
FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Department of English Translation and Interpreting
Our Projects
2012-2014
Project Type: Tübitak 1001-111K344
Project Title:
A Systemic Functional Grammar Model for Explicitation in Interpreting Studies with Respect to Three Parameters: Mode of Interpreting Directionality and Text Type
Within the framework of a learner-based corpus and Halliday’s Systemic Functional Grammar Model, this project accounts for translational behavior of student translators in interpreting studies with respect to explicitation, which is considered to be one of the so-called translation universals. The aim of is project is threefold (i) to test Blum-Kulka’s explicitation hypothesis in terms of English-Turkish language pair (ii) to analyze explicitation with respect to three parameters, namely, modes of interpreting, directionality and text types (iii) to examine the contribution of explicitation phenomena to translation/interpreting education within the framework of a learner-based corpus. The project is based on a learner corpus of 232 recordings generated by 20 undergraduate senior students attending İzmir University of Economics, English Translation and Interpreting program. The corpus material consists of evenly distributed informative texts (6), expressive texts (6), and their sight interpretation, and consecutive and simultaneous interpretation. Our findings based upon the comparison of source texts with the target texts, seem to partly concur with the Blum-Kulka’s explicitation hypothesis. In other words, in contrast to Blum-Kulka’s explicitation hypothesis which postulates an observed explicitness from source language to target language texts regardless of the linguistic and textual differences between the interacting languages, our leaner-based corpus has displayed a parameter-sensitivity in their translational behavior with respect to modes of interpreting, directionality and text types.
Project Coordinator: Assoc. Dr. Neslihan Kansu-Yetkiner
Researchers: Prof. Dr. Lütfiye Oktar, Prof. Dr. Yasemin Yavuz
Project Assistant: Murat Özgen
2013-2015
Project Type: Tübitak 1001-112K388
Project Title:
PLAGIARISM IN TRANSLATION
A new kind of plagiarism has emerged in the literary field in Turkey in the last thirty years: translational plagiarism. In this kind of plagiarism, an older translation of a book is superficially amended and the new text is published under the signature of a new translator.
This new phenomenon, which is seen in retranslations, is getting widespread. The retranslations of classical literary works which are included in school curricula and of other popular works are mushrooming. Therefore, it is essential to take necessary measures to prevent translational plagiarism.
This project will focus on the retranslations of works that are included in the 100 Must-Read Book List declared by the Ministry of Education. The works which appear in the form of retranslations and which are launched in the market by different publishing houses with the signature of different “translators” need to be analyzed to check whether these works contain any element of plagiarism so that a distinction can be made betweeen “a genuine retranslation” and “a fake retranslation and that awareness can be raised on the issue of translational plagiarism both in translation education and in the translation field in general. Three works will be analyzed in depth after being transferred to digital format:
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
Within the framework of this project, a report on plagiarism in translation will be written on the basis of empirical evidence out of the analyses of quantitative and qualitative data on the elements of plagiarism identified in retranslated works. Through documentary research, corpus linguistics, and text linguistics; instances of plagiarism will be detected and various forms of plagiarism will be categorized based on the results of the analyses. The results of the report will be shared with the translation studies and literary circles and with concerned publishing institutions and will be made public. In this way, it is aimed to increase public awareness about plagiarism in translation. It is also the priority of the project to help translators; novice translators in particular, understand the possible threat of this new phenomenon through the analyses of and discussions on the samples of plagiaristic versions of retranslations. Another priority of the project is to ensure that the translations of books offered to students in school are original and high-quality translations by disclosing plagiaristic characteristics of the fake retranslations of the books listed in the 100 Must-Read Books declared by the Ministry of Education of Turkey.
Project Coordinator: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Şahin
Researchers: Asst. Prof. Dr. Derya Duman, Sabri Gürses
Project Assistants: Damla Kaleş, Merve Avşaroğlu
2015-2017
Project Type: Tübitak 1001-114K718
Project Title:
INTERPRETING AND TEACHING INTERPRETING IN VIRTUAL WORLDS
The most important feature of virtual worlds is the fact that they present quasi-authentic environments with the help of recent developments in audio and video features. In this respect, virtual worlds can be embedded in the practice and teaching of interpreting as an ideal complement since interpreting can be excelled with the help of more practice along with the theory.
Interpreting courses are given mostly by the professionals who actually work in or are retired from the field of interpreting and the busy schedule of professionals can sometimes affect the sustainability of interpreting courses in a negative way. Interpreting practice is usually limited to laboratory context and students can study only during the course hours. It is a fact that learning and studying habits of the students are changing. However, in spite of the flexibility provided by the technological developments, students with different learning styles and rates are exposed to the same curriculum and methods. Diversity of materials and contexts is of vital importance for interpreting students in their post-graduate lives but this diversity cannot always be provided for within the current interpreter training programs. The fact that interpreters usually have to travel around and that physical conditions in the conference rooms can sometimes be inconvenient can affect interpreters’ performance in a negative way. This also creates a huge constraint for interpreters with physical disabilities or for people with physical disabilities who wish to be interpreters.
