NEW! Virtual Gallery of Translation Resources

During the 2023-2024 academic year, members of the CTGL team collaborated to create a resource hub to support instructors, scholars, and other interested communities in bringing translation and translation pedagogy into the classroom. Recently, the CTGL launched a Translation Pedagogy virtual library, which consists of open-access theoretical resources focused on translation pedagogy. In the coming months, the next phase of the virtual library will go live: a Classroom Tools gallery, which will offer practical tools, activities, and curriculum development frameworks that instructors can adapt and incorporate into their classrooms. Diana Thow, Assistant Professor of Italian and Translation, describes the project’s progress and why it’s important. 

Why is the CTGL interested in providing a virtual pedagogy gallery?

The University of Iowa is one of the primary hubs for translation pedagogy in the US, since it is home to one of the oldest translation programs in the country, as well as one of the newest—our brand-new Translation BA program, which has generated so much excitement on campus in the two years since it launched. The diversity of instructional offerings in these programs gives us a depth in our curriculum that we want to share with other institutions and instructors, but also it requires that we innovate in the translation classroom – with a growing student body, we are always adapting and changing, eager to discover new models, new research and new ways of conceptualizing translation in the language, culture, or literature classrooms. This curiosity, I think, and need for new models was the initial inspiration for hosting a virtual library of translation pedagogy.

While there are some curricula-based or subscription services for integrating translation in the classroom available on the web, this public-facing site fills a gap in the instructional community by showcasing areas of scholarship as well as approaches to teaching translation in a hands-on way. It supports the CTGL’s mission to give access to the kinds of programming and conversations we have about translation, here on the Iowa campus, to a wider audience. It's an exciting venture to be a part of: a public-facing virtual library that will augment our own programming here at Iowa, as we continue to mentor new cohorts of students, while also making these conversations available to other researchers, scholars, and instructors. It's essentially a community outreach project, like so many others sponsored by the CTGL, and like those other community outreach projects, it helps enrich our own identity as a program and sense of connection with those teaching translation and conducting research about translation in the US and abroad. 

What's next for the CTGL virtual galleries?

We’re thrilled to have launched our research gallery this past spring (as seen in the image above)! The research gallery reflects the vision and guidance of many brilliant collaborators in the past year, including grad students Ara Javaheri and Sora Kim, who provided the research and organizational vision that helped shape it. This is most definitely an ongoing effort. We will continue to add to the research that we’ve showcased so far. Now, in collaboration with our wonderful new grad assistant Andrea Avey, who is not only a translator but a former secondary-school educator, we’re working to supplement our research gallery with another that will provide hands-on tools and models (syllabi, lesson plans, etc.) for instructors hoping to integrate translation in their classrooms. Our goal is to connect practice and theory, at least in terms of translation pedagogy, and highlight the diversity of educational approaches in our field.

Student Travel Grant Story

The CTGL gives annual Student Travel Grants to outstanding University of Iowa undergraduate or graduate students to support travel associated with translation-related projects, research, or community engagement initiatives. Four students received travel grants for summer 2024. Hear from undergraduate Andrew Burgess below about how the CTGL Travel Grant aided his project goals.  

What project were you working on, and what did your work entail?

I worked with poet, physicist, and 2023 Iowa International Writing Program resident Tzveta Sofronieva on several adaptations of her multilingually published work into short films. This work entailed close reading various translations, collaborating to co-translate new versions to suit the film content, organizing locations and doing set and lighting design, then filming Tzveta reading her poetry. I also incorporated footage from around Berlin that had thematic relevance to the content. 

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Above: Andrew (middle) with Dr. Sofronieva (left) at a Palm Art Press reading in Berlin.

Graduate Student Institute on Translation in College Curriculum Coming Spring 2025!

After the extraordinary response to our call for applications for the Summer Institute 2024, the CTGL is excited to announce a virtual institute aimed specifically at graduate students pursuing MA and PhDs, with interest to incorporate translation teaching in their repertoire of skills. The virtual institute will feature demonstrations and conversations from Summer Institute 2024 participants and will serve as a place to connect with like-minded scholars and thinkers and broaden perspectives on language study and global literacy in the classroom and beyond.

Keep an eye out for more information this winter through the CTGL. We're looking forward to welcoming students into this ongoing conversation, meeting new colleagues, and learning alongside one another! 

Above: The 2024 Summer Institute cohort

2024 Summer Institute: Participant Stories

Translation & World Literature

After participating in the Summer Institute for Translation & Global Literacy 2024, Sushmita Sircar, Associate Professor of English at Gettysburg College, shared how the Institute supported her work of foregrounding translation in the world literature classroom. Read some of her insights below and click the button for even more of Professor Sircar's perspective. 

How did your experience at the Institute deepen or expand your understanding of global literacy and translation pedagogy?

The Institute broadened my understanding of what a course on translation and world literature could achieve. It made me explicitly think about translation and interpretation as practices outside the literature classroom—in the language classroom, in hospitals/courtrooms and other contexts where translation is a practical need. This made me want to think about translation not just as creative practice or as metaphor for thinking about our globalized world, but of the material problems with translation and language justice. I also came away with a set of specific ideas about encouraging students to engage with their own language skills and use translation creatively to produce their own literary texts. I am still thinking about how these might be incorporated into my syllabus, but I’m excited to expand the ambit of my literature class into one that invites students to engage in the process of translation themselves.

