Communication Across Cultures

A unique synthesis of contrastive linguistics and discourse analysis, providing a core text for undergraduates and postgraduates taking courses in language, applied linguistics, translation and cultural studies. Also of interest to language teachers, applied linguists, translators and interpreters.

A unique synthesis of contrastive linguistics and discourse analysis, providing a core text for upper undergraduates and postgraduates taking courses in language, applied linguistics, translation and cultural studies. The book will also be of interest to language teachers and other applied linguists, as well as translators and interpreters. This revised and expanded edition includes important updates reflecting the growth over the past two decades in the theoretical study of translation and contrastive linguistics, and the wide-ranging practical applications of such studies. It offers authoritative updates on the major issues of translation and contrastive linguistics, using new practical examples and case studies that present the latest exploratory research of interest to both students and practitioners. While English and Arabic remain the language pair used for illustrative purposes, the analytic tools and theoretical overviews presented are of global applicability. The main objectives pursued remain the training of future linguists and, more broadly, an increased awareness of the subtleties of discourse on the part of language users.

• By (author) Basil Hatim

"(An) illuminative contribution to applied linguistics, language teaching, literary criticism, translation, and cultural studies." Kexin Du, Babel "This book is a useful addition to the material currently available on Arabic/English contrastive linguistics and translation ... It is full of interesting insights into the way modern Standard Arabic actually works, and the theoretical proposals and translation problems presented are typically intriguing and challenging, and presented in such a way as to stimulate further thought." British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies (2000), 27(1), 91-111) "... A fine book full of textual ideas and suggestions for further reflections." IRAL, Vol. XXXVI/2, May 1998) "... A challenging book which ... will interest linguists, post-structuralists and translators of sophisticated texts in any language." The Linguist, Vol. 36, No. 4, 1997) "Introduces translation studies as an integral part of contrastive linguistics and discourse analysis, whose insights will both broaden and deepen research endeavours in these two areas... This thought-provoking book counts as an indispensable reference in the contrastive linguistics rhetoric of English and Arabic from a translational perspective. It may be strongly recommended for advanced seminars on the interface between contrastive linguistics, discourse analysis, and translation studies." Language, Culture & Curriculum, Vol. 13:2, 2000) "Translation is translating culture. Indeed, what else other than translating and translation could best exemplify communication across cultures? ... A reflection of his genuine understanding of the sociotextual values of Arabic counter-argumentation, opposition to indiscriminate rendering into Arabic through-argumentation, and hope for open-mindedness in Arabic rhetoric." Raymond Wai-man Ng, Linguistics and the Human Sciences "I was pleased to learn that the influential text Communication Across Cultures by Basil Hatim will soon be available in a second, updated edition. Having worked in Bible translation in various African cross-cultural settings for over 50 years, I have found myself returning to this book (now over two decades in print) on many occasions in order to revisit its corpus of pertinent topics. All those who are in any way interested, or involved in the many interrelated fields of communication strategy, translation studies, discourse linguistics, and literary theory that are expounded by this book will, along with me, eagerly look forward to it." Professor Ernst R. Wendland, Stellenbosch University "By drilling down to the actual linguistic consequences of speakers' and writers' intentions and inferences, Basil Hatim achieves much more than many other works on cross-cultural communication. I am deeply impressed with this volume and utterly convinced by it." Ian Mason, Professor Emeritus, Heriot-Watt University "Basil Hatim has produced another gem of a book. This new edition is a carefully considered rewriting of a title that will surely appeal to a wide audience. It will surely become a major work in textual analysis for translation and shows all the verve and precision that characterise Hatim's other writing." Jeremy Munday, Professor of Translation Studies, University of Leeds "A revised edition of this excellent volume is long overdue. The structure of the revised edition is very user-friendly, and this edition will surely be very successful indeed. The book still shows that translation studies can make considerable use of textlinguistics, pragmatics, cultural studies, and above all semiotics. Hatim still argues enthusiastically for a textual theory, textual competence, and text-sensitive translation, interpreting and general applied linguistics. "The revised edition will be a valuable source and resource for a diverse audience, including undergraduate and postgraduate students, researchers, teachers, and all those interested in communication across cultures as texts." Professor Said Faiq, American University of Sharjah
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