age of artificial intelligence. Language Science Press.

Academic year 2024-25 - First session

Welcome to the academic year 2024-25. In this introductory session, you're required to carry out two production tasks.

1. Written expression. Write a story in pairs using as many of the following words as possible:

-Actually

-Career

-Despite

-Regardless of

-If she/he had only known

Swap your texts with another pair after 10 minutes and continue writing them until you have contributed to all the stories. Use your imagination and be creative!

2. Oral expression. Rank the following concepts according to your personal priorities in life:

-Family

-Friends

-Health

-Money

-Politics

-Romance

-Sex

-Sport

-Studies

-Work

Make a list individually and then compare it to other students' choices to reach a consensus and create a single list. Once you've finished, join another pair to follow the same process and come up with a single list you all agree with. Provide arguments for this pyramidal discussion until the entire class produces a consensual ranking.

Another fruitful language exchange is over

Thank you for participating in the second virtual language exchange between Limerick University (Ireland) and CETT Barcelona School of Tourism, Hospitality and Gastronomy (Spain)

Greetings from the students of the Bachelor's Degree in Digital Business and Tourism Innovation and the students of the Bachelor's Degree in Tourism!!!

Machine translation activity

1.    Write a composition in English on the topic you discarded for writing test 1 or 2. Alternatively, you can use your composition for writing test 1 or 2. Avoid using any extra aids.

2.    Look for 2 or 3 machine translation systems (e.g. Google Translate, DeepL and/or Microsoft Translator) and translate your composition into Spanish.

3.    Evaluate if the Spanish text makes sense and make a list of errors, classifying them into categories (and subcategories, if possible), e.g.:

-Focus on form vs meaning, i.e. fluency or well-formedness of the target text (e.g. errors in grammatical agreement, word order, collocation, punctuation, etc.) vs adequacy if the meaning of the target text is not consistent with that of the source text (including cultural references or register).

-Word order errors (incorrect word order at phrase or word level) / mistranslations (incorrectly translated word, wrong gender, number, or case) / omissions (words from the source text have been omitted from the target text) / additions (words not in the source text have been added in the target text.

4.    Try to fix problems in Spanish text following the post-editing guidelines.

5.    Translate the post-edited text in Spanish back into English using the same MT systems and compare this backtranslation with the first version in English to identify your own mistakes.

6.    Pre-edit your English texts correcting your own errors and following the pre-editing guidelines.

7.    Translate the pre-edited English texts into Spanish again using the same MT systems.

8.    Compare:

-The initial source text in English and the pre-edited source text in English.

-The initial target text in Spanish and the post-edited target text in Spanish.

9.    Reflect on the whole process and implications (including practical and ethical considerations) and discuss orally or write a report.

Research project. Stage 4

Now that you have described the product/service's features, examined customers' views, and analysed the main strengths and weaknesses (as well as the opportunities and threats, optionally), you must make specific improvement proposals based on your findings, to conclude. It is not necessary to tackle absolutely all the problems that derive from the analysis, but the most relevant ones should certainly be addressed.

Present your improvement plan in a structured way, reporting on the methodology you have followed, cross-referring to data from previous stages, and referencing your information sources. Your suggestions may draw on multiple perspectives, e.g. sustainable development goals and environmentally-friendly policies, quality standards, experience design, human resources and corporate social responsibility, revenue management, etc. 

These are some resources that may inspire you.

-5 ways to lead in an era of constant change:

https://www.ted.com/talks/jim_hemerling_5_ways_to_lead_in_an_era_of_constant_change?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

-Two reasons companies fail - and how to avoid them:

https://www.ted.com/talks/knut_haanaes_two_reasons_companies_fail_and_how_to_avoid_them?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

-Interactive risk assessment tool:

https://www.innotour.com/innovation-tools/interactive-risk-assessment-tool/

-Innovation checklists:

https://www.innotour.com/innovation-tools/innovation-checklists/

-Innovation ability test:

https://www.innotour.com/innovation-tools/innovation-ability-test/

You can provide your classmates with peer feedback by filling in this form: 

https://forms.gle/6ZtCRLZmyUGUjFDf6

Research project. Stage 3

SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, and it is an essential component of your project. The following links will help you to find out more about how to do it:

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_05.htm

http://esl-educate-school-learn.blogspot.com/2012/02/swot-analysis.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_6AVRGLXGA

The data you collected in the second stage will help to design this part of the project. The analysis can derive from customer reviews, opinions, or information from press articles, which will allow you to identify both internal aspects (strengths and weaknesses) and external aspects (opportunities and threats). Remember to mention your information sources.

It is mandatory to present an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses, while the opportunities and threats can be analysed optionally as well if you wish to aim at a higher qualification.

As in the previous stages, you can post the text on this blog.

Research project. Stage 2

Once you've chosen your product/service, you must find 80-100 customer reviews from one or several sources -preferably the more recent, the better. It is very important to discard irrelevant comments.

