Multilingual paradise and how to get there (perhaps) Anthony Pym

Why talk about translation ? “Everything we know about cultures beyond our own has come to us, has been appropriated or assimilated, through processes of translation” (Pym 1992: 17). (All cultures are translations from other cultures.) (If there are any untranslated cultures, then we know nothing about them.)

Why talk about translation ? 1992: How to be sure we know the foreign culture? (the epistemology of anthropologists and spies) 2017: How to create an inclusive democratic multilingual polis? (“Inclusive”: The subject feels included in the first person of the laws)

Why talk about more than translation ? The EU project Mobility and Inclusion in Multilingual Europe (MIME) In charge of the sub-project on “Mediation” Language policy should allow both inclusion and mobility.

Grin’s trade-off model

Why talk about more than translation ? Mediation choices: - Mediated translation (with many degrees of appropriation) - Unmediated translation (online technologies) - Learning the language of the other - Intercomprehension - Developing pidgins and creoles - Learning a lingua franca - Code-switching and similar mixes of the above

Why talk about more than translation ? Mediation choices: - Mediated translation (the only one that could block language learning) - Unmediated translation (online technologies) - Learning the language of the other - Intercomprehension - Developing pidgins and creoles - Learning a lingua franca - Code-switching and similar mixes of the above

Mediated translation and interpreting are: Why talk about more than translation ? Mediated translation and interpreting are: - Needed (by law) in high-risk communication situations - Relatively expensive - Generally resented by mobile subjects - Considered by mobile subjects to be preliminary to language learning - Used as imperfect transitory solutions

Why talk about more than translation ? If you translate for immigrants, they will not learn English. Stopping the automatic use of translation and interpretation services into foreign languages will provide further incentive for all migrant communities to learn English, which is the basis for an individual’s ability to progress in British society. It will promote cohesion and better community relations. And it will help councils make sensible savings, at a time when every bit of the public sector needs to do its bit to pay off the deficit. https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/translation-into-foreign-languages

So is translation really more expensive? Lindholm et al. (2012) study 3071 patients with Limited English Proficiency (LEP): “the length of hospital stay for LEP patients was significantly longer when professional interpreters were not used at admission or both admission/discharge” “patients receiving interpretation at admission and/or discharge were less likely than patients receiving no interpretation to be readmitted within 30 days”

So is translation really more expensive? Diamond LC, Schenker Y, Curry L, Bradley EH, Fernandez A. 2009. Fagan MJ, Diaz JA, Reinert SE, Sciamanna CN, Fagan DM. 2003. Flores, G. 2005 Gallagher RA, Porter S, Monuteaux MC, Stack AM. 2013. Hampers Louis C., Cha S, Gutglass DJ, Binns HJ, Krug SE. 1999 Hampers, Louis C., and Jennifer E. McNulty. (2002). Hudelson P, and Vilpert S. 2009 Jacobs, Elizabeth A., Laura S. Sadowski, and Paul J. Rathouz. 2007. John-Baptiste A, Naglie G, Tomlinson G, Alibhai SM, Etchells E, Cheung A, Kapral M, Gold WL, Abrams H, Bacchus M, Krahn M. 2004. Karliner, Leah S., Elizabeth A. Jacobs, Alice Hm Chen, and Sunita Mutha. 2007. Levas MN, Cowden JD, Dowd MD, 2011. Lindholm, Mary, J. Lee Hargraves, Warren J. Ferguson, George Reed. 2012.. Quan, Kelvin JD. 2010. Wallbrecht J, Hodes-Villamar L, Weiss SJ, Ernst AA. 2014.

In high-risk situations where it is cost-effective. The proper place of translation? In high-risk situations where it is cost-effective.

The Western translation form: What kind of translation? The Western translation form: - use the alien-I - no addition, no subtraction - complete language change ONLY IN SITUATIONS WHERE THERE IS NO OTHER MEDIATION CHOICE Elsewhere, mix the Western form with communicative translation (language learning and an ethics of service provision).

Laws and rights: - No high-risk vs. low-risk situation Official language polices frame translation policies Laws and rights: - No high-risk vs. low-risk situation - No discussion of costs - No mixed or “impure” languages - No concern with affective inclusion - “… a language that the accused understands…” - No sustainability over time (maintenance of diversity) - No allowance for non-policy as a solution. (SAS as performative language policy)

Why talk about more than translation ?

Performative policy as a logic of trade-offs

Mediation choice is based on affective criteria Performative policy in faith-based communities Mediation choice is based on affective criteria The aim is sustainability of the language community. All mediation choices are available. There is no question of language rights. Mixed languages are acceptable.

Translations are provided. Performative policy in faith-based communities Translations are provided. Interpreters are used. Code-switching is used. Language classes are proved. Paradise is the business of churches. Can they show us the way?

The value of a language is affective and performed, time and again. Affective language use Brigitta Busch. Language biographies for multilingual learning (2006) The value of a language is affective and performed, time and again.

Affective language use

“Translation” is the opposite of “language learning.” Meanwhile back at the academy… “Translation” is the opposite of “language learning.”

And yet…

Participatory Culture Foundation Videos in 20 languages in 24 hours And yet… Participatory Culture Foundation Videos in 20 languages in 24 hours 170,000 videos subtitled

TED Open Translation Project And yet… TED Open Translation Project

Learners correct translations And translate the web for free? And yet… Free language courses Learners correct translations And translate the web for free?

Communicative translation becomes: affective, socializing, And then… Communicative translation becomes: affective, socializing, deinstitutionalized, pedagogical and policy-free. (Sounds like paradise?)

The primacy of spoken communication A way toward communicative translation … The primacy of spoken communication Failure analysis instead of competence Full range of translation solutions (breaking the binarisms) Translator training for all language learners, for all communication settings, not just for would-be professionals. Pedagogical use of online translation tools (TM/MT) and collaborative translation. Renegotiate the pact with the professions.