Learn more about Professor Sircar's experience at the link below.

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Translation & Classics

We also spoke with James Wells, Edwin L. Minar Professor of Classical Studies at DePauw University, about his experience at the Summer Institute. Find below his takeaways to bolster and expand the project of bringing translation practice into the classical studies classroom. 

How did the Summer Institute help further your project progress? 

My project was to develop activities in which students translate original-language ancient Hellenic texts, a poem by Sappho (c. 620 BCE) and a passage from Thucydides’ (c. 460–c. 400 BCE) History of the Peloponnesian War. The context for this experiment with translation pedagogy is a 100-level, general education course entitled “Ancient Greek World,” which surveys ancient Greek culture and history and features primary sources, literature in English translation, as well as visual culture. The Summer Institute proved invaluable for designing scaffolded translation activities that enable students to encounter the cultural difference represented by ancient Hellenic textual artifacts. I came away from the Institute with tools that I could implement immediately in my teaching. I additionally benefitted from conversations about pedagogical challenges, such as laying the groundwork for students to work with ancient Hellenic texts without knowledge of the language and navigating resistance to work perceived as difficult or irrelevant. 

Learn more about Professor Wells' experience at the link below. 

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In the Classroom: Swahili Short Stories

Translation is a fundamental tool in language teaching and learning, especially at the novice level. At the elementary level, translation provides initial knowledge of the language structure and vocabulary. Using short stories in the Swahili elementary course can serve as a bridge between the students' first language and the target language, facilitating comprehension and retention. In Spring 2024 and across five sections of elementary Swahili, faculty members Beatrice Mkenda and Suzy Nkurlu incorporated these stories into teaching and learning. 

Implementation 

We officially started the translation work in January 2024 and noticed how it brought joy to the students and increased interest in learning the language. This work was rewarding and fulfilling for both instructors and students.  

A few days before starting the translation work, the students were given a passage in the classroom. We read it aloud. After reading and learning how to pronounce the words used in the passage, the students were put in groups of two or three to translate the passage using a dictionary.  

They submitted their work on the same day. We graded their work and returned their papers, providing feedback. They also had an opportunity to ask any questions regarding the translation. In the following days, we used the same passage and then asked students questions based on the passage. Since the students translated the passage, they understood it well, making it easier and quicker for them to answer questions.  

Using translation passages to ask comprehension questions helped students speak and strengthen their language skills. Students who were usually shy in class found the courage to speak and answer questions because they understood the translation.  

Students approached and performed translation work enthusiastically because every translation they completed was graded. They checked ICON and eagerly attended class when they saw translation work scheduled, enjoying working together with their peers.  

Students had reading assignments where we evaluated their fluency level. Using the same passage they translated, they read to us. This practice improved their reading significantly because they were reading with understanding. 

Observed Benefits  

Using short stories in the elementary course provided students an opportunity to own the language. Translating these stories in class helped students internalize Swahili, making it part of their daily vocabulary and introducing new grammatical terms and forms. Students worked together, sharing knowledge and integrating their existing linguistic knowledge with Swahili by translating from Swahili to English.  

Familiarizing themselves with language structure through translation boosted students' confidence and competence in speaking Swahili. Using stories from the Swahili Comprehension book, students acted out scenarios, encouraging further engagement with the language and improving retention and memory of new words.  

Translation also helped students clarify grammatical structures in both Swahili and their native language. Reading and translating culturally rich stories provided cultural insights and enriched their overall learning experience. 

Conclusion 

Although we have incorporated translation into our teaching in the past, this year, starting from January, we made it a mandatory activity. Each semester, we will engage students in this beneficial exercise, which has been enjoyable and rewarding for both teachers and students. Witnessing how students learn the language through translation has been especially gratifying for us as educators.  

Overall, this was a unique experience for teachers and students alike. Integrating translation into the Kiswahili language curriculum has illuminated new perspectives and strengthened our commitment to this project, benefiting teachers, students, and the entire program.

Translation in teaching and learning a foreign language is a powerful tool that aids vocabulary acquisition, grammatical understanding, and cultural awareness. It significantly enhances the learning experience and fosters lifelong learning among students. 

CTGL Welcomes New Team Members

We’re thrilled to announce two new additions to the CTGL team! Please welcome Olivia Bohlmann, the new Center Coordinator. Olivia comes to us with an extensive background in the nonprofit sector and language studies, making her uniquely qualified to support the CTGL in her new role. A UIowa alumna, Olivia double-majored in International Studies and Italian, with a minor in Translation and a certificate in Nonprofit Management.

We also have a new Graduate Fellow, Andrea Avey. A student in the literary translation MFA program where she translates from Spanish, Andrea has experience in education, marketing, and dramaturgy. Originally from Tulsa, OK, she studied English and Spanish during undergrad, received her MA from the University of Chicago, and is excited to continue her academic journey here at Iowa.