Next, you ought to represent the customer reviews through at least two graphs, one of which must necessarily be a line graph or a bar chart. The reasons underlying those opinions must be analysed statistically. You'll refer to these data in subsequent stages of your project and need to mention your information sources.

You should share your statistical analysis on this blog. Don't forget to use the specific vocabulary for describing graphs and charts you learned at the beginning of the academic period! You can also check this website: 

https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/skills/writing/advanced-c1-writing/describing-graph-trends-over-time

Research project. Stage 1

This project is an improvement plan based on a study of an existing tourist product or service that is close enough for you to investigate first-hand: a hotel, a theme park, a holiday package, etc. You must study the product, draw its real downsides and, using these downsides as a starting point, design an improvement plan. Continuous assessment students must carry it out in pairs, while final assessment students must do it individually.

The presentation must last 12 minutes if it's delivered by two students or 10 minutes in the case of individual presentations. It will be followed by a few questions from the panel of examiners, adding up to a total of 15 minutes. Visual support is compulsory and it can be PowerPoint, Prezi etc.

Given the nature of this final project, you should choose a product that isn't too successful, so this way designing an improvement plan will be easier and more realistic. You can check out http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ or similar websites and pick a product which, in sight of the users' opinions, shows a need for improvement. Take into account that you'll need to look for 80-100 customer reviews. You can also choose a product or service based on your own experience (e.g. a hotel where you work or have stayed). However, you can't analyse Port Aventura, Hotel W, Ryanair, Horta Maze, Carmel bunkers, Parc Güell or Tibidabo amusement park. Improvement plans for transport infrastructures aren't advisable either, since they're highly complex. Products shouldn't be repeated.

Post your product description on this blog, mentioning all the sources of information that you've used.

My elevator pitch

Follow these guidelines to work on your elevator pitches.

1. Use the following links to learn how to create and deliver an elevator pitch:

Tips: https://www.thebalancemoney.com/elevator-speech-examples-and-writing-tips-2061976

Tips & example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb0Yz_5ZYzI

2. Record and upload your own elevator pitch on Flipgrid using this link: https://flip.com/a9cdc100

3. Watch the videos recorded by your classmates and make constructive comments. Video record your comments and upload them on Flipgrid using the same link. You can follow these guidelines:

-Comment on your classmate´s communicative skills.

Is the message clear enough?

Is the content adequate? Why/why not?

Is fluency ok? Why/why not?

What is the speaker's attitude? And what about his/her body language?

-Comment on your classmate´s language skills.

Is the language limited or rather varied?

Identify and comment on at least 3-4 grammar / vocabulary / pronunciation inaccuracies.

-Make a general comment on a strong point and a suggestion for improvement.

What is the communication aspect you like the best?

What improvement suggestions would you make to enhance communication?

4. Watch the feedback provided by your classmates on your own videos. You can produce an enhanced version of your elevator pitch if you wish.

2023-24 Virtual language exchange Limerick-CETT

1. Guidelines:

As part of the spring semester 2023-2024 you can participate in a virtual exchange with business students from the University of Limerick (Ireland). The aims are the development of disciplinary, language, and cross-cultural skills.

To be paired up with a student from the University of Limerick, you will need to sign up by filling in your name and email address in this pairing document:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/15fcgqmlK4vNrN7usjkKd4UjS0ybkBZivBcJ_Mrmrkko/edit?usp=sharing.

You must contact your international partner to arrange the first online meeting. You can invite each other via Teams or through any other channel which is convenient to both of you.

In the first half of this virtual exchange, you will be asked to do a writing task in English related to job applications and you will have to send it to your international partner for peer review. At the same time, you will receive a similar document in Spanish which you will have to read and correct, providing brief written feedback at the end.

In the second half of the exchange you’ll be able to practice your interactive oral skills by talking with your partner about some suggested topics or any others of your choice.

2. Deadlines:

31 January- 7 February Limerick students sign up in the pairing document

7-14 February CETT students sign up in the pairing document

14 February- 22 March CETT students contact their Limerick partners and the exchange starts

22 March The exchange finishes

5 April Portfolio tasks are submitted and evaluation questionnaires are filled in

 3. The writing task:

The writing task will help you to prepare for a job interview. Imagine you are called for an interview for an internship at an Irish company, for instance one of the companies that you talked about with your Irish peer on your first meeting. Read the list of questions that you could be asked during this interview and answer them in English. The language should be formal, but also natural. Grammar has to be correct, and the use of tenses should be varied. There is no minimum or word limit. As your answers will be read and corrected by your international partner, an average of 4 to 5 lines on each question should be ok.

It would be impossible to prepare word for word answers to the typical questions an interviewer might ask. However, you should think about what the employer is likely to ask and why. This is the list of 10 typical questions that you need to reply to:

§ 1. Why did you choose to study your current course?

§ 2. What are you good at and what are you not so good at?

§ 3. What motivates you?

§ 4. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

§ 5. Describe a time when you worked with others in a team.

§ 6. Why do you want to work for us?

§ 7. Why do you think you are suitable for the position?

§ 8. What can you bring to the firm?

