Introducing feminist translation to a group of secondary school Millenium fellows taught me that our field offers a powerful combination of subject knowledge, critical reflection, inclusive awareness and collaborative learning that can make a great contribution to widening participation.
Last March I had the pleasure of contributing to the Millennium Fellowship with an “Introduction to Feminist Translation” for Year 12s and Year 13s. This programme is part of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) initiative, which aims to align HE institutions with UN goals, including the promotion and protection of human rights, access to education, sustainability and conflict resolution.
Although the main objective of the admirable UCL Student Fellows was to provide secondary-school participants with a taste of studying language and area studies at university level, I decided that there was no reason why this occasion should be too early for a first encounter with feminist translation. Hence, over a two-hour session I introduced a delightful group of engaged, fun and brilliant 16- and 17- years-olds of different linguistic profiles to key concepts in feminist theory, literary criticism, and feminist translation. I wanted the experience to be as participative, accessible and practical as possible. With this in mind, our exploration of the evolution of feminist thought, discussions of gender, identity, and intersectionality, and debates surrounding women’s writing through the work of theorists such as Toril Moi and Elaine Showalter was punctuated by practical activities, discussions in small groups and mini translation exercises which were really enriching given the variety of linguistic profiles in the group. The final activity involved brainstorming on how translators challenge dominant perspectives through specific linguistic and textual strategies, and based on examples of their own, students were encouraged to reflect critically on the ideological implications of translation choices.
Translation is more than transferring words between languages
Whilst, as part of my UCL role, I’m accustomed to participative discussions, these discussions were particularly loud, lively and engaged throughout – perhaps due to the participants’ younger age. One participant expressed strongly gender-critical views, which at times created some tension within the group; however, I managed this constructively through respectful facilitation. My aim was to allow open dialogue while maintaining an inclusive, safe and supportive learning environment for all students.
In their end-of-session questionnaire, the participants’ responses suggested that they had developed a much broader understanding of translation than simply transferring words between languages. Many recognised that translation involves interpretation, perspective, and decision-making, particularly when dealing with gendered language and culturally specific meanings. Several respondents noted that the choices made by translators can influence how gender, identity, and social values are represented, while others emphasised the role played by culture and societal attitudes in shaping language. These statements indicate that the session successfully conveyed the idea that translation is a socially and culturally situated practice rather than a neutral linguistic exercise.
The case for teaching feminist translation in widening participation programmes
The Introduction to Feminist Translation also appears to have had a positive impact on students’ soft skills, as well as on their awareness and understanding of language study. Responses emphasised that through our discussions and translation exercises participants had developed key transferable skills such as listening, critical thinking, communication, empathy, mediation, intercultural competence, problem-solving and attention to detail. Perhaps more importantly, the feedback indicated that the session had also increased their awareness of inclusion and social justice, and particularly of how language can reinforce or challenge inequality.
For me as a lecturer, this experience has taught me that although my teaching of feminist translation had been limited to university students, it is indeed possible – and furthermore advantageous – to teach it to younger students. Indeed, when taught in an age-appropriate way, this field can allow us to successfully combine subject knowledge, critical reflection, inclusive awareness and collaborative learning in an engaging environment; hence making a very important contribution to widening participation programmes.
Mazal Oaknín, University College London
Image credit: “feminist… presente!” by Liz Henry is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0