Applications of Relevance Theory to Translation and Interpreting (ARTTI-2)

We are happy to announce the first Call for Papers for the second edition of the conference series Applications of Relevance Theory (RT) to Translation and Interpreting (ARTTI). After the success of ARTTI-1 in Rome in February 2023, the second edition of ARTTI hopes to bring together cutting-edge research at the intersection of Relevance Theory and Translation and Interpreting Studies (T&I), with a special focus on theoretical and methodological developments related to the RT-T&I interface. 

The conference welcomes scholars working on both theoretical and methodological advancements in Relevance Theory and technological innovation in T&I practice and research. Key areas of theoretical exploration include recent relevance-theoretic work on rhetorical and perlocutionary effects, procedural meaning, irony, and affect - domains with critical implications for how meaning is negotiated across languages and contexts. These are particularly pertinent in the GenAI era, where issues of intentionality, contextualisation, and pragmatic nuance are amplified in both human-AI and human-human interaction.

On the applied side, we invite contributions engaging with the integration of IT in T&I, including automatic translation management (ATM) systems, corpus linguistics software, speech-to-text technologies, and AI-driven interpreting tools. We are especially interested in how relevance-theoretic insights can inform tool design, enhance quality and fidelity, and support ethical and effective human-AI collaboration. Contributions applying relevance-theoretic principles to the training of translators and interpreters are also welcome.

By showcasing a wide range of topics, we aim to provide a platform for fruitful discussions to reconfirm the explanatory power of relevance theory and its potential. Through a blend of theoretical and applied perspectives, ARTTI-2 seeks to reimagine how relevance, inference, and context operate in technologically mediated multilingual communication.

The conference programme will consist of two plenary lectures, two mediated roundtables (on theory- and methodology building), and oral presentations of selected papers. The conference will be organised in a single conference hall, without parallel sessions, so that interactions among participants are enhanced.