13 Best Translation Courses Online Available

Language translation is a sought-after skill in our world today; various companies, agencies, and embassies are on the lookout for translators. Well, if you wish to take your translation career up a notch, and earn big from it, then these free translation courses online are what you need.

Notwithstanding, after thorough research, I have curated some of the best translation courses online from top universities and colleges in this blog post.

Most noteworthy, most of the free translation courses online here are free; however, if you wish to get a certificate upon completion, you will have to pay a little token to get it.

Also, it is worth noting that these free translation courses online were compiled from top universities and colleges around the world.

So, relax! Rest assured that you are getting the best.

Also, these free online translation courses are suitable for beginners, intermediates, and advanced learners.

Additionally, we will take a look at a brief overview of the free translation courses online and their stats, which make them suitable for you.

Lastly, we are not ranking these courses in any other way. As I said earlier, they were selected from the best institutions and colleges to give you a wide variety. So let’s begin!

Best Translation Courses Online 2023.

Below are some of the best translation courses available online in 2023.

• Working with Translation: Theory and Practice [Cardiff University via FutureLearn Help]
• Translation in Practice [Coursera]
• Molecular Biology, Part 3: RNA Processing and Translation [Massachusetts Institute of Technology via edX]
• Translation quality management [Tomsk State University via Coursera]
• Machine Translation [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology via Coursera]
• 计算机辅助翻译原理与实践 Principles and Practice of Computer-Aided Translation [Peking University via Coursera]
• Speaking Of: Machine Translation and Natural Language Processing (NLP) [Amazon and Amazon Web Services via Independent Help]
• An Unloved Story: Lost In Translation [Open Learning]
• SAP Translation Hub in a Nutshell [via OpenSap]
• 计算机辅助翻译原理与实践 | Principles and Practice of Computer-Aided Translation [Peking University via edX]
• Machine Translation in Python [via Datacamp]
• Building Customized Translation Systems with Azure Cognitive Services Translator Text [via Pluralsight]
• Modern Indian Writing in Translation.

However, below is a brief overview of the free translation courses online and their stats, which make them suitable for you.

#1. Working with Translation: Theory and Practice [Cardiff University via FutureLearn Help]

This is one of the interesting free translation courses offered online by the University of Cardiff and also hosted on the FutureLearn platform.

Do you wish to communicate in multiple languages? Then this course is ideal for you.

Translation is one of the most fundamental human activities, allowing us to interact with one another within and across cultures.

Particularly based on the research and experience of experts from Cardiff University and the University of Namibia on this course, you will discover a wealth of practical advice and insight into the nature of translation in an increasingly multilingual world.

However, you will explore translation in a global context and see translation in the healthcare and judicial systems, and in music, manga, video games, and historical novels.

You can even discover your own “in-house translator” in the process!

This course is aimed at anyone interested in languages and translation.

This course is totally free; however, if you wish to get the certificate upon completion, you will pay $79.

Key Ups

• Free Online Course (Audit)
• $79.00 Certificate Available
• 4 weeks long, 4 hours a week
• Self Paced.

#2. Translation in Practice [Coursera]

This course offers basic but valuable techniques a good translator uses when translating from English to Chinese.

In this course, however, we will discuss what translation is, what a good translation is, and how to produce good translations.

Also, all examples used in this course were taken from the instructor’s translations of various genres and writing topics.

Moreso, these examples are designed to show how to understand the writer’s idea, style, and tone, the historical and cultural context of writing, as well as the explicit and implicit meanings of words, the grammatical structures of sentences, and the logic of sentences and paragraphs to achieve fidelity, expressiveness, and elegance in translation.

Most noteworthy, after completing this course, you will know what makes a qualified professional translator and acquire the abilities and skills that such a translator needs.

FREE!

Key Ups

• Free Online Course (Audit)
• Paid Certificate Available
• 6 weeks long, 23 hours worth of material
• 24th May 2023.
• Beginner Level.

#3. Molecular Biology, Part 3: RNA Processing and Translation [Massachusetts Institute of Technology via edX]

Are you ready to go beyond the “what” of scientific information presented in textbooks and explore how scientists deduce the details of these molecular models? Then this course is ideal for you.

