The early modern period was a time of burgeoning diplomatic activity on the European continent characterized by the spread of resident diplomacy and the appearance of peace congresses. Linguistic practices were changing dramatically as well, including Latin, German and Italian progressively overshadowed by French as a pan-European medium of diplomacy. All these developments had a considerable impact on translation in diplomacy, affecting its functioning and role in various ways: translation departments were formed or expanded and redesigned, and the need to train translators in order to increase efficiency of foreign policy began to be felt by major powers. This eventually resulted in the foundation of schools for would-be translators and diplomats, and the development of various practices such as the linguistic training of »giovanni de lingua« or »jeunes de langues«. These innovations allowed early modern diplomacy to cope, at least to a certain degree, with an important increase in diplomatic contacts which led to an ever-growing diplomatic correspondence. However, some of these initiatives, such as the foundation of specialized schools, have been short-lived and have not led to sustainable results. Living and working in a multilingual and multicultural environment, translators often were cultural brokers with hybrid cultural identities. We would like to adopt a transnational and interdisciplinary viewpoint and consider the subject on the basis of new primary sources in the broad context of the development of translation and the evolution of diplomacy in the early modern period.

The questions which are of interest for the workshop include, but are not limited to the following:

• Traditions and innovations in the organization of diplomatic translation services;

• State and non-state actors and the formation of policies regarding translation in diplomacy;

• The role of translation in diplomats’ careers;

• Early modern institutions and practices for training translators and interpreters;

• (Hybrid) Identities of interpreters and translators and their role as cultural brokers;

• Lack of translating personnel and attempts to bypass such difficulties;

• Accuracy of translations and problems resulting from translators’ incompetence in diplomacy;

• Distrust of translators and interpreters, translation and secrecy in diplomacy, translators as negotiators;

• Translation in diplomatic relations with non-European powers;

• The role of translators in the formation of diplomatic, political and juridical terminology in vernacular languages.

Deadline for abstracts: 15 September 2023

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The School of Social Sciences is a diverse and multi-disciplinary school that offers Undergraduate and Postgraduate taughtprogrammes and has a strong international focus in both teaching and research. We have excellent links and collaborative partnerships with leading academic institutions, international organisations and professional bodies all over the world. The main focus of the Department of Languages & Intercultural Studies (LINCS) is in Translation, Interpreting, and Intercultural Studies. As one of the first universities to focus on applied languages, we have developed a very distinctive profile in this area over more than 50 years. 

LINCS offers taught undergraduate courses in Interpreting & Translation, Cultures and Communication, and Masters-level courses in Translation, Interpreting, and Intercultural Business Communication. The languages we offer are British Sign Language, Chinese, English, French, German, and Spanish. Staff conduct research on a range of topics related to language policy, sociolinguistics, translation and interpreting, migration, culture, and heritage, and supervise PhD students working on similar topics and on interdisciplinary projects. LINCS houses two research centres: the Centre for Translation & Interpreting Studies in Scotland (CTISS) and the Intercultural Research Centre (IRC), as well as a very active group of Sign Language researchers (SIGNS@HWU). 

Key responsibilities 

LINCS is currently looking to recruit a full-time member of staff on a Teaching & Research contract. The new staff member will contribute primarily to teaching Spanish-English Interpreting courses at various levels, and potentially also translation classes. They may also have the opportunity to contribute to courses for other languages taught in the Department (BSL, Chinese, French and German) where qualified, across a range of programmes, as well as cultural studies-related courses. They will also be required to take on relevant administration tasks. 

Required qualifications, skills and experience 

The applicant must have: 

•  English as their first language (L1) with Spanish at near-native/C2 level (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages), and preferably one further language taught in LINCS (BSL, Chinese, French, German) at near-native/C2 level.  
•    Expertise in teaching and assessing Spanish interpreting, and ideally also translation, at university level. 
•  A postgraduate university qualification in a relevant field. 

Desired qualifications, skills and experience 

The applicant will ideally also have: 

• Experience in other areas of LINCS teaching and Continuing Professional Development activities. 
• Completed, or be on track to complete, a research degree in a relevant field. 
• Professional experience of interpreting and/or translation. 

Applications can be submitted up to 23:59 (UK time) on Saturday 15th July 2023.

Shortlisting of applicants will take place by 10th July, and interviews will be scheduled later in July, either face to face or via video remote link-up.  Please ensure that you are available. 

The position has an ideal start date of 1st September 2023. 

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Are you a translation professional or academic with proven abilities to carry out professionally oriented and research-informed teaching in translation studies, with a focus on translation from Chinese into English? Do you have the ability to inspire and motivate students? Are you passionate about leading and delivering quality teaching for the Centre for Translation Studies in the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies at Leeds?  

