Translating New Asian Media

In an age of Google Translate, Viki, fan fiction, and YouTube, explore how translators adapted their craft to make sense of new media.

Project description

This project seeks to examine the ways in which new media from Asia are being translated. The materials assembled by student assistants for this project will be employed in the development of a course syllabus on the translating new media.

Students will also be encouraged to develop projects for presentation at a conference or publication in an undergraduate research journal. Examples of topics to be examined could include subbing communities, machine or visual translation programs, computer assisted translation, audiobook performances of translated literature, web novels, etc.

Prof. Hakala will assist students in requesting sources through UB Libraries, securing funding to visit Asian Studies library collections, and preparing a presentation at a research conference or paper for publication in a journal. Students interested in this project will need to read some introductory works on translation and popular culture in Asia and demonstrate proficiency with bibliography software (e.g., EndNote, Bookends, Zotero) before beginning this project.

Project outcome

Visits to partner institutions
Positions (paid or unpaid) in a global media organization
Conference presentation at an undergraduate research conference (e.g., Pittsburgh-Area Asia Consortium Undergraduate Conference, Rustgi Undergraduate Conference on South Asia, etc.)
Publication of research in an undergraduate research journal
Development of new syllabi on translating new Asian media

Project details

Timing, eligibility and other details
Length of commitment	Depends on student interest
Start time	Anytime
In-person, remote, or hybrid?	Hybrid
Level of collaboration	Depends on student interest
Benefits	Academic credit, Work study
Who is eligible	Must have completed a course with Professor Hakala or in the Asian Studies program

Critical Language and Fulbright Scholarships

Students participating in this project might be interested in and eligible for the Critical Language Scholarship and the Fulbright Scholarship. Connect with the Office of Fellowships and Scholarships to learn more.

Core partners

Jianlai Global, a Hong Kong based translation and publishing company
Harlequin Enterprises Limited, a global leader in women's fiction

Project mentor

Walter Hakala

Associate Professor

Asian Studies and English

315 Clemens Hall

Phone: (716) 645-3419

Email: walterha@buffalo.edu

Start the project

Email the project mentor using the contact information above to express your interest and get approval to work on the project. (Here are helpful tips on how to contact a project mentor.)
After you receive approval from the mentor to start this project, click the button to start the digital badge. (Learn more about ELN's digital badge options.)

Start the Digital Badge

Preparation activities

Once you begin the digital badge series, you will have access to all the necessary activities and instructions. Your mentor has indicated they would like you to also complete the specific preparation activities below. Please reference this when you get to Step 2 of the Preparation Phase.

Meeting with a Subject Librarian, Molly Poremski, to learn about library resources on translating new Asian media
Attend an EndNote workshop

Keywords