Projects - TricS

Abstract

Background: Accessibility is usually understood as means of making cities more accessible for people with mobility disabilities. But accessibility encompasses also access to culture and information. Public institutions communicate with their residents and visitors through various channels. Yet, what about those who cannot access this information such as people with sensory disabilities or, as is common in the EU, people with different linguistic backgrounds? A way to provide universal access to audiovisual products is using automatic subtitling, an AI-based technology that automatically generates subtitles for pre-recorded and live audiovisual products. Aim: I will address the role of automatic subtitling in enhancing the accessibility of communication in public institutions and its potential impact on the well-being and civic engagement of citizens. Urgency: Advances in artificial intelligence have improved drastically the quality of live automatic subtitling, but we do not know how this technology impacts its users in several communicative situations, since there are no reception studies on this matter. Approach: This is an empirical and interdisciplinary study mixing ethnographic and experimental approaches. Using both qualitative and quantitative data collection tools, this is the first study investigating the interaction between live automatic subtitling and its end users. Innovation and impact: 1) Research into a new, unclaimed research avenue; 2) Interdisciplinary approach with data collection tools never used before on media accessibility; 3) Determine the impact of technology on reception of media accessibility; 4) Results will directly improve several stakeholders' lives; 5) Results will be directly applicable to professional practice, promoting knowledge-based economy

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Jankowska Anna

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Ever close your eyes and listen to a movie? Millions of blind people experience this daily reality relying on audio description (AD). As a media accessibility service, AD translates visuals into an auditory experience for non-sighted audiences. But amidst the surge in audio-described content, a fundamental question persists: what defines expertise and quality in AD? While research on AD has flourished over the past 20 years within Translation Studies, the concepts of AD expertise and quality remain elusive. Alongside these knowledge gaps, what happens during the AD process is unknown. This project aims to conceptualize AD expertise and quality through a comprehensive mixed-methods study. On the qualitative front, we map perceptions of expertise and quality among sighted and non-sighted audio description professionals through DELPHI surveys and focus groups. By involving individuals with visual impairments, the project embraces a participatory approach to bridge the maker-user gap within media accessibility, where the perspectives of disabled users are often disregarded by industry figures and policymakers. On the quantitative front, the project follows the experimental approach of Cognitive Translation Studies to study the AD process and to explore whether specific behaviors of audio describers correlate with expertise and quality. In this phase, the activities of 12 audio describers will be monitored through keylogging, eye-tracking, as well as screen and voice recording.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Jankowska Anna
• Co-promoter: Schrijver Iris
• Fellow: Dalli Harun

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Audio description (AD) is an accessibility service for people with vision loss. In films, it is an additional audio track which describes the visual cues necessary to understand and enjoy the film. It is a translation of images into words, also known as intersemiotic translation. There are two workflows to produce AD scripts: (1) writing - choosing the relevant visual elements and turning them into text that fits in the limited space between the dialogues and the important elements of the original soundtrack; (2) translation of existing AD scripts (e.g., English>Dutch). These workflows exist in professional practice, but research into AD processes is non-existent. The project has three aims: (1) to conceptualize the AD process model(s): (2) to conceptualize intersemiotic translation as a process; (3) to test the reactivity of think-aloud protocols (TAP) in AD process research. We conduct four experiments, two on AD-writing and two on AD-translation. We monitor the participants' work with keylogging, eye tracking, screen, voice and face recording, and interviews. Participants will be asked to think aloud in half of the tasks. This project is urgent to avoid a one-sided view of audiovisual translation and media accessibility practices as a product. It is also relevant since it elicits essential questions that product-oriented approaches cannot answer and complements existing methodological approaches in AD research.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Jankowska Anna
• Co-promoter: Reviers Nina
• Co-promoter: Schrijver Iris

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Simultaneous interpreting (SI) is a complex cognitive activity comprising concurrent tasks: language comprehension, production, and monitoring. It is carried out in an increasingly technologized environment, in which information is presented through multiple channels, i.e., multimodally. Incoming verbal and nonverbal information from the speaker is frequently complemented by supports such as a slide presentation (with or without captioning) or computer-assisted interpreting (CAI) tools (e.g., terminology software). Yet, the equation between the facilitating effect of these supports in terms of performance and the added cognitive load on information processing lacks empirical investigation. We attempt to fill this gap by investigating the effect of multimodality on interpreters' performance, visual attention, cognitive load, stress, and user experience. To this end, we will conduct two experimental, within-subject studies involving 12 professional interpreters. Study 1 investigates one support: participants will perform their task in 4 conditions, that is, (1) SI (no support - baseline); (2) SI + slides; (3) SI + CAI-tool; (4) SI + intralingual captioning. Study 2 investigates 4 combinations of supports: (1) SI + slides (baseline); (2) SI + slides + CAI; (3) SI + slides + intralingual captioning; (4) SI + slides + interlingual captioning. During the tasks, speech rate, a major problem trigger in SI, is manipulated to measure its effect in relation to the support type. The project combines objective and subjective data collection and analysis such as mobile eye tracking, wristbands, and interviews, to generate profound fundamental knowledge on multimodality and cognition, and benefit interpreter training and practice.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Robert Isabelle
• Co-promoter: de Boe Esther

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Background: Live subtitling is a common method used to minimize sensory and language barriers. Initially, live subtitles were only intralingual (e.g. Dutch speech > Dutch subtitles) and catered for persons with hearing impairment. However, currently, there is a growing demand for interlingual live subtitles (e.g. Polish speech > English subtitles), which, in addition to hearing impaired persons, would also cater for all those that need access to foreign language. Aim: The aim of the project is to investigate the potential of interlingual live subtitles as an alternative to interpreting and discover how this method can be implemented to meet the expectations of different audiences. The research hypothesis is that, in some contexts, interlingual subtitling through respeaking is a feasible alternative to conference interpreting. Urgency: Social and technological changes may limit traditional translation services. Interlingual live subtitles have the potential to replace traditional interpreting, particularly in online and TV contexts, benefiting people with hearing disabilities. It also responds to modern challenges (globalization, digitalization, automation, aging of the population, wars, migrations, wider use of social media by gen Z) and complements simultaneous interpreting amid increasing automation. Approach: The project adopts a descriptive and comparative approach with four main research objectives: mapping interlingual live subtitling practices, creating a profile of a Polish interlingual live subtitler, investigating the quality of interlingual live subtitles compared to simultaneous interpreting, and analyzing audience reception. The author's professional involvement in live subtitling provides a unique perspective of a practisearcher. Innovation and impact: The project addresses current research gaps, introduces innovative methodologies, and highlights the societal impact of interlingual live subtitles on promoting inclusivity and equal access to information. It identifies future research directions, including exploring audience engagement and comprehension beyond other established quality measurements. By incorporating psychophysiological measures and leveraging emerging technologies, future research can enhance the effectiveness of interlingual live subtitles, ensuring broader industry involvement and innovation.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Jankowska Anna

