Translating and Subtitling Humor Through Theory and Practice

This project assesses translating and subtitling humor in Italian and Spanish language films subtitled into English. Humor in film is problematic to translate when subtitling: visual humor may need no assistance to be delivered to a target audience, but verbal humor requires thorough analysis to be constructed effectively in the target language. To keep humor alive in target language translations, translators must understand the structure and function of humor. This project researches humor theory, translation and subtitling. It analyzes humor function through humor theory and applies this knowledge to translating audiovisual mediums. An understanding of joke structure and humor function can serve as a guide for translators to recognize, devise and evaluate equivalent translations of humor in film.

Working Therapeutically with Interpreters in Mental Health: A Curriculum for Clinicians.

Given the increasing numbers of people who lack proficiency in spoken English, it would not be uncommon for American healthcare practitioners to encounter clients whose primary language is not English. Additionally, for those clinicians who specifically wish to work with immigrants, refugees or asylees, it is likely that their clientele will be comprised of LEP individuals and families. While many professional interpreters have completed formal training and been certified to provide their unique services, mental health clinicians rarely receive such training to help negotiate the complex dynamics inherent in working with LEP populations where the therapeutic relationship is altered with the addition of an interpreter. This training curriculum proposes the detailed, in-depth training for clinicians as recommended by numerous sources in the literature.

Capacity-building through English language training to improve long-term resettlement success: A case study of the refugees along the Thailand-Burma border

Achieving long-term resettlement success is a challenge for many refugees seeking to restart their lives after displacement and being uprooted from their lives. Refugees must deal with finding employment, integrating into a society immensely different from what they have known their whole lives, and starting over from scratch. Learning a new language enables refugees to progress towards integration and long-term resettlement success, however, resettled refugees face a multitude of barriers in the U.S. to accessing language classes and attaining English proficiency. This study seeks to bridge this problem by exploring the possibilities of implementing a standardized language training program in the refugee camps to better prepare refugees for resettlement. A case study of the refugees along the Thai-Burma border demonstrated the significance of learning English in the camps on eventual English proficiency as well as the need for increased partnerships to overcome the barriers of lack of motivation and lack of funding. The author explores the possibilities of implementing a language training program in the camps by determining need, interest, barriers, and perceptions through the use of interviews, surveys, and focus groups of camp refugees, resettled refugees, and key organizational representatives. The significance of these results offers the possibility of leveraging and unlocking resettlement as a durable solution for more of the world's refugees in protracted situations.