In Part 3 of 7.28x, you will explore the translation of mRNA into protein, a fundamental part of the core dogma of biology. You will know how RNA rotation or RNA splicing affects the translation result; although they are not official stages of the central dogma, RNA processing mechanisms strongly influence gene expression.

Take a behind-the-scenes look at modern molecular biology, from classic experimental events that identified proteins and elements involved in RNA translation and splicing to next-generation tests that apply the power of genome sequencing.

Are you confident in designing molecular biology experiments and interpreting your data? We designed the assessments in this course to develop your data analysis and experimental design skills.

Additionally, you will explore the limits of your current knowledge of the translation machine and the mechanisms of RNA splicing and rotation.

If you’re up to the challenge, join us on 7.28.3x Molecular Biology: RNA Processing and Translation.

This course is totally free; however, if you wish to get the certificate upon completion, you will pay $99.

Key Facts

• Free Online Course (Audit)
• $99.00 Certificate Available
• 8 weeks long, 4–8 hours a week
• Advanced
• Self Paced.

#4. Translation quality management [Tomsk State University via Coursera]

This course is based on the Plex corporate education program. Since 2014, it has helped train dozens of translation and localization quality managers. We want to share this knowledge and experience with the entire translation industry community.

Professional translation is a complex process that often involves the collaboration of several people.

However, the course will show you how to build this process correctly: analyze content, determine requirements and risks, select suitable jobs and suppliers, and assess translation quality.

Also, you will know why user manuals should not be translated like promotional or legal documents.

Additionally, you will see why each content type requires a special translation approach, and you will learn how to prioritize quality blocks during project planning.

Lastly, this course will also teach you how to select translators and editors based on content analysis so your projects are always on budget and on time.

Along with theoretical knowledge, you will also gain skills that can be applied to your job immediately.

Quizzes accompany all lectures to help you understand the topics, and each module includes a practical exercise based on a real-world situation.

The objective of the course is to present the experience of Palex in the area of localization and translation, packaging the corporate training program in an online format.

Benefits of the course

• Free Online Course (Audit)
• Paid Certificate Available
• 5 weeks long, 12 hours worth of material
• Beginner
• It starts on May 17, 2023.

#5. Machine Translation [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology via Coursera]

Welcome to the CLICS-Machine Translation MOOC

Particularly, this MOOC explains the basic principles of machine translation. Machine translation is the process of translating from one natural language to another. Therefore, these algorithms can help people communicate in different languages. These algorithms are used in common applications, from Google Translate to applications on your mobile device.

Most noteworthy, after taking this course, you will be able to understand the main difficulties of natural language translation and the principles of different approaches to machine translation.

The main focus of the course will be state-of-the-art neural machine translation technology that uses deep learning methods to model the translation process. You can decide which concepts best fit your machine translation application.

Prof. Dr. Alexander Waibel teaches this course.

Course Benefits

• Free Online Course (Audit)
• Paid Certificate Available
• 7 weeks long, 27 hours worth of material
• Intermediate
• Starts May 17, 2023.

#6. 计算机辅助翻译原理与实践 Principles and Practice of Computer-Aided Translation [Peking University via Coursera]

The modern language service industry requires practitioners to have the ability to use computers and networks to use various technical aids to help them work instead of just learning a few narrowly defined computer-assisted translation software programs.

However, this course mainly teaches the basic concepts of computer-assisted translation technology, teaches the use of various computer-assisted translation tools, exercises students’ ability to engage in translation work and other language services in a technical environment, and helps students understand language services in information age jobs.

The course fully covers the basic introduction of modern language services, the basic concepts of translation technology, the information environment and information technology of the language service project implementation process, how to use electronic dictionaries, network resources, and corpus tools to assist translation work, narrow and broad computer-aided translation tools Principles, actual combat exercises, quality assessment of translated content, multi-person collaborative translation projects, translation management, etc.

