Translation and interpreting

Much of the work we do on audiovisual translation (AVT) is on the reception of AVT products like subtitles and audio described film.

We are interested in the impact AVT products have on the ability of the audience to:

• comprehend the film
• immerse in fictional realities
• manage the cognitive load experienced in the presence of the AVT product.

Our research on AVT strongly links up with research on cognitive processing in translation and interpreting reception.

We have a particular interest also in the way in which subtitles can be used in education to improve access for all students, but in particular for students whose access is impeded by:

• physical factors (eg a loss of hearing or sight)
• linguistic factors (eg studying through a second language).

In our state-of-the-art translation labs, we use eye-tracking, keystroke-logging and EEG to investigate cognitive processing during translation and interpreting production.

We also study cognitive processing in reception. We are especially interested in how:

• readers’ reading behaviour and comprehension are affected by different translation strategies
• viewers and listeners process subtitled and audiodescribed films.

Our work in this area is affiliated with:

• Asia-Pacific Translation and Cognition Research Group (APTRAC)
• Thematic Network on Empirical and Experimental Research in Translation (TREC).

Community interpreting research is at the interface of sociolinguistics, applied linguistics and interpreting studies.

Work into the interactional characteristics of interpreter-mediated communication in community settings (eg health, police, social work) provides insights into the role of interpreters in ensuring effective communication.

This work challenges traditional roles of the dialogue interpreter and informs models of practice for interpreter training.

In this research area, we use linguistic models to investigate how translators and interpreters approach a text, analyse discourse features of the text and, based on this analysis, make delicate choices in translation.

We are particularly interested in exploring the meaning-making resources that lie behind a source text and how they are realised in a target text.

We use corpora to observe the lexicogrammatical profile of certain text types and explore their relationship with translation choices.

The basis of our research in this area is formed by insights into:

• cognitive processing in translation and interpreting
• the roles and functions of translation and interpreting in facilitating intercultural communication in complex local-global settings.

Interpreter and translator performance measurement forms the basis of high-stakes certification decisions. As such, it must demonstrate good validity and reliability.

The complexity of measuring across many languages and cultures, as in NAATI tests, requires interdisciplinary collaboration that brings together:

• expertise in the psychometric properties of tests
• an understanding of translation and interpreting performance.

Evaluation is embedded across the curriculum, including in:

• informal and formal formative classroom assessments
• summative assessments of achievement.

It is also fundamental to curriculum design and implementation of pedagogical practices.

Translation can be seen as a form of language contact and, under certain conditions, it can introduce variation in a language and lead to language change.

Using synchronic and diachronic corpora, we investigate what the conditions are under which translation can contribute to language change, and the kind of changes it may lead to.