“Does it have to be in English?”: Decolonizing TPC Pedagogies with Community-based Translation

Abstract

To counter monolingual colonial English practices in technical and professional communication (TPC) scholars (Gonzales, 2016; Haas, 2012; Itchuaqiyaq & Matheson, 2021; Rivera, 2022) have proposed conceptualizing translation as a site of decolonial efforts. In this article, we extend those efforts by putting translation studies into conversation with community-engaged social justice work in TPC. We develop pedagogies that prioritize personal stories focused on translation work that students complete in relation to local and campus communities. Using an introductory TPC course as our case study, we recognize and outline the necessity for more community-based translation work in TPC conversations.