As a compulsory course for translation majors, this course is suitable for language majors. Studying the course will help learners understand the modern language service industry, enhance their skills in the use of various computer-assisted translation tools, and improve the efficiency of various language services, including translation.

This course is one of the “Beijing University-DeTao Open Online Courses” and is jointly provided by Peking University and DeTao Education.

This course is also funded and supported by the “Language Ability Collaborative Innovation Program.”

Key Ups

• Free Online Course (Audit)
• Paid Certificate Available
• 14 weeks long, 35 hours worth of material
• Intermediate
• 3 May 2023

#7. Speaking Of: Machine Translation and Natural Language Processing (NLP)

This is also one of the interesting free translation courses offered online by Amazon and Amazon Web Services via Independent

These courses explore how machines interact with human language. We’ll cover AWS services that help you with neural networks and natural language processing topics, such as automatic speech recognition, fluent and natural language translation, and perceptions and relationships in a text.

Key Facts

• Free Online Course
• 1-2 hours worth of material
• Self Paced.

#8. An Unloved Story: Lost In Translation [Via Open Learning]

Louis Holder’s An Unloved Story: Lost In Translation is a self-written study of the elaborate connection between the two main films and how they explore the same feelings and are on the same page in how they share the same ideas.

One of the central themes of this study, which film critics and academics have also identified, is that there is a greater meaning behind the film: that each film is a personal statement from its respective director to the other in relation to love, marriage, confusion, and loss.

However, this mini-course largely explores the real meaning behind filmmaking through the films’ central and shared sense of isolation, with the characters feeling “trapped,” emotionally and in reality, in a different place—their home, not a stranger to them.

Take the course for FREE!

Benefits of the course

• Free Online Course
• 14 weeks long.
• Self Placed.

#9. SAP Translation Hub in a Nutshell [via OpenSap]

In today’s world, successful applications must target a global audience. And this global audience expects the software to speak their language. But developing user interfaces in multiple languages can be expensive and complicated.

However, with SAP Translation Hub, you can take advantage of SAP translation expertise in multiple products and languages to make the translation process more efficient.

Also, during the development phase, SAP Translation Hub can propose suggestions for short texts. You can use the SAP Translation Hub to translate texts into more than 39 languages for a real translation.

In this course, you will also learn to prepare texts for translation in different development environments, translate texts, and incorporate translations in development environments.

Totally FREE!

Course Stats

• Free Online Course
• 4 weeks long, 2 hours a week
• Self Paced.

#10. 计算机辅助翻译原理与实践 | Principles and Practice of Computer-Aided Translation [Peking University via edX]

This course is suitable for graduate students specializing in Translation and Interpreting, undergraduate students specializing in a foreign language, translators, and language enthusiasts.

Also, those working in the modern language services industry should be able to use computers and the Internet to help with their translation work, adapting a variety of efficient tools rather than simply using word processing tools and various basic computer-assisted translation programs.

However, this course teaches the basics of computer-assisted translation technology, helps students learn to use various computer-assisted translation tools, and enhances their ability to participate in various types of language services in such a technical environment. It also helps them understand what the modern language services industry looks like.

Additionally, this course covers an introduction to the modern language services industry, the basic principles and concepts of translation technology, the information technology used in the language translation process, and how to use electronic dictionaries, Internet resources, and translation tools. The corpus is the practice of different computers. Computer-assisted translation tools, translation quality assessment, machine translation basics, globalization, localization, etc.

Furthermore, this is a compulsory course for students majoring in Translation and Interpreting; this course is also suitable for students with or without a language major background.

Lastly, by learning this course, students can better understand the modern language service industry and improve their work efficiency to deliver better translation services.

This course is not FREE! It is a Paid Course

Key Ups

• Paid Course
• 4 weeks long
• Self Paced
• Intermediate Level
• Chinese

#11. Machine Translation in Python [via Datacamp]

Are you curious about the inner workings of the models that are behind products like Google Translate? Then this course is for you.

The need to pack a bilingual dictionary for your European vacation or have one on your desk for foreign language homework is a thing of the past. Just go online and use a language translation service to quickly understand what the street sign means or find out how to greet and thank a foreigner in your language.

