Calls for papers

Call for Contributions: " Translation as a means of resistance, resilience and activism, the case of Palestine and the broader Arab region” Activism and Translation are at the core of recent research. For example, Shwaikh (2020) published a chapter on Gaza Strip highlighting the importance of speaking a different language in a war-zone country and emphasising the power of witness and of translating the voices of the oppressed. Mona Baker pioneered the movement of translators’ activism in the Arabic-speaking region through her seminal publications (2006a, 2006b, 2010, 2016a, 2016b, 2018, 2020). Other scholars followed in her wake such as, inter alia, Doerr (2018), Evans and Fernández (2018) Fernández (2020a), Valdeón and Calafat (2020), and Tesseur (2022). Similarly, other scholars highlighted the social and political weight translation can exert on shaping and reshaping the worldviews in an activist spirit such as in the works of Juli Boéri (2010, 2019, 2020). Hence, the expression the ‘activist turn’ of translation studies was coined, driving scholarly interest to an understudied, yet monumental, area of research (Wolf, 2012). Indeed, activist translators and interpreters amplify oppressed voices and make them audible for all stakeholders through language and translation (Baker, 2013). Translators, with their voice-giving ability, are vested with the power of influencing political and social change by introducing new knowledge and ideologies through their translations. This translator’s visibility, manifested via the deliberate inclusion of personal worldviews and politics in translations, can breed change at any societal level, challenge dominant narratives and mobilise translation receptors (Tymoczko, 2010). In the global era of Web 2.0/Translation 2.0 and the rise of social media, translation has shifted into a more social activity bringing about new community or crowdsourcing-based concepts into the realm of translation such as online translation, concurrent translation, collaborative translation, volunteer translation, fansubbing and fandubbing, and many other forms of amateur and professional web-based translation (O'Hagan, 2009; O'brien, 2011a; O'Hagan, 2011; Brabham, 2013; Jiménez-Crespo, 2017; Krimat, 2021, to name a few). By the same token, web 2.0 technologies have revolutionised activist translation through amplifying voices and facilitating real-time online collaboration that are enabled via the easy and hard-to-monitor content access, creation and dissemination. The Arab Spring is a prime example where the impact of language and translation, magnified by Web 2.0 and its social mobilisation, had a significant contribution to ideation and shaping the Arab Spring’s narratives (Baker, 2016; Morgner & Aldreabi, 2020). This has also brought about a qualitative change in the Arabic language itself as a result of globalization, creating and framing, therefore, the concept of “e-Arabic.” (Daoudi, 2011a; Daoudi, 2011b; Daoudi & Federici, 2011; Daoudi, 2017). With the semantic web or Web 3.0 gaining momentum with the ubiquity of AI technologies, activism, in its broader sense, is very likely to reach a new dimension with AI generative capabilities. Activist translation will be no exception though this area remains scholarly uncharted and holds considerable prospects and novel research pathways. Against this rich background, we are pleased to announce a call for contributions to an upcoming edited volume on the theme of “Translation as a means of resistance, resilience and activism, the case of Palestine and the broader Arab region.” This book aims to delve, synchronically or diachronically, into the multifaceted role of translation, including volunteer translation, in empowering activist movements, fostering resilience, and resisting oppression in the Arab region while focusing on Palestinian struggle for justice and survival. Scope and Themes This volume seeks to explore how translation acts as a versatile tool for resistance and resilience, enabling the dissemination of narratives, fighting propaganda, fostering intercultural understanding, counteracting dehumanization and demonization campaigns such as in the case of Palestinians, and challenging dominant biased discourses. We invite scholars, translators, activists, and practitioners to submit proposals on topics including, but not limited to: Feminist translation in the midst of resistance: the role of feminist translation in highlighting the suffering of Arab women in wars and commending the efforts and endeavours pertaining to political activism concerned with defending women and upholding their legitimate rights, especially Palestinian women who are suffering the atrocities of war. The role of translation in acting as witness to atrocities, shaping resistance and supporting resilience: examining how translation has been used to amplify oppressed voices and support resistance movements. Case studies of translation projects that have supported activism related to the Arab region: specific examples of successful translation initiatives that have furthered Palestinian, and broader Arab, causes. Volunteer translation and its impact on activism and community engagement: analysing the contributions of volunteer translators in activist movements and their impact on local and global communities. Translation strategies for conveying local oppressed voices and narratives to global audiences: effective methods and strategies for translating the texts of the oppressed to reach a wider audience. Ethical considerations and challenges in translating politically sensitive texts: navigating the ethical dilemmas and