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

In recent decades, access and accessibility have emerged as pivotal forces reshaping a wide spectrum of human endeavours, from innovative practices through social discourse to regulatory frameworks. This transformation has propelled accessibility into the forefront of diverse research fields, catalysing a wealth of novel methodologies and conceptual frameworks that have revolutionised the foundations of these disciplines. These developments have coalesced into what Greco (2018 and 2022) identifies as Accessibility Studies—an interdisciplinary field of research dedicated to investigating accessibility processes and phenomena. Despite its promising growth, Accessibility Studies remains fragmented, with accessibility often addressed disparately within distinct academic and professional domains, including Translation Studies, Architecture, Disability Studies, Design, Information Technologies, Law, Philosophy, and others (Greco 2022). This fragmentation has resulted in a disconnected and detached landscape within the field. The objective of the present project is to lay the foundation for an EU-level consolidation of the burgeoning field of Accessibility Studies in Europe by critically mapping the current state of the art in accessibility processes and phenomena. Our project seeks to bridge the gaps and enhance cohesion by fostering a deeper understanding of accessibility within and across these diverse domains. To accomplish this, we will create an international interdisciplinary team that will collaboratively investigate accessibility from various angles in order to get a better view of its complex identity and to uncover disparities that have to be overcome to achieve a more unified and integrated perspective. This research endeavour will explore the design, implementation, and evaluation of accessibility-based and accessibility-oriented methodologies, ultimately advancing our comprehension of access and accessibility in contemporary society.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Vercauteren Gert
• Co-promoter: Jankowska Anna
• Co-promoter: Vandenbroucke Mieke

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Audiovisual content prevails in many modern societies. However, not all audiences can access the audiovisual content in its original form due to language barriers or sensory impairments (Greco, 2016). This is where audiovisual translation (AVT) and media accessibility (MA) come into play, providing access services such as e.g., subtitling, dubbing, captioning and audio description (AD). AVT&MA is the most dynamically developing area of TS (Remael, Reviers, & Vandekerckhove, 2016). While it produced a large quantity of research in less than 30 years, the majority of current AVT&MA studies are descriptive and prescriptive. Calls for more varied and in particular empirical research methods to support the AD field's development into a mature discipline (PerezGonzalez, 2014) have led to a spiked interest in experimental research. However, two crucial research gaps remain in this respect: (1) Experimental research in AVT&MA, is a fledgling area that experiences growing pains (Di Giovanni & Gambier, 2018). The predominant AVT&MA experimental research paradigm still uses offline measurement methods (e.g., questionnaires, interviews, focus groups etc.) (for a detailed overview see (Cintas & Szarkowska, 2020; Orero et al., 2018). (2) Process research approaches are almost inexistent in AVT&MA research. The field of AVT&MA remains largely focused on the product. Only a handful of studies employed the translation process research framework within AVT&MA (Gary Massey & Jud, 2020; Orrego-Carmona, 2018). AD process research, in particular, is the least explored area. AIM: We will address the two research gaps described above by conducting an empirical study of the audio description scripting process focusing on how it might be affected by experience of describers. URGENCY: This initiative is not only highly relevant to complement existing approaches in AD research, but it is also urgent. The development of process-oriented studies in AVT&MA is a crucial consideration to avoid a one sided view on AVT&MA practices as a product and elicit essential questions that product oriented approaches cannot answer (such as the motivation behind translation choices or the impact of contextual features on translation choices, to name but a few). The field of AD is currently at a pivotal point in its development, in need of solid, empirical evidence to underpin its theoretical claims and evolve into a mature discipline and the development of empirical process research is a crucial step in this development. Against this background, this project is not only a fundamental and logical next step in developing new knowledge in the field, but it will also contribute to establishing the University of Antwerp as a reference center in AVT and MA research. APPROACH: Our project is situated in an empirical paradigm and within the realm of Cognitive Translation and Inerpreting Studies. Building on methodological standards and measures of Translation Process Research this project is the first one to combine a comprehensive set of quantitative and qualitative tools to study the AD production process. INNOVATION AND IMPACT: (1) Research into a new, unclaimed research avenue within AVT&MA. (2) A multimethod experimental-design, linking methodologies rarely or never used within AVT&MA. (3) Interdisciplinary approach establishing collaboration within the University of Antwerp (TriCS, Antwerp Social Lab and Antwerp Human Lab). (4) tackling of the replication and reproducibility crisis through open science approach.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Jankowska Anna
• Co-promoter: Schrijver Iris
• Fellow: Dalli Harun

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

AI Write aims to revolutionise the landscape of academic writing in English (as L1 and L2) through the development of innovative teaching approaches and supporting materials that leverage AI tools. With rapid advancements in AI technology for generating texts, the project recognizes the transformative potential of these tools in reshaping the cultural practices of writing. The project aims to promote the implementation of best practices for effectively using AI tools to support academic writing.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Strobl Carola
• Co-promoter: Ureel Jim

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Education Project
• Research Project

Abstract

The valorisation manager facilitates the growth of research and valorisation potential in the Department of Applied Linguistics / Translation and Interpreting by, among other things: (i) stimulating co-operation with industry and cultural stakeholders, and building a network with private and public sector partners; (ii) mapping, describing and protecting a knowledge and IP portfolio of potential interest to industry. (iii) proactively exploring new opportunities for collaboration and valorisation with a specific focus on the impact of rapidly evolving technology on new research and valorisation opportunities in Translation and Interpreting Studies; (iv) facilitating the process of identifying valorisation partners, defining projects and closing agreements.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Peeters Kris
• Fellow: Meulemans Catherine

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

One of the main challenges in higher education in the 21st century is providing educational access to an increasingly multilingual and multicultural student population. Many universities are therefore considering using English as language of instruction (EMI), but students' limited proficiency in English can be a serious drawback. Live subtitling might help to overcome this language barrier, by removing physical (auditory) and linguistic barriers at the same time. The aim of this research project is therefore to investigate (1) how university students in Flanders perceive EMI lectures with intralingual live subtitles, i.e. lectures for which the words of the lecturer are subtitled in real time in the same language (English), (2) whether these subtitles influence their performance, and (3) what impact these subtitles have on their cognitive load. We will compare two different production methods of subtitling: (1) respeaking and (2) trained automatic speech recognition. We will also compare two different projection methods: (1) subtitles in a block of 2 lines underneath the PowerPoint of the lecturer, and (2) scrolling subtitles on a separate screen. We will investigate the impact of subtitling on perception, performance and cognitive load among two student groups: (1) students who study English as a major, and (2) students who do not study English. Quantitative and qualitative data will be collected during real lectures using online questionnaires and eye tracking glasses.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Robert Isabelle
• Co-promoter: Schrijver Iris

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

While audio description (AD) becomes one of the most widely researched AVT modalities, AD quality does not seem to have attracted the interest of many researchers so far. This stands in stark contrast to research on other modalities, especially subtitling and live subtitling, where quality is a pivotal issue and has been driving the sharp increase of audience reception studies in AVT (e.g., Di Giovanni & Gambier, 2018). AD quality is not merely an underrepresented topic in university research, but also a cogent problem in industry. The overreaching aim of the project is to create clear evaluation procedures of AD, based on first extensive and long-term analysis of AD quality. To do that we will attempt to define AD quality and map the relationship between AD scripting process and AD quality. While the project aims at introducing new themes in AD research (quality, AD process research) it also proposes employing research methodology that so far has been rarely used in AD research (keystroke logging, heart rate recording, presence questionnaires, interview, focus group, think aloud protocols, screen and face recording).

