Communication, Interpreting and Language in Wartime

This edited book provides a multi-disciplinary approach to the topics of translation and cross-cultural communication in times of war and conflict. It examines the historical and contemporary experiences of interpreters in war and in war crimes trials, as well as considering policy issues in communication difficulties in war-related contexts. The range of perspectives incorporated in this volume will appeal to scholars, practitioners and policy-makers, particularly in the fields of translating and interpreting, conflict and war studies, and military history.

Juxtaposes historical and contemporary perspectives on themes such as intercultural communication, translating and interpreting in difficult circumstances Explores the challenges that languages pose for effective communication in a military context, and the consequences for the military and for civilian society Includes first-hand experiences of military language teaching, interpreting at a war crimes trial and of being a frontline interpreter in Iraq

Autorentext

Amanda Laugesen is Director of the Australian National Dictionary Centre at the Australian National University. She is the author of a number of books, including Furphies and Whizz-bangs: Anzac Slang from the Great War (2015) and Taking Books to the World: American Publishers and the Cultural Cold War (2017).

Richard Gehrmann is Senior Lecturer in International Studies at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. He has published on war and society and (with Jessica Gildersleeve) is co-editor of the book Memory and the Wars on Terror: Australian and British Perspectives (2017).

Klappentext
"In the age of information warfare, Ludendorff's assertion, 'The right words, battles won; the wrong words, battle lost', was never truer. This important collection restores interpreters, translators and language specialists to the heart of the action where, searching for the right words to mediate conflict or manage hostilities, they have long stood but rarely received the recognition they deserve."-- Kevin Foster, Head, School of Languages, Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics, Monash University, Australia. This edited book provides a multi-disciplinary approach to the topics of translation and cross-cultural communication in times of war and conflict. It examines the historical and contemporary experiences of interpreters in war and in war crimes trials, as well as considering policy issues in communication difficulties in war-related contexts. The range of perspectives incorporated in this volume will appeal to scholars, practitioners and policy-makers,particularly in the fields of translating and interpreting, conflict and war studies, and military history.

Amanda Laugesen is Director of the Australian National Dictionary Centre at the Australian National University. She is the author of a number of books, including Furphies and Whizz-bangs: Anzac Slang from the Great War (2015) and Taking Books to the World: American Publishers and the Cultural Cold War (2017). Richard Gehrmann is Senior Lecturer in International Studies at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. He has published on war and society and (with Jessica Gildersleeve) is co-editor of the book Memory and the Wars on Terror: Australian and British Perspectives (2017).

Inhalt

1. Introduction: Understanding Communication, Translation, and Language in Wartime (Amanda Laugesen and Richard Gehrmann).- Part 1: Experiences of Cross-Cultural Communication in Wartime.- 2. Cross-Cultural Communication and the Experiences of Australian Soldiers During the First World War (Amanda Laugesen).- 3. Unfamiliar Allies: Australian Cross-Cultural Communication in Afghanistan and Iraq During the War on Terror (Richard Gehrmann).- Part 2: Strategies of Communication and Language Teaching.- 4. The Implications of War for the Teaching of Japanese Language in Australian Universities, 1917-1945 (Jennifer Joan Baldwin).- 5. The Effectiveness of Intensive Courses in Teaching War Zone Languages (Yavar Dehghani).- 6. The Challenge of Strategic Communication in Multinational Military Operations: Approaches by the USA and Germany in the ISAF (Jasmin Gabel).- Part 3: Experiences of Interpreters in Wartime and After.- 7. 'Rediscovering Homeland': Russian Interpreters in the Wehrmacht, 1941-1943 (Oleg Beyda).- 8. Interpreters at Australia's War-Crimes Trials, 1945-51: From 'Ready-Mades' to 'Happenchancers' (Georgina Fitzpatrick).- 9. Interpreting the 'Language of War' During War-Crimes Trials (Ludmila Stern).- 10. Working with Australia Defence Force Interpreters in Timor 1999 and Aceh 2005: Reflections Drawn from Personal Experience (Matt Grant).- 11. Risk Perception and its Management: Lessons from Iraqi Linguistic Mediators for the Australian Defence Force in the Iraq War (2003-2009) (Ali Jabbar Albakaa).- 12. Conclusion: Cross-Cultural Communication and Language in Wartime: Reflections and Future Directions (Richard Gehrmann and Amanda Laugesen).