As a Teaching Fellow you will have the ability to deliver professionally oriented and research-informed teaching and expertise in translation studies.   We are looking for the ability to teach translation from Chinese into English and depending on your expertise, you may also contribute to other modules within the Centre for Translation Studies, East Asian Studies, and the wider School.

You will have a postgraduate qualification in Translation Studies or a related discipline (or equivalent professional experience) and ideally experience of contributing to the effective delivery of relevant and appropriate teaching at undergraduate and post graduate levels.

Deadline for applications: 3 July 2023

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The School of Arts, Languages and Cultures (SALC) contains one of the UK’s largest concentrations of high-quality research and teaching in languages and linguistics. SALC is seeking to recruit a full-time ‘teaching and scholarship’ lecturer (i.e. research is not included in this role) to contribute to the teaching activities of Japanese Studies which is housed within the department of Modern Languages and Cultures. We welcome applications from candidates with a PhD in any aspect of Japanese Studies, though preference may be given to candidates working on the contemporary period. This fixed-term appointment will make an important contribution to Japanese Studies at undergraduate level. Applicants must be fully fluent in English and Japanese. The post is tenable from 1 September 2023 to 30 January 2025

The School is strongly committed to the enhancement of excellence, in step with the University’s ambitious plans as set out in the document Our Future: Vision and Strategic Plan, which is designed to cement the University’s place within the world’s top 25 universities. In REF 2021, Modern Languages at Manchester achieved an excellent result. Teaching is a key element of the School’s activity and students at all levels benefit from the breadth of the School in that they can combine languages and pursue interests from a cross-cultural and cross-linguistic perspective.

What you will get in return:

• Fantastic market leading Pension scheme
• Excellent employee health and wellbeing services including an Employee Assistance Programme
• Exceptional starting annual leave entitlement, plus bank holidays
• Additional paid closure over the Christmas period
• Local and national discounts at a range of major retailers

As an equal opportunities employer we welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of age, sex, gender (or gender identity), ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and transgender status.  All appointments are made on merit.

Our University is positive about flexible working – you can find out more here

Hybrid working arrangements may be considered.

Deadline for applications: 29 June 2023

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Confirmed Keynote Speakers: Dr. Sophie Fuggle, Nottingham Trent University, Dr. Amina Zarzi, University of Oxford.

2023 marks the 150^th anniversary of Jules Verne’s Le Tour du monde en 80 jours (Around the World in 80 Days), first published in book form in 1873. While Verne’s text remains celebrated for its depiction of swashbuckling adventure (as evidenced in a recent adaptation for British television), the Western, colonial and racist bias of this work appear obvious in hindsight. Verne’s 19^th century depiction of travel, participation and agency depended on various processes of inclusion and exclusion both within and beyond the métropole which took place in a context of racialised colonisation in these realms. Such considerations provide a springboard for the theme of this year’s conference, which focuses on questions encompassing travel writing, inclusion and exclusion in voluntary, forced, temporary and permanent migration as expressed in Francophone texts across a variety of time periods. How have depictions of travel mutated since the period in which Verne was writing? Which legacies of inclusion and exclusion from colonial periods remain, or have reversed, in 21^st century postcolonial writing? How has the writing of travel contributed to the formation of discourses of knowledge, such as those now being explored under the banner of the medical humanities?

This is an interdisciplinary call for papers, inviting contributions from researchers working across all fields of languages, cultures and societies. We welcome proposals for papers and panels on topics including, but not limited to:

• Travel writing and transport
• Disability and travel
• Travel and time
•  Bodily inclusion/exclusion in travel
• Travel and medical considerations/health
• Travel and trauma
• Geographical inclusion/exclusion
• Travel, writing, and genre
•  Transnational discovery
• Travel and language

Please send abstracts of 250-300 words plus 50-100 words of biography to Conference Secretary, Dr. Christopher Hogarth (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). Papers can be in English or French.

The deadline for receipt of abstracts is: 16 July 2023. This year’s conference will be held in person 

The Society is committed to providing support for Early Career Researchers and will hold a dedicated ECR event in the conference programme, details of which will be available at a later stage.

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Building and Campus: King’s Building, Strand Campus

Job description

• To be responsible for teaching French language modules and internal and external French courses offered by the Language Centre at King’s College and at partner institutions/organisations.
• To support the Team Leader and Deputy Team Leader in the planning, running and development of all activities related to the teaching and assessment of French courses.
• To develop and maintain scholarly projects related to French language and culture tuition. 