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Jankowska Anna
• Fellow: Jankowska Anna

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The Joyce in Translation Centre (JTC) is a centre of documentation and scientific expertise concerning James Joyce's work in translation. JTC's aims are to collect and digitize all Joyce translations, to collect all scholarly publications on Joyce in translation, and to bring together an international team of researchers, both Joyce scholars and translation scholars. in the long term, JTC's ambition is to provide the scholarly community with a comparative, digitized, open-source database of annotated translations and retranslations, aligned with the source texts at the sentence level. As such, JTC will constitute (a) a unique platform of scholarly information for Joyce scholars and translation scholars alike; (b) a virtual place for scholarly networking on Joyce translation; (c) a way of opening new research collaborations and paths of investigation, notably by the introduction of digital humanities tools and semi-automated corpus analyses.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Peeters Kris

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project website

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Audio description (AD) is a media accessibility service for non-sighted viewers, in which visual information is converted into an audio commentary. While this task is considered a form of intersemiotic translation (translating images into words), no knowledge of a foreign language is required to perform the task. In most countries audio describers come from a variety of backgrounds, not necessarily translation related. Therefore, the question arises: how do AD practitioners conceptualise what they do? This project looks to both translation and writing process research to gain insight into the process of drafting an AD script and the impact of the describer's self-perceived professional identity on both the process and the final product. This will be the first project of its kind, as process research in AD is extremely limited, despite calls for such studies (Jankowska 2021; Ramos and Rojo 2020; Braun 2007). Understanding the underlying processes of AD scripting will create new knowledge for both translation process research and writing studies and can be applied to design future AD training courses. Moreover, no previous study has considered the self-identity of AD practitioners. While attempts have been made to understand the skills and competencies of describers (ADLAB PRO 2017), this project will add a new, socio-psychological dimension to our understanding of the profession.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Jankowska Anna
• Co-promoter: Schrijver Iris
• Fellow: Zajdel Alicja

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This project investigates how advanced learners of German as a foreign language (L2) establish cohesion in their academic writing. The ability to write cohesive texts, that is, use grammatical and lexical devices appropriately to signal the logical structure of a text to readers, is important for academic writing. Research into L2 English has shown that L2 learners use cohesive devices differently from L1 users. Therefore, it is surprising that the use of cohesive devices by learners of languages other than English has received little attention in language acquisition research to date. This project sets out to fill this gap by proposing an analysis of grammatical cohesion in academic L2 German summary writing. The aim is threefold: (1) investigate empirically the effects of L2 German writers´ L1 on how they use cohesive devices, (2) analyse similarities and differences in the use of cohesive devices in L1 and L2 German, focusing on specific characteristics of cohesion in writing produced by learners with L1 Dutch and (3) create the corpora necessary for this analysis. I will adopt a novel approach to contrastive corpus-based analysis, comparing three corpora in consecutive cycles. In so doing, I will contribute to the growing body of learner corpora and advance the theoretical knowledge of learner language by identifying L1-specific and L1-independent characteristics of cohesion in academic learner language.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Strobl Carola
• Co-promoter: Mortelmans Tanja
• Co-promoter: Ureel Jim
• Fellow: Wedig Helena

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Simultaneous Interpreting (SI) is a real-time oral translation of a speaker's oral discourse by an interpreter who usually works from a sound-proof cabin in a conference room. SI requires complex information processing, since the interpreter has to carry out several tasks in parallel (i.e., listening, comprehending and producing speech). Interpreters are often provided with a written version of the oral speech to be delivered by the speaker beforehand, an additional information source that can be used for task preparation, but also during the delivery of the oral speech. The latter practice is referred to as "SI with text" or "SIMTEXT". This involves multimodal cognitive processing since the interpreter now receives information through different channels, simultaneous auditory and visual. Although intuitively, the availability of the text appears to be useful support for achieving the interpreting task, previous experiments with SIMTEXT have indicated that multimodal input may in fact complicate cognitive processing and, as such, undermine the potential facilitating effect. However, the evidence supporting this hypothesis is inconclusive, since only few studies have addressed the matter, and their methodological design often lacks ecological validity due to artificial experimental conditions, the use of less accurate tools, subjective measurements or the exclusive focus on only one input variable. We therefore propose to explore the effect of multimodal input on cognitive processing in SIMTEXT by designing experiments with professional simultaneous interpreters who will carry out one SI and one SIMTEXT task in near to real-life conditions, that is, in an interpreting booth, wearing eye tracking glasses. By manipulating a combination of input variables related to content, form and delivery of the oral speeches in both experimental conditions (SI and SIMTEXT), we will investigate the facilitating effect of text in SI. The study has a mixed-method design. One the one hand, quantitative data are collected by means of mobile eye tracking glasses to measure the effect of the use of text on cognitive processing and on the allocation of visual attention. On the other hand, qualitative data will be collected by means of retrospective online questionnaires aimed to elicit the participants' perceived cognitive load. Apart from studying the effect of the use of text on information processing, we will also look into its effect on the interpreting product in the form of recordings from the interpreting tasks, which will be submitted to a qualitative analysis. By using a combination of input variables and complementary methods, we intend to investigate the cognitive processing of multimodal information sources in SI from a much broader perspective than has so far been the case in studies on this topic. As such, we intend to generate new insights into the study of multimodality and cognition, that will also be invaluable for SI practice and training.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Robert Isabelle
• Co-promoter: de Boe Esther

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Electroencephalography (EEG) is a technique of recording electrical activity of the brain. By using electrodes placed on the scalp the researchers are able to track the activity of cortical neurons. Despite the fact that EEG It is the most widely used way of studying cognitive processes in the current century, the University of Antwerp still does not have an EEG laboratory. EEG is used so widely because of the numerous advantages that it can offer researchers. It has a high temporal resolution, which means that it captures cognitive processes in real time, as they occur. This is a great feat, since cognitive processes are fast. They occur within tens to hundreds of milliseconds and other neuroimaging techniques (such as fMRI or PET) are only able to record the processes that last longer than a second. Furthermore, EEG is inexpensive, lightweight, and portable. It allows for ecologically valid experimental designs at an affordable rate. The price of a whole EEG system can be less than 30,000 EURO, while fMRI scanners cost millions. However, the biggest advantage of using an EEG system is the ability to study the unconscious drivers of human behavior. Our researchers at the The Social Lab, Media and ICT in Organizations and Society (MIOS), Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS), the Centre for Philosophical Psychology, and the Centre for Ethics are interested in investigating implicit attitudes, language comprehension, response inhibition and many other processes that are inaccessible to survey research. In this application we summarize several research projects which would greatly benefit from utilizing an EEG system at the University of Antwerp. We cite recent, world-renowned research which was made possible only thanks to EEG data collection and point out specific ways in which our scientists could use an EEG to achieve similar world-class results.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Vercauteren Gert
• Co-promoter: Leuridan Bert
• Co-promoter: Poels Karolien
• Co-promoter: Rudnicki Konrad
• Co-promoter: Schaubroeck Katrien

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

To date, translation didactics has mainly been conceptualized from theorists' and researchers' perspectives and not focused extensively on the voices of the translation teachers or students. This research project aims to help this knowledge gap, analyzing the translation knowledge construction by 39 English language students and two translation professors from the School of Languages and Literatures of the Autonomous University of Queretaro, Mexico following a constructivist approach. In constructivism, students play an active role and have a central position in the educational process since they do not acquire knowledge from the professor but construct it. This educational perspective is related to responsibility, learning autonomy, and student empowerment (Kiraly, 2001; Kiraly, 2014; Serrano & Pons, 2011). It appears to have gained particular relevance during the COVID 19 pandemic due to the different changes implemented by institutions. To analyze translation knowledge construction an extensive literature review was carried out as well as online field work. Data was collected during the August-December 2020 online semester employing online semi-structured interviews, virtual classroom observations, students' translation exercises, and homework uploaded to Google Classroom. Data was classified into a set of emic and etic categories and examined with the qualitative software Atlas. ti. Preliminary findings regarding the impact on knowledge construction in an online environment show that participants faced various changes during online translation teaching and learning, and they have developed positive and negative educational experiences during online classes' implementation. In the following stage of data analysis, the ways that students identify, recall, and apply knowledge related to translation and linguistics will be identified. Moreover, special attention will be paid to students' comprehension in the virtual classroom, the similarities and differences between the source and target languages, and the relevance of errors (both in terms of making errors and error feedback) during the educational process.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Schrijver Iris
• Fellow: Libreros Cortez Héctor