challenges faced by translators working with politically charged materials. The impact of translation on international solidarity with just causes, particularly, the Palestinian cause: exploring how translation fosters international support and solidarity with just struggles such as the Palestinian struggle for justice and freedom. Historical perspectives on translation, resistance, and resilience in the Palestinian context: Historical analysis of translation efforts in the context of Palestinian resistance. The intersection of translation, media, and activism in the narratives of struggle: examining how translation intersects with media and activism to shape the narratives of struggle. Challenges faced by volunteer translators in conflict zones: discussing the unique challenges and risks volunteer translators encounter when working in politically sensitive and conflict-ridden areas. Translation as a form of cultural resistance and preservation for the oppressed: exploring how translation helps preserve oppressed culture and resist cultural erasure. Crowdsourced and volunteer translation networks and their role in social and political activism: detailed studies on the structure, functioning, and impact of volunteer translation networks dedicated to activism under different forms such audio-visual translation and fandubbing. The use of translation in the digital age to mobilize support for just causes: examining the role of digital platforms and social media in translating and spreading oppressed facts and repressed narratives. Web 2.0 and activist translation: exploring the use of Web 2.0 technologies such as social media, blogs, wikis, and collaborative platforms in activist translation efforts. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine translation in activism: exploring the current and/or prospective role and impact of AI-driven translation tools in activism, including both benefits and challenges. The working languages are Arabic, French and English.   Submission Guidelines We welcome contributions from various disciplines, including Translation Studies, Cultural Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, Political Science, Media Studies, and related fields. Both theoretical and empirical studies are encouraged. Submissions should be original and not previously published. Proposal Submission Please submit an abstract of no more than 500 words outlining the scope and main arguments of your proposed chapter, along with a brief bio (100-150 words) to n.krimat@univ-boumerdes.dz By the 30th /09/24. Timeline Abstract Submission Deadline: 30th /09/24 Notification of Acceptance: 30th /10/24 Full Chapter Submission: 30th /04/25 Expected Publication Date: 31st /12/25 Contact Information For any queries or further information, please contact the editors at [email address]. We look forward to receiving your proposals and to the opportunity to collaboratively explore the powerful intersection of translation, resistance, resilience, activism, and volunteerism in the context of Palestine and the broader Arab region. Sincerely, Co-editors Dr. Anissa Daoudi University of Birmingham, UK a.daoudi@bham.ac.uk Dr. Noureddine Krimat University of Boumerdes, Algeria n.krimat@univ-boumerdes.dz

Contributions are welcome on topics such as the translation policy of the GDR as a state as well as of individual organizations in the GDR, examining the extent to which the political situation during the GDR’s existence led to an increase in translation activities; the motives behind the translation policies to be observed are just as crucial as the effects on a translation culture. Following on from this is the question of relations between the GDR and other countries or institutions that were established and maintained through translation. This does not only include bilateral relations with the FRG, for example, but also institutional networks such as the involvement in (inter)national professional associations and organizations. Furthermore, we encourage an examination of the actual practice of translation, as it forms a significant part of translational culture and can be understood within diverse networks.We invite you to submit contributions on these topics or related issues:Translation policy of the GDR and/or institutions in the GDR: What was translated? Who were the individuals involved in the translation process? What were the motives behind the translation policies? What effects did these policies have on the institutions and professional practice? To what extent were they influenced by the political situation?Translational relations and networks of the GDR and/or institutions in the GDR: What translational relations existed with other states and/or institutions on a national and international level? How did these relationships develop? What roles did these relations and networks play?Translation practice: What were the working conditions of translators and interpreters and how were they influenced? What role did professional organizations play in shaping professional practices?Investigating translation cultures always also includes insights derived from case studies, especially in the sense that they serve as a starting point for further questions and ultimately contribute to the abstraction of findings, enabling researchers to make more general statements about the respective translation culture.Please send your abstracts of no more than 300 words to hanna.blum@uni-graz.at by 31 July. The abstracts can be written in English or German. There is no conference fee for presenters. The conference will be held on site. Please note that the details are subject to change without notice.

