Specialised Languages and Multimedia. Linguistic and Cross-cultural Issues

none2noThis book collects academic works focusing on scientific and technical discourse and on the ways in which this type of discourse appears in or is shaped by multimedia products. The originality of this book is to be seen in the variety of approaches used and of the specialised languages investigated in relation to multimodal and multimedia genres. Contributions will particularly focus on new multimodal or multimedia forms of specialised discourse (in institutional, academic, technical, scientific, social or popular settings), linguistic features of specialised discourse in multimodal or multimedia genres, the popularisation of specialised knowledge in multimodal or multimedia genres, the impact of multimodality and multimediality on the construction of scientific and technical discourse, the impact of multimodality/multimediality in the practice and teaching of language, the impact of multimodality/multimediality in the practice and teaching of translation, new multimedia modes of knowledge dissemination, the translation/adaptation of scientific discourse in multimedia products. This volume contributes to the theory and practice of multimodal studies and translation, with a specific focus on specialized discourse.Rivista di Classe A - Volume specialeopenManca E., Bianchi F.Manca, E.; Bianchi, F

Rethinking Binarism in Translation Studies A Case Study of Translating the Chinese Nobel Laureates of Literature

The theorisation of translation originated in a binary opposition embodied by the debate of word-for-word vs. sense-for-sense translation methods. It is true that by now, theories in Translation Studies (TS) have become significantly more elaborate and sophisticated. However, it cannot be denied that some of its most dominant and pertinent concepts continue to get portrayed in binary concepts, such as translation vs. original, translatability vs. untranslatability and translation vs. interpreting, among many others. This study believes that TS, not different from most intellectual inquiries of the human mind, has been built upon binarism. The current research project aims to identify the traces of this epistemological tradition in the different stages of the discipline’s development, encompassing various theoretical models in the field, while reflecting upon the evolution of TS that marks its departure from such a tradition. It approaches the issue by examining three prevailing dichotomies in the field, namely source vs. target, prescriptive vs. descriptive and translation vs. non-translation. To propose an alternative to the existing binary perspective, this study borrows from the sociological models of Parsons and Giddens to portray translation as a social action. The binary concepts are then evaluated against empirical evidence obtained through a case study of two translators of Chinese Nobel Laureates, Howard Goldblatt and Mabel Lee. Both paratexts and metatexts are consulted to demonstrate that the scenario is much more complex than what is suggested by these dichotomies. It should be clarified that this study does not advocate that scholars discard these terms altogether. Instead, it acknowledges that dichotomies serve a definite purpose in certain contexts, but aims to problematise their uncritical application. Eventually, it seeks to heighten the awareness of binarism in the discipline and strives for a balance between the precision and standardisation of the metalanguage employed in discussing translation

The Acquisition of Plurals in English Writings by Hong Kong Students

This paper sets out to examine the effect of age differences on two groups of Hong Kong secondary school students’ rate of acquisition of plurals. It also aims to look at the degree of L1 influence on the acquisition in their writing productions. A total of 57 pieces of student writings from their final-year examination were collected to investigate these two aims. It was found that both groups of students attained a similarly high rate of acquisition of plurals despite the obvious, and negative, L1 influence on their acquisition. However, age differences between these two groups of students were not a key factor in determining their acquisition of plurals. The kinds of errors made by students suggested that they have confusion about mass and count nouns. Hence, it is encouraged that the concept of distinction of mass and count nouns, from both grammatical and semantic aspects, should be introduced to students early in their secondary school education

Improving Pupils’ Attitude to English Learning and Cultural Understanding through Email Exchange: an Action Research Project in a Secondary School in Taiwan

Electronic mail (e-mail) has been widely used in communication for many years. The main purpose of this action research was to explore whether utilizing an email exchange project can enhance secondary school pupils’ motivation and attitude to language learning and improve their intercultural learning. This was a collaborative intercultural email exchange project between two secondary schools, one in north east of Taiwan and another one in the USA. The researcher sought to identify the attitudes of and concepts of learners and teachers towards the email exchange. This study adopted qualitative and quantitative methods. However, there was more focus on qualitative data in order to determine if the project improved the pupils’ attitude to learning English and develop their intercultural communicative competence. In order to ensure trustworthiness, multiple data collection instruments were employed in this study. The findings show that using e-mail can benefit pupils in their language and intercultural learning. The study examines outcomes and factors that made the project successful. It sets the research in the context of a theoretical framework and Taiwan education policy and suggestions for further work and research of this kind. The limitations of this study are also discussed

Readings on L2 reading: Publications in other venues 2021-2022

This feature offers an archive of articles published in other venues during the past year and serves as a valuable tool to readers of Reading in a Foreign Language (RFL). It treats any topic within the scope of RFL and second language reading. The articles are listed in alphabetical order, each with a complete reference as well as a brief summary. The editors of this feature attempt to include all related articles that appear in other venues. However, undoubtedly, this list is not exhaustive