A professor in the Program in Translation & Interpreting Studies (TIS) has developed a new course that aims to help students critically engage with translation across various media and contexts.
During her first year with the program, Ozum Arzik Erzurumlu designed TRST 422: Translation and Culture – Intercultural Encounters Across Media. It was approved by the Office of the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and is being offered starting this fall.
Can you describe your work within the school?
I’m currently a faculty member in TIS. Last spring, I began teaching Turkish courses and found it to be an immensely rewarding experience.
Beyond my teaching, I actively engage in public scholarship within the university. I have an upcoming talk for the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies titled "Translating the United States for the Turkish Audience: Presidential Discourses, Award Ceremonies, and Wars" scheduled for Nov. 21, 2025.
I am also involved in a collaboration between Second Language Acquisition & Teacher Education, the Department of Linguistics, and TIS. Together, we are working with the Illinois State Board of Education to develop an online training program for interpreters involved in Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings in Illinois schools. This initiative addresses a critical gap by equipping Illinois teachers to serve as qualified interpreters during these meetings.
Why did you develop this new course? What can students expect from it?
I developed TRST 422 to address a growing need for students to critically engage with the cultural dimensions of translation in an increasingly globalized and media-saturated world. While traditional translation courses often emphasize linguistic accuracy and technical skills, this course foregrounds the social, political, and ethical implications of translation across various media and contexts.
TRST 422 introduces students to the role of intercultural competence in translation. Grounded in the premise that translation is a ubiquitous feature of contemporary life—from smartphones and streaming platforms to museums and political rhetoric—it examines how translation shapes cultural representation, facilitates cross-cultural understanding, and mediates global communication.
The course is open to all students and fulfills requirements for the Undergraduate Certificate in TIS, the graduate minor in TIS, the MA in Translation Studies, and the Certificate in Intercultural Competence. It's being offered in hybrid format to support flexible participation.
What impact do you hope to have on your students and the TIS program?
Through this course, I hope to equip students with the critical tools and cultural awareness necessary to navigate the increasingly interconnected and multilingual world we live in. My goal is to help them understand that translation is not merely a linguistic act but a deeply cultural process that shapes how we perceive and engage with the world.
I want students to leave with a heightened sensitivity to issues of representation, power, and identity in translation—whether they encounter it in media, literature, diplomacy, or everyday communication.
For the TIS program, this course adds a timely and interdisciplinary perspective. It expands the program's scope beyond traditional language-based instruction by integrating current issues such as migration, race, and digital media into the study of translation. In doing so, the course supports the program’s efforts to remain relevant, competitive, and globally engaged.