Introduction: Towards Transcultural Awareness in Translation Pedagogy

The recent integration of translation degree programmes into European
university curricula is boosting much-needed research in translation pedagogy.
The four editors of this volume all teach translation at the Vrije Universiteit
Brussel, Belgium, and in our teaching practice we have long subscribed
to the notion that all translation, regardless of genre and context,
is inherently and fundamentally about communicating between and across
cultures. We take it as read that any translation course must first and foremost
raise awareness among students that every text is permeated by culture,
and that the appraisal of the cultural distance between sender and
receiver is a necessary condition for any translational activity to be successful.
However, even if such course aims sound fairly straightforward, we
realize they may be achieved through a multitude of different teaching approaches
and learning methods, many of which are un(der)reported at present.
It is for this reason that we decided to invite a wide range of distinct
and distinctive voices in Translation Studies to bring their theoretical insights
and teaching experiences to bear on the topic at hand: how to tackle
the cultural dimension in translation pedagogy.

ISBN:978-3-643-90919-0

Keywords:TRANSLATION, Pedagogy, transculturality