Teaching and Research Group Linguistics – Translation of the Russian Language
Chair: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alma Pinari
Email: [email protected]
The Teaching and Research Group of the Russian Language Programme aims to introduce innovations in the fields of linguistics and translation, as well as to improve teaching and learning for students of the Russian Language Programme through a range of academic, scientific, and cultural activities to be undertaken during the period 2022–2024. This Teaching and Research Group will focus on various activities, as follows:
- Curriculum improvement through the development of a new Bachelor’s programme in Russian Language, profile “Russian and English Language Translation and Interpreting,” for the academic year 2023–2024. The entirely new design of this programme focuses on translation and interpreting, in cooperation with the Department of English, and responds to contemporary challenges, which require translators and interpreters working not only in one language.
- 20% curriculum revision. This change aims to develop the key competencies of the study programme. The curriculum is structured according to key competencies and learning outcomes for each competency and is organized into learning areas.
- Second-year Master’s student project on translation, entitled “Children’s Literature,” through which students will translate into Albanian from Russian the fairy tale Thumbelina by the writer H. C. Andersen. As part of their humanitarian initiative “Give a Smile,” the translated work will be donated to the Zyber Hallulli Children’s Home in Tirana.
- Round-table discussion entitled “Russian in the Tourism Market,” a scientific activity organized in cooperation with various tourism agencies in Albania and the University of Mons, France. The purpose of the activity is to expand the knowledge and skills of young translators in the fields of services, tourism, and management.
- Involvement of academic staff in information days for the Bachelor’s programmes of the Russian Language Programme.
- Scientific-literary seminar on Dostoevsky translations, entitled “Dostoevsky Speaks Albanian,” organized within the framework of the 200th anniversary of the writer’s birth. The seminar will address, from a scholarly perspective, issues of translation, applied linguistics, and stylistics in the works of the Russian writer Dostoevsky.
- Summer School: “The Bulgarian Language,” aimed at acquiring and developing knowledge about Bulgarian culture and language, organized by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Raqi Bello.
- Annual meeting held within the framework of Russian Language Week in Berlin.
- Promotion of the textbook “Practical Grammar of the Russian Language” (a methodology for Albanian-speaking students), by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alma Pinari.
- Promotion of the textbook “Russian Language for Tourism Business” (a methodology for Albanian-speaking students), by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alma Pinari.
- Cultural activity entitled “Winter Festivities: Russian Culture and Traditions.” The aim of this activity is to familiarize students with Russian culture and traditions concerning the organization of traditional winter festivities in Russia and how these celebrations are organized and observed by Russians.
- “Russian Cuisine” – a cultural promotional activity aimed at familiarizing students with traditional Russian cuisine. Students will have the opportunity to learn about and experience Russian dishes firsthand.
- The group considers it essential that the individual scientific work of each member be combined with collaborative research projects.
- Application for projects within the framework of the Erasmus+ programme, etc., will be a focus of this Teaching and Research Group, with the aim of increasing academic staff mobility.
- Increasing cooperation between the Faculty of Foreign Languages, the Russian Language Programme, and institutions both within Albania and abroad is a priority of the programme.
The two projects initiated by this research group in cooperation with colleagues from the Department of Slavic and Balkan Languages:
Project No. 1: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eda Shehu (Project Coordinator), 11 May 2023
International Scientific Conference entitled: “Terminology in the Humanities and Its Representation in Dictionaries”
Research Areas:
- Terminology of the humanities in the Albanian language in relation to technical and natural sciences;
- The relationship between general vocabulary and terminological vocabulary in different fields of knowledge;
- The relationship between foreign terms in Albanian and their Albanian equivalents;
- Albanian equivalents in terminological dictionaries;
- Terminological dictionaries and translation;
- Linguistic observations on types of bilingual dictionaries;
- The use of foreign terms in foreign-language–Albanian terminological dictionaries;
- Problems of false friends in terminological dictionaries;
- Problems of synonymy in bilingual dictionaries;
- Reflections of terminology theory in dictionaries;
- Problems of homonymy and polysemy in terminological dictionaries;
- Theoretical studies of terminology in the practice of compiling terminological dictionaries;
- Compilation of dictionaries of terms in different fields of knowledge;
- Achievements and challenges in compiling bilingual dictionaries;
- Problems and solutions in compiling foreign-language–Albanian terminological dictionaries;
- Representation of terms in explanatory dictionaries (1980–2006);
- Representation of single-word and multi-word terms in terminological dictionaries;
- Representation of terms in bilingual dictionaries involving foreign languages and Albanian;
- Representation of terms in dictionaries and their use in discourse practice;
- Terminology in the teaching process.