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The aim of the APATCHE project is expressed by its acronym and title. It is to "Add Plurilingual Approaches to language Teacher Competences in Higher Education", by raising awareness through various publications, dissemination events, a methodology for curriculum development and an online training course. Plurilingual approaches to language learning and teaching are approaches that value all languages present in the increasingly multilingual international classroom in higher education (HE) as a single, comprehensive set of competences. The APATCHE project wishes to raise awareness of the importance of such a plurilingual approach and to provide the necessary means of introducing them in HE all over Europe. To that end, we shall try to answer three questions, namely What is it?; Why is it needed?; and How can we implement it? (1) With respect to the 'What?' question, our objective is to raise awareness of, and to collect, provide and disseminate knowledge on the importance of plurilingual approaches in HE (and knowledge construction in general), embracing national languages as well as English as the predominant lingua academica and allowing for learners to develop language skills more effectively, while increasing autonomy and motivation, and fostering positive intercultural attitudes; the advantages of plurilingual learning as compared to monolingual approaches; the importance, for reasons of dissemination and societal impact, of scientific knowledge development in local and national languages as well as in English; necessary skills and attitudes to be developed and fostered; ways to develop these. (2) With respect to the "Why?" question, our objective is to raise awareness of the need for, and usefulness of plurilingual approaches in HE, both in (foreign) language classrooms and in multilingual classrooms in which languages are not in themselves the object of instruction, but a means of deepening conceptual knowledge, of enhancing student motivation and learning effectivity, and of increasing the ability for future graduates to communicate scientific knowledge to citizens and create future impact in European societies. (3) Related to the "How?" question, our third objective is to create ways of allowing HE teachers to familiarize themselves with possible methods and scenarios to bring plurilingual approaches into the HE classroom and to acquire the necessary competences to do so.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Peeters Kris
• Co-promoter: Ureel Jim

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Education Project
• Research Project

Abstract

Intercultural competence (IC) is increasingly recognized as a core competence to be developed through formal education in order to prepare learners for a successful life and career in an intercultural world. These days, teachers and educational institutions are facing a challenging task of defining and assessing intercultural learning outcomes, especially as available IC assessment tools and frameworks are under fire by many experts in the field, who continuously stress the urgency to develop more valid and reliable measures to assess IC. So far, criticism by IC experts has been presented in the form of detailed feedback on available IC assessment tools accompanied by suggestions for the development of better assessment tools, yet, up to this date, and despite urgent calls on the matter, no attempts have been made to actually develop and test such a tool. Hence, the proposed CLAIM-Tool project aims to present a solution to an imperative and critical matter in intercultural education by producing an IC assessment tool based on the extant wealth of feedback from IC critics and in accordance with the EU policies on intercultural and plurilingual education. This project is an original work and a first attempt at developing a much needed IC tool, which, for the first time, combines theories and practice from both IC education and plurilingual education. It will contribute to a better understanding of IC assessment in foreign language education, which is an area of concern and much debate, and it will also contribute to better understanding of factors affecting IC assessment and the washback effect of conducting such type of assessment, which are two understudied areas in intercultural research. The CLAIM-Tool project will be carried out by an experienced researcher in the field of intercultural education, and in cooperation and under supervision of an expert supervisor who has a strong background in multicultural and plurilingual education.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Peeters Kris
• Fellow: Awad Hiltrud

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

While audio description (AD) becomes one of the most widely researched AVT modalities, AD quality does not seem to have attracted the interest of many researchers so far. This stands in stark contrast to research on other modalities, especially subtitling and live subtitling, where quality is a pivotal issue and has been driving the sharp increase of audience reception studies in AVT (e.g., Di Giovanni & Gambier, 2018). AD quality is not merely an underrepresented topic in university research, but also a cogent problem in industry. The overreaching aim of the project is to create clear evaluation procedures of AD, based on first extensive and long-term analysis of AD quality. To do that we will attempt to define AD quality and map the relationship between AD scripting process and AD quality. While the project aims at introducing new themes in AD research (quality, AD process research) it also proposes employing research methodology that so far has been rarely used in AD research (keystroke logging, heart rate recording, presence questionnaires, interview, focus group, think aloud protocols, screen and face recording).

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Jankowska Anna
• Fellow: Zajdel Alicja

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This research project investigates how advanced learners of German as a foreign language (L2) establish cohesion in their academic L2 writing. To enable effective and reader-oriented written communication in academic and professional settings, language learners must develop the ability to create cohesion, which is a crucial component of advanced communicative competence. This means that L2 learners must learn to use grammatical and lexical devices appropriately to signal the logical structure of a text to readers, connecting words into sentences, paragraphs, ideas and texts. Since the use of cohesive devices is highly language-dependent, cohesion is an important aspect of the language acquisition process, transcending traditional grammar–vocabulary distinctions. Given the importance of cohesion in high-quality writing, it is surprising that the cohesive devices deployed by language learners have received little attention in second language acquisition (SLA) research to date. While there is a growing body of research into cohesion in translation studies, which has led to theoretical insights into how languages differ in terms of cohesion, SLA research into cohesion has been limited to a handful of studies in advanced L2 English writing. SLA research into other languages – including German – has until now largely neglected cohesion as an important aspect of language acquisition. A similar lack of attention to cohesion has also been witnessed in L2 pedagogy, where cohesion is often neglected (e.g., in learning materials). As a result, L2 writers often make non-nativelike choices with respect to cohesion, even at advanced stages of language proficiency. Our project sets out to fill the two gaps above by proposing a comprehensive analysis of cohesion in academic L2 German writing, more specifically, summary writing. Our aim is threefold: (1) analyse similarities and differences in the use of cohesive devices by native (L1) and non-native (L2) writers in German; (2) investigate specific characteristics of cohesion in learners with L1 Dutch. To this aim, we will compile, annotate and publish a corpus of texts written by advanced Dutch-speaking L2 learners of German and (3) suggest fruitful applications of our theoretical findings to L2 pedagogy. We will adopt repeated contrastive corpus-based analysis, which is a new method consisting, in our project, of the comparison of three purposefully selected comparable corpora: (1) an existing corpus of summaries produced by L1 writers of German, (2) an existing corpus of summaries produced by L2 writers of German with different L1 backgrounds and (3) our newly created corpus of summaries produced by L2 writers of German with L1 Dutch. In so doing, we contribute to the growing body of learner corpora, which are gaining momentum in SLA research. In addition, we advance the theoretical knowledge of learner language by identifying L1-specific and L1-independent characteristics of cohesion in academic learner language, using novel methods and proposing evidence-based innovation in advanced L2 pedagogy.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Strobl Carola
• Co-promoter: Mortelmans Tanja
• Co-promoter: Ureel Jim
• Fellow: Wedig Helena

