Meaningfulness, the unsaid and translatability. Instead of an introduction

The present paper opens this topical issue on translation techniques by drawing a theoretical basis for the discussion of translational issues in a linguistic perspective. In order to forward an audience- oriented definition of translation, I will describe different forms of linguistic variability, highlighting how they present different difficulties to translators, with an emphasis on the semantic and communicative complexity that a source text can exhibit. The problem is then further discussed through a comparison between Quine's radically holistic position and the translatability principle supported by such semanticists as Katz. General translatability — at the expense of additional complexity — is eventually proposed as a possible synthesis of this debate. In describing the meaningfulness levels of source texts through Hjelmslevian semiotics, and his semiotic hierarchy in particular, the paper attempts to go beyond denotative semiotic, and reframe some translational issues in a connotative semiotic and metasemiotic perspective

Desert Island Discs and British emotional life

This chapter explores how the long-running BBC radio programme Desert Island Discs has responded over time to an increasing public appetite for openness and honesty. One of the programme’s presenters once said it was ‘properly impressed by power, wealth and ambition, but… knows that the world is made up of more than that’. This spoke to a longer-term revolution in modern life, as outlined by historians of the emotions: an increasing informality of manners, especially in broadcast talk. How did the BBC navigate these trends in a series that had long been a by-word for decorum? And what did Radio 4 listeners think of its new willingness in the 1980s and 1990s to probe guests more deeply? Drawing on unpublished BBC records and Mass Observation archives, this chapter focuses on how various desires for openness over private lives and feelings - and the anxieties this prompted - were negotiated behind-the-scenes at crucial moments in its history

Reimagining a Past Reality: Tactical Design Interventions for Historic Sites

Interpretation is communication at its most basic essence. As a tool for historic sites and house museums, this focused and message-driven communication is both necessary and refined, and as unique as each particular site. For many the lost historic material, be it at the building or landscape scale, is vital to convey the type of physical experience which helps visitors make important connections. Reconstruction, especially to the NPS standard, is unfortunately both expensive and time consuming and the increased competition for grant funding has put it out of reach for most sites. This thesis examines the idea of applying a current planning tool, tactical urbanism, as a way to gain insights into how such strategic interpretive decisions and processes work at historic sites. By studying this process as both a larger concept and applying it to an actual place, The Woodlands, in West Philadelphia, PA, this study is able to show that tactical urbanism is a possible method of interpretive planning and a preservation process because it can include history and acknowledge the layers of a place without requiring the destruction of that past. By learning from what occurs through a flexible, actual, relatively low-cost, constructed design, the historic site can better serve its core preservation and education missions and audiences through careful response to visitors’ impressions and understanding. As an ongoing process, with real community input, tactical urbanism projects have a greater ability to create long-term relationships with individual visitors because they build on conversations and feedback

Preaching in the \u27Hear\u27 and Now: Justification, Development, and Assessment of \u27Parabolic Engagement\u27 Pedogogy in French-Speaking Missionary Settings

This thesis argues the utility of ‘parabolic engagement’ method for preachers and listeners in the French Antillean context. The opening chapter defines key terms and clarifies how this imaged sermonic style addresses the listening habits of targeted audiences. It explains that figured delivery is often context-interpretive, involving a more personal, experiential decoding by the listener. Engagement technique increases auditor involvement and creates unique communicative rapport. The chapter points out that the entire experimental process validates the usefulness of the pedagogy. Part One addresses the theological rationale for ‘parabolic engagement’ method. Chapter Two reviews appropriate literature with respect to engagement. Chapter Three argues the biblical basis for creating a method of figured preaching. Chapter Four discusses how precise homiletic situations demand a circumstantial approach to engaging delivery. Part Two attempts to synthesize a broad range of image-creation methodologies and make them suitable for teaching among oral peoples. Chapter Five shows the necessity of a grammar for figured proclamation pedagogy. Chapter Six develops simplified classical methods for finding the illustrative crux of an idea or text. Chapter Seven shows the need to then engage the listener by means of analogous correspondence with the concrete world. Chapter Eight explores how circumstantial factors encourage the transformation of engaging analogies into extended narratives. Part Three validates the thesis within the missionary setting. Chapter Nine describes the suitability of ‘parabolic engagement’ method among Creoles and European French on the island of Martinique. Chapter Ten establishes an experimental design by specifying components, clarifying how the hypotheses were tested, justifying data collection methods, and explaining the use of participatory action research and educational ethnography. Chapter Eleven details the implementation, measurement, and success of engagement strategies. Lastly, Chapter Twelve argues for the utility of ‘parabolic engagement’ and posits generalizations by summarizing the merits, conclusions, and limitations of the model

