Hannah holds a PhD in Translation Studies from the University of Glasgow, and an MA and BA (Hons) from the University of Sheffield. Her primary research interests are in the field of Translation Studies, specifically in Audiovisual Translation. She focuses on the subtitling of non-standard language from French into English and its impact on identity and characterisation, as well as working practices of professional subtitlers and research methodology in audiovisual translation.
Hannah is currently working on a project to bring together subtitling scholars and practitioners, in order to promote dialogue and collaboration between academia and the industry. This project, SubComm: Building a Community of Subtitling Scholars and Academics, is a collaboration with Dr Tiina Tuominen, University of Turku.
Before joining UCC, Hannah worked as a Teaching Fellow in Translation Studies at Newcastle University, and a Lecturer in Translation Studies at the University of Glasgow.
Hannah's teaching at UCC is primarily in French translation at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels where she offers courses covering both the theory and practice of translation across a range of text-types.
I am working on a project with Dr Tiina Tuominen (Finland), called 'SubComm: Building a Community of Subtitling Scholars and Practitioners'. SubComm aims to bring together professional subtitlers and academics with an interest in subtitling. The purpose of the initiative is to provide a forum where stakeholders can network, share information and work together to address problems and challenges in the field. Our hope is that SubComm will become a community that will foster closer contacts between subtitlers and academics and lead to interesting collaborations and learning opportunities for everyone. Dr Tuominen and I co-guest edited a special issue of the Journal of Audiovisual Translation titled 'Sharing Knowledge Between Academia and the Industry: Audiovisual Translation and Accessibility Research for Practice', in which we also published an article presenting SubComm. As part of the project, we intend to organize regular events for networking, professional development and research dissemination. Our website provides more information about the project and upcoming events. In addition, there is a discussion forum where all those interested in SubComm can interact with each other and with us.
I am also working on a monograph based on my PhD research. My PhD research project examined the subtitling of films depicting the French banlieue into English. The sociolect spoken in the banlieue differs from standard French in terms of grammar, lexicon and pronunciation. I undertook case studies of three films; La squale (Genestal, 2000), L’esquive (Kechiche, 2003) and Divines (Benyamina, 2016) in order to examine the subtitling of this sociolect into English. The research project involved the development of a new integrated methodology, which examined the films within their broader contexts of release, and in light of paratextual material contributing to the context of reception, and to the viewer’s understanding of the topic at hand. The work is underpinned by an examination of the subtitling situation, encompassing the views and experiences of subtitlers working on banlieue film, and technical analysis of the subtitles in terms of readability. Through interviews of professional subtitlers, and close technical analysis of the subtitles, the analysis is contextualised within the industry, and within current conventions and guidelines.
I currently teach French translation at second and final-year undergraduate level, as well as to postgraduate students. I also teach translation studies theory to mixed-language groups at postgraduate level.
I am particularly interested in teaching aspects of translation related to my own research - specifically subtitling, and the translation of non-standard language.
Biography
Dr Hannah Silvester joined UCC in October 2018 as a Lecturer in French.Hannah holds a PhD in Translation Studies from the University of Glasgow, and an MA and BA (Hons) from the University of Sheffield. Her primary research interests are in the field of Translation Studies, specifically in Audiovisual Translation. She focuses on the subtitling of non-standard language from French into English and its impact on identity and characterisation, as well as working practices of professional subtitlers and research methodology in audiovisual translation.
Hannah is currently working on a project to bring together subtitling scholars and practitioners, in order to promote dialogue and collaboration between academia and the industry. This project, SubComm: Building a Community of Subtitling Scholars and Academics, is a collaboration with Dr Tiina Tuominen, University of Turku.
Before joining UCC, Hannah worked as a Teaching Fellow in Translation Studies at Newcastle University, and a Lecturer in Translation Studies at the University of Glasgow.
Hannah's teaching at UCC is primarily in French translation at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels where she offers courses covering both the theory and practice of translation across a range of text-types.
Research Interests
My research deals primarily with audiovisual translation, specifically subtitling. The primary strands of my research include the subtitling of non-standard French into English, methodology in the study of interlingually subtitled films, subtitler working conditions and workflow, gender in audiovisual translation. I am currently supervising an IRC-funded PhD thesis on French subtitling practices. I am open to supervising projects in translation studies, particularly those related to audiovisual translation, non-standard language, and French.I am working on a project with Dr Tiina Tuominen (Finland), called 'SubComm: Building a Community of Subtitling Scholars and Practitioners'. SubComm aims to bring together professional subtitlers and academics with an interest in subtitling. The purpose of the initiative is to provide a forum where stakeholders can network, share information and work together to address problems and challenges in the field. Our hope is that SubComm will become a community that will foster closer contacts between subtitlers and academics and lead to interesting collaborations and learning opportunities for everyone. Dr Tuominen and I co-guest edited a special issue of the Journal of Audiovisual Translation titled 'Sharing Knowledge Between Academia and the Industry: Audiovisual Translation and Accessibility Research for Practice', in which we also published an article presenting SubComm. As part of the project, we intend to organize regular events for networking, professional development and research dissemination. Our website provides more information about the project and upcoming events. In addition, there is a discussion forum where all those interested in SubComm can interact with each other and with us.
