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Translation and Linguistic Diversity: A Sociolinguistic Perspective

Exploring the role of translation in supporting linguistic diversity, its positives and negatives, impact on multilingual audiences, and implications for language learning. Discusses the limits of translation and additional challenges faced in preserving diversity. Emphasizes the need for new cooperative language practices to prevent subordination to dominant languages.

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Translation and Linguistic Diversity: A Sociolinguistic Perspective

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  1. The Diversity of Linguistic Diversity: Summing up the differences and commonalities across language communities Eithne O’Connell (SALIS, Dublin City University) eithne.oconnell@dcu.ie Learn Me Project Workshop University of Aberystwyth16th -19th of October 2013

  2. Translation is a key enabling mechanism of linguistic diversity- otherwise chaos in multilingual situations or isolation • Translation is too often underestimated even by linguists/media producers as a purely technical matter: A in L1>B in L2. • In fact, A in L1 can become B, C, D... in L2, depending on factors such as language pair, context, text type, purpose etc. TRANSLATION Positives

  3. Translation supports linguistic diversity by • Increasing visibility of different languages, their speakers and/or their cultures, creating openness and interest Translation Positives

  4. Translation (especially AVT audiovisual translation) relating to children and MLs SOCIOLINGUISTIC PRACTICES (5)

  5. Providing employment to linguists • Improving accessibility (e.g. subtitles, dubbing) • Fostering casual and formal language learning/linguistic/literacy skills development in both children and adults: standard subtitles for beginners; reverse subtitles for intermediate; intralingual subtitles for advanced. Implications for ML audiences? TRANSLATion positives

  6. Translation censorship (indiv./state/corporate) • Third Code: translated texts differ linguistically from original language texts (even if written by the same author). Features include explication, normalisation, simplification etc. • Exposure to large quantities of translations causes adoption of source language features (e.g. Herbst : USA TV in German).Implications for ML children heavily reliant on dubbing/ST? Translation Negatives

  7. Translation (no matter how good) can never be neutral: question of interpretation, multiple possible readings ( and translations) of the same text • Translation (only) hints at the riches of linguistic diversity LIMITS of translation

  8. Fluent translation strategies obliterate the differences between languages and cultures even though semantic fields do not overlap • Translation can work against linguistic diversity as colonisation removing the need to LEARN other languages Additional problems

  9. Session 11 The diversity of linguistic diversity

  10. Thousand/millions of speakers • High/low status • One territory/ transnational • All domains/limited domains • Oral/written expression • Intergeneration transmission Yes/No • Codified standards/competing varieties • LP, e.g. terminology committees/laissez faire diversity

  11. Old terminology does not capture current realities/complexities • Most languages now minoritized in relation to English • New low cost communication possibilities offered by digital media making traditional top-down LP harder to implement • Bottom-up LP easier commonalities

  12. Scope for new cooperative (top/bottom) hybrid LP practices based on experience of fan-subtitling/dubbing and crowdsourcing for translation • Languages increasingly subordinated to English and used outside territory of origin and/or virtually • Most languages happy to scramble for second place Commonalities (cntd)

  13. Some languages other than English are consolidating their position in institutions EU/UN etc. • Some will benefit from increased multilingualism differences

  14. Territory (exclusive): • World language/Major language/Small language/local language • Minority language/indigenous/autochthonous • Regional language/variety/dialect Mediacentric spaces (inclusive): Josu/EdortaGeolinguistic/transnational/public sphere; spericules/global private spaces/transcultural TERMINOLOGY inappropriate?

  15. Terminology and discourse needs to be revised/updated • Old discourse which links Irish to Catalan, while distinguishing between Catalan and Danish. • New discourse of EU (not nations states) as a public sphere and language speakers and language use and multilingualism in context may be more productive and unifying conclusion

  16. WORKSHOP THEMES REVISITED

  17. 1. Policy and Practice: Top-down/Bottom up (International/national/country/region/local) Workshop themes revisited

  18. 2. Terminological Diversity and Consequences: Terminology as institutionalised field Workshop themes revisited

  19. 3. Socio-political approaches/ideological objectives: assimilationist; additive; multicultural; segregated linguistic and cultural independence etc; identities. Workshop themes revisited

  20. 4. Methodological Issues: e.g. Indigeneity and Research; “Languaging” and approaches to linguistic diversity; Permeable and impermeable language frameworks Workshop themes revisited

  21. 5. Sociological Practices: Education/Media and Policy Objectives Workshop themes revisited

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