Hunter College's 4th Annual Language Works Conference: Translation, Interpreting, and Immigration

Immigration affairs in recent years have highlighted the importance of language resources and access, greatly impacting the translation and interpretation (TI) and the sectors that it serves ranging from legal to educational. In this day and age, technology transforms the way language services are produced, distributed, and consumed. The explosion of AI and Big Tech amid the current surge of immigration raises important questions about the nature of language and translation work with evolving implications on linguistic equity and language access issues in the Global North. 

At Hunter College’s 4th Annual Language Works Conference, we invite scholars and practitioners to share their insights and/or research findings touching on the theme from various points of inquiry, including, but not limited to:  

• What concepts and approaches in translation/interpreting and what modalities of delivery are emergent, changing, or diminishing in this 3rd decade of the new millennium?
• How has immigration boosted/undermined or otherwise impacted the role of the languaging professional?
• To what extent are higher education programs (degree as well as professional training) (mis)aligned with the translator/interpreter’s prospect/outlook/success in terms of (im)migration affairs?
• What are the ethical implications of the technological gap in (im)migration service in terms of translation and interpreting in new technological environments
• What social and humanitarian dimensions need to be addressed in terms of equity and language access in (im)migration affairs?   

Call for Submissions

We welcome submissions as conception papers or ongoing/recent research or field experience reports with focus on the intersection of multilingualism, translation, interpreting, and immigration; we look forward to stimulating conversations in all and interdisciplinary dimensions – professional, educational, technological, and sociocultural. 

To submit an abstract, please complete this abstract submission form: Provide your presentation title and a 200-250 word description of your proposed presentation. 

Deadline: April 1, 2024. Notification of acceptance will be sent out by April 8, 2024.

We look forward to receiving your submissions!

Event Format

This event will take place in person at the Silberman Campus Auditorium in New York City, as well as via Zoom. This event will be conducted in English. Individual presentations should be 20 minutes and panel presentations 40 minutes (maximum five panelists each, including the moderator).