Climate, Water Navigability, and Economic Development

Geographic information systems (GIS) data was used on a global scale to examine the relationship between climate (ecozones), water navigability, and economic development in terms of GDP per capita. GDP per capita and the spatial density of economic activity measured as GDP per km2 are high in temperate ecozones and in regions proximate to the sea (within 100 km of the ocean or a sea-navigable waterway). Temperate ecozones proximate to the sea account for 8 percent of the world’s inhabited land area, 23 percent of the world’s population, and 53 percent of the world’s GDP. The GDP densities in temperate ecozones proximate to the sea are on average eighteen times higher than in non-proximate non-temperate areas.

Problem-based Learning in Computer-assisted Translation Pedagogy

This article discusses problem-based learning (PBL) and its potential application to computer-assisted translation (CAT) pedagogy. Problem-based learning is situated in the CAT classroom as a final course component in which students challenge their previously-acquired knowledge and skill sets to solve unique, ill-defined problems that mirror those encountered in the language industry. This constructivist approach to education is designed to empower students to be self-directed, collaborative learners and to foster critical thinking and reflection. Moreover, problem-based learning is a means to encourage professional behavior and to develop skills beyond the mere use of translation technologies. This article explores the potential advantages and disadvantages of this educational approach as documented in related professional fields. In addition, the article addresses the ways in which problems are designed and implemented in the translation classroom, with a discussion of how they can and should be aligned with course learning objectives. The article concludes with a discussion of ways students’ work ought to be assessed to enhance gains often seen in PBL environments

Computer-Assisted Interpreting Technologies and Interpreter Cognition : a Product and Process-Oriented Perspective

Research on technology-enabled and technology-mediated interpreting to date has taken a largely product-oriented approach to understand the role of technology during interpreting. In response to calls for additional empirical research on the intersection of interpreting, technology, and cognition, this article argues for the inclusion of process-oriented research and outlines several areas of potential investigation.Hasta el momento, la investigación sobre la interpretación asistida y mediada por tecnología ha adoptado un enfoque centrado principalmente en la interpretación como producto para entender el papel de la tecnología durante esta actividad. En respuesta a la llamada de investigación empírica adicional sobre las intersecciones entre interpretación, tecnología y cognición, este articulo aboga por la inclusión de investigación orientada hacia el proceso de la interpretación e identifica unas áreas de investigación de posible interés.Fins ara, la recerca sobre la interpretació assistida i intercedida per la tecnologia ha adoptat un enfocament centrat principalment en el producte per tal d'entendre el paper de la tecnologia durant l'exercici de la interpretació. A fi de respondre a la necessitat d'una recerca empírica addicional sobre la intersecció entre la interpretació, la tecnologia i la cognició, aquest article posa de manifest la necessitat d'incloure una recerca orientada al procés de la interpretació i determina diverses àrees de recerca de possible interès

Positionality in Public Service Interpreting Research

Abstract: Research on public service interpreting employs a number of methods to examine a range of variables, from specific linguistic and paralinguistic variables to spatial positioning, agency, and ethics. These methods, however, require explicit recognition of the researcher’s positionality in order to ensure appropriate data analysis and interpretation of results. This article examines the unique aspects of the interpreting studies research that requires reflection when conducting work in this area. Two specific types of bias, namely social desirability bias and the Hawthorne effect, are discussed in detail to illustrate the type of reflective practice required to ensure valid, reliable, and credible results. The article concludes with a brief reflection on how positionality may be a starting point for discussion surrounding the agency of the researcher.Resumen: La investigación en interpretación en los servicios públicos utiliza varios métodos para examinar distintas variables, entre las cuales se incluyen elementos lingüísticos y paralingüísticos, el posicionamiento espacial, la agencia y la ética. No obstante, dichos métodos requieren un reconocimiento explícito de la posicionalidad del investigador para asegurar el adecuado análisis de los datos y una interpretación apropiada de los resultados. Este artículo examina los aspectos particulares de la investigación dedicada a los estudios de la interpretación que requieren reflexión al investigar en este campo. En concreto, se tratan dos tipos de sesgos —el sesgo de deseabilidad social y el efecto Hawthorne— para ilustrar la clase de práctica reflexiva que se requiere para posibilitar resultados fiables y válidos. Se concluye con un comentario sobre cómo la posicionalidad puede constituir un punto de partida para discutir la agencia del investigador/a

