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Article published In:
Translation and Interpreting in Non-Governmental Organisations
Edited by Wine Tesseur
[Translation Spaces 7:1] 2018
► pp. 106–118

Development in so many words

The Oxfam GB experience

| Translations Manager, Oxfam GB

This article describes the trajectory of Oxfam GB as an international organisation, its structure, the way it operates and the linguistic issues that led to the creation of a professional translation service. It explores the ongoing challenges and the kind of support translation researchers could provide to help resolve them, with the goal of developing better professionals in the broader development sector.

Keywords: international development, NGOs, translation policy, language policy, institutional translation, academic-NGO collaboration, organisational change
Article outline
  • Introduction to Oxfam GB and the Oxfam confederation
  • Structure of Oxfam GB and translation needs
  • Situation prior to the creation of the Translations Team
  • Creation of the Translations Team
  • Other Translations Teams in the confederation
  • Adapting to changing needs and new structures
  • The importance of the translation policy
  • Ongoing challenges
  • Support from academia
  • References
Published online: 10 August 2018
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ts.00006.san
References
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Pym, Anthony, Gabriel González Núñez, Marta Miquel-Iriarte, Sara Ramos Pinto, Carlos Teixeira and Wine Tesseur
2014 “Work Placements in Doctoral Research Training in the Humanities: Eight Cases from Translation Studies.” Across Languages and Cultures 15(1): 1–23. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
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Footitt, Hilary, Angela M. Crack & Wine Tesseur
2020. Translators and Interpreters in Development. In Development NGOs and Languages, ► pp. 101 ff. DOI logo
Hamaidia, Lena, Sarah Methven & Jane Woodin
2018. Translation spaces. Translation Spaces 7:1 ► pp. 119 ff. DOI logo
Tesseur, Wine
2021. Translation as inclusion?. Language Problems and Language Planning 45:3 ► pp. 261 ff. DOI logo
Woodin, Jane, Lena Hamaidia & Sarah Methven
2021. Cultures in translation, complexity and development inequalities: cultivating spaces for shared understanding. Language and Intercultural Communication 21:1 ► pp. 55 ff. DOI logo

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