Research group “Translation and Language Studies” (Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities, Kaunas University of Technology) is pleased to invite you to participate in the international conference on linguistics, discourse, media, communication, translation, cultural literacy and impact on society “Intermediality in Communication: Translation, Media, Discourse” held in Kaunas, Lithuania. You are invited to present your projects and experiences in the formats of oral or poster presentations on the topics below. Abstracts may not be longer than 2500 characters including spaces. The minimum number of characters for an abstract to be reviewed is 1500 including spaces. The presentations will last 30 minutes including 20 minutes for presentation and 10 minutes for discussion.

Topics

The scope of the conference “Intermediality in Communication: Translation, Media, Discourse” includes the following topics:

1. Challenges in Translation/Interpreting: Methodologies, Tools, Practices
2. Intersemiotic Translation and Cultural Literacy
3. Language and Social Media
4. New Media Language
5. Discourse, Communities, Gender, Impact on Society
6. Imagology Studies

Deadline for abstracts: 3 October 2022

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The Department of Linguistics and Asian/Middle Eastern Languages at San Diego State University (SDSU) seeks to hire a tenure-track Professor of Japanese at the rank of Assistant Professor, to begin in fall 2023. The candidate is expected to have native or near-native proficiency in Japanese in addition to strong proficiency in English.

The ideal candidate will pursue research in Japanese language, linguistics, culture, or literature, and demonstrate potential for substantial contributions to the field. Possible areas of specialization include the acquisition and teaching of Japanese as a second/foreign language, the acquisition and teaching of Japanese as a heritage language, Japanese linguistics, Japanese literature and culture, and Japanese cultural studies. The successful candidate should have a proven track record of teaching undergraduate courses in Japanese that is grounded in communicative language teaching and possess knowledge of current trends in second/foreign language teaching methodologies and new technologies in language learning. The candidate must be able to teach all levels of Japanese language courses. In addition, the ideal candidate will have the expertise to teach two or more upper-division courses that are part of the Japanese major, such as Business Japanese, Newspaper Reading and Advanced Composition, and Japanese Literature through Text and Film. We are especially interested in candidates who demonstrate strong potential to collaborate effectively with existing faculty to manage and grow the Japanese Language Program, which includes a Japanese major and minor, and to maintain the program’s ties with relevant units across the university. Applicants should present evidence of teaching experience and scholarly potential.

Deadline for applications: 31 October 2022

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Start date/duration: from 01.10.2022 for 6 years
Administrative unit: Department of Translation Studies
Extent of employment: 30 hours per week
Job Description: In this position you will carry out high level research and specialise in a particular field. You will hold your own lectures, tutor students and participate in administration.

Deadline for applications: 16 September 2022

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The aim of this special issue is to reflect upon the intersection of Translation Studies (TS) and the contemporary relational theorizing of society, culture, and persons and to go beyond narrow interlingual conceptualization of translation by highlighting its procedural nature, and inherent potential in cultural and social theory. As such, relational thinking, which has deep roots in the social sciences, seeks to analyze the concept of agency/structure as a relational rather than individual, and it focuses on connections between interactants; that is, networks of relations and interdependencies, both interpersonal and impersonal, in which interactants and their joint actions are embedded (Emirbayer 1997, Crossley 2011, Donati 2011, Powell & Dépelteau, 2013; Depelteau, 2018).

A relational worldview privileges relations rather than things, in this sense, the terms and units involved in any transaction derive their meaning, significance, and identity from the changing roles they play within that transaction. That is to say, interdependency and interconnectedness have repeatedly been conceptualized and visualized through the concept of network that traces relationships in the emergence or development of social or cultural phenomena. Further, the fast-developing field of network analysis, social network analysis (SNA) in particular, offers a wealth of tools for the analysis of the structure (centrality, functional role, triadic closure, community) and dynamics (information diffusion, robustness) of the networked system built on top social relationships, with revealing applications in Art, History and Cultural Studies (Schich, 2014; Park, 2015; Sigaki, 2018), and also in TS ( Buzelin and Folaron, 2007; Ashrafi, 2018; Roig-Sanz and Subirana, 2020; Risku, 2016). Mapping networks of relations allows non-reductionist contextualized analysis of the individual’s actions (micro), the relationships (meso) that are established or built, and the emergent structures (macro) in the guise of patterns of interactions. Thus, in the wake of a relational approach, we might ask, how do networks structure relationships? or, how do relationships manipulate networks for their own purposes? or, how do relationships emerge and evolve? Our point is not only that those individuals (actors) are formed within and are thus inseparable from interactions and relations, but also, in a more semiotically-informed vein, that we can identify translational mechanisms within interactions, relations and networks which help to explain and understand events in the social world.