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

A key concern within Translation Studies is the profound impact of technological developments on the dynamic human-machine interactions. In this respect, the introduction of neural machine translation systems has had a profound influence on the study and practice of translation. The role of technology is particularly outspoken in the area of focus of the present project, namely Audio Description (AD). AD is an access service that translates images into words, which are inserted in between the music, sound and dialogue of the original audiovisual source text so that audiences who (cannot) see, still have access to the text's content. Despite technology being key in AD research and practice, machine translation for audio description has not been studied yet. Due to recent EU legislation, however, Flemish audiovisual content providers will have to drastically increase the amount of AD that they provide. The translation of existing English descriptions of foreign films and series into Dutch with the use of machine translation systems is an obvious avenue to be explored to meet these new legislative demands. However, limited preliminary research suggests that current machine translation systems do not generate an acceptable quality level for AD, because these systems have not been developed to meet the specific exigencies of this text type. ADs pose domain-specific translation challenges. It is a multimodal and intersemiotic type of translation and constitutes a unique transfer of information between semiotically distinct modes of communication; a fact that has not been taken into account in current research and a fact that poses methodological challenges given the lack of translation studies frameworks to study technology for multimodal text types such as AD. Against this background, the current project aims to explore machine-assisted translation for AD and the exigencies of audio description versus the possibilities of technology and human input, following three research objectives: • Applied objective: to explore the effectiveness and efficiency of machine translation for audio description into Dutch. • Strategic objective: to explore what innovative optimizations could improve the quality level of machine translation for audio description. • Fundamental objective: contribute to the discussion about the interdisciplinary and methodological challenges related to the study of technology and its interaction with humans in Translation Studies more generally, and for multimodal texts specifically. The project is a mixed-methods study, combining human-centered approaches and automatic evaluation methods with product as well as process-oriented research. It includes the human and machine evaluation of a corpus of translated audio descriptions, as well as an experiment with professional audio describers. This will allow us to gather data about the types of errors in the machine translation output, the number of errors made, the number and types of corrections made by professional describers and the time spent on correcting machine translation output. The text analysis and experiment will be supported by a thorough, interdisciplinary literature study, setting our findings off against current insights in literature and against the newest developments in machine translation research. The project constitutes a first step to gather fundamental knowledge regarding the study of technology for multimodal text types and strategic knowledge to start developing machine translation for audio description more systematically.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Reviers Nina
• Fellow: Steyaert Kim

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This research project focuses on the subtitling of lectures taught in L2 English, more specifically on how subtitling influences student comprehension of lectures and on what mental effort that subtitling requires from students. This topic is inspired by one of the greatest challenges in higher education in the 21st century: providing educational access to an increasingly multilingual and multicultural student population. To face this challenge, many European universities are considering the possibility of using English as the language of instruction. Yet, a serious drawback to the use of English is many students' limited proficiency in English as a foreign language (L2 English). Subtitling might help to overcome the language barriers posed by L2 English, since it has shown to facilitate comprehension and knowledge acquisition. However, there are currently several knowledge gaps regarding the effects of subtitles on the processing and comprehension of lectures taught in L2 English. We will address the four most relevant knowledge gaps here. First, the potential benefits of subtitles have been studied mainly in the context of foreign language training, with very little research into benefits of using subtitling in other learning contexts. Second, very few studies on the processing of subtitles have measured to what extent subtitles are actually read, which is vital to understanding how subtitled lectures are processed. Third, it is crucial to know - for learning purposes - to what extent subtitles influence the mental effort (i.e., cognitive load) it takes to process subtitling. However, very few studies have measured the cognitive load that subtitling imposes on learners. Fourth, the effects of subtitled English lectures have been examined in students with a high command of English and who have had English as their main language of instruction in primary and secondary education. However, the effects on other types of students remain unknown. In this research project, we aim to address these four knowledge gaps in a controlled setting by conducting an experimental study among Flemish undergraduate students with different levels of proficiency in English. All students will watch three lectures taught in English: one lecture without subtitling, one lecture with English subtitles (intralingual subtitling) and one lecture with Dutch subtitles (interlingual subtitling). Students' eye-movements will be registered using eyetracking. As part of the experiment, the students will fill out post hoc comprehension tests and questionnaires about the cognitive load they experienced. We will conduct statistical analyses to explore if student comprehension and cognitive load of English lectures are influenced by subtitling (present vs. not present), subtitle language (English vs. Dutch) and the students' level of English proficiency (intermediate vs. advanced).

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Schrijver Iris
• Co-promoter: Robert Isabelle
• Fellow: Van Hoecke Senne

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This project focuses on the stylistic revision of Dutch–English translations. It investigates the effects of corpus-focused instruction (CFI) on stylistic translation revision competence. The use of corpora for translation revision has gained momentum in the last two decades. However, it remains unclear which corpora provide the best fit for the needs of translation trainees. Because error correction cannot take place without error detection, a crucial initial role in the process of stylistic translation revision is ascribed to receptive sensitivity to errors in translation revision tasks. However, detection of stylistic errors is difficult since it generally implies making choices between existing language variants with different degrees of formality. Language learners – including translation trainees – are often unaware that such choices must be made and if they are aware of such choices, they often find them extremely difficult. Consequently, an important question is how we can optimally develop receptive sensitivity to linguistic formality in translation settings to facilitate more accurate and informed style-related decisions during the translation revision process. This project addresses that question by investigating (1) how the form of explicit CFI affects translation trainees' ability to detect and correct formality-related problems in translation revision tasks and (2) which form of CFI triggers the highest success rate for detecting and correcting formality-related problems. The main variable in our experiment is corpus-focused instruction (prepared vs do-it-yourself corpora). Using these two types of corpora, we will investigate whether translation trainees' abundant contact with informal English affects their perception of linguistic formality and their ability to construct and/or use corpora. The results of this intervention will contribute to an informed best practice for translation revision pedagogy by defining a suggested degree of stylistic variation in corpora used for this purpose. Furthermore, the findings have theoretical significance for the fields of instructed second language acquisition, corpus-based translation studies and communication accommodation theory.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Ureel Jim
• Fellow: Diels Ella

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

In the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, accessibility to education is mentioned as one of the areas where access has to be ensured. At the University of Antwerp, accessibility services are offered to individual students with a functional impairment; however, the offer does not include the use of new technologies yet, which hold a real potential for breaking down linguistic, physical as well as cultural barriers for a large and diverse student body. One such innovative technology is live subtitling, which can make lectures in large lecture rooms more accessible to all students who attend the class: not only deaf and hard of hearing students, but also students whose mother tongue is not the language of the lecture. The aim of this study is therefore to initiate research into the reception of intralingual live subtitles in an educational setting in Flanders, and in particular, to focus on the reception of intralingual live subtitles by first-year students attending a theoretical lecture in Dutch in a large lecture room. As far as the methodology is concerned, we will opt for a mixed-methods approach: an experiment and focus group discussions. The experiment will consist of two lectures in Translation Studies in Dutch, with and without intralingual live subtitles, attended by 150-200 1st-year students in Applied Linguistics. Student reception of the subtitles (perception and performance) will be investigated through an online questionnaire. Two focus group discussions will allow for the collection of additional qualitative data over perception.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Robert Isabelle
• Co-promoter: Schrijver Iris

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project website

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Inclusion and accessibility are higher on Europe's political and social agenda than ever before, and this has led broadcasters, film houses but also theatres and museums to start developing services to give people with disabilities access to their products and events. For blind and partially sighted people, audio description (AD) has been created, a service that describes visual and unclear sound elements for the visually impaired, so that they too know what is happening on screen or on stage. Within the academic discipline of translation studies, this evolution has given rise to the emergence of a new field of research, namely media accessibility. As far as audio description is concerned, research was initially focused on the question what should I to describe, and how should I describe (and present) it. One issue that has received much less attention so far is the effect that these audio descriptions have on the target audience, especially in terms of the cognitive load they induce. CoRe AD wants to lay a solid foundation for cognitive research within media accessibility/audio description. Its primary aim is to investigate which (auditory) features in an audio described film or television programme contribute to the cognitive load imposed on the target audience. In a second phase, the project aims to create a model that researchers and audio describers can use to analyze what cognitive load specific audio descriptions induce and that hands them a tool to reduce/optimize that cognitive load. Finally, the usefulness of the model will be tested in a small-scale pilot study.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Vercauteren Gert

