Skip to main content
Next-Gen. Now.
The Campaign for Concordia
Concordia University Concordia celebrates 50 years!
Concordia University Concordia celebrates 50 years!

Jean Monnet Chair

Jean Monnet Chair

Courants contemporains / Contemporary Trends in Translation Studies

FTRA 601/FTRA 539

Offered as FTRA 603/553 “Translation and Socio-Political Contexts” in 2022 and 2023

Département d'études françaises — Translation Studies sector

Academic Year 2020–21 | Winter (remote online) | Mondays 5:45 p.m.

Important!
Students should ensure they have good Internet access. The decision on whether or not to activate one's webcam during class discussion is left to the discretion of the student. We remind students that it is strictly forbidden and against Concordia University's Code of Conduct to circulate the course content (Word, PDF, PowerPoint, evaluations, etc.) on websites that host or share teaching documents, university papers, etc.

Keep abreast of your university dates, deadlines, responsibilities and services:

General course description

Winter 2021 Graduate Calendar: concordia.ca/academics/graduate/calendar/current.html

This graduate seminar course, in English, explores some of the contemporary research trends in translation studies, with a special focus on multilingual, minoritized, migrant, European, and technology contexts. The translation practices and conceptual research frameworks of these contexts, in light of their social and political situations and histories, allow us to rethink translational linguistic and cultural transfer in all their complexity.

Specific course description and objectives

The translation studies discipline is interdisciplinary by default. With historical roots in linguistics during the first half of the twentieth century, and since gaining disciplinary autonomy in the 1980s and 1990s, it has engaged with concepts, methods, and methodologies from many disciplines and areas of study: comparative literature, cultural studies, anthropology, sociology, communication and media studies, history, psychology, philosophy, political science, cognitive science, neurolinguistics, economics, systems science, education, and computer science, to name some of the most salient ones. All of these disciplinary approaches have provided new insights into translation as a focal point and object of inquiry. Fundamentally, translation is a unique mode of communication. For its practice, it requires not only expert knowledge of source and target languages and cultures; it also entails subject area competence, general knowledge of the world, and training in specific processes that enable a translator to sift through his or her repository of knowledge in an efficient way, in order to produce a translation able to clearly communicate the message, context, and intention of a source text to different target audiences.

In this course you will explore some of the important dynamics that influence and guide the emergence, production, circulation, and reception of translation in linguistically diverse environments, including those of minoritized languages-cultures. For decades, linguists have been alerting the general public to the accelerated pace of language loss, with half the world's nearly 7,000 languages heading toward extinction in the 21st century. A number of factors contribute to language (in)stability: economics; warfare; geopolitics; sociocultural and linguistic traditions and habits; migration; demographics; and political and institutional ideologies. At the same time, linguistic-cultural identities are neither permanently fixed or static; nor do they occur in a vacuum. They acquire their forms within fluid communicative environments that change in relation to their many “moving parts” and social, political dynamics. In our rapidly transforming contemporary world, the parameters that induce change are many: globalization, social inequalities, economic and climatic unsustainability, political governance, technological automation and artificial intelligence. To understand them critically is to begin to re-envision future directions of our human historical trajectory As a vital mode of communication across geographical and digital boundaries, and rich in the experience of negotiating difference, translation will continue to have a serious role to play.

More specifically, in this course you will learn to:

  • Identify certain characteristics of complex heterogeneous, plurilingual, and minoritized spaces of discourse and translation;
  • Examine some of the contemporary concepts and methodological approaches used to investigate, analyze, interpret, and understand translation in relation to social and political dynamics, power, and institutional structures;
  • Consider the effects of important external factors on translation, such as migration, globalization, contemporary technologies, among others;
  • Historicize and contextualize specific minority translation scenarios;
  • Identify the concrete ways in which the European Union (EU) implements its multilingual policies and strategies of translation as a means to encourage representative and participatory democracy transnationally;
  • Analyze the multi-faceted roles of translation and translation studies research in the contemporary global context.

