Deadline: 13 April 2012
South African Translators’ Institute
Triennial Conference
The Role of Translation and Interpreting
in Language Development
Date: Saturday 29 September 2012
Venue: University of Johannesburg
Second Call for Papers
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
Professor Sihawu Ngubane
Chairperson: Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB)
“The Role of Translation and Interpreting in Language Development”
PLENARY SPEAKERS:
Ms Landela Nyangintsimbi
Tshwane Metro Language Division
The role of local government in language development
Professor Nathi Ngcobo
Department of Linguistics, University of South Africa
The conference, which also celebrates International Translation Day 2012, includes the presentation of the prestigious SATI Prizes for Outstanding Translation and Dictionaries for 2012. These awards were introduced by SATI in 2000 as a means of promoting the publication of translated works in the South African official languages.
We are delighted to announce that world renowned expert on editing Brian Mossop will run a workshop as part of the day’s proceedings.
Parallel sessions will be held following the plenary addresses.
We are most encouraged by the range of abstracts already received. Proposals will be accepted until 13 April 2012. Possible subjects include:
♦ How statutory requirements influence language development
♦ Government initiatives and support for language development
♦ Translation as an ideological tool
♦ The political dimensions of translation
♦ The practical intent of translation and interpreting
♦ Educational interpreting
♦ Translation in publishing
♦ Language development: The role of terminology and lexicography
♦ The marginalisation of translation and interpreting in contemporary South Africa
Prospective contributors should submit their abstracts (500 words) (include contact details, a 150- word bio of the presenters, and the knowledge level of the participants you wish to address: basic, advanced or all participants) to seminar@translators.org.za. The conference language is English. The following formats are possible: Presentations (30 minutes, including time for questions) | Panel discussions (90 minutes) | Seminars (90 or 180 minutes) | Workshops (90 or 180 minutes).
BACKGROUND TO THE CONFERENCE
South Africa's multilingual dispensation is supported by language provisions in the Constitution, language legislation such as the Pan South African Language Board Act (1995), and government policy statements such as the Language-in-Education Policy (1997), the Language Policy for Higher Education (2002) and the National Language Policy Framework and its Implementation Plan (2003). Against this backdrop of enabling policy and statutory measures language development is clearly an important imperative for both government and the language professions and industry.
The South African Translators’ Institute (SATI) is a well-established association that has been serving the translation and interpreting profession for more than 50 years. It has a code of conduct, self-regulation through a voluntary system of accreditation (in a broad range of languages), development projects (a bursary scheme to assist translation and interpreting students working in African languages; a prestigious translation prize awarded for outstanding published translations in the official languages) and involvement in forums and projects at national and international level such as the International Federation of Translators (the only translation association from Africa to serve on its governing body).
SATI is still the only comprehensive non-profit professional organisation for language practitioners in South Africa, with some 800 members across the spectrum of language mediation activities such as translation, interpreting, text editing, terminology and lexicography. Also, whereas initially SATI’s members were translators working almost exclusively in English and Afrikaans, its focus has now shifted significantly and as a result its members are now representative of activities in some 50 languages, including all the official African languages and South African Sign Language, as well as other languages such as French, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Spanish, Arabic and Mandarin.
The role of translation in the development of languages and literatures has been well documented by, among others, Toury (1995), Cronin (1995) and Woodsworth (1996). However, the same does not apply to the South African context, notwithstanding that the translation and interpreting profession has made and will undoubtedly continue to make important contributions in these areas. In addition to being tools to facilitate communication, translation and interpreting also serve as pivotal language development tools in the sense that they create ‘discursive space’ and grow socio-cultural domains for ‘lesser used’ languages. The developmental capacity of translation and interpreting manifests, among other things, in the growth and elaboration of corpora by introducing new registers and linguistic items (also through the labour of terminologists and lexicographers) and ultimately the introduction of new genres (both literary and non-literary) and discourses. Since language development is essentially a transformational activity, translation and interpreting are also important reconciliatory tools in promoting tolerance, understanding and mutual respect in expanding and consolidating democracy.
Much work is being done in this field, but much remains to be done. As regards government’s obligations, the conspicuous absence of the proposed South African Languages Act and the South African Language Practitioners’ Council Act is of particular concern to stakeholders across the board. It has been argued that language policy implementation has become trapped in the gap between ‘intention’ and ‘performance’, also as far as the provision of translation and interpreting infrastructure is concerned. It seems as if the translation and interpreting profession has been marginalised and its beneficial language development and empowering role ignored.
The SA Translators’ Institute, as one of the key actors in the language professions and industries in South Africa, invites researchers and members of these and related disciplines and industries to submit proposals for presentations, panel discussions, seminars or workshops on the conference theme. There will be several parallel sessions following the plenary presentations, with the themes dependent on the proposals submitted.
Questions and queries? Contact the SATI Office at seminar@translators.org.za or 011 803 2681.
Late submissions will be accepted up to 13 April 2012. Submit abstracts (500 words) to seminar@translators.org.za. The conference language is English. The following formats are possible:
♦ Presentations (30 minutes, including time for questions)
♦ Panel discussions (90 minutes)
♦ Seminars (90 or 180 minutes)
♦ Workshops (90 or 180 minutes)
KEY DATES:
- Deadline for submissions: 13 April 2012
- Submissions informed of acceptance: 30 April
- Provisional programme published: 31 May 2012
- Early Bird registrations open: 1 May 2012
- Late registrations open: 1 July 2012
- Submission of full version of papers for inclusion
- in conference proceedings: 31 August 2012
- Final programme published: 1 September 2012
CONTACT INFORMATION:
For inquiries: seminar@translators.org.za
For submissions: seminar@translators.org.za
Website: http://translators.org.za