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
| Length of commitment | To be determined by student and mentor |
| Start time | Anytime |
| Engagement format | Hybrid |
| Level of collaboration | To be determined by student and mentor |
| Potential benefits | Academic credit and/or work study |
| Who is eligible | Must have completed a course with Professor Hakala or in the Asian Studies program. |
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
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 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. After you’re approved to begin the project, your mentor will send the relevant materials. Please reference this when you get to Step 2 of the Preparation Phase.
- Meeting with a Subject Librarian to write an annotated bibliography or literature review
- Attending workshops and trainings
Keywords
Asian studies, English, language, media, translation