The general objective of the project is not only to facilitate the presentation of new research findings, but also to exchange opinions, perspectives, and new scientific research ideas among recognized experts in the field of terminological vocabulary in relation to general vocabulary, particularly in the compilation of terminological, explanatory, and bilingual dictionaries.
The specific objectives of the project are closely related to presenting practices, experiences, and models of intercultural education in Albania, Kosovo, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, as well as in the countries represented by the participants in this conference.
This conference on terminology and its representation in foreign-language dictionaries will include various discussions involving specialists from Albania and abroad. Knowledge and mastery of terminology are essential requirements for professional activity today. Every field of life has its own specific terminology used in practice, and numerous authors have compiled various dictionaries that are used by specialists in these humanities-related fields.
Beneficiaries: Linguists, scientists, academic staff, graduate students engaged in research activities, etc.
Expected Results: The results of this scientific research will be reflected in the publication of the conference proceedings, as well as in other publications, benefiting researchers and other interested parties working in this field.
Project No. 2: Project Members: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eda Shehu (Project Coordinator), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Adriatik Derjaj, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Raqi Bello (2022–2024)
“Contacts between Slavic and Balkan Languages and Albanian in the Context of Bilingualism, with Reference to Linguistic Structures and Didactic-Pedagogical Aspects (Russian, Bulgarian, and Turkish)”
The general objective of the project is to study the Slavic and Balkan languages (Russian, Bulgarian, and Turkish) comparatively with Albanian, focusing on lexical and grammatical similarities and differences, single-word equivalents and their multi-word counterparts in bilingual dictionaries, as well as methodological applications in foreign language learning.
The specific objectives of the project are closely related to contrastive linguistic analysis and to identifying typical difficulties arising from mismatches, alongside similarities, between linguistic structures in the process of teaching foreign languages (Russian, Bulgarian, and Turkish). These languages will be studied comparatively with Albanian, including adaptations and interference within the structures of semantic and grammatical forms.
This project will create opportunities to formulate specific rules and sets of exercises for those phenomena of the foreign languages under study that present particular difficulties for teaching and learning by Albanian students/pupils.
With regard to the specific methodology, it should also be emphasized that the findings of contrastive linguistic analysis can be used in the following areas:
- Studying the characteristics and common features of Slavic and Balkan languages in comparison with Albanian;
- Analysing linguistic influences resulting from language contact;
- Making extensive use of these findings at all levels of language learning;
- Using them to the extent that is useful and appropriate for the learner.
Beneficiaries:
– At university level: lecturers, foreign language teachers, researchers, students, and pupils studying foreign languages.
– At national level: other institutional stakeholders working towards a better and more effective language policy in this field.
This project will be characterized by a flexible and creative approach to the interpretation of the topic, the research process, and the presentation of results, which will be of value to interested parties and other stakeholders.
Expected Results
- The results of this scientific research will be reflected in various publications, including articles, research papers, and a monograph, benefiting researchers and other interested parties engaged in studies in the respective field;
- Publication of joint studies and participation in conferences;
Project Product(s)
Presentation of the platform, as well as publication of the research findings in scientific journals.
The Work Plan includes the methodology and techniques proposed for use.
Members of this Teaching and Research Group will participate in international conferences, workshops, and publications in scientific journals in Albania and abroad, including journals indexed and recognized through impact-factor-based evaluation systems.