We are pleased to announce that the 4th International Congress of Language and Translation Studies will be held online on November 6th-7th-8th, 2024 in Konya, Türkiye, hosted by Selcuk University. The congress aims to bring together distinguished scholars and researchers studying linguistics, translation studies, SLA, culture studies, and foreign language teaching. Its objective is to review the theories and research techniques in these fields, address contemporary issues, evaluate past and present critically, and make suggestions for the future. We intend for the congress to pave the way for new perspectives and directions, creating a dynamic online platform for discussions that transcend binary oppositions between the past and the present, the old and the new, and the traditional and the modern. We are pleased to invite you to participate in the 4th International Congress of Language and Translation Studies hosted by Selcuk University. Your research will be a significant contribution to this congress, and we would be honored to have your participation. The presentation languages of the congress are Turkish, English, Russian, Chinese, and Arabic. Deadline for abstracts: 30 September 2024 Please find detailed information about the congress on http://lotuscongress.selcuk.edu.tr. For further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us via our email address: lotus@selcuk.edu.tr.

About the Congress The ever-changing landscape of the translation and interpreting industry and academic research has led in the past 10 years to translation taking place in different places, platforms and modalities. It has also led to a shift in the profile of the modern translator and interpreter, who are now expected to work in different domains, with different tools, and according to different workflows. Academic research in translation and interpreting studies has also taken on different faces with a multiplication of different areas, tools, methodologies. This has strengthened our understanding of translation and interpreting phenomena in all their complexity, but this has also caused a proliferation of discourses about translation and interpreting that do not always coincide or align with those of the industry. Theme The ever-changing landscape of the translation and interpreting industry and academic research has led in the past 10 years to translation taking place in different places, platforms and modalities. It has also led to a shift in the profile of the modern translator and interpreter, who are now expected to work in different domains, with different tools, and according to different workflows. Academic research in translation and interpreting studies has also taken on different faces with a multiplication of different areas, tools, methodologies. This has strengthened our understanding of translation and interpreting phenomena in all their complexity, but this has also caused a proliferation of discourses about translation and interpreting that do not always coincide or align with those of the industry. In this Congress we aim to take stock of these different faces and discourses by sharing different needs and expectations, contrasting conceptual understandings of what translation and interpreting are, and reflecting on potential roles and opportunities for collaboration. The Congress will offer a fruitful forum for dialogue and collaboration between academics from different areas as well as stakeholders from across the industry. For more information, click here. Deadline for abstracts: 26 July

Traditionally, translation (including interpreting) has been understood as an act of overcoming pre-existing linguistic and cultural differences. More recently, however, this understanding has been contested in Translation Studies. The idea that translation produces the differences it claims to overcome and that such differences can be regarded as effects of translation rather than conditions preceding it has been theoretically addressed with concepts like bordering (Sakai 2018, cf. Dizdar 2019, 2021). By producing differences and creating borders, translation is also effective in the construction of “collectivities” (Dizdar/Rozmyslowicz 2023) in the social world. When it marks a difference between languages, it simultaneously differentiates between individual speakers of a given language and between communities – which may differ in size and kind: national communities (e.g. Cronin 1996; Kothari 2007; Dizdar/Gipper/Schreiber 2015), gender identities (Simon 1996; Baer/Kaindl 2018; Robinson 2019), deaf and hearing communities (Young/Napier/Oram 2020), humans and machines (Rozmyslowicz 2023) – in short: between all sorts of collectivities (Dizdar/Rozmyslowicz 2023). The conference addresses the question of how translation participates in the construction and undoing of differences in the social world and how it sorts people into categories. Which categories become relevant in which situation and field (politics, science, law, religion, art etc.)? And how do they interact? Moreover: which categories and distinctions are inscribed in concepts and theories of translation? Which ‘centrisms’ (e.g. eurocentrism, anthropocentrism) or ‘biases’ can be identified? These and other related questions concerning translation’s power to construct difference can be discussed with reference to various empirical contexts or on a general theoretical level. The conference welcomes contributions on its main topic in the context of all research fields and perspectives. It aims to foster and intensify dialogue on translation by bringing together researchers from various backgrounds. Deadline for abstracts: 30 June 2024 For more information, click here.

