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Article published In:
Translation and Interpreting in Non-Governmental Organisations
Edited by Wine Tesseur
[Translation Spaces 7:1] 2018
► pp. 119–142

Translation spaces

Parallel shifts in translation and intercultural communication studies and their significance for the international development field

ORCID logo | University of Sheffield, School of Languages and Cultures
ORCID logo | Independent Social Development and Governance Consultant
ORCID logo | University of Sheffield, School of Languages and Cultures

This article addresses the relationship between translation, intercultural communication and international development practice as encountered in the field. Through tracing parallel developments in the academic fields of translation studies and intercultural communication studies, it highlights the move from static concepts of language, nation, and culture to the fluid exchange spaces of multilingual and intercultural encounters. In-the-field examples of international development challenges are examined and discussed in the light of these theoretical shifts. We propose (a) that both fields of study can learn from each other, (b) that translation training should account for the messy intercultural spaces of contact zones, and (c) that guidance on intercultural practice be further developed to benefit those working in the field.

Keywords: informal translation, intercultural communication, practice, interpreting, international development, NGOs
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • The development of translation theory from linguistic approaches to translation as social practice in the context of International Development
  • Shifts in intercultural communication studies: From cross-national comparison to critical contexts of meaning-making in the context of international development
  • International Development: Practitioner examples
    • Example 1
    • Example 2
    • Example 3
  • Discussion
  • Conclusion
    • What can insights into translation in NGOs add to the ongoing discussions in other research disciplines such as sociolinguistics, development studies and international relations?
    • What can we learn from these disciplines in order to better comprehend the phenomenon of translation in NGOs?
    • What insights and tools can translation studies offer to NGOs?
  • References
Published online: 10 August 2018
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ts.00007.ham
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