Call for papers: thematic section 2026

2024-10-17

THEMATIC SECTION 2026

Empowering Multilingualism through Audiovisual Translation in South African Higher Education: Challenges and Innovations

Deadline for full papers: 30 June 2025

Publication date: November 2026

Guest Editor

Helena Kruger-Roux, University of Pretoria

Background

The Language Policy Framework for Public Higher Education Institutions (2020) in South Africa has renewed focus on promoting multilingualism and developing indigenous languages in academia (Department of Higher Education and Training, 2020). This special issue explores how educational audiovisual translation (AVT) can be leveraged to meet the policy's requirements for linguistic inclusivity and access. AVT techniques like subtitling and dubbing offer innovative ways to make educational content available in multiple languages, potentially transforming teaching, learning, and knowledge dissemination practices.

South African higher education institutions face complex challenges in balancing the practical dominance of English with the need to preserve and promote indigenous African languages (Mkhize & Balfour, 2017). This tension reflects broader societal struggles to reconcile multilingual heritage with globalisation pressures (Ndhlovu & Makalela, 2021). AVT technologies present promising avenues for creating more inclusive, multilingual learning environments, but their implementation must be carefully considered to ensure they provide genuine support rather than confusion (Kruger-Marais & Kruger-Roux, 2023).

This thematic section aims to examine current AVT initiatives at South African universities, evaluate their effectiveness in promoting multilingualism, and explore future possibilities for expanding AVT use. By bringing together insights from language policy experts, AVT practitioners, and researchers in related fields, this issue aims to provide valuable insights for policymakers, educators, and researchers working towards a more linguistically inclusive higher education landscape in South Africa (Bhatt et al., 2022).

Research topics

Research topics include but are not limited to:

  1. Case studies of AVT implementation in South African higher education institutions
  2. Student and faculty perspectives on multilingual AVT in educational contexts
  3. Technological challenges and solutions for implementing AVT in higher education
  4. Impact of AVT on academic performance, inclusivity, and epistemic access
  5. Strategies for developing AVT capacity in indigenous languages
  6. Eye-tracking studies in subtitle reading, particularly focusing on indigenous languages
  7. Comparative analysis of subtitling and dubbing effectiveness in educational contexts
  8. The role of AVT in promoting translanguaging and multilingual pedagogies
  9. Development and evaluation of multilingual terminology for AVT in higher education
  10. AVT as a tool for decolonising the curriculum and promoting epistemic justice
  11. Accessibility and universal design considerations in educational AVT
  12. The impact of AVT on student engagement and self-directed learning
  13. The role of AVT in supporting academic literacy development
  14. Policy implications of AVT implementation in South African higher education

Important dates:

Notification of provisional acceptance (abstracts): 15 February 2025

Submission of full papers: 30 June 2025

Desk review: 15 July 2025

Sending out for peer review: 1 September 2025

First editorial decisions: 1 November 2025

Resubmission by authors: 31 January 2026

Submission of final versions: 31 March 2026

Language revision, APA, layout: April-October 2026

Issue published: October / November 2026.