Guest editors: Gianluca Pontrandolfo (University of Trieste)Carla Quinci (University of Padua) Legal Translation and Automation Many myths and deep concerns surround neural machine translation (NMT) and the role specialised translators play in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). The scary idea of ‘human parity’, i.e. the belief that NMT can achieve human quality, sparks off heated debates about the implications of the recent outstanding technological advancement for the translation profession. The alleged threats posed by the results achieved by AI in combination with the gaps in the academic literature about the functioning of (N)MT and its influence on the translation process and product have caused widespread scepticism and mistrust, when not an a priori rejection of NMT. Scholars worldwide have attempted to debunk these myths by studying the actual advantages and disadvantages of using automation. For instance, do Carmo (2023) recently proposed the term “artificial translation” – rather than “machine translation” – to stress that MT does not perform a complete translation process, which would take into account not just the meaning of the source and the target sentences but also extratextual elements e.g. the voice of the author, the intended readers, the purpose of the target texts, which are crucial in any (legal) translation brief (Scott 2019: 81-102). These concerns are particularly serious in the legal field, where the legal and ethical risks (Canfora & Ottmann 2020, Kenny, Moorkens & do Carmo 2020, Moorkens 2022) related to privacy and confidentiality, together with low risk tolerance and liability, contribute to that feeling of scepticism and mistrust. Thus, legal translation has generally been considered unsuitable for automation (Sánchez-Gijón & Kenny 2022, 85-86), especially due to its inherent challenges. While other specialised fields tend towards conceptual universality and univocity, legal notions and procedures are largely system-bound and historically rooted, which naturally reflects on individual legal languages and culture-bound legal references (cf. Prieto Ramos 2022). This results in incongruities and asymmetries, which represent the typical challenges faced by legal translators (see Biel 2014, 2022, Pontrandolfo 2019, Prieto Ramos 2022). Another “distinctive feature of this specialisation is the high variability of the texts and legal conditions that determine the role of translation itself in each communicative situation, i.e. its communicative priorities between or within legal systems, according to the conventions of specific branches of law and legal genres at the national and international levels” (Prieto Ramos 2022; see also Cao 2007, Biel 2014, Biel et al. 2019). Legal translation involves negotiating not only between legal languages/discourses but also – and most importantly – between legal systems and legal genres (see Scott 2019: 31-55). However, the evolution of AI and MT is changing the legal professional landscape, where the ‘triangle of MT’ (quality, price and speed) still plays a pivotal role. Legal translation service providers as well as law firms are increasingly betting on AI and NMT worldwide. Thanks to the growing quality of MT outputs and the development of custom engines (Martínez Domínguez et al. 2020), NMT and machine translation post-editing (MTPE) are now also used in the legal sector. The most recent version of the EMT Competence Framework “acknowledges that [it] represents a growing part of translation workflows, and that MT literacy and awareness of the possibilities and limitations of MT is an integral part of professional translation competence” (EMT Expert Group 2022, 7). Then, the question is not so much if machine translation and post-editing (PE) should be implemented in legal translator training but when, and how they are and will be used by professional translators (Quinci, forthcoming; Quinci & Pontrandolfo 2023). Against this background, this Special Issue aims at mapping the new opportunities and risks related to fast technological advancement and the rapidly changing landscape of legal translation in training and professional settings by exploring a wide array of issues including, but not limited to, the following:• Implications of translation modality (human translation, post-editing, etc.) on the translation process• Quality evaluation of AI/MT/MTPE outputs in the legal field• Effects of MT, MTPE and/or AI on the translation product from end-users’ perspective• MT/AI performance across legal genres and languages• Implementation and implications of AI and MT in legal translator training and/or the professional practice• Impact of AI/MT/MTPE on legal translators’ creativity• Training of MT engines for legal translation purposes• Legal Machine Translationese and Post-editese• Ethics & legal MT/AI Potential drawbacks, development, applications, and assessment of Large Language Models in legal translation Gender bias in legal MT/AI Deadline for abstracts: 31 May 2024 For more information, click here.

