School of Languages and Linguistics - Research Publications

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    Constructive Case: Evidence from Australian Languages
    Nordlinger, R (CSLI Publications, 1998-01-01)
    Australian Aboriginal languages have many interesting grammatical characteristics that challenge some of the central assumptions of current linguistic theory. These languages exhibit many unusual morphosyntactic characteristics that have not yet been adequately incorporated into current linguistic theory. This volume focuses on the complex properties of case morphology in these nonconfigurational languages, including extensive case stacking and the use of case to mark tense/aspect/mood. While problematic for many syntactic approaches, these case properties are given a natural and unified account in the lexicalist model of constructive case developed in this book, which allows case morphology to construct the larger syntactic context independently of phrase structure.
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    It's a word isn't it? Language affection as an outcome of language programmes.
    Thieberger, N (School of Languages and Linguistics, 2000)
    Structural linguistics has a particular view of the integrity of language which may be detrimental to the construction of appropriate language maintenance programmes for small indigenous languages. In this paper I outline ways in which ‘affective’ use of language may be the most useful target of language programmes in some situations, based on my experience with Australian indigenous languages. Fluency in a language may not be the achievable outcome of a language course for a number of reasons, not least among them being the enormity of the task perceived by learners of the language. For languages with few or no speakers we should be able to construct language programmes in which the use of a small number of terms in the target language, for purposes of identity, is a sufficient and realistic outcome.
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    The use of translation in international organizations
    Pym, A ; Kittel, H ; Frank, AP ; Greiner, N ; Hermans, T ; Koller, W ; Lambert, J ; Paul, F (WALTER DE GRUYTER & CO, 2004)
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    Translation Studies Should Help Solve Social Problems
    Pym, A ; Androulakis, G (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 2003)
    It is proposed that the main tasks of Translation Studies should be to help solve certain social problems. This may provide a model of interdisciplinarity where the definition of problems precedes and orients the many disciplines that may be used to solve them. It is suggested that suitable problems may be recognized in terms of three ethical criteria: 1) the possible solutions should concern linguistic mediation, 2) the aim should be to promote cooperation between cultures, and 3) the problems should proceed from social disagreements. It is hoped that application of these criteria will protect the interdiscipline from excessive instrumentalization.
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    Alternatives to Borders in Translation Theory
    Pym, A ; Petrilli, S (BRILL, 2003-01-01)
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    Translators as breakers of norms?
    Pym, A ; Delisle, J ; Woodsworth, J (John Benjamins, 1995)
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    Translation Error Analysis and the Interface with Language Teaching
    Pym, A ; Dollerup, C ; Loddegaard, A (John Benjamins, 1992)
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    In Search of a New Rationale for the Prose Translation Class at University Level
    Pym, A (Brussels Translation School, 1992)
    In view of labour-market demands, greater flexibility is required of translators. This includes active translational competence in their foreign language(s), especially in domains where oral communication is more important than written communication. The present study investigates how to give a new rationale to prose translation classes, in the wake of a long-standing tradition whereby prose translation was given an ancillary status as a didactic means in foreign-language teaching. The increasing presence of foreign exchange students in translation classes creates an excellent opportunity to increase the importance of A-B directionality. The prose class (thème, traducción inversa, Hinübersetzung) is ostensibly involved with teaching translation from the students’ mother language to the students’ second language (A-B). However, it has traditionally been little more than a rather laborious way of checking on B language acquisition, surviving as a relic from the days when translation was itself taught as little more than a mode of language learning. This traditional background creates serious problems when, as in Spain, prose classes exist in specialist translation institutes at university level. Although the old model would appear to be no longer valid (since translation students are now supposed to learn translation, not just languages), little thought has been given to the development of a new rationale. Indeed, most contemporary theories talk about translation as if directionality were not important; even theoretically developed syllabus projects like that of Amman & Vermeer (1990) give scant attention to directionality, preferring instead to consider “the translational problems of language pairs” where exercises are presumably to be carried out indifferently both to and from the mother language. This indifference on the level of theory might itself indicate the demise of the traditional rationale. But it leaves three very basic questions unresolved: [74] 1. Should one conclude that the prose class within the university translation institute has permanently lost its traditional specificity? 2. What relation might such classes have to the professional practice of trained translators? 3. Is there any correlation or contradiction between these two aspects? If a new rationale is possible, it will depend on coherent answers to all three questions.
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    Histoires vraies
    Pym, A ; Grivel, C (Noesis Foundation, 1988)