From a translational perspective, the embedded and relational character of a translation phenomenon lends itself well to theorizing relational networks of heterogeneous actors (actants). The prominent example of such an approach is the concept of Translation in Latour’s actor-network theory and relational ethnography of Desmond (2014), which involves studying fields rather than places, boundaries rather than bounded groups, processes rather than processed people, and cultural conflict rather than group culture. In this sense, translation as a boundary phenomenon can provide conceptual and methodological insights contributing to “culture as translation” (Wolf, 2014).

We particularly welcome papers that draw upon a methodological and/or conceptual dialogue between the relational approach and TS. We can illustrate this most effectively by simply asking: How does Translation as a meaning-making/taking activity contribute to the emergence of the social? (See Marais’s semiotic approach, 2019).

We anticipate that this exploration will open up new avenues for exploring future directions and prospects in interdisciplinary research in TS. With this ultimate goal in mind, we will welcome both theoretical and methodological reflections, as well as papers based on empirical approaches. Topics that could be addressed include, but are not limited to:

• Rethinking the basic sociological/translational concepts of structure, agency, habitus, or norms through the lens of relational approach in a translational context
  • The conceptual/methodological contributions of TS to relational sociology
  • The role of translational networks/interactions/relations in the emergence of cultures and/or societies
  • Rethinking world translation flows and the marginal and/or peripheral cultures/societies
  • Rethinking the relational context of (forced) migration as a translational practice
  • Rethinking poetics and repertoire as relational constructs
  • The significance of networks of relations/interactions in reinforcing /challenging or emergence of a translation policy
  • Methodological reflections on the relational embeddedness of a translational practice
  • The intersection of activist practices (feminism among them), translation, and relational epistemology

Deadline for abstracts: 15 September 2022

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The theme of the conference is Diversity Now. The United Nations General Assembly has declared the period between 2022 and 2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages to draw attention to the critical status of many Indigenous languages across the world and to encourage action for their preservation, revitalisation, and promotion. ISB14 especially encourages submissions of work involving lesser-studied bilingual communities and interdisciplinary work examining bilingualism across cultures, societies, and the life-span.

ISB14 invites submissions in all areas of research on bilingualism and multilingualism, including but not limited to: linguistics, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, neurolinguistics, applied linguistics, neuropsychology, language acquisition, clinical linguistics, language and education, and multilingual societies.

Keynote speakers include: 

• Christos Pliatsikas (Centre for Literacy and Multilingualism, School of Psychological and Clinical Language Science, University of Reading)
• Ingrid Piller (Centre for Workforce Futures, Department of Linguistics, Macquarie University)
• Kevin Kien Hoa Chung (Department of Early Childhood Education, The Education University of Hong Kong)
• Kilian Seeber (Faculty of Translation and Interpreting, University of Geneva)
• Leher Singh (Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore)
• Ofelia Garcia (Urban Education and Latin American, Iberian, and Latino Cultures, City University of New York)
• Sharynne McLeod (School of Education, Charles Sturt University)

We invite abstracts for two categories of submissions: individual papers and posters.

Individual papers are formal presentations on original research or pedagogy-focused topics by one or more authors, lasting a maximum of 20 minutes with 5 additional minutes for discussion.

Posters on original research or pedagogy will be displayed in sessions that offer the opportunity for individualised, informal discussion with others in the field. Posters are especially effective for presenting work-in-progress, fieldwork, and results of empirical research for which data can be presented visually. Posters will be available throughout an entire day of the conference with presenters in attendance for a 90-minute poster session.

Abstract submission is now open and will end on 30 November 2022.

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The Institute of Translation Studies and Specialised Communication 
(Linguistic and Information Science) at the University of Hildesheim 
is seeking to appoint two research associates (German salary of TV-L E 
13 with 65% of working load each).
The knowledge of German and English is required.