About the King’s Language Centre

King’s Language Centre (LC) is a semi-entrepreneurial department with over 100 members of staff. It sits within the School of Professional & Continuing Education (PACE). It teaches up to 25 languages and welcomes over 6,000 students each year to a variety of language courses. It has two broad and entwined remits: to provide language teaching and support in a range of formats to members of the King’s community; and to proactively pursue income-generating teaching opportunities with businesses, organisations and the wider London community. The LC also includes the Language Resources Centre which supports independent language learning with specialist language resources and work areas for students and teachers. In addition to a variety of learning resources (including grammar and course books, magazines, newspapers, CDs, DVDs and online subscriptions), face-to-face learning support, cultural workshops and speaking practice sessions are also available.”

About PACE

Set up 18 months ago, PACE’s role is to widen the educational reach of King’s as an integral part of the King’s lifelong learning offer and enhance the university’s scholarship of teaching and learning. The School offers an increasingly joined-up approach to a range of education experiences that are different to the typical degree, for individual learners, public and private sector groups, and partners, both in the UK and internationally. The School sits alongside the nine Faculties of the university and comprises six areas: King’s Academy, King’s Foundations, King’s Language Centre, King’s Online, King’s Professional & Executive Development and Summer Programmes. Each of these areas are well established, respected and recognised within and beyond the King’s community.  PACE delivers teaching (King’s Foundations, Summer Programmes, King’s Language Centre) and works collaboratively with our nine Faculties enabling them to deliver professional and online education (KPED and King’s Online). The School also supports educational and learning development of King’s staff and students (King’s Academy, King’s Foundations).

Contract type

This post will be offered on an indefinite contract

This is a full-time post – 100% full time equivalent

Deadline for applications: 2 July 2023

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The programme for the Translab4: Translation and Labour-symposium has been announced.

The symposium is organized by Alexa Alfer and Cornelia Zwischenberger and will be held at the University of Westminster, London, UK, on July, 6-7.

Interested participants are kindly asked to register until 23 June 2023.

Further information: https://transcultcom.univie.ac.at/translab4/

The Department of Spanish, Modern and Classical Languages at the University of the Balearic Islands (Spain) invites to express the interest to apply for three tenure-track faculty positions at the Visiting Assistant/Senior Lecturer level in the field of English Studies. Open positions are to begin in October 2023. The positions involve both research and teaching activities. Teaching will be conducted in English, but the ability to speak some Spanish is recommended (although it is not a requisite).

OFFERED POSITIONS: - Visiting Assistant Lecturer (code number FEMIC4) - Visiting Assistant Lecturer (code number FEMIC5) - Visiting Senior Lecturer (code number FEMIC6).

FOR ENQUIRIES, please contact Dr Rubén Jarazo, Head of Spanish, Modern and Classical Languages. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. before June 30th, 2023.

Applications are invited for appointment as Associate Professor on tenure terms or Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in Translation in the School of Chinese (Ref.: 520213), to commence in January 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter.  Appointment as Assistant Professor will be made on a three-year fixed-term basis, with the possibility of renewal and consideration for tenure before the expiry of a second three-year. Direct tenure may be offered to outstanding candidates applying for the Associate Professor rank.

Applicants should possess a Ph.D. degree in Translation or a relevant field from a reputable university. They should demonstrate evidence of excellence in research and teaching. The appointee should be well-versed in Practical Translation between Chinese and English, both written and oral. The ability to develop, coordinate, and conduct courses that are consonant with the Programme’s curricular needs and can inspire creative and critical reflection on key language issues will be a definite advantage.

A highly competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and experience will be offered, together with contract-end gratuity and University contribution to a retirement benefits scheme at 15% of basic salary for appointment on fixed-term. Other benefits include annual leave and professional leave, medical benefits, and free access to on-campus gyms and libraries.  Housing benefits will be provided as applicable.

The University only accepts online application for the above post.  Applicants should apply online and upload an up-to-date C.V.  Review of applications will start on July 3, 2023 and continue until November 3, 2023 or until the post is filled, whichever is earlier.

For more information. click here.

The Department of Languages & Intercultural Studies (LINCS) is looking to recruit a full-time member of staff to join the Department on a Teaching & Scholarship contract. The new staff member will contribute primarily to teaching German, Translation and Interpreting courses at various levels. They will also have the opportunity to contribute to courses for other languages taught in the Department (BSL, Chinese, French and Spanish) where qualified, across a range of programmes, as well as cultural studies-related courses. They will be required to be involved in relevant administration tasks.

Deadline for applications: 30 June 2023

For more information, click here.