Translation and Interpreting (T&I) Studies has increasingly recognized the cognitive approaches to language mediation as key to understand its intricacies and challenges.  Influenced by technologies such as speech recognition, machine translation and generative AI, the evolving workplace of the T&I profession is revolutionising the way translators and interpreters work today. These changes in external working conditions, coupled with the individual and psychological factors that are now attracting increasing attention, can hardly be overlooked when we apply, update and develop cognitive constructs to understand the more integrated and complex processes of T&I. The move from Translation Process Research to Cognitive Translation and Interpreting Studies (CTIS) has opened research to readers and audiences, and problem solving is now just one among several research foci. We are witnessing the increasing recognition of multimodality as central to all kinds of multilectal mediated communication tasks. Research projects are becoming more sophisticated, statistical analyses are becoming sounder, and there seems to be a trend to contrast several tasks (including those from neighboring domains, such as source-based writing) in within-informant approaches. Building upon theoretical views that study cognitive aspects as both the prerequisites and the outcomes of expertise in T&I, this issue will explore various constructs to refine the modelling of the T&I processes through various theoretical and methodological lenses. We will also examine how different indicators can be leveraged to attain a deeper understanding of the cognitive underpinnings of language processing. Constructs such as cognitive load, effort, flexibility, efficiency, and control have long been at the heart of this research domain (e.g., Seeber 2013; Hvelplund 2016; Dong & Li 2020).  Meanwhile, recent progress in the use of indicators from different data collection methods, such as the visual world paradigm, eye/ear-voice span (EVS), ear-to-key span, respites (inter-keystroke intervals of mid length), galvanic skin response (GSR), and heart rate variability (HRV), have significantly enhanced our understanding of these processes, offering more elaborate examinations and nuanced measurements of such constructs (Zhou et al. 2021; Chmiel & Lijewska 2022; Muñoz & Apfelthaler 2022; Amos et al. 2022; Weng et al., 2022; Li et al. 2023). The guest editors welcome interdisciplinary dialogue and encourage contributions applying diverse methodologies, from neuroimaging studies, through psycholinguistic experiments to ethnographic observation, and from behavioral analysis to computational modelling.  Our goal is to stimulate thorough and critical discussions that will enrich the development of CTIS as a robust, ever-growing, and evolving research strand. Additionally, we aim to contemplate the practical implications of CTIS research for training, assessment, and professional practice within the field. Submissions are welcome on, but not limited to, the following topics: Theoretical discussions on cognitive constructs pertinent to T&I studies. Indicators of constructs such as cognitive load, effort, control, automaticity, flexibility and efficiency in T&I tasks. The dynamic interplay among diverse cognitive constructs during language processing in professional translators and interpreters. Methodological challenges and innovations in measuring cognitive processes in language mediation. How multiple methods can be combined or contrasted to yield a comprehensive understanding of the cognitive aspects of T&I. Behavioral and cognitive dynamics through the task. Contrasts in subtasks for different purposes (e.g., different kinds of writing, reading, information search). Cognitive profile of emerging tasks, such as live captioning, voice writing, remote public service interpreting, etc. Discussions on influencing factors of workflow, the use of new technological tools, and individual and psychological variables. Deadline of submissions of full articles: 15 April 2025 For more information, click here.

Deadline for applications: 31 May 2024 For more information, click here.

Transcultural Encounters: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Language, History, and Culture in a Global Society PGR Student-led Conference – Call for Papers Thursday 6th of June 2024, Cardiff University Language, history, and culture are the markers that both bring together and divide people, societies, and the world. Following the success of last year’s event, we will be running another in-person, free-to-attend conference, hosted by Cardiff University’s School of Modern Languages and supported by the ESRC/Wales Doctoral Training Partnership. This conference aims to highlight and celebrate interdisciplinary research that explores how language, history, and culture define us, and how we define them, in an interconnected global society. Drawing from three research streams—history and heritage; translation and interpreting; and global language-based area studies—we are asking how postgraduate students from across the humanities and social sciences navigate these themes in their research.  The conference aims to further establish a communication platform between PGR students from different fields. Like last year, it covers a wide range of areas in the humanities and social sciences and provides participants with opportunities for sharing results, collaborating on research, and gaining new knowledge. Participants will receive feedback on their papers from their peers and from experts in a variety of disciplines. They will attend talks by keynote speakers, engage in networking, and benefit from the highly popular methods workshops and surgeries on research-related topics. For early-stage PGR students, the conference will offer valuable insights and guidance on starting a career in research.  