Intercultural Crisis Communication: Translation, Interpreting and Languages in Local Crises

(Paperback)

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Intercultural Crisis Communication poses pertinent questions and provides powerful responses to crises that have characterised the modern world since 2010. Language mediation in situations of disaster, emergency and conflict is an under-developed area of scholarship in Translation Studies. This book responds to a clear need for research drawn from practical experiences in the field and explores the crucial role of translation, interpretation and mediation in contexts of crises. Particular consideration is given to situations where rare or minority languages represent a substantial obstacle to humanitarian operations. Contemporary case studies from the USA, Africa, Europe, and Armenia provide major examples of crisis communication that call for more efficient language mediation. Such examples include Syrian displacement, the refugee crisis in Croatia and Italy, international terrorism and national public administration, interpreting in conflict and for Mdecins sans Frontires, as well as the integration of refugee doctors for employment in the UK. With contributions from experts in the field, this volume is of international relevance and provides a multifaceted overview of intercultural communication issues and remedies during crises.

Reviews

In a globalized world rocked by perpetual crisis, few structures are as fragile as those of communication and few issues are as pressing as the mediation of understanding. This book offers a richly documented and persuasive case for innovative approaches in this domain, and in so doing provides a compelling critique of prevailing approaches to this issue. * Jan Blommaert, Professor of Language, Culture and Globalization, Tilburg University, The Netherlands *
Federici and Declercq offer a comprehensive, research-driven call to action for the recognition of adequate intercultural and language mediation in disaster relief. The interdisciplinary insights cast human, transmigratory, political, natural, and environmental crises in a critical and fresh light, with profound implications for researchers, policy makers, and frontline international humanitarian workers. A timely and acutely necessary contribution. * Melissa Wallace, Associate Professor of Translation and Interpreting Studies, The University of Texas at San Antonio, USA *
Even as the concept of crisis translation is still emerging in Translation Studies, this volume demonstrates the breadth of the topic and its potential for enriching the field. Aside from the valuable insights into diverse, local scenarios, many of the case studies here are expanding the concerns of the discipline simply by reporting on situations and language pairs rarely, if ever, accounted for in translation theory. * Dr. Sue-Ann Harding, Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK *

Author Bio

Federico M. Federici is an Associate Professor in Translation Studies at the Centre for Translation Studies, University College London, UK. Christophe Declercq is a Senior Lecturer in Translation Studies at the Centre for Translation Studies, University College London, UK and a Lecturer in Translation at KU Leuven, Belgium.