Sari Kokkola

multimodal translation, research methods in translation studies, philosophy, philosophy of science, study of experience, phenomenology

My background as a researcher is in translation studies. My research interests lie in multidisciplinary perspectives on translation studies, in particular at the intersection of translation studies, philosophy, film studies and multimodal studies.

I was one of the founding members of the research group MULTI (Multimodality in Translation and Interpreting) at the Tampere University at the time when translation studies as a discipline was still largely dominated by the idea of translation as a predominantly verbal activity. The MULTI group set out to transform this view by producing research that increases awareness of and more fully considers the role of modes other than the verbal (for example, the audio and the visual) in translation. 

Today, the significance of modes other than the verbal in translation is being increasingly acknowledged in translation studies. My current work is basic research that moves beyond mere acknowledgement of the significance of multiple, co-existing modes in translation. I examine the underlying foundations of the concept of multimodal translation from the perspective of ontology, focusing in particular on how the modes of multimodal wholes stand in relation to each other. In addition to ontological questions about the nature of the relationship between the modes of multimodal wholes, I am interested in examining epistemological perspectives on how our existing methods to address multimodal translation consider the nature of the relationship between the modes. The long-term objective of this work is to provide insights that potentially inform theoretical and methodological development within translation studies.

In addition, through my professional role as a translator and language editor at the Language Centre of the University of Lapland, I have developed a new research interest in the role of translation and language editing in academic text production. So far, I have approached this theme from a text-ethnographic perspective, which addresses text producers’ discussions about texts. More specifically, I have studied the collaboration between the language editor and the scholar in authoring English-medium research articles. In the future, I am planning to examine further aspects of the role of translation and language editing in the research process, including from perspectives of multimodal communication and research ethics. The general objective of this work is to increase awareness of the significance of translation and language editing in academic text production.

translation pedagogy, collaborative and reflective learning methods, phenomenologically informed pedagogy, (self-)reflexive critical thinking, empowering students

My philosophy and views of teaching and learning are based on non-transmissionist epistemology. I am interested in collaborative, reflective learning methods in higher education contexts, particularly in the context of translator training. Translation is quintessentially characterized by indeterminacy: It is a complex process in which there are no clear answers, or “one right approach”, but rather, the translator must be able to deliberate among competing solutions to translation problems. Therefore, students of translation need to develop their cognitive flexibility, independent and critical thinking, and creative problem-solving skills in order to be able to act upon real-life translation problems. The ultimate aim of reflective, collaborative learning methods is empowerment: Engaging in reflective – and self-reflexive – practices led by a teacher-facilitator constitutes a means of helping students towards greater self-understanding and ongoing professional growth.