We see the impact of our research as a two-way relationship between academic researchers and non-academic groups and communities, that collaboratively identifies questions and provides new data.
Our findings are communicated to those involved and other beneficiaries, and our research has proven benefits for:
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Professionals (interpreters, lawyers, police, teachers)
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Communities facing particular intercultural challenges (immigrants to Norfolk)
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The general public (local children, visitors to special events).
Working closely with American Studies staff and students, our research has demonstrated impact on civil society, cultural heritage, intercultural communication, legal contexts and public discourse. Examples of the impact of our research include:
- Improved cross-cultural and translation-assisted communication in the Norfolk Constabulary, enabling changed policy and practice for translation in interpreting services within law enforcement and police interviewing practices. This work was formally endorsed by the National Policing Improvement Agency.
- Increased understanding of the linguistic and cultural assimilation challenges faced by migrant players and staff at Norwich City Football Club, and the promotion of additional translation of social media output and inter-lingual media work with migrant players.
- Internationally our research is informing understanding of the impact of Holocaust Memory on national identities.
Beyond this, our continued organising and hosting of major international conferences with an impact agenda at UEA, such as our continuing Cross-Cultural Pragmatics conference series, sets our research in fertile international networks of influence, debate and action projects.
Our research into translation technologies and translation quality is circulating nationally and internationally, through specialist panels and training workshops e.g. our 2013 workshop on Bridging the Academic-Industry Divide on Translation Quality.
Watch speakers from the event:
Research on Intercultural Competence in Healthcare Communication in collaboration with the UEA Medical School is informing improved communication for health professionals and shaping the development of an empathy-specific entry test for applicants to medical schools.
Our research has heightened awareness of the importance of understanding global cultural contexts and culturally different attitudes in key community organisations, and among the wider public. It has supported Norfolk Constabulary to change policy and practice for translation in interpreting services within law enforcement and police interviewing practices. It has built with Norwich City Football Club an increased understanding of linguistic and cultural assimilation issues faced by migrant players and staff coming to work in the English game, and promoted additional translation of social media output and inter lingual media work with migrant players. It has fertilised new Council plans for Norwich participation in the EC Intercultural Cities programme.
Our researchers participated actively in Black History Month events, with their research bringing into wide circulation important insights into ways black history is integral to local and national history and identity. Key public research-based initiatives include the Norwich – City of Interculture initiative where 50 research-led events for local benefactors enriched intercultural understanding and communication with the local community.
Intercultural Communication: Changing practice, perceptions, and values
This case study illustrates our investment in stimulating links between research and impact in the field. Undertaken in close collaboration with its beneficiaries, this research enables active improvement of intercultural communication for a wide range of beneficiaries in Norwich, Norfolk and the East of England, changing practice, perceptions and values around issues of intercultural understanding.
Beneficiaries from public dissemination of our research findings are local government (Norwich City Council), businesses (Norwich City Football Club), service providers in sensitive domains (Norfolk Constabulary - law enforcement agencies, legal interpreters), and the general public (Norwich City of Interculture).
The research has had an impact on practice and policy, as well as on public attitudes and cultural assumptions by enhancing understanding of global cultural contexts.
The research involved appeared in a range of publications, including:
Baines, Roger (2011) ‘The journalist, the translator, the player and his agent: games of (mis)representation and (mis)translation in British media reports about non-anglophone football players', in Maher, B., and Wilson, R., (Eds.) Words, Images and Performances in Translation (London and New York: Continuum), 100-111
Baines, Roger (2013) ‘Translation, globalization, and the elite migrant athlete' in The Translator (19: 2), 207-28
de Pablos-Ortega, Carlos (2010). Attitudes of English native speakers towards thanking in Spanish. Pragmatics. 20(2): 149-179
Filipović, Luna. (2013) The role of language in legal contexts: A forensic cross- linguistic viewpoint. In Freeman, M. and F. Smith (Eds.) Law and Language: Current Legal Issues (15) 328-343, Oxford: OUP. 4)
Guillot, Marie-Noelle (2009). Interruption in advanced learner French: issues of Pragmatic discrimination. Languages in Contrast 9(1): 98-123.