Calls for papers

REGULAR ISSUE

For the open issues, JAT follows the continuous publication (CP) model. The CP model allows for the immediate publication of an article as soon as it is ready; that is, peer-reviewed, approved by the Editorial Board, copyedited, typeset, and proofread. This way accepted articles do not need to wait until a particular issue of the journal is completed. The open issue will have a publishing deadline on the last day of December. However, the online issue will be fed throughout the year and when the deadline of the open issue passes, it is closed and the next issue starts to be fed. JAT collects submissions for the open issues throughout the year (there is no submission deadline).

As the only dedicated academic journal on the field of audiovisual translation, The Journal of Audiovisual Translation (JAT) encourages the submission of original research papers and practice reports in the field of audiovisual translation (AVT) and media accessibility in areas including subtitling (or captioning), audio description (AD), dubbing and voice-over. We welcome contributions on traditional media such as television and film, new media, live events, opera, theatre, museums and other contexts. Submissions can be sent at any time - there is no specific deadline.

We welcome both theoretical and empirical contributions that meet a high standard of scholarship and contribute new knowledge on the discipline. We also encourage interdisciplinary studies within the broader discipline of Translation Studies, but also with psychology, cognitive science, media studies, communication studies, sociology, linguistics, inclusive design, accessibility studies and other areas.  

THEMATIC SECTION

Thematic Section 2024: Audiovisual Translation as A Didactic Tool to Enhance Foreign Language Speaking Skills

Deadline for extended abstracts: 15 May 2023

Deadline for full papers: 1 November 2023

Publication date: November 2024

Guest Editors

Alicia Sánchez Requena, Sheffield Hallam University, UK

Anca Daniela Frumuselu,University of Lleida, Spain

The field of Audiovisual Translation (AVT) as a pedagogical tool has grown considerably in the last twenty years due to the shared effort of researchers and practitioners who have looked at how the active task of captioning and revoicing videos among foreign language (FL) learners has impacted their FL and communication skills (Lertola, 2019; Talaván, 2020). The potential of AVT in FL settings has been acknowledged by several European institutions which have funded research-led projects, such as LeViS (Learning via Subtitling), a Socrates/Lingua (2006-2008) project that developed a specific subtitling editor designed to be used by FL teachers and students (Romero et al., 2011; Sokoli, 2006; Sokoli et al., 2011); ClipFlair (Foreign Language Learning through Interactive Revoicing and Captioning of Clips), a Lifelong Learning Programme project (2011-2014) with a consortium of ten universities which created an online platform to create and use FL learning activities through captioning and revoicing (Baños & Sokoli, 2015; Sokoli, 2018); PluriTAV (2017-2019), that looked into the effectiveness of AVT to acquire and develop the plurilingual and pluricultural competence (PPC) (Baños et al., 2021). Most recently, the TRADILEX project (2020-2023) (Audiovisual Translation as a Didactic Resource in Foreign Language Education), an I+D+i project funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation aimed to determine the degree of improvement in the FL learning classroom after including the pedagogical use of five main AVT modes: subtitling, voice-over, dubbing, audio description (AD) and subtitling for the deaf and hard of hearing (SDH), as didactic tools (Talaván & Lertola, 2022).

Previous work on AVT has focused on improving a variety of linguistic and intercultural skills in a variety of foreign language settings (Lertola, 2019). However, the present thematic section is interested in gathering studies that investigated the usefulness of AVT modalities to enhance foreign language speaking skills, an area scarcely investigated. Speaking does not only play a key role in daily situations, but also in formal assessments. It is believed that by using AVT modes actively, students can develop their speaking skills independently and with authentic situations, since there is not always time in the classroom to dedicate to individual oral skills development. Previous research studies used voice-over (Talaván & Rodríguez Arancón, 2018), dubbing (Sánchez-Requena, 2018) or audio description (Navarrete, 2020) to develop communicative and oral skills in foreign language settings, but further research is needed to prove its benefits. The originality of this proposal lies in the inclusion of five different AVT modalities: subtitling, voice-over, dubbing, audio description (AD) and subtitling for the deaf and hard of hearing (SDH) as a means to enhance FL speaking skills in one thematic section. To the knowledge of this proposal’s authors, there is no volume that gathers a multimodal AVT approach in relation to FL speaking skills.