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The project aims to contribute to the promotion of access to justice for speakers of indigenous languages in Peru. During the two-year project 1) a local network will be set up in Peru, consisting of academic and societal stakeholders in the field of defense of linguistic and indigenous rights regarding the access to justice. The network will be embedded in an international North/South/South triangulation linking Peru, Mexico and Belgium/Europe with the objective to 2) exchange and transfer experience from Mexico and Belgium/Europe in the field of training of interpreters and defense of linguistic rights in multilingual contexts that will be adapted to the Peruvian situation. The setting up of the network and transfer of North/South/South expertise will be achieved through a four semester planning of visits, meetings and workshops in Peru, Mexico and Belgium. The project will lay the basis for the future implementation of a diploma on legal interpreting for speakers of indigenous languages in Peru.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Stallaert Christiane

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

My research as a hispanist and anthropologist focuses on social and political themes (nationalism, interethnic and interreligious society, migration, human rights, historical memory), and its interrelations. The cultural border is central to my work, which is inter- and transdisciplinary, at the intersection of Anthropology, Translation Studies and History. Geographically, my research domain is in Spain and Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Andean region). The three research axes are: 1. Translation Mediated Representation of the Holocaust / Nazism in Transatlantic Settings 2. Indigenous Spaces in Europe / Latin America from a Decolonial and Human Rights Perspective 3. Ethnicity, nationalism, transmodernity During sabbatical leave these three research axes will be further explored on the basis of ethnographic fieldwork, archive research and literature study in the light of a renewed conceptual interpretation framework with regard to transatlantic cultural transfers, decoloniality, transmodernity. The research results will be processed in book form, with the provisional working title: 'Transmodern Europe. Towards a micro-anthropology of Globalization '.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Stallaert Christiane

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

An important component of communicative competence is sociolinguistic competence, which is the ability to use language appropriately in communication. Despite an increasing body of research into sociolinguistic features of foreign language (L2) learning, a feature that has received relatively little and/or one-sided treatment to date is the acquisition of sensitivity to (in)formal language use in L2 learners. This project addresses that gap by investigating sensitivity to grammatical formality in L2 learners of English. By using both quantitative and qualitative data, we will map – cross-sectionally and longitudinally – the acquisition of sensitivity to grammatical formality.Quantitative data from an online revision task and qualitative data from semi-structured interviews will be integrated to acquire a more nuanced understanding of how sensitivity to grammatical formality is acquired in L2 learners of English. The results will contribute to a better understanding of how sociolinguistic competence develops in L2 learners and to facilitating sociolinguistically responsive foreign language instruction.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Ureel Jim
• Co-promoter: Robert Isabelle
• Co-promoter: Schrijver Iris
• Fellow: Diels Ella

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This project directly contributes to the foundation of experimental research into the acquisition of translation revision competence. Funding is required to create a benchmark for the stylistic revision of a formal academic translation. The benchmark will guarantee the validity and reliability of ensuing experimental research. The data-collection instrument used for the benchmark and ensuing research consists of a source text (academic text in Dutch) and a target text (English translation of said academic source text). To establish the benchmark, 30 experts (professional translators) will be invited to conduct a stylistic revision of the English translation. The revision focus will be on detecting and correcting the inappropriate use of informal language in a formal academic context. Selected grammar and vocabulary problems in the English translation will form the 40 items that make up the data-collection instrument under investigation. A critical analysis of the amount and nature of revision will be performed to benchmark the stylistic revision of the translation. The resulting 'professional benchmark' will be used to select language items in the same academic translation for ensuing experimental research with non-experts (translators in training).

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Ureel Jim

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Between 1952 and 1954, Giuseppe Ungaretti (1888-1970), famous Italian poet, known for his obscure and enigmatic poetry and Jean Lescure (1912-2005), a young French writer, philosopher and poet, exchanged a series of letters in order to compose a poetic anthology named "The Five Books". This anthology corresponds to the French translation of poems previously published by Ungaretti in Italian. The Jean Lescure Fund of the IMEC in Caen keeps a large quantity of manuscripts containing the preliminary texts of the translations written by Lescure and corrected by Ungaretti. Relying on theoretical and methodological approaches developed in the field of Genetic Criticism and Translation Studies, the research investigates the collaborative process of poetic creation and the respective roles of both authors, both at the level of the interpretation and of the composition of the text.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Stallaert Christiane

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The general objective of my doctoral research is to explore the link between ethnicity, politics and State in contemporary Argentina, from the perspective of inequality and social inclusion. Specifically, I analyse the ways in which categories of ethnic identification are related to the dynamics of daily politics in a popular neighbourhood of indigenous and migrant population located in a peripheral area of the city of La Plata (Buenos Aires, Argentina). This will be done from the empirical approach to a conflict for relocations in the neighbourhood motivated by the development of a public work of hydraulic infrastructure in the city. The methodology that guided the fieldwork carried out for the thesis in the period 2013-2016 was ethnography. It focused on a prolonged and systematic presence in the field, and in that context, the conduction of in-depth interviews and participant observations. In this period, I have conducted several interviews and participated in meetings, assemblies, and various interaction situations with inhabitants of the neighbour, political leaders, local referents, university agents, and state public officials. This was complemented by the collection of documentary materials (newspapers, official publications, technical reports, informative flyers of political organizations). The next stage of the research project from 2017 onwards will be focused on the deepening of the bibliographic collection and analysis (intending to expand the theoretical view of a mainly locally emplaced research toward global frameworks), the systematization and analysis of the collected data, and the writing of the doctoral thesis. In the following description of the PhD Project I present briefly the principal lines of the theoretical framework of the research and its academic and social possible contributions. The main hypothesis of the research is that ethnic identifications ("indigenous people" or "migrant people") of the inhabitants of the settlement are brought into play in the daily negotiation of resources with State and political actors (in particular in the framework of the process of relocation) to establish different criteria for merit and demerit of these public resources (the lands on which they live, the houses they would receive as part of the relocation). These criteria will have a roll on questioning or reinforcing inequalities in the neighbourhood. And for that reason are constantly disputed in the everyday context of political ties that the local people establish with each other and with external actors. In this process, the various senses, projects and interests that the State brings into play -through their state agents- are disputed, re-interpreted, modified "from below" by the local people.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Stallaert Christiane

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This project aims to investigate how the theatrical experience can be made accessible for blind and visually impaired patrons through audio description (AD), a specific audiovisual translation (AVT) mode that translates visual information into verbal information. Current audio description models focus mostly on rendering the story of a film or theatre performance accessible, and are therefore mainly inspired by narratology. Many aspects of a theatre performance such as the atmosphere, the aesthetics, the way actors physically "fill" their role, lighting, costumes, the use of video projections etc. are insufficiently taken into account. And it is precisely these features that are central to an integral theatrical experience. On the basis of a corpus of performances of Toneelhuis and NTGent this project will develop a new AD model that will allow for these intermedial features to be included in the translation for the target group. To this end, the intentions of the creative process will be integrated into the AD production.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Remael Aline
• Co-promoter: Van Den Dries Luc
• Fellow: Roofthooft Hanne

