KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Kirk St.Amant, Professor and the Eunice C. Williamson Chair in Technical Communication at Louisiana Tech University, USA

Cognition, Translation and Design: Expanding the Role of Translators into Usability Researchers and Product Design Consultants

As translators have long known, the process of translation involves understanding the psychological – or cognitive – processes upon which languages operate. This foundational understanding of the cognition of communication makes translators ideally situated to move into product design and development processes. Specifically, translators can use their understanding of the language-thought process to make key contributions to usability – a product-design practice central to market success on local and global levels. In this talk, the speaker will explain what particular language-thought dynamics lend themselves well to doing usability research and contributing to product design. The presenter will also discuss what steps translators can take to develop these skills in order to work effectively in these areas. The presenter will then conclude by discussing how these skills also help translators better address the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in today's business context. 

Titela Vîlceanu, Professor, University of Craiova, President of the Romanian Society for English and American Studies

Enhancing Translation, (Em)powering Translators and Clients. Dynamics of Trust 

Translator-centered approaches have marked a paradigm shift in Translation Studies for the past decades. Chesterman (2009) claims that it is high time for Translator Studies, in an attempt to go from translation sociology to translation ecology. In this climate of opinion, several researchers have tried to provide valuable insights into how translators experience and navigate their work environment, particularly in terms of trust and empowerment. Envisaging translation as both a process and product, the relationship between the translator and clients is of paramount importance. On the one hand, trust from clients allows translators to take creative liberties and ensure high-quality translations, and impact the translator's confidence and skillset development. On the other hand, trust in the translator's expertise leads to more accurate and culturally sensitive translations, as well as to streamlined communication. Building and strengthening trust is a dynamic and multifaceted process, which goes beyond managing expectations, involving not only language competence, but also cultural awareness, ethical behaviour and adaptability. In the digital era where artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the language and translation industries by significantly improving efficiency and accuracy, the evolving roles, competencies, and responsibilities of human translators and language professionals need to be reassessed.