Thus, we welcome studies that would focus on spoken skills enhancement through the use of didactic AVT modes, both intralingual and interlingual, such as:

  • Revoicing (dubbing, audio description, voice over, free commentary, fandubbing, etc)
  • Captioning (subtitling, subtitling for the deaf and hard of hearing, fansubbing, etc)
  • Less frequent AVT practices (respeaking, surtitling, easy-to-read, etc)
  • Didactic AVT implementation in formal (primary, secondary, higher education) and non-formal education scenarios (gamification, immersed experiences, virtual reality, etc)

Important dates:

Deadline for submission of abstracts (400-600 words): 15 May 2023

Notification of provisional acceptance (abstracts): 15 June 2023

Submission of full papers (7.500 words incl. references): 1 November 2023

Notification of provisional acceptance: 1-28 February 2024

Submission of revised articles: 1 April 2024

Submission of final articles: June 2024

Language revision, APA revision, final proofs: July-October 2024

Each abstract should contain both research questions/aims, methodology, and results and conclusions. While the length of the abstracts may vary, they should be between 400 and 600 words, supplied with a bibliography and 10 keywords.

Please email your abstract directly to the editors at A.Sanchez-Requena@shu.ac.uk and ancadaniela.frumuselu@udl.cat

GUEST EDITORS

Alicia Sánchez Requena (Sheffield Hallam University, UK) is currently working as Senior Lecturer in Spanish at Sheffield Hallam University (UK). She completed her PhD in 2017 at Manchester Metropolitan University (UK). Her research is on the field of audiovisual translation in foreign language education, and her specialisation is intralingual dubbing to enhance speed, intonation, and pronunciation in foreign language learning. Most recently, she has also undertaken research on accessibility modalities (audiodescription and subtitling for the deaf and hard of hearing) as part of the I+D+i project, TRADILEX (Audiovisual Translation as a Didactic Resource in Foreign Language Education).

Anca Daniela Frumuselu (University of Lleida, Spain) is currently working as Lecturer of English at University of Lleida, Spain. She completed her PhD in 2016 at Rovira i Virgili University, Spain. One of her line of research is on the field of audiovisual translation in English as a foreign language and she has been investigating on the effects of subtitling on learners’ colloquial language acquisition and oral skills. Most recently, she has participated in the I+D+i project, TRADILEX (Audiovisual Translation as a Didactic Resource in Foreign Language Education), in collaboration with other international institutions and has been investigating on accessibility modalities, such as subtitling for the deaf and hard of hearing in the foreign language classroom.

References

  1. Baños, R., & Sokoli, S. (2015). Learning foreign languages with ClipFlair: Using captioning and revoicing activities to increase students’ motivation and engagement. In K. Borthwick, E. Corradini, & A. Dickens (Eds.), 10 years of the LLAS elearning symposium: Case studies in good practice, (pp. 203–213). Research-publishing.net. https://doi.org/10.14705/rpnet.2015.000280
  2. Baños, R., Marzà, A., & Torralba, G. (2021). Promoting plurilingual and pluricultural competence in language learning through audiovisual translation. Translation and Translanguaging in Multilingual Contexts, 7(1), 65–85. https://doi.org/10.1075/TTMC.00063.BAN
  3. Lertola, J. (2019). Audiovisual translation in the foreign language classroom: applications in the teaching of English and other foreign languages. Research-publishing.net. https://doi.org/10.14705/rpnet.2019.27.9782490057252
  4. Navarrete, M. (2020). The use of audio description in foreign language education. In J.Lertola, N. Talaván and L. Incalcaterra (Eds.), Translation and Translanguaging in Multilingual Contexts, 132–152. https://doi.org/10.1075/BCT.111.TTMC.00007.NAV
  5. Romero, L., Torres-Hostench, O., & Sokoli, S. (2011). La subtitulación al servicio del aprendizaje de lenguas: el entorno LvS. Revue Internationale de La Traduction / International Journal of Translation, 57(3), 305–323. https://doi.org/10.1075/BABEL.57.3.04ROM/CITE/REFWORKS
  6. Sánchez Requena, A. (2018). Intralingual dubbing as a tool for developing speaking skills. Translation and Translanguaging in Multilingual Contexts, 4(1), 101–128. Retrieved from https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=7610784&info=resumen&idioma=ENG
  7. Sokoli, S. (2006). Learning via subtitling (LvS). A tool for the creation of foreign language learning activities based on film subtitling. Proceedings MuTra2006: Audiovisual Translation Scenarios, 66–73.
  8. Sokoli, S. (2018). Exploring the possibilities of interactive audiovisual activities for language learning. Translation and Translanguaging in Multilingual Contexts, 4(1), 77–100. https://doi.org/10.1075/TTMC.00005.SOK
  9. Sokoli, S., Zabalbeascoa, P., & Fountana, M. (2011). Subtitling activities for foreign language learning: what learners and teachers think. In L. M. Incalcaterra, M. Biscio, & M. Á. Ní Mhainnín (Eds.), Audiovisual Translation Subtitles and Subtitling, 219–242. Peter Lang.
  10. Talaván, N. (2020). The Didactic Value of AVT in Foreign Language Education. In Ł. Bogucki & M. Deckert (Eds.), The Palgrave Handbook of Audiovisual Translation and Media Accessibility, (pp. 567–591). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42105-2
  11. Talaván, N., & Lertola, J. (2022). Audiovisual translation as a didactic resource in foreign language education. A methodological proposal. Encuentro Journal, 30, 23–39. Retrieved from http://www3.uah.es/encuentrojournal/index.php/encuentro/article/view/66/56
  12. Talaván, N. & Rodríguez-Arancón, P. (2018). Voice-over to improve oral production skills. In J. D. Sanderson & C. Botella-Tejera (eds.), Focusing on Audiovisual Translation Research (pp. 211-229). Valencia: PUV, Publicacions Universitat de Valencia.