Productivity in interpreting and interpreter training can be enhanced with the use of virtual worlds. Through blending formal and distance education, the aforesaid constraints can be overcome. Learning management tools such as Sloodle can be used to ensure effective course management. With constructivist approach, support tools can be presented to students for the aspects to be improved. Students can either assess themselves or their peers, as well as receive oral and visual feedback from the instructor. Students’ motivation can be increased with the use of such technologies since students adopt new technologies quickly.
The main objectives of the project are, through an interdisciplinary approach with contributions from translation and interpreting studies, education, and computer sciences, to explore the effectiveness of the use of virtual worlds in interpreting and teaching interpreting, to receive feedback from students, instructors and interpreters about this new learning and working environment, and to contribute to the field of translation and interpreting studies by investigating positive and negative aspects of using such an environment for interpreting. In this respect, a new learning and working environment will be created in Second Life (SL), which is a 3-D virtual world. All the contents in SL are created by its users and the program works online. Each user is represented by at least one avatar and users interact with each other and other objects in SL via their avatars. Visual aspects of the program are very important and written and oral communication is possible. Communication can be either private or public. It is possible to witness multilingual interaction in SL since there are users from all over the world. One can also attend conferences or seminars organized in SL, or take courses taught in SL, which all shows the important role and potential of this innovative environment.
The participants will include 3rd and 4th year English Translation and Interpreting students at a foundation university and at a public university, instructors of interpreting courses at those universities, and interpreting professionals who are actively working in the field or already retired. The researchers will collect data by conducting fieldwork through participant observation, as well as through surveys and interviews. Experiment and control groups will be formed out of each student group. The activities conducted in the virtual world by students and instructors will be recorded and interpreting performance and interactions in this environment will be analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. The results of the study are expected to contribute to the field on interpreting and teaching interpreting both on a theoretical level and practical level. It will be possible to implement the core of the project for language pairs other than English-Turkish and the project has a potential to stand as an exemplary for other fields especially such as foreign language learning, design, fashion, medicine and architecture.
Project Coordinator: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Şahin
Researchers: Asst. Prof. Dr Şeyda Eraslan, Asst. Prof. Dr. Gazihan Alankuş
Project Assistants: Damla Kaleş, Özge Altıntaş, Yasin Sinan Kayacan, Mert Künan, Yiğit Can Parıltı
2015-2017
Project Type: Tübitak 1001-115K145
Project Title:
Translation through an Ecocritical Lens: A Descriptive Diachronic Approach to “Environmental Literacy” through (Re)translations in Children’s Literature
Considering the limited number of approaches that integrate translated children’s literature with environmentally-oriented comparative studies in a cross-cultural perspective, this study has been designed to analyze environmental literacy transfer and the related translational behaviors in the retranslations of children’s books through textual and paratextual analyses within the framework of diachronic Descriptive Translation Studies. In order to test environmental literacy transfer by means of measurable and detectible parameters, the definitions and classifications in the literature were scanned and Roth’s (1992) framework for environmental literacy was adapted and modified to develop an instrument for this project (ELITT: Environmental Literacy Instrument for Translated Texts). Within the scope of the project, 10 books in English Children’s Literature and a total number of 104 retranslations into Turkish published between the years 1929 (after script reform) and 2013 have been analyzed. In other words, a descriptive diachronic approach having been adopted, within the framework of ELITT and by means of a research design based on three variables (equivalence, process, translator), the project has been mainly aimed at determining and classifying the levels of environmental literacy (nominal and contextual environmental literacy) in translated children’s literature from English into Turkish by comparing source texts and target texts, identifying translational methods and detecting via measurable parameters whether interlingual/intercultural transfer of environmental literacy is achieved or not
Project Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Neslihan Kansu-Yetkiner
Researchers: Asst. Prof. Dr. Derya Duman, Prof. Dr. Yasemin Yavuz
Project Assistants: Merve Avşaroğlu, Elifnur Uysal ve Osman Tufan
COMPUTER-AIDED TRANSLATION
TÜBİTAK 5000 ACADEMIC E-BOOK PROJECT
Project Coordinator: Assoc. Dr. Mehmet Şahin
Project will focus on technology which is an emerging topic in Translation Studies and affects the translation practice, translation teaching and translation researches. Like all the disciplines, new technologies and tools in translation studies have changed the existing practices of translation, created new demands in the field, and had a huge impact on the translator profile. Number of the courses on technology has been increasing or the new technology courses are being added into curriculum of the departments. There is a limited number of articles and, as far as is known, only one book on the relation between technology and translation in Turkish. Technology is a subject that requires a learning environment with a very high level of interaction. Therefore, an electronically created and visually enriched material will be utilized as the primary source in related courses. Electronic books supported by audio-visual elements will allow for the students to practice by using available online resources and downloading trial version of the tools introduced in the electronic books. The exercises at the end of each chapter prepared in electronic environment will reinforce their theoretical knowledge. In this sense, this e-book will be a tool for the students in terms of the theory and practice in computer-aided translation to raise them as more qualified translators.
NEWS |ALL NEWS

