Translation & Minority

University of Ottawa

Conference Theme
The conference draws on University of Ottawa's roots in the culture of the Franco-Ontarian
community, on its bilingualism, as well as on the diversity of its international student body, by
exploring the concept of "minority" in its many facets through the lens of translation studies. It
also marks the 45th anniversary of the founding of the School of Translation and Interpretation.
In a globalized world, linguistic minorities are apparently set for extinction, with linguistic
diversity plummeting at an unprecedented rate. In this respect, translation becomes a tool for
their survival and inclusion, making it "crucial to understand the operation of the translation
process itself as the continued existence of the language and the self-perception and self-
confidence of its speakers are intimately bound up with translation effects." (Cronin 1995) In the
same globalized world, minor cultures are oftentimes judged in terms of economic influence,
facing an unjust comparative bias. In this case, translation restores the balance, since small
cultures are disproportionately important in terms of translation productivity; their contribution
is much more relevant to translation studies than the limited contribution of 'major' nations,
which do not welcome translations in their cultures to the same extent. For example, even
though Canada has a significant French-speaking population and a long translating tradition, its
status as a minor Francophone culture and the current enjeux on the globalized publishing
market confine excellent translations produced in Quebec to the local market. They do not go to
France. In the same globalized world, 'minority' is a central concept which implies resistance to
the mainstream, to what is considered 'normal' or part of a dominant discourse. In this respect,
translation makes the voices of minorities heard and attenuates the cultural sway they
experience.

The conference themes will revolve around, but will not be limited to, the following
issues:
• Minority languages and translation
• Major vs. minor cultures in translation
• The politics of translating for ethnic minorities
• Translation from/into indigenous languages

• Audio-visual translation for the impaired
• Literary translation and sexual minorities
• Translation for migrants, refugees and the exiled
• Translation as ethical practice
• Translator training in minority-language contexts
• The influence of technologies on the diversity of language(s): preservation, development,
or endangerment?
• Minority research topics in Translation Studies
Submission Guidelines
Scholars are invited to submit a 300-word abstract in Word format (Times New Roman, 12 pt,
single spaced), which will be included in the conference program. Please make sure to include
the following information (in this order): the title of your presentation, your name, affiliation,
e-mail address, abstract, 6 key-words, selected bibliography, and short bio.
Each presentation will be allotted 20 minutes, followed by a 10-minute question period. The
working languages of the conference are French and English.
Please send the documents above to the organizers, Luise von Flotow and Raluca Tanasescu, to
the following address: rtana014@uottawa.ca by May 15, 2016. We will notify participants of
their acceptance on June 15.

For more info, questions, and comments, please do not hesitate to contact Raluca Tanasescu at
the e-mail address above.
We look forward to your submissions!