 

SPECIAL ISSUE

Special Issue 2024: Human agency in the age of technology

Deadline for full papers: 1 November 2023

Publication date: December 2024

 

Guest Editors

Nina Reviers, University of Antwerp, Belgium

Gert Vercauteren, University of Antwerp, Belgium

Josélia Neves, Hamad Bin Khalifa Universit, Qatar

With the introduction of machine translation (MT), translation memories (TM), and other CAT tools, concerns arose about the future of the translation profession and its potential disappearance. While these fears did not materialize, these technologies did become essential in translators' workflows and have significantly impacted the profession. They have given rise to new professional profiles, and there now seems to be a shortage rather than a surplus of qualified translation professionals. The 2022 European Language Industry Survey highlights the industry's concern about a shortage of suitable resources (ELIS, 2022, p. 40).  

In the field of audiovisual translation (AVT) and media accessibility (MA), a similar trend can be observed in the past decade, although there is a noticeable difference in the adoption of language technologies. While text-to-speech and speech-to-text applications are already well-integrated in areas like respeaking and automatic transcription, the uptake of translation technologies such as MT & TM has been slow. Some subtitling tools now include TM features, and media localization software is starting to incorporate MT capabilities. Research on the use of technology in AVT are gradually increasing (e.g. Burchardt, et al., 2016: Bywood, et al., 2017; Georgakopoulou & Bywood, 2014), but there is still a significant unexplored territory, as evidenced by the limited publications on machine translation in audiovisual translation. The European Federation of Audiovisual Translators' 'Machine Translation Manifesto' suggests avenues for further research, including the integration of other technologies in AVT and MA workflows, ethical considerations, and collaboration among different stakeholders. A recent survey among language service professionals identified 30 new roles in the LSP industry due to artificial intelligence, posing questions for future (audiovisual) translator training (Stasimioti, M., 2023). 

The increasing integration of humans and machines raises important questions about the impact of technology on translation processes. It also highlights the evolving roles of human translation agents in this technological age. The field of AVT and MA is witnessing a growing interest in the human aspect of translation, emphasizing the unique problem-solving and creative abilities of human agents (Rizzo, 2022). Scholars are studying the creative dimension of AVT and MA practices, exploring new approaches like integrated subtitles, damnu, and accessible filmmaking (Romero Fresco, 2021). Collaborative approaches involving AV translators, media professionals, artists, users, and user organizations are also gaining traction (Di Giovanni, 2018). The increasing focus on diversity, inclusion, and accessibility raises significant societal questions about the impact of AVT and MA. Representation and participation are key concerns in this context, and ethical considerations become even more crucial in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. 

It is clear that the field of AVT and MA is undergoing profound changes which all have an undeniable impact on all the stakeholders involved. In this special issue, we want to delve deeper into these changes and in the complex relationships between the technologies and the human agents that interact with them. Contributions to the issue can approach the topic through an academic or more professional lens, and deal with questions such as (but not limited to): 

  • How do technological developments redefine the concept of translator agency in audiovisual translation these days?
  • What roles and positions can audiovisual translators assume in the current AI-driven translation ecosystem?
  • How can the different agents involved in the translation process interact to put human agency to optimal use in order to maximise the benefits for all stakeholders?
  • What impact do new technologies have on the AVT and MA workflows and output quality?
  • How can MT and other translation technologies be integrated in an ethical way in AVT and MA workflows?
  • How can end-users – both of the technologies and the translated products – be involved in the process?
  • What new skills will be required from audiovisual translators?
  • How can academic and other training institutions respond to these new requirements?
  • How can new technologies and AI developments be used to improve and optimize inclusion and inclusive practices?
  • What insights can be offered through inter- and transdisciplinary research approaches?
  • What new and alternative approaches in AVT and MA are emerging?
  • From what collaborative and participatory approaches can AVT and MA benefit?
  • How can new forms of creativity be integrated into AVT and MA?
  • How are AVT and MA embracing current and future practices of diversity and inclusion?