I am also working on a monograph based on my PhD research. My PhD research project examined the subtitling of films depicting the French banlieue into English. The sociolect spoken in the banlieue differs from standard French in terms of grammar, lexicon and pronunciation. I undertook case studies of three films; La squale (Genestal, 2000), L’esquive (Kechiche, 2003) and Divines (Benyamina, 2016) in order to examine the subtitling of this sociolect into English. The research project involved the development of a new integrated methodology, which examined the films within their broader contexts of release, and in light of paratextual material contributing to the context of reception, and to the viewer’s understanding of the topic at hand. The work is underpinned by an examination of the subtitling situation, encompassing the views and experiences of subtitlers working on banlieue film, and technical analysis of the subtitles in terms of readability. Through interviews of professional subtitlers, and close technical analysis of the subtitles, the analysis is contextualised within the industry, and within current conventions and guidelines.
Research Grants
| Project | Funding Body | Start Date | End Date | Award | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French subtitling practices: a comparative study of translation processes and communication in amateur, professional and professional-amateur subtitling environments. | Irish Research Council | 01-SEP-21 | 31-AUG-23 | €55,000.00 |
Publications
Peer Reviewed Journals
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| (2021) | 'Sharing Knowledge Between Academia and The Industry: Audiovisual Translation and Accessibility Research for Practice' Tuominen, Tiina; Silvester, Hannah (2021) 'Sharing Knowledge Between Academia and The Industry: Audiovisual Translation and Accessibility Research for Practice'. Journal of Audiovisual Translation (JAT), 4 (3):1-5 [DOI] [Full Text] [Details] | |
| (2021) | 'Working conditions and collaborative practices in the translation of French film: subtitling banlieue cinema' Silvester H. (2021) 'Working conditions and collaborative practices in the translation of French film: subtitling banlieue cinema'. Perspectives: Studies In Translation Theory And Practice, [DOI] [Details] | |
| (2021) | 'Collaboration Between Subtitling Academics and Practitioners: A Proposal for SubComm' Silvester, Hannah; Tuominen, Tiina (2021) 'Collaboration Between Subtitling Academics and Practitioners: A Proposal for SubComm'. Journal of Audiovisual Translation (JAT), 4 (3):108-125 [DOI] [Full Text] [Details] | |
| (2018) | 'From paratext to polysemiotic network: A holistic approach to the study of subtitled films' Hannah Silvester (2018) 'From paratext to polysemiotic network: A holistic approach to the study of subtitled films'. Linguistica Antverpiensia New Series-Themes In Translation Studies, 17 :71-83 [Full Text] [Details] |
Professional Activities
Professional Associations
| Association | Function | From / To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Association for Studies in Screen Translation (ESIST) | Communications Officer | 01-OCT-16 / 01-JAN-19 | |
| European Society for Translation Studies | Member | 01-FEB-19 / |
Employment
| Employer | Position | From / To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newcastle University | Teaching Fellow in Translation Studies | 01-SEP-17 / 30-JUN-18 | |
| The University of Glasgow | Lecturer in Translation Studies | / |
Education
| Year | Institution | Qualification | Subject | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | The University of Sheffield | BA (Hons) | French with Hispanic Studies | |
| 2012 | The University of Sheffield | MA | Screen Translation | |
| 2018 | The University of Glasgow | PhD | Translation Studies |
Languages
| Language | Reading | Writing | Speaking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish | ||||
| French |
Teaching Activities
Teaching Interests
I am interested in teaching various aspects of translation and translation studies, including practical translation and subtitling, translation technology and a broad range of Translation Studies theory.I currently teach French translation at second and final-year undergraduate level, as well as to postgraduate students. I also teach translation studies theory to mixed-language groups at postgraduate level.
I am particularly interested in teaching aspects of translation related to my own research - specifically subtitling, and the translation of non-standard language.
Research Information
External Collaborators
| Name | Organisation / Institute | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr Tiina Tuominen | FINLAND |
Contact details
- Hannah Silvester
- hannah.silvester@ucc.ie
- +353-21-490-3000
- Lecturer in French
- hannah.silvester@ucc.ie