A detailed description (in German), contact details, as well as the 
application link can be found here 
https://bewerbung.uni-hildesheim.de/jobposting/7889b5c712886e0a48fa0973a9493df75d6bf1100

Deadline for applications: 30 September 2022

The concept of domain loss originated in the Nordic countries in the 1990s and was defined
by Laurén, Myking & Picht as “loss of ability to communicate in the national language at all levels of
an area of knowledge because of deficient further development of the necessary means of
professional communication”. Foremost among those ‘necessary means’ are the terms needed to
communicate on specific professional topics in one’s own language.
The term domain loss caught on quickly and became a buzzword shared by journalists and picked up
by national language commissions (Haberland 2005). Extending their theory, Laurén, Myking & Picht
also coined the terms domain conquest and domain reconquest, to refer to examples where a
national language comes up with its own means of communication in a particular domain or supplies
those means where they were at first lacking.

There have also been critics of the domain loss theory: Hultgren (2016) calls domain loss a ‘red
herring’ that detracts attention away from other, more fundamental debates. She argues it might be
more appropriate to speak of “lack of domain gain”. Haberland (2019) criticises the domain concept,
at the same time stressing that variation in language behaviour remains a very worthwhile area of
research that can be approached from a variety of angles. In Myking (2011) the co-author of the
original seminal paper on the subject returns to his topic and notes that “It is possible that too much
discussion has been centred around the negative aspects of domain loss, and that a positive shift of
focus towards domain conquest would be more productive”. In his recent paper, he argues that
language planning, or rather “language management” is always possible but that its outcome is not
predictable.

Worries about the influence of dominant languages on local languages, in particular in professional
contexts, continue to exist, as do worries about the threat of (digital or other) extinction of minority
languages. Conversely, there are many attempts, successful as well as unsuccessful, at enriching
languages with language-specific terms for new concepts. The conference aims to address all these
issues and welcomes theoretical work as well as practical examples.

Keynote speakers
Four keynote speakers have accepted to address the conference:
• Elena Chiocchetti (Eurac Research)
• Manuel Célio Conceição (Universidade do Algarve),
• Johan Myking (University of Bergen, Norway)
• Katelijn Serlet (Director LING 2 - Translation Service at Council of the European Union)

Deadline for applications: 1 October 2022

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The 21st century seems set to transform the world. The COVID 19 pandemic, the
outbreak of armed conflicts, the climate change threat or the different population
movements have brought about health, educational, social, economic, and
environmental consequences. Countries are trying to cope not only at institutional level,
but also with civil and private initiatives and proposals, with varying degrees of success.
Sometimes these are long-term measures (see the UN’s 2030 Agenda). Other times, they
are immediate and improvised actions, marked by a sense of change, fragility and
vulnerability for people and countries, and by the realisation that neither are selfsufficient. In fact, they are completely interdependent.
To talk about these societies in transition is to talk about PSIT. The protagonists of the
global order are not only states and their various forms of political organisation, but also
the emerging civil society, which is committed to the task of defending universal
interests in the context of globalisation, which entails both connectivity and the
elimination of borders at the same time. Moreover, exchanges between different
countries, societies, languages, and cultures mean that PSIT as an activity must be
articulated through codes of ethics and guidelines for good practice that reflect the
model of a sustainable, egalitarian and just society to which humanity must aim for.
The prevailing philosophy in many institutional spheres is based on the mere
maximisation of economic profit, without thinking about mutual support between
institutions, users, and intermediaries, including interpreters, and the most vulnerable
are excluded while solidarity is called for. In this context, the role of PSIT, on its path
towards professionalisation, takes on a new dimension. It becomes, together with the
other agents involved in this process, one more piece in the overall framework that
should lead to a fairer and less vulnerable society.

PSIT8 proposals submission:
With these premises as a context, the 8th International Conference on Public Services
Interpreting and Translation (PSIT8), PSIT in Transition, will be held at the University of
Alcalá (Madrid) from 22nd March until 24th March 2023. The main objective of this
eighth edition is to continue exchanging thoughts, projects, and experiences about PSIT
in the line of previous meetings. T&I professionals, researchers, educational authorities,
and institutions, both public and private, language service providers or anyone
interested in making our world more sustainable are invited to participate.
We welcome proposals that focus their research on PSIT and that help to answer some
of the many questions that the highway to PSIT recognition and professionalisation can
offer us. We aim to stimulate debate and reflection on the following questions:

• Who are the interlocutors deciding how to handle communication?
• Who are the decision makers defining budgets and the available resources to
overcome linguistic and cultural barriers?
• Who develops codes and guidelines for good practice? Do these codes
correspond to the reality of PSIT?
• Which active actors are involved?
• Are emotions and their management taken into account?
• How are cultural issues dealt with in today's mixed cultures?
• Should translators and interpreters who feel under pressure, even if the situation
is one of crisis, and even if they themselves may be personally affected, work for
free?
• What changes can be observed in civil society and private initiative in the move
towards a fairer society?

