About this Research Topic
Translation and interpreting (T&I), as cross-language and cross-cultural communication mediated by translators and interpreters, provide a rich venue for interdisciplinary exploration. Despite the shaping role of translation and interpreting in mediating communication, the vital communicative aspect of T&I has so far remained a rather under-explored topic. With most attention focusing on the key movers and shakers, media outlets, sociopolitical entities, and institutional and private organizations, communication studies has rarely explored the potentially far-reaching but always hidden role of translation and interpreting in different spheres of our world. Similarly, T&I scholars have only recently started to shift their attention from the focus on the product/texts and translators to investigation of T&I as mediated and socially engaged activities from a communicative perspective.
In view of the glaring lack of attention from both communication and translation scholars, the topic of translation and interpreting as communication merits much-needed attention from an interdisciplinary perspective by scholars from different fields, backgrounds, and approaches. Aiming to bridge this gap, this article collection will provide a systematic exploration about the research topic by soliciting papers from representative experts on various aspects and issues of communication in T&I. It seeks to explore translation and interpreting as a vital avenue of communication across languages and cultures and a crucial shaping force between peoples and nations across historical, cultural, sociopolitical, religious, and civilizational boundaries. Potential contributions might draw on a range of theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches (e.g., communication studies, corpus linguistics, critical discourse analysis, multimodal discourse analysis, the narrative approach, sociological approaches, micro-historical analysis, etc.).
Essentially interdisciplinary in nature, the scope of this Research Topic is inclusive and eclectic. Submissions from different geographic locales and language combinations are welcome. Possible topics include but are not limited to the following:
• communication issues in literary translation
• communication issues in institutional translation
• communication issues in business translation
• multimodal communication in audio-visual translation
• communication issues in conference interpreting
• communication issues in community interpreting
• training of communication in interpreter and translator training
• criteria and norms on communication in interpreting assessment
• the role of technologies in facilitating communication in T&I
• the role of T&I in linguistic, cultural and civilizational contacts in history and now
• the role of T&I in knowledge exchanges in history and now
• the role of T&I in transmission and contestation of narratives and (ideological) discourses in various sociopolitical and institutional contexts
• the role of T&I in (re)presenting and (re)constructing truth, fact and reality
• the role of translation in facilitating cross-language and cross-cultural communication and/or causing misunderstanding
• the role of T&I in military, geopolitical and/or healthcare crises (e.g., wars, military conflicts, and global pandemics).
In view of the glaring lack of attention from both communication and translation scholars, the topic of translation and interpreting as communication merits much-needed attention from an interdisciplinary perspective by scholars from different fields, backgrounds, and approaches. Aiming to bridge this gap, this article collection will provide a systematic exploration about the research topic by soliciting papers from representative experts on various aspects and issues of communication in T&I. It seeks to explore translation and interpreting as a vital avenue of communication across languages and cultures and a crucial shaping force between peoples and nations across historical, cultural, sociopolitical, religious, and civilizational boundaries. Potential contributions might draw on a range of theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches (e.g., communication studies, corpus linguistics, critical discourse analysis, multimodal discourse analysis, the narrative approach, sociological approaches, micro-historical analysis, etc.).
Essentially interdisciplinary in nature, the scope of this Research Topic is inclusive and eclectic. Submissions from different geographic locales and language combinations are welcome. Possible topics include but are not limited to the following:
• communication issues in literary translation
• communication issues in institutional translation
• communication issues in business translation
• multimodal communication in audio-visual translation
• communication issues in conference interpreting
• communication issues in community interpreting
• training of communication in interpreter and translator training
• criteria and norms on communication in interpreting assessment
• the role of technologies in facilitating communication in T&I
• the role of T&I in linguistic, cultural and civilizational contacts in history and now
• the role of T&I in knowledge exchanges in history and now
• the role of T&I in transmission and contestation of narratives and (ideological) discourses in various sociopolitical and institutional contexts
• the role of T&I in (re)presenting and (re)constructing truth, fact and reality
• the role of translation in facilitating cross-language and cross-cultural communication and/or causing misunderstanding
• the role of T&I in military, geopolitical and/or healthcare crises (e.g., wars, military conflicts, and global pandemics).
Keywords: translation, interpreting, cross-language communication, cross-cultural communication
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