Geography and Economic Development

This paper addresses the complex relationship between geography and macroeconomic growth. We investigate the ways in which geography may matter directly for growth, controlling for economic policies and institutions, as well as the effects of geography on policy choices and institutions. We find that location and climate have large effects on income levels and income growth, through their effects on transport costs, disease burdens, and agricultural productivity, among other channels. Furthermore, geography seems to be a factor in the choice of economic policy itself. When we identify geographical regions that are not conducive to modern economic growth, we find that many of these regions have high population density and rapid population increase. This is especially true of populations that are located far from the coast, and thus that face large transport costs for international trade, as well as populations in tropical regions of high disease burden. Furthermore, much of the population increase in the next thirty years is likely to take place in these geographically disadvantaged regions.geography, empirical growth models, transportation costs, tropical disease, tropical agriculture, urbanization, population

Challenges and opportunities for heritage language learners in interpreting courses in the U.S. context

Recent studies indicate that heritage language speakers have professional opportunities in translation and interpreting (e.g., Carreira, 2014a) because of their unique linguistic and cultural background. In addition, heritage language speakers’ unique background and previous experiences as language brokers or non-professional interpreters or translators have also been suggested as an advantage in the context of translation and interpreting pedagogy (e.g., Valdés, 2003). The field of interpreting pedagogy, initially modeled and taught by professionals in the field based on their experience, has favored a more research-based interpreting pedagogy that draws on empirically-grounded studies focusing on interpreting competence and instructional strategies (e.g., Colina & Angelelli, 2015a). Despite the recent growth in research-based pedagogy, there is limited reflection on the challenges and opportunities heritage language speakers face in interpreting courses. Research has shown that heritage language and second language speakers exhibit a number of differences that have a direct impact on heritage language education (e.g., Potowski & Lynch, 2014; Carreira, 2016b); however, these differences have not been fully explored in the context of interpreter education. The present article contributes to this gap and encourages further work in this area by investigating the underexplored relationships among language for specific purposes, heritage language education, and translation and interpreting. In doing so, this work aims to understand the role and profile of heritage language learners in interpreting courses and how existing skillsets may be better exploited to guide interpreter education. First, the literature on heritage language learners and education is reviewed in conjunction with interpreting pedagogy. Then, challenges and opportunities for this subpopulation of students are discussed while identifying potential avenues for additional investigation. Según algunos estudios recientes, la traducción e interpretación presenta oportunidades profesionales para los hablantes de lenguas de herencia debido a la naturaleza única de sus antecedentes lingüísticos y culturales (p. ej., Carreira, 2014a). Asimismo, se ha sugerido que sus antecedentes y experiencias previas como mediadores lingüísticos o intérpretes y traductores no profesionales podrían constituir una ventaja en el contexto de la pedagogía de la traducción e interpretación (p. ej., Valdés, 2003). El campo de la pedagogía de la interpretación, inicialmente guiado y dictado por profesionales en el campo según sus experiencias, ha favorecido una pedagogía basada en estudios de investigación de corte empírico que priorizan el estudio de la competencia de interpretación y las estrategias instruccionales (p. ej., Colina & Angelelli, 2015a). A pesar de la prevalencia de la pedagogía basada en la investigación, las dificultades y oportunidades a las que se enfrentan los hablantes de lenguas de herencia en cursos de interpretación ha recibido limitada atención. Los estudios de investigación han puesto de manifiesto que los estudiantes de lenguas de herencia y los de segundas lenguas exhiben una serie de diferencias que tienen un impacto directo en el campo de la enseñanza de lenguas de herencia (p. ej., Potowski & Lynch, 2014; Carreira, 2016b); sin embargo, estas diferencias apenas se han explorado en el contexto de la formación de intérpretes. El presente artículo contribuye a este vacío y promueve más investigaciones en esta área mediante la examinación de las conexiones, hasta ahora poco exploradas, entre la lengua con fines específicos, la enseñanza de lenguas de herencia y la traducción e interpretación, con el objetivo de reflexionar sobre el papel y el perfil de los estudiantes de lenguas de herencias en cursos de interpretación y cómo explotar las habilidades con las que cuentan para guiar la pedagogía de la interpretación. En primer lugar, se lleva a cabo una revisión de la literatura sobre los estudiantes de lenguas de herencia y la enseñanza de lenguas de herencia junto con la pedagogía de la interpretación. En segundo lugar, se analizan las dificultades y oportunidades de este subgrupo de estudiantes, así como posibles áreas de investigación