‘Modernist novel’ project receives TUBITAK support
The research project of Prof. Neslihan Kansu Yetkiner, Head of Department of English Translation and Interpreting, Izmir University of Economics (IUE), and

‘Modernist novel’ project receives TUBITAK support
The research project of Prof. Neslihan Kansu Yetkiner, Head of Department of English Translation and Interpretation, Izmir University of Economics (IUE), and

Becoming global citizens with multilingualism
Department of English Translation and Interpreting, Faculty of Arts and Science, Izmir University of Economics (IUE), teaches its students 3 foreign languages

Team of volunteer translators step in
A volunteer team was created at Izmir University of Economics (IUE) to translate medical texts on coronavirus in foreign language into Turkish

Tawada reads “Memoirs of A Polar Bear”
English Translation and Interpreting Department, Faculty of Arts and Sciences hosted the Japanese originated German writer Yoko Tawada at IUE Conference Hall. Award-winning

“Dynamics of Publishing Market” Seminar at IUE English Translation and Interpreting Department
English Translation and Interpreting Department, Faculty of Arts and Sciences held a seminar on dynamics of publishing market in November, within the

Haydar Ergülen's poems in English
Poems of Haydar Ergülen, a prominent name in contemporary Turkish poetry, were collected in the book “Pomegranate Garden” in English. Edited by

INTERNATIONAL TRANSLATION DAY EVENT UNDER THE THEME OF SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETING
“September 30th International Translation Day” was celebrated with an event organized by English Translation and Interpreting Department of Izmir University of Economics. The

Success story of IUE English Translation and Interpreting graduate
Yonca Kandemir, who graduated from Department of English Translation and Interpreting, Izmir University of Economics (IUE) with high honors this year, qualified

Izmir University of Economics English Translation and Interpreting rank first among 23 universities
Barış Sadıç, senior from Izmir University of Economics Department of English Translation and Interpreting, who came in first place at the “Young

‘TRANSLATION’ SUCCESS OF IUE STUDENT
The “2019 Young Translators Competition”, held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate for EU Affairs, took place in Istanbul. 92 students