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Internet, audiovisual media and digital technology are transforming our world. However, their potential will not be realised until they become fully accessible and enable the participation of all citizens in everyday life. Audiovisual translation and media accessibility have become drivers of social inclusion and integration and have lately received full recognition in the literature (Remael, Orero and Carroll 2012) and in EU-funded projects (DTV4ALL, ADLAB, HBB4ALL). In the area of subtitling for the deaf, a key priority for the users has always been to access live content such as news and public events (AOHL 2013). The preferred technique for this is respeaking, where subtitlers listen to the original soundtrack of a programme or public event and simultaneously repeat or rephrase what they hear to a speech recognition software that turns these words into intralingual subtitles for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers and for all people who support their viewing with subtitles. When respeaking was first introduced in Europe in 2001, subtitling companies needed professionals who could produce intralingual live subtitles but did not know how to go about it, since there was no academic training or research in this area. As a result, respeaking practices differ greatly across countries and quality has suffered (Romero-Fresco, 2011). Since then, the work carried out, amongst others, by the partners in this application as part of EU-funded projects such as DTV4ALL and SAVAS, has helped to advance research and training in this area, and the industry is now employing respeakers trained at our institutions. However, a new challenge has now emerged, as migration streams and the increased multilingual and multicultural composition of societies worldwide have led to a growing demand for accessibility to live audiovisual content and events conducted in a foreign language. Broadcasters such as the BBC and VRT and political institutions such as the UK and the Spanish Parliament have highlighted the need to find professionals who can produce interlingual live subtitles (ILS) through respeaking, a new discipline that will require translating, subtitling and simultaneous interpreting skills. Although the partners in this project are the only scholars in the world who have so far produced research on this new discipline (Szarkowska et. al 2016, Romero-Fresco and Pochhacker 2017, Remael and Robert, fc.), there is still no training available. The main objective of ILSA is to design (IO3), develop (IO4 and IO5), test (IO6) and validate (IO7) the first training course for ILS and to provide a protocol for the implementation of this discipline in three real-life scenarios, namely TV, the classroom and the Parliament (IO7). The curriculum and training materials will be flexible so that they can be integrated in different learning environments for the users and initial target group of the course: translation and interpreting graduate and postgraduate students, and professionals already working as respeakers, interpreters or more generally in translation and accessibility.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Robert Isabelle
• Co-promoter: Remael Aline
• Co-promoter: Schrijver Iris

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project
• Education Project

Abstract

This research project aims to study Belgian fashion designers from a case study approach, based on a mixed method of literature review and ethnography in order to understand the processes of discursive identity of 'Belgian' fashion theoretically anchored in the academic literature on fashion and national identity (Breward et al. 2002; Skov 2002; Kawamura 2004; Melchior et al. 2011; Segre Reinach 2011; Randisi 2015).

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Pang Ching Lin

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Subtitling: Conceptualising Change (working title) Authors: Jorge Díaz-Cintas en Aline Remael Publisher: Routledge Globalisation and technological developments have had a great impact on the evolution of translation practice, on the essence of what translation is, and, consequently, on the evolution of translation research. Their dual impact, and especially the impact of digitisation on Audiovisual Translation (AVT), subtitling more in particular, has been even greater and has been apparent for a much longer time. The AVT research domain originally comprised all translation modes rendering audiovisual productions (film, television, internet etc.) in a foreign language accessible. Today it also encompasses Media Accessibility (MA), which renders audiovisual productions accessible for users who are visually or aurally challenged. Apart from this expansion of AVT into the domain of MA, the actions undertaken by stakeholders, as well as digitisation and the availability of new software have also transformed "consumers" into "prosumers", and they have led to the development of fansubbing and crowdsourcing by amateurs and special interest groups, next to "professional" translation. AVT target groups or users therefore continue to diversify, influencing demand and the evolution of professional forms of AVT and MA. Subtitling: Conceptualising Change, aims to contribute to understanding and conceptualising change in the field of AVT today, to offer insight in the main causes of the above-mentioned evolutions in AVT, and their consequences for the further development of traditional commercial interlingual subtitling. It constitutes "basic research" into the complexity of change that investigates how new forms of translation develop and how they relate to existing forms but it also has an applied component that addresses how this fast and continuous change can affect the audiovisual industry as well as audiovisual translators. The project's theoretical framework combines recent insights from complexity theory as applied to Translation Studies by Marais (2014) with insights from Latour's (2005) Actor Network Theory. Subtitling: Conceptualising Change, comprises the following chapters (the main author is mentioned as appropriate): 0. Preface (JDC & AR) 1. Chapter one Reconceptualising subtitling and subtitling research (AR) 2. Chapter two The professional environment and its interactions (JDC) 3. Chapter three Intersemiotic cohesion and research into multimodality (AR) 4. Chapter four The impact of technology on practice and research (JDC) 5. Chapter five Formal technology-bound conventions (JDC) 6. Chapter six The linguistics of subtitling: increased hybridity (AR) 7. Chapter seven Hybridity in inter- and intralingual translation Issues (JDC & AR) 8. Conclusions (JDC & AR) 9. Bibliography 10. Index  

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Remael Aline

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

ADLAB-PRO will develop a new state-of-the art curriculum and blended learning teaching materials for the training of audio description professionals. These professionals will be able to write and produce quality audio descriptions, i.e. short verbal translations of visual information, rendering various culture products, including and audiovisual media but also exhibitions and live events, accessible for the blind and visually impaired.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Remael Aline

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project website

Project type(s)

• Research Project
• Education Project

Abstract

The project sets the stage for a future PhD research project on the genesis of the Manifesto of Italian Fascist Intellectuals to the Intellectuals of all Nations (1925-26) and the network behind it. Funding is required for the first step of a PhD research project. This first step aims at constituting the 'genetic dossier' of the Manifesto, answering the following research questions: which documents can be used to study the genesis of the Manifesto (Italian and translated version)? Where are they to be found? How can they be copied, transcribed and edited? During this phase, a PhD student will search, collect and copy the existing drafts of the Manifesto (Rome, Archivio Gentile), as well as all exogenetic documents (letters, journals, minutes, contracts) showing the role of the network behind the Manifesto in the genesis of the text. He will also collect all biographical information about the members of the network

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Gennaro Rosario

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The project sets the stage for a future research project on the genesis of the Manifesto degli intellettuali italiani fascisti agli intellettuali di tutte le nazioni (1925).Funding is required for the first step of the research project. This first step aims at constituting the 'Genetic Dossier' of the Manifesto, answering the following research questions: which documents can be used to study the genesis of the Manifesto? Where are they to be found? How can they be copied, transcribed and edited?. During this phase, the promoter will search, collect and copy the existing drafts of the Manifesto (Rome, Archivio Gentile), as well as all exogenetic documents (letters, journals, minutes, contracts) showing the role of the network behind the Manifesto in the genesis of the text. He will also begin collecting biographical information about the members of the network.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Gennaro Rosario

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Accessibility plays a major role in modern knowledge-based Information societies. The potential of Accessibility through ICT and Assistive Technologies (AT) for inclusion and participation of all citizens is increasingly growing allowing for a full integration in everyday life. The proportion of people depending on Accessibility (15% in 2013) increases and EU demography shows the growing tendency to eAccessiblity dependency for its ageing population. National as well as European legislation supporting eAccessibility is in place and the UN-Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the most powerful, global expression in support of Inclusion and Equality, has a clear focus on eAccessibility, AT and Design for All. The time has come to establish the new professional profile of media accessibility expert/manager, and its training. Full participation of all citizens in cultural events - as end users or participants - should become part of their daily life as for people without disabilities, equal opportunity and access to culture are Human Rights. The ACT project proposes the definition of a new professional profile, that of the "Media Accessibility Expert/Manager for the Scenic Arts", and also the various types of training activities associated to this professional.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Remael Aline