Pedagogical assessment and evaluation

Class procedures

Pre-recorded segments will be posted a week in advance, before the next class. The recorded segments will be approximately 20 minutes long and will highlight the main points to take into consideration for your weekly readings. They will be posted on our Moodle class site. Ensure you watch or listen to them before you begin your readings!

Readings comprise selected articles and book chapters. They are posted and accessible through links in our class Moodle site from the outset of the course. You will find details in the weekly portions of the site and in this syllabus. Please note that this course assumes a significant amount of reading. [RR] means “recommended” reading that could be useful as further references and consulted for the final research paper.

Comments on the weekly Moodle discussion forum should be posted at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled class time. Each week you are responsible for posting at least one substantive, informed comment for discussion on the readings. There are many angles from which to consider the reading content. We will bring your comments into the class discussion.

Class discussions at our scheduled class time will be synchronous and not recorded. They constitute an important space for articulating, clarifying, and critiquing ideas. This activity is also most helpful for working through the ideas you may want to use for your final research papers. The discussion period will likely run about 45 minutes on the scheduled class days.

Grading criteria

Combined pre-recorded segment listening + class comments and discussions (40%)

  • Constitutes 40/100 points of final grade
  • Based on a total of 10 out of 13 weeks
  • Weekly calculation based on 4 points
  • Breakdown of 4 points:
    • 4=excellent
    • 3=good
    • 2=satisfactory
    • 1=unsatisfactory

Final research paper (60%)

  • Constitutes 60/100 points of final grade
  • Based on quality and respect of protocol (see below)
  • Breakdown of assessment categories:
    • "Excellent": originality; information highly relevant to the questions posed; highly critical and analytical; superior and judicious use of citations and supporting evidence
    • "Very Good/Good": clear argument and presentation; information generally relevant to the questions posed; good level of critical and analytical engagement with texts; very good use of citations and supporting evidence
    • "Satisfactory": spotty argument and presentation; information tends to be irrelevant to the questions posed; critical analysis is generally missing or faulty in logic; citations not always properly done and sources ambiguous
    • "Unsatisfactory": lack of coherent argument and presentation; information tends to be illogical and/or irrelevant; no or little critical analysis; improper use of citations


Final grade calculation (100%)

  • Calculated on the basis of 100 points = 100%
  • Breakdown of grading categories:
    • Excellent = A+ = 100-95 // A = 94-90
    • Very Good = A- = 89-85 // B+ = 84-80
    • Good = B = 79-75 // B- = 74-71
    • Satisfactory = C+ = 70-67 // C = 66-64
    • Unsatisfactory = C- = 63-60 // D+ = 59-57

Protocol for final research papers

  • You will need to reserve a 15-minute one-on-one individual meeting with me *by the end of March* to discuss your final research paper topic and method before you begin writing.
  • Papers may be submitted in English, or in French.
  • Please follow the Chicago Manual of Style 17th edition (EN) or TTR style guide (FR).
  • Papers should be a minimum of 20 pages in length, with an additional number of pages appropriate for your bibliography.
  • Use the standard default Calibri font set at 11. Include a cover page that states your name, student ID number, and title.
  • Critical tip! Good, clear, precise writing is a skill that is valued highly for professional work of all types in today's job market. Writing a paper requires adequate time for conceptualization and preparation. Think about the research topic you want to explore or the research question you want to address. It is helpful to map out in advance the points you wish to make. State at the outset how you will proceed, and define important terms and concepts. Synthesize and reference others to support or critique your statements.
  • Take care to reference and cite properly. Any and all passages that are plagiarized will be reported to the Department Chair, and the paper will receive an automatic failure. There is no need to resort to plagiarism. Our objective is to enhance the analytical, critical and writing skills you will need for future professional or academic work, so that you will feel confident in your own work. That purpose is defeated if you simply copy-­paste someone else's words. See me in advance if you need assistance or guidance.
  • You do not have to translate any English or French quotes you include in the paper.
  • Papers are graded according to quality of argument, clarity of expression, proper use of terminology and concepts, and adequate, acceptable citation.

