Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Ankara Sosyal Bilimler Üniversitesi Uluslararası Dil Çalışmalarında Yeni Yönelimler Sempozyumu, Ankara, Türkiye, 28 - 29 Nisan 2023, ss.0-1
Teenagers as ‘growing children’ at the ages of 13 to 18 have long been the focus of various interdisciplinary fields, from sociology to translation studies (TS), due to the very fact that childhood stands for the period when the future of humankind is shaped. It is well-observed that ‘translating for children’ has been investigated in TS; however, ‘children that translate’ has not received much attention so far. The subject matter of this study is the teenagers in search of standing in the shoes of translators as a consequence of their interest in translation, and their quest for an area provided for them to realise their abilities and deficiencies in case they end up in the translation profession when they grow up. It is highly significant for teenagers to be heard and accepted as individuals so that they may build self-confidence and find their true intentions for the future. Within this scope, Mudita stands as an example project where teenagers make translations of literary texts written by other children. Directing attention to the idea that translation profession may take roots in childhood as long as teenagers are led in accordance with their interests in translation, this study focuses on the case of Mudita, which is the first children’s magazine where only children write, draw, edit, and translate for other children upon attending certain workshops introducing the relevant and necessary steps to them. A descriptive analysis of the news aired in the media in respect of Mudita was carried out in the first place in order to figure out why and how teenagers are given the opportunity to translate. Subsequently, a content analysis was conducted on the 3rd issue of the relevant magazine to reveal the characteristics of teenage translators and their translations. As a result of the study, it was found that Mudita, as a child-centred project, has given teenagers the opportunity to gain experience in translation and find out their interests in TS. However, it was also concluded in the study that a deeper analysis of more content and data collection from teenagers is needed to uncover what further consequences may appear in respect of the teenagers being given the opportunity to translate.