European Approaches to Japanese Language and Linguistics

In this volume European specialists of Japanese language present new and original research into Japanese over a wide spectrum of topics which include descriptive, sociolinguistic, pragmatic and didactic accounts. The articles share a focus on contemporary issues and adopt new approaches to the study of Japanese that often are specific to European traditions of language study. The articles address an audience that includes both Japanese Studies and Linguistics. They are representative of the wide range of topics that are currently studied in European universities, and they address scholars and students alike

Nonverbal Auditory Cues Allow Relationship Quality to be Inferred During Conversations.

UNLABELLED: The claim that nonverbal cues provide more information than the linguistic content of a conversational exchange (the Mehrabian Conjecture) has been widely cited and equally widely disputed, mainly on methodological grounds. Most studies that have tested the Conjecture have used individual words or short phrases spoken by actors imitating emotions. While cue recognition is certainly important, speech evolved to manage interactions and relationships rather than simple information exchange. In a cross-cultural design, we tested participants' ability to identify the quality of the interaction (rapport) in naturalistic third party conversations in their own and a less familiar language, using full auditory content versus audio clips whose verbal content has been digitally altered to differing extents. We found that, using nonverbal content alone, people are 75-90% as accurate as they are with full audio cues in identifying positive vs negative relationships, and 45-53% as accurate in identifying eight different relationship types. The results broadly support Mehrabian's claim that a significant amount of information about others' social relationships is conveyed in the nonverbal component of speech. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10919-021-00386-y

Opportunities and challenges when implementing design thinking principles in non-design-driven organizations

Abstract. Design thinking is a concept used in organizations to enhance creativity and innovation, often to gain competitive advantage. Design thinking can be considered both as a mindset of how to think about problems and as a problem-solving process. The process is often described as nonlinear and iterative system of exploring and finding problems or opportunities that inspire for finding solutions, creating, developing and testing ideas and carrying the project outcomes to the market. It is focused on the user experience, analyzing and interpreting the cues for the creation for future solutions and growth. Challenges often occur when beginning to implement design thinking principles to non-design-driven organizations that are accustomed to efficiency-based methodologies. Design sprint is an application of design thinking and fast development systems that aims to compress the main points of the ideologies to generate tested business solutions during a one-week project. A design sprint was conducted at the case company that has no prior design thinking experience to develop new service packages for their new business unit. During the week-long project new solutions were ideated, sketched, prototyped and tested with customers. As a result, it was determined which services should be launched first, which ones at some point later and which should be discarded for good because of the lack of customer interest. The sprint week, discussions and interviews were used to gather data for this research. This Master’s thesis aims to gain knowledge through a case project and ethnographic action research on the practicalities of design thinking concepts using the example of sprints: what kind of opportunities they bring and what should be considered especially when applying them in an organization that has little prior experience in design thinking. The role of the facilitator and their potential contribution to the desired results of sprints are examined. Furthermore, the organizational culture and established systems are considered in terms of how they too affect the potential design sprint results. The objectives and expectations of a project should be considered prior to determine whether a sprint is the most appropriate method to use, or if there is a more suitable way of approaching the problem in hand. When conducting a project like a design sprint implementing design thinking principles, it should be considered whether it would be beneficial to prepare the team for the exploratory and creative activity by teaching some design thinking principles and/or arranging activities that foster creativity. Organizational culture and established structures influence the team the outcomes of the sprint and set the scene for the whole project. Facilitator’s role is fundamental especially in organizations not familiar with design thinking concepts