Climate, Water Navigability, and Economic Development

Geographic information systems (GIS) data was used on a global scale to examine the relationship between climate (ecozones), water navigability, and economic development in terms of GDP per capita. GDP per capita and the spatial density of economic activity measured as GDP per km2 are high in temperate ecozones and in regions proximate to the sea (within 100 km of the ocean or a sea-navigable waterway). Temperate ecozones proximate to the sea account for 8 percent of the world's inhabited land area, 23 percent of the world's population, and 53 percent of the world's GDP. The GDP densities in temperate ecozones proximate to the sea are on average eighteen times higher than in non-proximate non-temperate areas

Geography, Economic Policy, and Regional Development in China

Many studies of regional disparity in China have focused on the preferential policies received by the coastal provinces. We decomposed the location dummies in provincial growth regressions to obtain estimates of the effects of geography and policy on provincial growth rates in 1996-99. Their respective contributions in percentage points were 2.5 and 3.5 for the province-level metropolises, 0.6 and 2.3 for the northeastern provinces, 2.8 and 2.8 for the coastal provinces, 2.0 and 1.6 for the central provinces, 0 and 1.6 for the northwestern provinces, and 0.1 and 1.8 for the southwestern provinces. Because the so-called preferential policies are largely deregulation policies that have allowed coastal Chinese provinces to integrate into the international economy, it is far superior to reduce regional disparity by extending these deregulation policies to the interior provinces than by re-regulating the coastal provinces. Two additional inhibitions to income convergence are the household registration system, which makes the movement of the rural poor to prosperous areas illegal, and the monopoly state bank system that, because of its bureaucratic nature, disburses most of its funds to its large traditional customers, few of whom are located in the western provinces. Improving infrastructure to overcome geographic barriers is fundamental to increasing western growth, but increasing human capital formation (education and medical care) is also crucial because only it can come up with new better ideas to solve centuries-old problems like unbalanced growth.

Geography, Economic Policy and Regional Development in China

Many studies of regional disparity in China have focused on the preferential policies received by the coastal provinces. We decomposed the location dummies in provincial growth regressions to obtain estimates of the effects of geography and policy on provincial growth rates in 1996–99. Their respective contributions in percentage points were 2. 5 and 3. 5 for the province-level metropolises, 0. 6 and 2. 3 for the northeastern provinces, 2. 8 and 2. 8 for the coastal provinces, 2. 0 and 1. 6 for the central provinces, 0 and 1. 6 for the northwestern provinces, and 0. 1 and 1. 8 for the southwestern provinces. Because the so-called preferential policies are largely deregulation policies that have allowed coastal Chinese provinces to integrate into the international economy, it is far superior to reduce regional disparity by extending these deregulation policies to the interior provinces than by re-regulating the coastal provinces. Two additional inhibitions to income convergence are the household registration system, which makes the movement of the rural poor to prosperous areas illegal, and the monopoly state bank system that, because of its bureaucratic nature, disburses most of its funds to its large traditional customers, few of whom are located in the western provinces. Improving infrastructure to overcome geographic barriers is fundamental to increasing western growth, but increasing human capital formation (education and medical care) is also crucial because only it can come up with new better ideas to solve centuries-old problems like unbalanced growth.