Translation policies in times of a pandemic: An intercity comparison

Bouyzourn, Kadija; Macreadie, Rachel; Zhou, Shuxia; Meylaerts, Reine; Pym, Anthony

Abstract:

Abstract In 2020–22, multilingual vaccination communication became an urgent priority around the world, requiring trusted communication in non-official languages. In Brussels, Melbourne and Shanghai, quite different legal frameworks and language policies were challenged by the need for behavior-change communication in a wide range of culturally and linguistically diverse communities. In all three cases, practices were developed that showed the limitations of existing translation policies. Here we use policy analysis to explore the nature of those challenges, to compare the different solutions found in the three cities, and to propose how policies might be developed and adjusted to enhance time-pressured trust-building communication.

Year:

2023

Type of Publication:

Article

Journal:

Language Problems and Language Planning

Volume:

47

Number:

1

Pages:

72-94

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1075/lplp.22053.bou