Deadline for proposals: 5 November 2022

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Since Media for All was launched in 2005 this conference series has been an important platform for researchers, teachers, trainers and practitioners to learn about and discuss the latest developments and findings in the field of Audiovisual Translation and Media Accessibility. Now, continuing this tradition, the city campus of the University of Antwerp is delighted to announce that it will host a number of pre-conference workshops on July 5, 2023 and the 10^th Media for All conference on July 6 and 7, 2023.

Since technology plays such a central role in our field, earlier conferences have placed considerable emphasis on its impact on research and practice in Audiovisual Translation (AVT) and Media Accessibility (MA). This was the case in 2021 at M4A9, Sketching Tomorrow’s Mediascape, with its focus on the AVT landscape, and in 2019 when M4A8, Complex Understandings, addressed technology’s contribution to the field’s complexity. Technology, after all, has been a catalyst in the development of both AVT and Media Accessibility. In the 10^th edition of Media for All, however, we wish to refocus on the central players and draw attention to the role of human agents in AVT and MA. We particularly want to invite contributions that explore how the roles of users, translators, policy makers, industry players, educators and other stakeholders have evolved over the past decade under the influence of digitization, globalization and social developments. We aim to map the changing profiles of the stakeholders in the field, whether practitioners, users, researchers or developers, and to elicit the many complex relations that human agents engage in. A clear shift can be detected when (re)exploring the role and the concept of “agency” in translation today, especially when viewed from the perspective of the complex networks and interlinking of these human and non-human agents.

For the 10^th Media for All conference we welcome contributions on all aspects related to human agency in AVT and MA in the age of technology. Topics may therefore include but are not restricted to:

• Translators’ agency
• Interaction between agents in translation processes
• Human/user-centred research in AVT/MA
• AVT/MA training and education
• End-user involvement
• Inclusion and inclusive practices
• Human-machine interaction & technological development
• Collaborative practices
• Inter-and transdisciplinary research approaches

The Media for All conferences traditionally target the AVT and MA community, but we also encourage submissions from other fields that interact with audiovisual translation and media accessibility and we welcome both academic and industry/practice proposals.

Deadline for proposals: 30 August 2022

For more information, click here

TH Köln is one of the most innovative universities of applied sciences and a member of the university alliance UAS 7. We offer 27,000 students and 1,000 academics from Germany and abroad an inspiring learning, research and work environment in the fields of engineering and humanities as well as social and natural sciences. TH Köln shapes social innovation - this is our approach to society’s challenges. Due to our interdisciplinary mindset and actions as well as our regional, national and international activities, we are a valued cooperation partner in numerous fields.

Your area of work

The successful candidate will carry out research and teach courses in the MA programmes of the Institute of Translation and Multilingual Communication in the area of English Linguistics and Translation with a focus on specialised translation in multimodal contexts. In addition, the successful candidate will teach introductory and advanced courses on the topics of translation theory and practice in the BA programme Multilingual Communication.

The successful candidate will contribute to the faculty’s research activities with his/her own research projects and will actively apply for grant funding.

The successful candidate will actively participate in the faculty’s administration and in the institute’s management and is prepared to take on responsibilities and management roles in this context.

Your profile

Qualified candidates must have earned a university degree in translation or another university degree with relevance to the advertised position and a doctorate in a relevant field. Candidates must have excellent general and specialised translation skills for the language pair English-German and will have proven theoretical and practical expertise in these types of translation. Candidates are familiar with multimodal translation and/or transcreation. Ideally, candidates will be well-acquainted with language and translation technology tools (e.g. machine translation) and have experience with employing such tools in professional translation work and, if possible, in translation courses as well.

You have excellent language skills in your working languages English and German.

Qualified candidates possess the capacity to pursue their objectives and endeavours in line with the long-term goals of the university as well as the ability to develop solutions in an interdisciplinary and team-oriented manner.

Deadline for applications: 7 August 2022

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