We are looking for papers that cover (but are not limited to) the following subthemes:   History and Heritage:  Understanding how the past is represented and portrayed can reveal insights into our present. A multicultural, multilingual, and transnational approach to history, heritage, and culture—here in Wales, in the wider UK, and abroad—illustrates human connections made not just across space, but across time. Methodologies encompassing media sources—including photography, film, radio, and both literary and graphic novels—and investigating processes of musealisation and memorialisation, are testament to how everything from earth-shattering events to the mundane everyday all contribute to shaping contemporary understandings of the past. We welcome abstracts that examine the role of history and heritage in today’s increasingly globalised and interconnected world. Possible topics include:  How representations of the past reflect the present Multicultural, multilingual, and transnational approaches to history and heritage Antislavery, post-conflict, disaster, and memory Critical methodologies for documenting the past Translation and Interpreting:  The power of translation in connecting human beings can never be overstated, from political negotiations to daily conversations, from literary works to films and videogames, from preserving historical memories to pushing forward societal changes. Translation empowers and enables us to express ourselves, while demanding that we reflect in more depth on our relationship with “others”—be they other people, other cultures, or other ideologies. As professions and as subjects of research, however, translation and interpreting are in the midst of a paradigmatic shift, owing to evolving factors such as the prevalence of non-professional practices and the rise of generative AI technologies. Research exploring the challenges and opportunities presented by these contemporary changes is more valuable than ever. We welcome abstracts that examine the role of translation and interpreting in today’s increasingly globalised and interconnected world. Possible topics include:  Translation and interpreting theories, methods, and practice in various industries The impact of new technologies on translation and interpreting Specialised and non-professional translation and interpreting Interdisciplinary translation and interpreting, including language acquisition and evolution Research methodology in translation and interpreting Global language-based area studies:  We are interested in the politics, society, languages, and cultures of the connected world, placing an emphasis on transnational phenomena, creative and critical thinking, and social science- and humanities-led methodologies in addressing the crises of our times. We place particular emphasis on rethinking area studies, breaking disciplinary boundaries, and using innovative research methods and theoretical perspectives. We welcome abstracts that examine the role of global language-based studies in today’s increasingly globalised and interconnected world. Possible topics include: The politics, society, languages, and cultures of the connected world; Transnational phenomena, such as crisis and culture; How to rethink area studies and break disciplinary boundaries; Languages: multilingualism, language learning, and linguistics; Movements: socio-political, intellectual, ideological, industrial, and non-governmental Individual and panel paper submissions are due by 5pm on the 9th of May 2024 and should include an abstract (maximum 250 words), three-five keywords, and a biographical note (maximum 150 words). Please submit a Word document to mlangconference@cardiff.ac.uk. We will let you know the outcome of your submission by the 16th of May 2024. We can also advise on accommodation arrangements, if required. Venue: Glamorgan Building, Cardiff University King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3WT Local Organising Committee: Dr Andrew Dowling                         Zoey Morgan                     Emily Bush                          Jacob Lloyd         Elise Unwin                                                Shanshan Xie                     Chen Yang If you have any questions, please get in touch with us at mlangconference@cardiff.ac.uk.

Special Issue Editor(s) Şebnem Susam-Saraeva and Carolyn Shread Intersections between gender, feminism and environmental issues have been explored in Western scholarship for more than fifty years now, catalyzed by Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (1962) and first named in French in Françoise d'Eaubonne’s neologism écoféminisme in Le Féminisme ou la mort (1974). Scholars have offered thought-provoking and thorough analyses of the intersectional connections between patriarchy, capitalism, racism, colonialism, imperialism, speciesism, and the environment (e.g. Gaard 2011). The last decade has seen a particular increase in the complexity of these discussions (e.g. Braidotti 2013 and 2021), in which matter and zoe have emerged as key components connecting all vegetal, animal and human-animal life and their theorization. Given this background, and the extensive contribution of gender-conscious and feminist approaches to translation studies over the past three decades, the dearth of research in translation studies on the intersections of gender, feminism and the Earth is conspicuous. Feminist translation thinking has focused primarily on minoritized human groups, such as women, and queer and trans communities to the exclusion of all other life forms and ecosystems, which are also oppressed and ravaged by the same systems of power, e.g. colonialism and capitalism. Taking a broader perspective and acknowledging these injustices can strengthen feminist arguments and enhance their theoretical and practical applications. To rephrase the famous quote: none of us can be free, until all Earth is free. In the ‘blinding light’ of the Anthropocene, this inaugural special issue of the journal Feminist Translation Studies summons scholars who work at the intersections of gender, feminism and eco-translation to bring their tools and perspectives to respond to the critical imperative that we learn to translate with the Earth. We have chosen this title carefully, as we do not look to a ‘heroic saviour’ position of ‘translating for the Earth’. Rather, the invitation is as much about listening - to the ice, rocks, plants, animals, rivers - as about translating their stories. This inaugural issue thus seeks to decenter the trope of anthropos from translation goals and processes with an ear to new forms of feminist and epistemic justice. We are pragmatically oriented