Detailed course content

  1. Admin procedures, syllabus review, intro; bibliographic and reference sources
  2. Preliminary discussion: Translation studies-what does the discipline study? ‘Translation' as the focus and object of inquiry. How is a translation research question conceptualized and articulated? Description and/or analysis? Empirical translation studies. Research trends, approaches, and methods. Impact of technologies.
  3. Readings to prepare for next week's session 2:
    1. Maialen Marin-Lacarta, “Research Methodologies, Translation”, 479-484, Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies, Third Edition, edited by Mona Baker and Gabriela Saldanha (Routledge, 2020)
    2. Michael Cronin, “Minority”, 334-338, Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies, Third Edition, edited by Mona Baker and Gabriela Saldanha (Routledge, 2020)
    3. Brian James Baer, “Nations and nation-building”, 361-365, Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies, Third Edition, edited by Mona Baker and Gabriela Saldanha (Routledge, 2020)
    4. Reine Meylaerts and Theo du Plessis, “Multilingualism studies and translation studies”, 263-286, Border Crossings-Translation Studies and other disciplines, edited by Yves Gambier and Luc van Doorslaer (John Benjamins, 2016)

  1. Discussions on prepared weekly readings: Thinking beyond the homogeneous narratives of nations - linguistic, cultural heterogeneity and human diversity. Complexity and diversity: What are the implications for our social and political structures in society? How can / should we conceptualize and practice different forms of “translation”?
  2. Readings to prepare for next week's session 3:
    1. Emily Skop and Wei Li, “Ethnicity”, 1016-1019, Encyclopedia of Geography, edited by Barney Warf (SAGE Publications 2010)
    2. Lyle Campbell and Kenneth L. Rehg, “Introduction: Endangered Languages”, 1-19, The Oxford Handbook of Endangered Languages, edited by Kenneth L. Rehg and Lyle Campbell (Oxford University Press, 2018)
    3. Tove Skutnabb-Kangas, Andrea Bear Nicholas, and Jon Reyhner, “Linguistic Human Rights and Language Revitalization in the USA and Canada”, 181-199, Indigenous Language Revitalization in the Americas, edited by Serafin M. Coronel-Molina and Teresa L. McCarty (Routledge, 2016)
    4. Linda Tuhiwai Smith, “Getting the Story Right, Telling the Story Well: Indigenous Activism, Indigenous Research”, 343-358, Decolonizing Methodologies - Research and Indigenous Peoples, Second Edition (Zed Books 2012)
  3. Recommended readings [RR]:
    1. [RR] Nala H. Lee and John R. Van Way, “Assessing Degrees of Language Endangerment”, 48-65, The Oxford Handbook of Endangered Languages, edited by Kenneth L. Rehg and Lyle Campbell (Oxford University Press, 2018)
    2. [RR] Sarah G. Thomason, “Language Contact and Language Endangerment”, 66-82, The Oxford Handbook of Endangered Languages, edited by Kenneth L. Rehg and Lyle Campbell (Oxford University Press, 2018)
    3. [RR] Daniel Kaufman and Ross Perlin, “Language Documentation in Diaspora Communities”, 399-418, The Oxford Handbook of Endangered Languages, edited by Kenneth L. Rehg and Lyle Campbell (Oxford University Press, 2018)

  1. Discussions on prepared weekly readings: Defining and responding to language loss and endangerment. Linguistic human rights and revitalization: Indigenous contexts. Social values, community relations, and identity in translation: Indigenous research / activism.
  2. Readings to prepare for next week's session 4:
    1. Sarah Henzi, “‘Betwixt and Between': Alternative Genres, Languages, and Indigeneity”, 487-492, Learn, Teach, Challenge - Approaching Indigenous Literatures, edited by Deanna Reder and Linda M. Morra (Wilfrid Laurier University Press 2016)
    2. Carrie Dyck, “Should Translation Work Take Place? Ethical Questions Concerning the Translation of First Nations Languages”, 17-42, Born in the Blood - On Native American Translation, edited with an introduction by Brian Swann (University of Nebraska Press 2011)
    3. Sue Wright, “Planning Minority Language Maintenance: Challenges and Limitations”, 637-657, The Oxford Handbook of Endangered Languages, edited by Kenneth L. Rehg and Lyle Campbell (Oxford University Press, 2018)
  3. Recommended readings [RR]:
    1. [RR] Marleen Haboud, Rosaleen Howard, Josep Cru, and Jane Freeland, “Linguistic Human Rights and Language Revitalization in Latin America and the Caribbean”, 201­223, Indigenous Language Revitalization in the Americas, edited by Serafin M. Coronel- Molina and Teresa L. McCarty (Routledge, 2016)