§ 9. What do you expect from your placement with us?

§10. You will be working in another country if you are offered a placement with our company. How do you think you would cope with this?

You will need to arrange a minimum of 4 online meetings with your international partners between February and March to discuss feedback and changes on the document. Please, be aware that the document should be sent well in advance of your meetings, allowing your partner enough time for corrections.

You need to find a time and a day that suits you both, and meet on Teams once a week for at least 40 minutes. You ought to video record at least one meeting, download your recordings, and store them in google drive sot that you can share them with your teachers.

4. Meetings should take place as follows:

-Week 1: 20 minutes in Spanish and 20 minutes in English. Introduce yourself (background, interests/hobbies, university studies and anything you would like to share with your peer) Talk about job possibilities in your country/area etc. In this session it is important that you ask your partner about the possibility of working in his or her region or country. Ask him/her if there are any companies where it would be good to work. You will need this information to be able to do your writing task, since you must send your partner your task (i.e. your answers to all the interview questions) 4 days before your second online meeting.

You can ask your international partner the following questions:

§ How is the job situation in Ireland?

§ What kind of industry is there?

§ Are there good tourism and hospitality companies where I could send my CV?

§ I am looking for internships, do you know of any company where they offer this kind of internships?

Important: Before you meet for the first time, prepare similar information about companies in Barcelona or in Spain with job opportunities for Irish business students.

-Week 2: 20 minutes in English and 20 minutes in Spanish. Talk about each other’s writing tasks providing and receiving feedback.

-Week 3: 20 minutes in Spanish and 20 minutes in English. Explain to each other how you used your feedback. You can also talk about cultural differences between Ireland and Spain or about any other topic both of you are interested in.

-Week 4: 20 minutes in English and 20 minutes in Spanish. You can talk about the suggested topics or any other topics you prefer. Time to say goodbye.

5. Suggested conversation topics for Weeks 3 and 4:

-Families and traditions

§ What is your family like? How many people are there in your family? Do you have siblings? Are they older or younger than you? Do you have grandparents? Where do they live?

§ Do you get along well with your family? Who do you get along with best? And who do you get along with worst? Why?

§ How often does your family get together? When do you all get together? What do you like to do?

§ Does your family have any important traditions? Which ones? Do you think it is important to maintain family traditions?

§ What are some typical traditions or festivals in your city? Is there any typical music or dance?

§ Are there any traditions from your country that you don't like? Which ones? Why?

§ Are you interested in learning about the cultures of other countries? What cultures do you find interesting or different? Why?

-Food

§ What kind of food do you like? Is there anything you don't like to eat?

§ Do you like cooking? What dishes do you like? What dishes are typical in your city?

§ Do you like to eat out or do you prefer to eat at home? Which restaurants do you like?

§ Do you prefer coffee or tea? Why? How often do you go out for a drink with your friends? Which are your favourite places?

§ Do you care about what you eat? Do you think eating habits are changing? For example, do you and your acquaintances consume organic food or avoid eating meat nowadays?

-Trips and holidays

§ What has been your best holiday? What would your ideal holiday be like?

§ What do you like or dislike about travelling? Why?

§ What kind of trips have you taken? What kind of tourism do you prefer?

§ Which geographical areas have you visited? Which is your favourite one? Why?

§ Have you visited or would you like to visit Spain? What Spanish tourist attractions do you know? What are the main tourist attractions in Ireland?

§ Who do you prefer to travel with? Why?

§ What type of accommodation/activities/tourist transport do you prefer? Why?

§ How do you feel about tourists visiting your country? What is the impact of tourism?

-Entertainment

§ What type of entertainment is your favourite? Why?

§ Do you like videogames? How often do you play them?

§ Do you watch or practice any sports? Which ones?

§ How much time do you spend a day on social networks? Which social networks do you use?

§ Have you seen any films or series from Spain? Which ones? Do you know any Spanish actors or actresses?

§ What kind of films and series do you prefer? Why? Can you recommend one? Which have been the last ones that you have seen? Did you like them?

§ Who are your favourite singers or bands? Have you been to any concert? What songs and singers would you recommend?

§ Do you listen to Spanish music? Do you know any Spanish singers, bands or djs?

§ Do you play a musical instrument? Which one would you like to play?

6. Assessment:

In order to receive 6% of your portfolio marks, you must provide evidence of online collaboration by taking a screenshot during your meetings. You should share with your teacher a link to one of your video recordings, which will be your oral portfolio task (3%). As for your written portfolio task (3%), you must send your teacher a brief report of your virtual language exchange, as well as the final document with your answers to the interview questions, including the comments and feedback from your international partner.

7. Feedback:

These are the aspects you can focus on:

§ Language use (grammar/vocabulary accuracy, range & adequacy)

§ Task achievement (efficient achievement of communicative purpose, content relevance & extent)

§ Topic development (structure, progression & coherence)

You can provide your partner with feedback by commenting on these aspects and writing down at least a strength and a weakness you identified in his or her document or speech.

Enjoy your virtual language exchange!