Behind language translation services are complex machine translation models. Have you ever wondered how these models work?

Notwithstanding, this course will allow you to explore the inner workings of a machine translation model. You will use Keras, a powerful Python-based deep learning library, to implement a translation model.

Then, you will train the model to translate from French to English, and you will see techniques to improve it. By the end of this course, you will have developed a deep understanding of machine translation models and will appreciate them even more.

Benefits

• Free Trial Available
• Certificate Available
• 4 hours’ worth of material
• Self Paced

#12. Building Customized Translation Systems with Azure Cognitive Services Translator Text [via Pluralsight]

Do you need to develop a language translator for your industry? This course will teach you how to create a custom translator with Azure Cognitive Services Translator Text to suit your industry-specific vocabulary and expressions.

Contrarily, the language-ready translations provided by Azure Cognitive Services may not be accurate enough for some specialized domains or industries.

However, in this course, you will create custom translation systems with Azure Cognitive Services Translator text and learn how to improve these translations.

Firstly, you will explore the use cases for standard and custom translators. Next, you will find out how to create a custom translator project on the portal.

Finally, you will learn how to use your personalized translation service in your applications.

Additionally, completing this course will give you the skills and knowledge of Azure Cognitive Services necessary to improve language translations for domain-specific projects.

Benefits of the course

• Free Trial Available
• Certificate Available
• 1-2 hours worth of material
• Self Paced

#13. Modern Indian Writing in Translation.

It is often argued that the best Indian literature can be found in the various Indian languages.

However, this course offers a selection of important modern Indian literary works produced in regional languages by writers ranging from Tagore to Salma in English translation.

Also, these impressive works offer literary snapshots of modern Indian stories, folklore, and social structures, such as class and gender, and the aspirations and struggles of men and women who have lived and are living in various Indian spaces throughout the country.

Most noteworthy, the course offers a miniature “salad bowl” (Ashis Nandy) of translated Indian literary works that illustrate the complexities of Indian identities and encourages students to investigate concepts such as modernism, regionalism, contemporary, and representations of history, class, and culture. Gender in modern Indian writing Translation.

Lastly, this course will teach you the multifaceted nature of cultural identities in various Indian literatures through indigenous literary traditions.

Key Benefits

• Free Online Course
• Paid Certificate Available
• 12 weeks long
• 18th January 2023

Conclusion

In this blog post, I have carefully listed some of the free translation courses online available in 2023 for you to have a wide variety of courses to choose from.

As I said earlier, top universities and colleges worldwide have compiled these free online translation courses.

Most noteworthy, most of the free translation courses online here are free; however, if you wish to get a certificate upon completion, you will have to pay a little token to get it.

Also, these free online translation courses are suitable for beginners, intermediates, and advanced learners.

So what are you waiting for? Select any of the courses and start learning! Cheers!

I hope this information was helpful to you, and I wish you a happy learning experience. Enjoy!!!! Please, drop a comment in the comment session to tell us how you feel about the list and some questions as well. I look forward to hearing from you.

Lastly, visit our website to find more courses, and share this article with your friends if you find it useful.

FAQS

What are the best free online translation courses available?

Several excellent free online translation courses can help you improve your skills. Some popular options include Coursera’s “Translation in Practice,” offered by Cardiff University, edX’s “Professional Certificate in Translation and Localization,” offered by the University of Maryland; and FutureLearn’s “Introduction to Translation,” provided by the University of Geneva.

Are these free translation courses suitable for beginners?

Yes, many of the free online translation courses cater to beginners and offer comprehensive introductions to the field of translation. They are designed to accommodate learners with little to no prior experience and gradually progress toward more advanced topics.

What languages are covered in these free translation courses?

The language coverage varies depending on the course provider and the specific course content. However, free online translation courses can be found for widely spoken languages like English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Arabic, German, and many others.

How long do these free translation courses typically last?

The duration of free online translation courses can vary significantly. Some courses may be as short as a few weeks, while others may extend to several months. The time commitment depends on the course’s depth, the number of modules, and your learning pace. Always review the course syllabus to determine the expected duration.