  1. Discussions on prepared weekly readings: Ethical implications for translation and minoritized Indigenous spaces. The roles of nation-state systems and nation-building ideology, and their consequences for human, minority, and linguistic rights.
  2. Readings to prepare for next week's session 5:
    1. Christopher Rundle and Vicente Rafael, “History and translation: The event of language”, 23-48, Border Crossings-Translation Studies and other disciplines, edited by Yves Gambier and Luc van Doorslaer (John Benjamins, 2016)
    2. Vicente L. Rafael, “Introduction: The Aporia of Translation”, Motherless Tongues: The Insurgency of Language amid Wars of Translation (Duke University Press 2016)
    3. Rita Kothari, “Introduction: When We Are ‘Multilingual', Do We Translate?”, 1-22, A Multilingual Nation: Translation and Language Dynamic in India, edited by Rita Kothari (Oxford University Press, 2018)
  3. Recommended readings [RR]:
    1. [RR] Rita Kothari and Krupa Shah, “More or less ‘translation': Landscapes of language and communication in India”, 125-148, A World Atlas of Translation, edited by Yves Gambier and Ubaldo Stecconi (John Benjamins, 2019)

  1. Discussions on prepared weekly readings: Relationships between language and power and their influence on the production and circulation of communication in translation. Translation research as a tool to sift through historical layers and explore different histories. The plurilingual ‘self' that experiences life through multiple linguistic lenses and translational relations - sometimes on a daily basis.
  2. Readings to prepare for next week's session 6:
    1. Agnieszka Doczekalska, “Comparing Multilingual Practices in the EU and the Canadian Legal Systems: The Case of Terminological Choices in Legislative Drafting”, 102-112, Institutional Translation for International Governance-Enhancing Quality in Multilingual Legal Communication, edited by Fernando Prieto Ramos (Bloomsbury Academic, 2018)
    2. Colin Robertson, “Legal-Linguistic Profiling as Translation Aid: The Example of an EU Agency”, 113-125, Institutional Translation for International Governance-Enhancing Quality in Multilingual Legal Communication, edited by Fernando Prieto Ramos (Bloomsbury Academic, 2018)
    3. Susan Wright, “The Impact of Multilingualism on the Judgments of the EU Court of Justice”, 141-155, Institutional Translation for International Governance-Enhancing Quality in Multilingual Legal Communication, edited by Fernando Prieto Ramos (Bloomsbury Academic, 2018)
  3. Recommended readings [RR]:
    1. [RR] Directorate-General for Translation (European Commission), “The status of the translation profession in the European Union” (2012)
    2. [RR] Eduardo D. Faingold, “Language Rights in the Treaty of Lisbon”, 25-52, Language Rights and the Law in the European Union (Palgrave Macmillan 2020)

  1. Discussions on prepared weekly readings: The language and translation mandates of the European Union (EU). Legislating multilingually - linguistic and cultural concepts, terminologies, traditions, and legal systems in the context of the EU. Comparisons with Canada.
  2. Readings to prepare for next week's session 7:
    1. Gabriel Gonzalez Nunez, “Going about it: Method and rationale”, 39-56, Translating in Linguistically Diverse Societies-Translation policy in the United Kingdom, by Gabriel Gonzalez Nunez (John Benjamins, 2016)
    2. Tony Capstick, “Human migration, culture, and language”, 1-34, Language and Migration, by Tony Capstick (Routledge, 2021)
    3. Gabriel Popescu, “Borders and Boundaries”, 292-294, Encyclopedia of Geography, edited by Barney Warf (SAGE Publications 2010)
    4. Gabriel Popescu, “Deterritorialization and Reterritorialization”, 722-724, Encyclopedia of Geography, edited by Barney Warf (SAGE Publications 2010)