by the urgency to respond to climate crisis, calling for new modes of translation with the many forms of life conventionally silenced through the patriarchal presumptions of humans to rule and speak for the Earth. Our vision is a transcontinental conversation engaging indigenous epistemologies and eliciting the future via semiotic creativity, reimagining technology beyond anthropocentric, colonizing, extractivist and exclusionary modes of translation. To do so will be to abandon linguistic biases in favor of worldviews that are attentive to biosemiosis and posthumanism. We invite papers that bring substance and life to this vision, initiating trans-Earth comprehension. Submissions on all related topics are welcome, with articles on the following themes particularly encouraged: What are the life forms and ecosystems also oppressed by the same systems of power that have not yet received critical attention in feminist translation studies; and why is it crucial that feminist translation studies offer a critical space for discussing them? How do the gendered care economies, and changes in relation to them, impact current translation practices, and what are the environmental costs of such changes? How can a focus on interspecies translation forge consensus for new epistemes and the well-being of the Earth beyond an anthropo-centric focus? How will meaning translate with matter in an expansion of feminist practices? How do somatic resonances of translating with the Earth manifest beyond gendered binaries? What skies, liquidities, and grounds do all life forms need and how can feminist thinking contribute sustainable paradigms for a thriving Earth? How do our material entanglements with the more-than-human world express the requirements for survival of all life and matter? How are feminist methodologies uniquely equipped to access and imagine these ecologically oriented reformulations of translation? What forms of feminist multimodal and intersemiotic translation are emerging in the face of climate crisis? Deadline for abstracts: 15 May 2024 For more information, click here.

The Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities at Kaunas University of Technology together with the Lithuanian Museum of Education are organizing a scientific research conference that is aimed to discuss various aspects and issues about the rapid development of language industry and possibilities of artificial intelligence application that change the turn of scientific research, methodological approaches and, at the same time, increase the access of the society to information in native and foreign languages.  We are cordially inviting specialists and researchers in the area of Philology, Educational Sciences, language and technologies or other to share their experience and insights and take part in resourceful discussions about the use of artificial intelligence in the research of the Lithuanian language, didactics, the impact of machine translation on language, its ethical use, postediting and other. Moreover, debating about the impact of artificial intelligence and global society on the status of the state language and its prestige is planned as well as how to increase the access to language resources of the native language and contribute to the development of information and knowledge society.    A parallel section in the English language will be also held with interpreting into the Lithuanian language, thus, researchers from other countries are also invited to take part and share their insights about challenges of the artificial intelligence on their native languages, its impact on the global society and research results obtained.  The conference is supported by the State Commission of the Lithuanian Language and the programme for the increase of the Lithuanian language prestige.   The conference will take part on the 13–14th of June, 2024 at Kaunas University of Technology, the Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities (A. Mickevičiaus g. 37) and the Lithuanian Museum of Education (Vytauto pr. 52).  Deadline for abstracts: 30 April 2024 For more information, click here.

Guest-edited by Christophe Declercq and Gys-Walt van Egdom The world of sports is vast, extending from grassroots events and local clubs over national venues to periodical continental or global happenings. Throughout, the gathering of people to take part in sports combines individual physical effort, the material needed to perform and – if relevant and/or needed – group acumen. Diverse practices are reflected in regulations, stipulations, practice routines, habits, training methods, coaching dynamics, competitive elements, event organisation, reporting mechanisms etc. Sports are closely linked to culture, reflecting societal values and identity. Performance in sports, at any level, becomes a platform reinforcing diverse cultural norms and forms of representation. The rules and rituals in sports embody shared beliefs, forming cultural constructs. The intersection of sports, culture, and shared beliefs, whether within disciplines, clubs, or broader events like the Commonwealth Games, African Games but also the Olympic Games, plays a crucial role in shaping collective identities and mirroring societal dynamics. In the diverse landscape of sports, language takes on various forms, from universal and national over regional or group-based to individual and non-verbal expressions. Sports often embrace a shared lingua franca, which can be the silent language of the performance itself, the training and competition without commentary, the translanguaging sphere of code mixing and code switching, or using a shared language, which is not always English by default. The linguistic commonality is evident in the various degrees of language coexistence. Cross-language and intercultural exchanges in sports happen through translation, interpretation, mediation, journalism, and the growing use of language and translation technology. With no real reference work for the domain of sports and translation, this special issue aims to establish exactly that. This special issue seeks to map out the cross-language processes in sport disciplines, including the interdependencies of the various roles involved, for the purpose of translating information, content