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project website

Project type(s)

• Education Project
• Research Project

Abstract

Translation and writing are increasingly converging in the professional and educational fields, but it is unclear which competencies translators and writers actually share. This project examines how translation competence and writing competence are related, what writing competence of translators entails and how it is different from the writing competence of writers. The results can inspire a larger study on text-productive competence.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Schrijver Iris
• Co-promoter: Leijten Mariëlle
• Co-promoter: Robert Isabelle

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This innovative research into theatre audio description (AD) for the blind and visually impaired (BVIP), set up in collaboration with 2 major Flemish theatres, identifies the challenges of AD for postdrama, and investigates their applicability to other genres & national contexts, laying solid foundations for follow-up PhD research, also on a European level, and contributing to the development of strategies to improve the BVIP's theatrical experience.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Remael Aline
• Co-promoter: Van Den Dries Luc

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The research focuses on the translation of fanfiction by reader/translators into Portuguese. Unlike the author/reader, who continues the story or modifies it in order to please other readers, the reader/translator makes the text available to the Brazilian / Portuguese public. This task is accomplished in collaboration with the reviewer, also called beta -reader, who is the 'second reader ' of the translation process . Translated fanfiction is the result of a double process of rewriting - both by fans (the author/readers) who take characters from other authors and use them in new parallel stories, as by the translator because, according to Lefevere (1992 ), to translate 'is the most obviously recognizable type of rewriting, and potentially the most influential because it is able to project the image of an author and/or a (series of) work (s) in another culture, lifting that author and/or those works beyond the boundaries of their culture of origin'. The research will be based on a selected corpus of four translated fanfiction novels of the series Twilight / Twilight by Stephenie Meyer in Brazil, a literature review, interviews with Brazilian translators and sample analysis. Attention will be given to specific aspects related to the translation of fanfiction, such as publication pace, the use of instant translation programs in addition to other translation tools and, finally, the relationship between the reader/writer (s) of the original fanfiction and its translation(s) .

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Stallaert Christiane

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This research proposes a translated anthology of 19th and 20th Century Brazilian chroniclers into Spanish. Firstly, it develops a theoretical ground where anthology is defined as a genre and as a critical mechanism, positioning the role of anthologies in translation within the culture that hosts them and aiming at relating anthologies and translations as mediation processes. Besides, the research traces the development of the culture of the newspaper and the chronicle both in Brazil, and in Argentina and Uruguay, spanning from the second half of the 19th century until the first half of the 20th century. This "mapping" of the genre contributes to justify the selection of texts to be translated, based on the necessities of the literary system that will receive them and in the tradition of translations previously established within the "target" countries. Comments on the translation made discuss the particularities of the translation of chronicles regarding the Translation Studies framework.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Stallaert Christiane

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Translation revision competence has scarcely been addressed as a research topic in translation studies and there is no well-developed model of translation revision competence. The aim of this project is to construct a translation revision competence model and to initiate its validation through an experimental pilot study. The results would subsequently be used as a starting point for a larger study (e.g., a PhD project) on revision competence.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Robert Isabelle
• Co-promoter: Remael Aline
• Co-promoter: Ureel Jim

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This project represents a formal research agreement between UA and on the other hand CAPES. UA provides CAPES research results mentioned in the title of the project under the conditions as stipulated in this contract. The focus of the research project is on how written oral discourse is used in fictional literary works in Brazil, observing and describing how particular kinds of written representations of oral discourse are filtered and rendered into Brazilian Portuguese. The key issue involves the strategies adopted by Brazilian Portuguese translators in light of their perspectives, which are drawn from their international interface. Given Agatha Christie's importance and ubiquity in the Brazilian book market, her works can serve as a systematic illustration of how certain key features of literary discourse are represented, especially the distinction between oral and written discourse, which in turn will clarify regularities in the Brazilian approach to translating oral discourse. And, finally, this diachronic analysis of fictional texts of a particular kind could help steer the evolution of written/oral Brazilian discourse.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Stallaert Christiane

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project website

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This project represents a formal research agreement between UA and on the other hand CAPES. UA provides CAPES research results mentioned in the title of the project under the conditions as stipulated in this contract. According to M.A.K. Halliday, to learn science is to learn the language of science (2004 p. 138), which is to say that scientific practice is derived from and embedded in dialog. When applied collectively, however, this proposition takes on new dimensions involving concepts from organization studies with respect to multilingualism and language policy. As a case study, the complete corpus from the journal of a leading Brazilian public health/tropical disease institute, Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, will be analyzed to map the networking involved in its developmental trajectory, which mirrors the development of science in Brazil. The changing roster of partners, particularly regarding scientific institutions in France, Germany and North America, and their type and degree of involvement over its 100+ years is reflected in the journal's widely vacillating language policy, which has culminated in an English only format shortly after going online in 1996 and the foreign outsourcing of translation and language editing in 2013.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Stallaert Christiane

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project website

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The ADLAB project 2011-2014) of the EU LLL programme developed the very first European audio description guidelines with as its main focus film and television., following in-depth research into the current state of the art in practice and research and reception research among the target group. It received a 100% evaluation of the EU. The current ADLAB-PRO is a follow-up project.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Remael Aline

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This project represents a formal research agreement between UA and on the other hand CAPES. UA provides CAPES research results mentioned in the title of the project under the conditions as stipulated in this contract. The project intends to promote the intellectual activity of Dom Pedro II, last emperor of Brazil, but little cited and known for his work as a translator. I Intend to analyze the literary translations from several classical and modern languages performed by the Emperor and ignored by official records that focused especially on his political and administrative activities. The objective of this project consists of the reconstruction not only of D. Pedro II translator´s profile, his ideas and attitudes about the translational activity, but also to study the influence on the creation of a Brazilian national identity. From an interdisciplinary a point of view, this project aims to further contribute to Translation Studies, Genetic Criticism, Anthropology, Cultural Studies, History and Brazilian Literature. As a theoretical and methodological framework, this research is informed by Descriptive Translation Studies, the Genetic Criticism, Anthropology and Cultural Studies.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Stallaert Christiane

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project website

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This project represents a formal research agreement between UA and on the other hand CAPES. UA provides CAPES research results mentioned in the title of the project under the conditions as stipulated in this contract. This project aims to analyse the manuscripts of the Hitopadeśa's translation made by Pedro d'Alcantara, the last Brazilian emperor. This investigation uses a combination of Genetic Criticism and the Descriptive Translation Studies as a methodological base and intends to detail the creative process during the translation. This work also intends to give greater visibility to this new material, originally written in Sanskrit, which shows D. Pedro II as an intellectual concerned with creating a national identity, and with consolidating and promoting the nation's progress.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Stallaert Christiane

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project website

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This project represents a formal research agreement between UA and on the other hand CAPES. UA provides CAPES research results mentioned in the title of the project under the conditions as stipulated in this contract. Study of the 20th Century translations of the French novel Paul et Virginie (Bernardin de Saint-Pierre). Study of the paratexts and retranslation into Brazilian Portuguese.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Stallaert Christiane

Research team(s)

• Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Studies (TricS)

Project website

Project type(s)

• Research Project