IUE English Translation and Interpreting Students Discussing Translation Market Dynamics
English Translation and Interpreting Department, Faculty of Arts and Sciences held a seminar on translation market in May. In his speech titled

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETING’S TRANSLATION WORKSHOP ATTRACTS GREAT INTEREST
Izmir University of Economics Department of English Translation and Interpreting has hosted the last translation workshop of the spring semester. Four different schools

HISTORY OF TRANSLATION POSTER EXHIBITION BY IUE ENGLISH TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETING STUDENTS
Senior students of the Department of English Translation and Interpreting have held a poster exhibition titled “Intralingual and Intersemiotic Translation” as a

Seminar on the Use of Diplomatic Language by Assoc. Prof. Nihal YETKİN KARAKOÇ
Assoc. Prof. Nihal YETKİN KARAKOÇ from IUE Department of English Translation and Interpreting gave a seminar on Diplomatic Correspondence upon the invitation

The audio description seminar of department of translation and interpreting
At the seminar titled “Audio Description as a Type of Translation and SEBEDER*” hosted by IUE Department of English Translation and Interpreting

PANEL FOR ERGONOMICS OF TRANSLATION
The Panel for Ergonomics of Translation hosted by İzmir University of Economics English Translation and Interpreting Department provided an insight to the

IUE STUDENTS DISCUSSING “QUALITY IN TRANSLATION” WITH ÜMİT ÖZAYDIN
The seminar given by Ümit Özaydın (General Manager of Dragoman Translation) within the framework of the seminars offered by the Department of

INTERNATIONAL TRANSLATION DAY EVENT
“September 30th International Translation Day” was celebrated with an event organized by English Translation and Interpreting Department of Izmir University of Economics.

‘TRANSLATION’ SUCCESS OF IUE STUDENT
Entrepreneurial students of Izmir University of Economics (IUE), where the medium of instruction is English, proved their success in translation and interpreting.

MULTI-FACETED TRANSLATORS OF THE REPUBLICAN ERA
Senior students of Department of English Translation and Interpreting, Faculty of Arts and Science, Izmir University of Economics (IUE) studied the multi-faceted

E-BOOK TO BRING INNOVATION TO THE WORLD OF TRANSLATION
Mehmet Şahin, associate professor of English Translation and Interpreting at Izmir University of Economics (IUE), is preparing an e-book full of animations, visuals,

IZMIR UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS’ ‘TRANSLATION’ SUCCESS!
Entrepreneurial students of Izmir University of Economics (IUE), where the medium of instruction is English, proved that they have a say in

A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSCIOUSNESS
The fact that use of words related to environment, nature, and plants was minimized when being translated into Turkish in classics of

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE IN TRANSLATION
Department of English Translation and Interpreting, Izmir University of Economics (IUE) hosted a panel titled, “An Ecocritical Approach to Children's Literature and

GEN-Y STORIES
Generation Y transferred their imagination to paper, their stories became a book. 16 students, led by Asst. Prof. Dr. Derya Duman, Lecturer,

ENVIRONMENT IGNORED BY TRANSLATION!
It has been reported that environmental consciousness has been ignored in translation of children's literature. Experts, who reviewed children's literature books translated

Izmir University of Economics- Faculty of Arts and Science, Department of English Translation and Interpreting continues to bring high school students together at translation workshops, as part of the activities they organize each year.
Izmir University of Economics- Faculty of Arts and Science, Department of English Translation and Interpreting continues to bring high school students together

IUE Department of English Translation And Interpreting adds a new dimension to interpreting with 3D virtual worlds
The idea announced in the 8th international Language, Literature and Stylistic Symposium organized by İzmir University of Economics in 2008 is now

IUE STUDENTS’ SUCCESS IN TRANSLATION
Ahmedşah Bilgi, senior from IUE Department of English Translation and Interpreting who came in first place, and Yasemin Memiş and Mustafa Serhat