and communication into a language that is not native to the respective individual athlete, the team or the discipline. The issue particularly seeks contributions that focus on translation but also acknowledges that practices from other forms of transfer – such as interpreting and mediation / liaison services – are possibly equally relevant. This special issue therefore welcomes contributions from academic researchers, professional translators and other language professionals that cover key areas and topics regarding sports and translation including: Sports terminology: the challenges and strategies involved in translating and managing sports-specific terminology and/or jargon (regulations, contracts, anti-doping…). Translation in sports media: the role of translation in sports media, such as the translation of sports commentaries, interviews, press conferences, and sports news articles. Translation in sports events and competitions: the translation, interpreting and mediation / liaison services provided during international sports events, but equally so less mediatised or more regional and local competition. Sports-related audiovisual translation (AVT): the translation of sports broadcasts, documentaries, interviews, and other audiovisual content related to sports. Translating sport-related humour and metaphor. Analyses and practices of differences in gender bias, gender neutral language across languages. The use of translation technologies in sports broadcasting and streaming platforms. Accessibility – physical and/or linguistic – to translated sports-related information, including implications for accessibility and fan engagement across linguistic boundaries. Sports literature translation: the translation of sports-related literary works, including biographies, autobiographies and novels. Interdependencies and transediting: journalators reproducing and adapting content already available in other languages. Transcultural aspects of sports translation: the linguistic and cultural hybridity of performance by a specific party in a setting that is linguistically and culturally different than their own. Ethics and sports translation: the ethical considerations and challenges faced by translators, interpreters, mediators and liaisons in the sports domain. This can relate to accuracy, impartiality, privacy, confidentiality, and maintaining the integrity of sports events and/or athlete performances and/or specific discourse. Sports localisation and marketing translation: the translation and adaptation of sports-related marketing materials, advertisements, websites, and social media content. Gender and diversity in sports translation: the role of translation, interpreting and mediation/liaison in promoting gender equality and diversity in sports, i.e. the challenges and opportunities for translators in accurately representing and translating sports-related content that involves gender, LGBTQ+ issues, and cultural diversity. Interdisciplinary approaches in sports translation: submissions that adopt interdisciplinary perspectives, incorporating fields such as sociology, cultural studies, linguistics, psychology, or media studies, to explore the multifaceted nature of sports translation. Professionalism and non-professionalism: the role of professional or untrained translators, interpreters, mediators and/or liaisons, language professionals like editors even, who provide on-the-spot translation but also ad hoc interpreting services during press conferences, interviews, or during informal interactions involving athletes, coaches, and media representatives. Blurring boundaries: the differences and overlaps between translation, interpreting and intercultural mediation in sports settings while bridging not only language barriers but also cultural gaps and facilitating understanding between athletes, media, and other stakeholders. Optimal athletic performance: the role of translators and interpreters in facilitating effective communication across evidence-based approaches in sports science research. Sports and social media: crossing linguistic boundaries in social media blog posts, online video contents (often fitness- or nutrition-related). Translation challenges in anti-doping regulations: the translation challenges involved in rendering anti-doping regulations, policies, and guidelines into multiple languages. This also involves communication with athletes involved in anti-doping procedures and the respective anti-doping authorities. Language and translation technology in sports communication: the use of translation memories, terminology databases, machine translation, artificial intelligence models and other language technologies, such speech-to-text tools, in sports communication. This also involves the benefits and limitations of these technologies in facilitating communication as well as their impact on accuracy and quality. Multilingual sports websites and social media: the role of translation in creating and maintaining multilingual sports websites, social media platforms, and mobile applications. Sports analytics and translation: the role of translation in sports analytics, data collection, and data-driven decision-making (such as match statistics, player profiles, and scouting reports). Translation in sports historiography: the role of translation, interpreting and mediation/liaising in documenting and preserving the history of sports (archival materials, memoirs, interviews, and historical documents related to sports events, athletes, and iconic moments). Translating sports as a facilitator: for promoting tourism, be it event-related or location-based, translation as the incentive for sport tourism destination. Power distance: relating to how power relationships between athletes on the one hand and organisations and institutions on the other hand are realised in translated and interpreted communication. Other relationships of power are also possible. Sports and agency: the active/activist role of translation and/or interpreting and/or mediation in advancing the agency of the athlete, the group or nation they represent, the discipline…. Sports and ergonomics: sports as an integral part of the ergonomics of a physical translator. Deadline for abstracts: 8 June 2024 For more information, click here.