This article addresses the relationship between translation, intercultural communication and international development practice as
encountered in the field. Through tracing parallel developments in the academic fields of translation studies and intercultural
communication studies, it highlights the move from static concepts of language, nation, and culture to the fluid exchange spaces
of multilingual and intercultural encounters. In-the-field examples of international development challenges are examined and
discussed in the light of these theoretical shifts. We propose (a) that both fields of study can learn from each other, (b) that
translation training should account for the messy intercultural spaces of contact zones, and (c) that guidance on intercultural
practice be further developed to benefit those working in the field.
The development of translation theory from linguistic approaches to translation as social practice in the context of International Development
Shifts in intercultural communication studies: From cross-national comparison to critical contexts of meaning-making in the context of international development
International Development: Practitioner examples
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
Discussion
Conclusion
What can insights into translation in NGOs add to the ongoing discussions in other research disciplines such as sociolinguistics, development studies and international relations?
What can we learn from these disciplines in order to better comprehend the phenomenon of translation in NGOs?
What insights and tools can translation studies offer to NGOs?
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