Call for papers: thematic section 2026
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:
- Case studies of AVT implementation in South African higher education institutions
- Student and faculty perspectives on multilingual AVT in educational contexts
- Technological challenges and solutions for implementing AVT in higher education
- Impact of AVT on academic performance, inclusivity, and epistemic access
- Strategies for developing AVT capacity in indigenous languages
- Eye-tracking studies in subtitle reading, particularly focusing on indigenous languages
- Comparative analysis of subtitling and dubbing effectiveness in educational contexts
- The role of AVT in promoting translanguaging and multilingual pedagogies
- Development and evaluation of multilingual terminology for AVT in higher education
- AVT as a tool for decolonising the curriculum and promoting epistemic justice
- Accessibility and universal design considerations in educational AVT
- The impact of AVT on student engagement and self-directed learning
- The role of AVT in supporting academic literacy development
- 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.