 

MID-TERM BREAK (Mar 1–7)

  1. Discussions on prepared weekly readings: The ancient phenomenon of human migration and its myriad linguistic, cultural, social, and political consequences and transformations. How can we better understand borders, deterritorialization and reterritorialization? Translation research in relation to migration and minoritized peoples.
  2. Readings to prepare for next week's session 8:
    1. Hartmut Behr, “Globalization”, 1338-1342, Encyclopedia of Geography, edited by Barney Warf (SAGE Publications 2010)
    2. Moira Inghilleri, “Migration, mobility, and culture”, 1-38, Translation and Migration, by Moira Inghilleri (Routledge, 2017)
    3. Stefan Baumgarten and Jordi Cornella-Detrell, “Translation and the Economies of Power”, 11-26, Translation and Global Spaces of Power, in the series Translation, Interpreting and Social Justice in a Globalised World (Multilingual Matters 2019)
    4. Francois Grin, “Choosing Concepts for Sustainable Diversity Management Policies”, 35-59, Minority Languages, National Languages, and Official Language Policies, edited by Gillian Lane-Mercier, Denise Merkle, and Jane Koustas (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2018)

 

  1. Discussions on prepared weekly readings: Globalization and its repercussions on economies, societies, politics, and cultures. Experiences of translation through migration. Translation and economies of power. Managing linguistic, cultural diversity through sustainable public policy (focus: EU context).
  2. Readings to prepare for next week's session 9:
    1. George W. White, “Nation”, 1971-1973, Encyclopedia of Geography, edited by Barney Warf (SAGE Publications 2010)
    2. Fiona M. Davidson, “Nationalism”, 1978-1981, Encyclopedia of Geography, edited by Barney Warf (SAGE Publications 2010)
    3. Patricia Ehrkamp, “Transnationalism”, 2870-2871, Encyclopedia of Geography, edited by Barney Warf (SAGE Publications 2010)
    4. Debbie Folaron, “Challenging the Borders of Nation: Language and Translational Language Policy in the Plurilingual Romani Context”, 279-314, Minority Languages, National Languages, and Official Language Policies, edited by Gillian Lane-Mercier, Denise Merkle, and Jane Koustas (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2018)
    5. Amelia Abercrombie, “Introduction/Preamble”, 1-16, Mixing and Unmixing Languages-Romani Multilingualism in Kosovo, by Amelia Abercrombie (Routledge, 2020)

  1. Discussions on prepared weekly readings: Transnationalism. Focus - the multilingual, minoritized context of Romani peoples, as the EU's largest minority group. Social and political ‘categories' of ‘belonging'. Plurilingualism, translation, and notions of identity.
  2. Readings to prepare for next week's session 10:
    1. Deborah Folaron, “Bute Droma / Many Roads: Romani Resilience and Translation in Contact with the World”, 98-122, At Translation's Edge, edited by Natasa Durovicova, Patrice Petro, and Lorena Terando (Rutgers University Press, 2019)
    2. Yasemin Yildiz, “Conclusion: Toward a Multilingual Paradigm? The Disaggregated Mother Tongue”, 203-222, Beyond the Mother Tongue-The Postmonolingual Condition, by Yasemin Yildiz (Fordham University Press, 2012)
    3. Chuan Yu, “Ethnography”, 167-171, Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies, Third Edition, edited by Mona Baker and Gabriela Saldanha (Routledge, 2020)
    4. Theo Hermans, “Positioning”, 423-428, Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies, Third Edition, edited by Mona Baker and Gabriela Saldanha (Routledge, 2020)
    5. Moira Inghilleri, “Ethics”, 162-167, Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies, Third Edition, edited by Mona Baker and Gabriela Saldanha (Routledge, 2020)
  3. Recommended readings [RR]:
    1. [RR] Carla Bagna, Monica Barni, and Martina Bellinzona, “Linguistic landscape and urban multilingualism”, 349-365, The Routledge Handbook of Language Contact, by Evangelia Adamou and Yaron Matras (Routledge, 2021)

