It is important to realise that human translation is difficult and diverse, and that automation is needed not only by end users, but also by translators and Interpreters. Also, automation itself comes in many forms. After briefly describing computer tools for translators, we will concentrate on the linguistic and computer approaches to the automation of translation proper. This survey will yield an array of criteria for categorizing existing CAT systems, with brief examples of the state of the art. Finally, we present perspectives of future research, development, and dissemination.

The first part of this article explains which methodological issues need to be examined in order to establish and transcribe a large corpus of texts written by pupils, along with their school context. The second part of the article states the various lines of epistemological questioning which led to a second research project, i.e. questions about how to define types of school writing as well as a corpus and context, and about the necessary links between those three elements. A variety of software programs was used to analyse corpora which were not in conformity with orthographical and stylistical standards. Such a use seems possible, joined with qualitative analysis.

The digitalization of spoken language corpora opens large perspectives for linguistics. However, the archiving and the exploitation of these spoken corpora raise new ethical and legal problems that the scientific community must take into account. This article presents the results of an interdisciplinary working group which wrote a Guide of good practices for the constitution, the exploitation, the archiving and the diffusion of spoken language corpora.