Integration in Specialisation. The GENTT Research Group: Genre as an Integrative Concept in Translation Studies

Abstract

The interdisciplinary and complexity of translation have led to a diversity of co-existing approaches in Translation Studies. Translation can be studied from a range of perspectives, and every approach tends to focus on a limited number of aspects. In the area of specialised translation, the integrative nature of translation is frequently neglected, which may lead to overly narrow analyses. In this paper, it is shown how the concept of ‘genre’ incorporates a wider range of the defining aspects of translation. The use of genre as a core element makes it possible to combine linguistic, textual, communicative and cognitive aspects as part of a more comprehensive study of specialised translation. In practical terms, this integrative approach is reflected in the GENTT knowledge management system (covering linguistic, textual and communicative aspects) and in the cognitive mapping within three fields of specialism (legal, medical and technical) that the research group is developing.