Calls for papers

REGULAR ISSUE

For the open issues, JAT follows the continuous publication (CP) model. The CP model allows for the immediate publication of an article as soon as it is ready; that is, peer-reviewed, approved by the Editorial Board, copyedited, typeset, and proofread. This way accepted articles do not need to wait until a particular issue of the journal is completed. The open issue will have a publishing deadline on the last day of December. However, the online issue will be fed throughout the year and when the deadline of the open issue passes, it is closed and the next issue starts to be fed. JAT collects submissions for the open issues throughout the year (there is no submission deadline).

As the only dedicated academic journal on the field of audiovisual translation, The Journal of Audiovisual Translation (JAT) encourages the submission of original research papers and practice reports in the field of audiovisual translation (AVT) and media accessibility in areas including subtitling (or captioning), audio description (AD), dubbing and voice-over. We welcome contributions on traditional media such as television and film, new media, live events, opera, theatre, museums and other contexts. Submissions can be sent at any time - there is no specific deadline.

We welcome both theoretical and empirical contributions that meet a high standard of scholarship and contribute new knowledge on the discipline. We also encourage interdisciplinary studies within the broader discipline of Translation Studies, but also with psychology, cognitive science, media studies, communication studies, sociology, linguistics, inclusive design, accessibility studies and other areas.  

SPECIAL ISSUE 2028

Translating for Linguistic Diversity: Audiovisual Accessibility and Translation in Minoritised Languages Contexts

Guest Editors: Eva Espasa, University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia, Floriane Bardini, University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia, Montse Corrius, University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia

 Minoritised languages are languages that, regardless of the number of speakers, occupy a subordinate position relative to a dominant or majority language in a given social or institutional context, often as a result of historical, economic, or political processes (Videsott, 2023; De Ridder, 2024). Audiovisual translation (AVT) and media accessibility practices, including subtitling, dubbing, audio description, and sign language interpreting, play a significant role in shaping the visibility, vitality, and social status of these languages. By making audiovisual content available in and through minoritised languages, AVT and media accessibility can contribute to linguistic revitalisation, community empowerment, and the reinforcement of speakers' identities, while also raising important questions about representation, inclusion, and access to media in different contexts.

Research on AVT and media accessibility has expanded considerably in recent decades, ranging from descriptive to empirical studies and covering numerous aspects, such as technology, quality, reception, teaching, and professional practices, largely with a focus on dominant or well-resourced languages. Attention to minoritised languages has grown in parallel, particularly in connection with language promotion (Kruger et al., 2007), language policy (De Ridder & O'Connell, 2018), accessibility and linguistic rights (Hirvonen and Kinnunen, 2020), sign languages as minority languages (e.g., De Meulder et al., 2019), and a growing number of case studies (e.g., Sasso, 2025). Nevertheless, the specific ways in which AVT and accessibility practices intersect with the sociolinguistic realities of minoritised languages still offer considerable scope for exploration. Likewise, the potential of AVT and accessibility as tools for the teaching, learning, and revitalisation of minoritised languages is an emerging but still limited line of inquiry (Talaván & Fernández-Costales, 2026).

This special issue invites innovative theoretical, methodological, and empirical contributions that explore the intersections between minoritised languages, media accessibility, and audiovisual translation from different perspectives. We welcome interdisciplinary approaches from translation studies, media accessibility, sociolinguistics, language education, and related fields. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

  • AVT professional practices and minoritised languages (in public broadcasting, streaming platforms, film festivals, etc.).
  • Accessibility practices and minoritised languages, including audio description, descriptive subtitling, sign language translation and interpreting, easy-to-understand language (in audiovisual media, live events, museums, cultural heritage, etc.).
  • AVT and accessibility in minoritised languages on social media platforms.
  • Videogame localisation and accessibility in minoritised languages.
  • Community-centred AVT and accessibility in minoritised languages, including fan translation.
  • AI and language technologies in AVT and accessibility for minoritised languages.
  • Didactic Audiovisual Accessibility and Translation (DAT) in minoritised languages across different educational settings.
  • Teaching AVT and accessibility in minoritised languages.
  • Linguistic rights and AVT and accessibility in minoritised languages.
  • Language policy and AVT and accessibility in minoritised languages.

Important dates:

  • Deadline for 500-word abstracts: 10 January 2027
  • Notification of provisional acceptance (abstracts): 30 January 2027
  • Full-paper submission: 31 May 2027
  • Editorial decision after first peer review: 14 October 2027
  • Author revisions: 15 January 2028
  • Editorial decision after second peer review (if needed): 25 March 2028
  • Final author corrections: 6 May 2028
  • Final editorial decisions: 20 May 2028
  • Production (rolling): from May 2028, as articles are accepted

Submission guidelines 

Please submit abstracts by email to floriane.bardini@uvic.cat by 10 January 2027.