Important dates:

  • Submission of full papers (7.500 words incl. references): 1 November 2023  
  • Notification of provisional acceptance: 1-28 February 2024  
  • Submission of revised articles: 1 April 2024  
  • Submission of final articles: May 2024  
  • Language revision, APA revision, final proofs: July-November 2024 

Submission guidelines 

We invite full papers to be submitted by November 1st, 2023, via the journal’s online platform, following the journal’s guidelines which you can consult here: https://www.jatjournal.org/index.php/jat/about/submissions/ 

 

Make a new submission to the Special issue 2024: Human agency in the age of technology section. 

Contact 

Please contact the guest editors if you have any questions: 

Nina.Reviers@uantwerpen.be 

Gert.Vercauteren@uantwerpen.be 

jneves@hbku.edu.qa 

GUEST EDITORS

Nina Reviers (University of Antwerp, Belgium) is a researcher and trainer in the domain of Audiovisual Translation, with a specific interest in Media Accessibility. While Audio Description for the blind and visually impaired constitutes her specific research area, she has built expertise in a broad range of topics within the domain of accessibility. Moreover, she aims to approach her research topics from an inclusive perspective, keeping the principles of Universal Design and Interdisciplinarity in mind. Her current research interests include linguistic and multimodal aspects of audio description, computer-aided translation of audio description, integrated access for the (scenic) arts, technology for access, and the study of translations as complex, emerging phenomena. A close collaboration with stakeholders is a key factor in her research and teaching activities. Through OPEN Expertise Centre for Accessible Media and Culture, she aims to bridge the gap between academia and the work field and play an active role in the realization of an inclusive society.

Gert Vercauteren (University of Antwerp, Belgium) holds an MA in Translation and a PhD in Translation Studies, more specifically in the field of audio description. He is a teacher and researcher at the Department of Applied Linguistics, Translation & Interpretation of the University of Antwerp. He teaches specialised and audiovisual translation and translation technology. His research focuses on audiovisual translation in general and media accessibility in particular. More recently, he broadened his research focus to include new types of learning (e-learning, blended learning, MOOCs) and their pedagogical implications. He was previously involved in the European DTV4All and ADLAB projects, and is currently participating in the European ACT (Accesible Culture and Training) project. He is the co-ordinator of AVT Research at the Department and is a member of the TricS research group, the European Association for Studies in Screen Translation (ESIST) and Transmedia Benelux.

Josélia Neves (Hamad Bin Khalifa Universit, Qatar) has a degree in Modern Languages and Literatures, an MA in English Studies, a PhD in Translation Studies, with a dissertation on subtitling for the deaf and the hard of hearing. She started her career as a language teacher but soon moved on to teaching in the domain of Translation Studies and Audiovisual Translation. Parallel to her teaching activities, she has worked as a freelance translator as a means to keep abreast of the developments and requirements of the field. She has led a number of research projects with partners in the media, museums and cultural venues, the performing arts and education. Her special interest lies in developing action research projects that contribute towards making communication environments accessible to all. While living and working in Qatar, she continues to collaborate with European Universities both as a visiting professor and a researcher.

REFERENCES

  1. Burchardt, A., Lommel, A. Bywood, L., Harris, K. & Popović, M. (2016). Machine translation quality in an audiovisual context. Target, Vol. 28(2), 206–221. 
  2. Bywood, L., Georgakopoulou, P. & Etchegoyhen, T. (2017). Embraching the threat. Machine translation as a solution for subtitling. Perspectives, Vol. 25(3), 492–508 
  3. Di Giovanni, E. (2018). Participatory accessibility: Creating audio description with blind and non-blind children. Journal of Audiovisual Translation, 1(1), 155–169. 
  4. ELIS (2022). European language industry survey. Trends, expectations and concerns of the European language industry. 
  5. Georgakopoulou, P. & Bywood, L. (2014). Machine translation in subtitling and the rising profile of the post-editor. MultiLingual, January/February: 24–28. 
  6. Rizzo, A. (2022). Into the Translation for Museums, Festivals, and the Stage: Creativity and the Transmedial Turn. Status Quaestionis, 23, Article 23. https://doi.org/10.13133/2239-1983/18213 
  7. Romero-Fresco, P. (2021). Creative Media Accessibility: Placing the Focus Back on the Individual. In M. Antona & C. Stephanidis (Eds.), Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction. Access to Media, Learning and Assistive Environments (Vol. 12769, pp. 291–307). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-78095-1_22 
  8. Stasimioti, M. (31 May, 2023). Here are 30 new jobs language industry CEOs expect to hire for in the AI Age. Slator Language Industry Intelligence. https://slator.com/30-new-jobs-language-industry-ceos-expect-to-hire-ai-age/