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Staff Profile

Dr JC Penet

Senior Lecturer in Translation Studies

Background

I am a Senior Lecturer in Translation Studies and the Director of the BA Modern Languages, Translation and Interpreting (aka "DPD R9Q9" in the university's lingo).


Since I joined Newcastle University in 2010, I have designed, developed and managed a number of new Translation Studies modules for our specialised translation programmes (BA and MA):

  • Translation Theory and Practice 1 (BA)
  • Translation Theory and Practice 2 (BA)
  • Translation Theory and Practice 3: Professional Issues (BA)
  • Translating for a Big Institution: The EU - A Case Study (MA)
  • Translator Entrepreneur (MA)


Nationally, I founded  APTIS (Association of Programmes in Translation and Interpreting Studies, UK and Ireland) with Dr Olga Castro (Warwick) in 2016-17. Following our inaugural AGM, I became the Association's first President in September 2017 and remained in this post until November 2021. I am a Member of European Society of Translation Studies and CTER (Consortium for Translation Education Research).


I am an External Examiner for UG and PG programmes in Translation Studies at Leeds University (2019-23), The Open University (2020-24) and Swansea University (2021-25).


I am a recipient of the Vice-Chancellor's Education Excellence Award (2016) and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA).


Recent CPD:

  • PG Certificate in Coaching (Warwick, graduation in 2023)
  • Enhancing Programme Leadership (Advance HE, 2021)
  • Effective Online Course Design (University of Oxford, 2020)
  • International Summer School in Translation Technology (University of Leuven, 2018)




Research

My research explores recent developments in the language service industry and their impact on the translation profession(s). More specifically, I research the impact of what can be called the 'technological turn' - with the relentless automation of the industry in the last 25 years - on the industry's production models (e.g. outsourcing) and the nature of the job of professional translators (e.g. PEMT). How do these developments influence the way translators perceive the sustainability of their profession? What is their impact on the financial, physical and psychological wellbeing of professional translators? Beyond professional translators, how do these changes affect the rest of the language industry and wider society as large?

Another question my research seeks to answer is the impact these changes have on the way we understand and deliver translator training. How can we better help trainee translators to thrive in this complex and fast-changing industry? To that affect, I also investigate the way(s) in which Trait Emotional Intelligence theory - and what we know about the role of emotions in professional translating - can be applied to translator training to help students develop the adaptive expertise they will need to thrive in the language industry. 


Current research projects:

  • "Chasing Status: The Sustainability of the Freelance Translation Profession in the United Kingdom" - Co-Investigator with Dr Callum Walker (Leeds, Principal Investigator) and Dr Joseph Lambert (Cardiff, Co-Investigator). British Academy Small Research Grant awarded in March 2023 (£9,060).


  • "Let's talk about emotions: Exploring the role of Trait EI in translator training" Phase 2 (2022-2023) co-led with Dr Maria Fernadez-Parra (Swansea University). 
  1. The first phase of this project (2021-2022) won the APTIS Award for Great Pedagogical Practice 2022 (November 2022, Leeds University).
  2. As part of this research project, I am currently training to qualified as a coach (PG Certificate in Coaching, Warwick University).


Current book project:

I am currently working on a book for Routledge "Working as a Professional Translator" (forthcoming, 2023). This book will be part of the "Routledge Introductions to Translation and Interpreting" series edited by Pr. Sergey Tyulenev (Durham University)


Other research collaboration:

I am an Associate Partner of the research project EFFORT ("Towards a European Framework of Reference for Translation"; Funded by Erasmus : 2020-23): effortproject.eu.

Lead institution: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.


I am a partner of CATO ("Competence Awareness in TranslatiOn"; 2018-date) - Pan-European project surveying MA Translation students' self-awareness of competences they are developing on their course (based on EMT Competence Framework). Lead institution: Université de Paris, France.


Past funded projects:

  • Translation Networks (2014-18)
  • NU InterComs - Intercultural Competence for University Students (2016-19)


I regularly host webinars on translator education for the Association of Programmes in Translation and Interpreting Studies Studies (APTIS).

Teaching

I teach at both UG and PG level. I teach the main theories of translation, professional and socio-cultural aspects of translation as well as institutional translation. I also teach more practical (workflow-related) aspects of translation such as CAT tools, project management, terminology management and quality control.


Current Teaching:

BA Modern Languages, Translation and Interpreting:

  • TRI1002: Translation Theory & Practice 1 (Module Leader)
  • TRI2002: Translation Theory & Practice 2 
  • TRI4002: Translation Theory & Practice 3 (Module Leader)

MA Translation & MA Professional Translation for European Languages:

  • SML8023: The Language Industry (Module Leader)
  • SML8024: Translator Entrepreneur (Module Leader)
  • SML8025: Translating for a Big Institution: The EU - A Case Study (Module Leader)


I regularly supervise BA (final-year) and MA dissertations in the field of Translation Studies. More specifically, I welcome dissertation projects on the following topics:

  • Translation and/in Industry e.g. Translation in the age of language technology/automation; Translation Quality Assurance [especially the gap between academia and the industry]; Collaborative translation and crowdsourced translation; Institutional translation; User-centred approaches to translating; Video-game translation/localisation; New trends emerging in language industry etc.
  • Translator skills/competences e.g. Role of (inter)cultural competence in translator competence; role of emotions in translator competence [psychological dimensions] etc.
  • Translators and/in society e.g. Translators' (professional) sub-cultures and identities; Translation and (self-)censorship; Translation as a form of cultural appropriation? etc.
Publications