Full papers should be submitted by 31 May 2027 via the online submission system at www.jatjournal.org following the journal’s guidelines that can be consulted here: https://www.jatjournal.org/index.php/jat/about/submissions/

Contact 

Please contact the guest editors if you have any questions: Eva Espasa (eva.espasa@uvic.cat), Floriane Bardini (floriane.bardini@uvic.cat), Montse Corrius (montse.corrius@uvic.cat).

Guest editors:

Eva Espasa holds a PhD in English Language and Literature (specialising in translation, University of Barcelona) and is a professor in the Department of Translation, Interpreting and Applied Languages (University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia, UVic-UCC). Her research interests include, audiovisual accessibility and translation, as well as gender studies. She has published extensively in these fields and delivered numerous international lectures and seminars. She co-coordinates the research line on Gender, Translation and Accessible Communication in the research group GETLIHC (Gender, Translation, Literature, History and Communication), and is a member of the CEIG (Centre for Interdisciplinary Gender Studies), both at UVic-UCC. She is the Principal Investigator for the UVic-UCC on the HOW TIMELY project (2024-1-IT02KA220-SCH-000251047), funded by the European Commission. She was co-Principal Investigator of the TRAFILM project, on the translation of multilingual films in Spain (FFI2014-55952-P) and a researcher on the MUFiTAVi project: Multilingualism in audiovisual fiction and its translations for Spain on digital platforms (PGC2018-099823-B-I00). She is a member of AccessCat, an Accessibility Innovation Network of Catalonia promoting access to information and communication. ORCID: 0000-0002-0463-9317

Floriane Bardini holds a PhD in Translation, Gender and Cultural Studies. She is an associate lecturer at the University Pompeu Fabra and at the University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), where she conducts research in the field of audiovisual translation (AVT) and media accessibility as a member of the research group GETLIHC (Gender, Translation, Literature, History and Communication, 2021 SGR 00399), within the research line Gender, Translation and Accessible Communication. Her main research interests include audio description, user experience, AVT and minority language learning, and she is a dedicated researcher in the HOW TIMELY project (2024-1-IT02KA220-SCH-000251047) funded by the European Commission. Bardini serves on the boards of Linguapax International, an NGO dedicated to the protection and revitalization of world linguistic diversity, and of AccessCat, the Accessibility Innovation Network of Catalonia which promotes access to information and communication. ORCID: 0000-0001-5116-6631

Montse Corrius, PhD in translation and Interpreting, is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC). She co-coordinates the research line on Gender, Translation and Accessible Communication in the research group GETLIHC (Gender, Translation, Literature, History and Communication). Her main research interests include audiovisual translation, with a special focus on multilingual texts, gender and accessibility. She has lectured on these areas of research and published several articles in international impact journals. She was co-Principal Investigator of the Spanish funded project TRAFILM, on the translation of multilingual films (trafilm.net - FFI2014-55952-P), and a researcher of the MUFiTAVi Project, also funded by the Spanish Ministry of Finance and Competitiveness (PGC2018-099823-B-I00). She is currently part of the research team on the HOW TIMELY project (2024-1-IT02KA220-SCH-000251047) funded by the European Commission. ORCID: 0000-0002-5032-1246 

References

  1. De Ridder, R. (2024). AVT and agency: Revoicing to give a voice to minoritised language communities. Journal of Audiovisual Translation, 7(2), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.47476/jat.v7i2.2024.315
  2. De Ridder, R., & O’Connell, E. (2018). Minority languages, language planning and audiovisual translation. In L. Pérez-González (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of audiovisual translation (pp. 401–417). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315717166-25
  3. De Meulder, M., Krausneker, V., Turner, G., & Conama, J. B. (2019). Sign language communities. In G. Hogan-Brun & B. O’Rourke (Eds.), The Palgrave handbook of minority languages and communities (pp. 207–232). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-54066-9_8
  4. Hirvonen, M., & Kinnunen, T. (2021). Accessibility and linguistic rights. In K. Koskinen & N. K. Pokorn (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of translation and ethics (pp. 470–483). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003127970
  5. Kruger, J.-L., Kruger, H., & Verhoef, M. (2007). Subtitling and the promotion of multilingualism: The case of marginalised languages in South Africa. Linguistica Antverpiensia, New Series: Themes in Translation Studies, 6, 35–49. https://doi.org/10.52034/lanstts.v6i.178
  6. Sasso, E. (Ed.). (2025). Minority languages and cultures in audiovisual translation. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003491545
  7. Talaván, N., & Fernández-Costales, A. (2026). Didactic audiovisual translation (DAT): A systematic review. Journal of Audiovisual Translation, 9(1), 1–31. https://doi.org/10.47476/jat.v8i1.2025.322
  8. Videsott, P. (2023). Study about the current situation of minority languages within the EU. European Parliament, Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/IPOL_STU(2023)751273