Beyond Words and into the Message. Building Communication across Languages, Media and Professions
10-Nov-2016 – 11-Nov-2016
Research Centre for Specialised Translation and Intercultural Communication
Bucharest, Romania
Meeting Description:
Our world is basically made up of words, the very essence of communication. These words find their way among us in one big conversation. In James W. Carey’s words: “Life is a conversation”. This holds good even more so when it comes to conveying our thoughts across the borders of language, culture, country and profession. The conversation between individuals on different sides of these borders is enlarged by an instance of otherness while crossing into many instances of translation.
We invite you to discuss these topics in the following sections of the conference:
1) Communication and Language Studies:
The growing need for mediation and communication across cultures for a variety of professionals in a broad range of fields calls for a fresh theoretical framing of practices involving social activities. These are not to be relegated to fixed and separate systems for, in the words of Mahatma Gandhi, “No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive”.
This section of our conference welcomes papers on topics including, but not limited to:
– Communication theory and theories
– Digital media and online communication
– Professional communication
– Media and education
– Visual and non-verbal communication
– Cross-cultural communication
– Language learning and teaching
– Discourse analysis and applied linguistics
– New trends in linguistics
2) Literature and Cross-Cultural Studies:
“Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree.” (Ezra Pound). In one way or another literature has accompanied mankind for thousands of years. The need to tell and listen to stories is inherent to human nature, just as language and cognition are intertwined. Nevertheless, several questions should be addressed, such as: How much have the topics of literature changed and diversified? To what extent has modern narration influenced storytelling? What is its cross-cultural impact on literature?
In order to provide answers these questions (and others) this section welcomes papers on topics including, but not limited to:
– Media and cultural identity
– Postcolonial studies
– Gender studies
– Minority literature
– Literary and political relations in cross-cultures
– Historical approaches to literary studies
– Comparative literature
3) Translation and Interpreting Studies:
In the last two decades, the contribution of translators and interpreters has become essential in the coherent transfer of (specialized) information. Today the concept of translation goes deep beyond the simple knowledge of terminologies and has expanded to cover a wide range of factors, which can only be learned, understood and applied efficiently by means of a thorough academic training.
This section aims at debating over the following areas in connection with the role of translation and interpreting:
– Translating and interpreting as mediating between cultures
– Conference interpreting: trends and developments
– Ethical issues in translation across cultures
– Training and practice in translation and interpreting
– Literary vs. specialized translation: competition or compatibility?
– New media support in translation
– Social network language and its impact on speaking and translating
Center for Intercultural Dialogue 