DIRECTOR OF TRANSLATION COORDINATION OF MINISTRY OF EU AFFAIRS WAS IN IUE
The invited speaker as part of Applied Workshop offered by Department of English Translation and Interpreting at IUE was Dr. İlksen Hilal

IUE Students Wait for Young Translators Contest Results
Young Translators Contest, which is organized annually by the Ministry for EU Affairs was held on January 16th, 2016. This year, senior students

INTERPRETING IN VIRTUAL WORLDS
Interpreting will be experienced in 3D virtual environment by Department of English Translation and Interpreting at Izmir University of Economics. Given voice at

Izmir University of Economics- Faculty of Arts and Science, Department of English Translation and Interpretation continues to bring high school students together at translation workshops, as part of the activities they organize each year.
Izmir University of Economics- Faculty of Arts and Science, Department of English Translation and Interpreting continues to bring high school students together

TRANSLATION AND TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATED’
Izmir University of Economics (IUE), Department of English Translation and Interpreting, celebrated September 30th International Translation Day and the 10th Anniversary of

ENGLISH TRANSLATION AD INTERPRETING DOUBLE MAJOR STUDENT HAS BEEN ACCEPTED BY THE SUMMER ACADEMY IN GREECE
Hüseyin Kuru, a 3rd-year student at the Department of English Translation and Interpreting who is also a double-major student at the Department

URAP REPORT SHOWS THAT IZMIR UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS IS THE BEST UNIVERSITY IN TURKEY IN THE CATEGORY OF “LANGUAGE, COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE”
According to the 2014 data published by URAP (University Ranking by Academic Performance), an establishment within the Institute of Informatics at Middle

Young Translators Contribute to University Events
Seda Topuz, a senior year student at English Translation and Interpreting Department, gave support to interpreting in Access Interiors” event organized by

THE AUTHOR, TRANSLATOR, AND THE PUBLISHER ALL TOGETHER
The author, the translator, and the publisher all came together and chatted about world of literature with students at the event organized

English Translation and Interpreting Student Gets Scholarship from DAAD
Emine Aydınoğlu, the 3rd year student in the Department of English Translation and Interpreting, got a scholarship from DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austausch

IZMIR UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS LEADS THE WAY IN TRANSLATION AS WELL
Students of IUE Department of English Translation and Interpretinghelps the future translators with their occupational development by bringing the Trados Translation Memory

SIGN LANGUAGE OVERCOMES OBSTACLES
Signs turn into words with their body language. Sign Language Interpreters Volkan Yılmaz and Emel Aksoy of Provincial Directorate of Family and

TRANSLATION WORKSHOPS IN IUE
Izmir University of Economics- Department of English Translation and Interpreting has begun its annual translation workshops that consists of professional orientation and

‘INTERCULTURAL HEROES, TRANSLATORS’
Izmir University of Economics, Department of English Translation and Interpreting organized a “September 30th International Translation Day” event at the IUE Conference

IUE ATTRACTS ATTENTIONS WITH ITS GRADUATES
Izmir University of Economics (IUE) is drawing attention with its qualified graduates in business world. Nazlıgül Bozok, who graduated from IUE Department

TUBITAK PROJECT ON PLAGIARISM IN TRANSLATION
Plagiarism in Translation, which has recently become popular and a current issue in Turkey, is a subject of a research project supported

KEŞANLI ALİ'S EPIC ASSIGNMENT FOR ENGLISH TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETING STUDENTS
The famous theatre play “Kesanlı Ali’s Epic”, which is being broadcasted on TV and performed on stage lately, was revived at Izmir

GOT A JOB OFFER ON HER GRADUATION DAY
Like the previous year, a student from the English Translation and Interpreting Department, Merve Avşaroğlu ranked first in class among all graduates

YOUNG TRANSLATOR REPRESENTING TURKEY
Merve Avşaroğlu, a senior student in the Department of English Translation and Interpreting at Izmir University of Economics, was awarded second place

A FIRST TIME PROJECT IN TURKEY RECEIVED THE SUPPORT OF TUBITAK
Izmir University of Economics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of English Translation and Interpreting received the support of TUBITAK for an interpreting