  1. Discussions on prepared weekly readings: Translation practices in the Romani context, and implications for translation studies research. A multilingual rather than monolingual paradigm? Ethnographic research and critical ethical considerations.
  2. Readings to prepare for next week's session 11:
    1. Maria Tymoczko, “Translation as Organized Complexity: Implications for Translation Theory”, 238-258, Complexity Thinking in Translation Studies- Methodological Considerations, edited by Kobus Marais and Reine Meylaerts (Routledge, 2019)
    2. Sandra L. Halverson, “Cognition”, 65-70, Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies, Third Edition, edited by Mona Baker and Gabriela Saldanha (Routledge, 2020)
    3. Maureen Ehrensberger-Dow and Gary Massey, “Translation workplace-based research”, 354-369, The Routledge Handbook of Translation and Technology, edited by Minako O'Hagan (Routledge 2020)
  3. Recommended readings [RR]:
    1. [RR] Christopher D. Mellinger, “Core research questions and methods”, 15-35, The Bloomsbury Companion to Language Industry Studies, edited by Erik Angelone, Maureen Ehrensberger-Dow and Gary Massey (Bloomsbury Academic, 2020)
    2. [RR] Claudia Angelelli, “Non-professional interpreting and translation (NPIT)”, 115-137, The Bloomsbury Companion to Language Industry Studies, edited by Erik Angelone, Maureen Ehrensberger-Dow and Gary Massey (Bloomsbury Academic, 2020)

UNIVERSITY CLOSED (Apr 2–5)

  1. Discussions on prepared weekly readings: Exploring the mind of the translator - through ‘complexity', human cognition, and psycholinguistics. How to describe or define the ‘translating subject'? Empirical research on the translation workplace.
  2. Readings to prepare for next week's session 12:
    1. Maeve Olohan, “Sociological approaches to translation technology”, 384-397, The Routledge Handbook of Translation and Technology, edited by Minako O'Hagan (Routledge 2020)
    2. Sari Hokkanen and Kaisa Koskinen, “Affect as a hinge: The translator's experiencing self as a sociocognitive interface”, 75-93, Exploring the Situational Interface of Translation and Cognition, edited by Maureen Ehrensberger-Dow and Birgitta Englund Dimitrova (John Benjamins, 2018)
  3. Recommended readings [RR]:
    1. [RR] Ana Guerberof Arenas, “Pre-editing and post-editing”, 333-360, The Bloomsbury Companion to Language Industry Studies, edited by Erik Angelone, Maureen Ehrensberger-Dow and Gary Massey (Bloomsbury Academic, 2020)

  1. Discussions on prepared weekly readings: Sociological approaches to research on translators and users of translation technologies. Empirical avenues to explore the translator experience through the social sciences of ‘situated cognition’ and emotions.
  2. Readings to prepare for the next session 13:
    1. Anna Jankowska, “Audiovisual media accessibility”, 231-259, The Bloomsbury Companion to Language Industry Studies, edited by Erik Angelone, Maureen Ehrensberger-Dow and Gary Massey (Bloomsbury Academic, 2020)
    2. Chitra Harshvardhan, “Translation as Social Action: The counter-discourse on the literary representation of disability”, 37-54, Disability in Translation-The Indian Experience, edited by Someshwar Sati and G.J.V. Prasad (Routledge, 2020)
    3. Michael Cronin, “Translation, technology and climate change”, 516-530, The Routledge Handbook of Translation and Technology, edited by Minako O'Hagan (Routledge 2020)

  1. Class submission: Final research paper due today through April 26
  2. In-class discussion: Social inclusion through translation. Disabilities and accessibility initiatives through the mediation of technologies. The Age of the Anthropocene. Eco­translation. Translator and translator scholar activism.
  3. Wrap-up: concluding thoughts

Acknowledgements

With the support of the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union

The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

 
Back to top

© Concordia University