This CUNY Translation seminar is presented in collaboration with Words Without Borders. WWB offers a free pedagogical resource for instructors interested in exposing their students to international literature and the implications of translation, called WWB Campus.  Campus offers a range of texts from international writers–including groupings of texts according to nation, language and theme–as well as contextual materials to teach these texts.

 

Reflections on the implementation of WWB Campus in Fall 2015:

Words Without Borders was a great way to show students the wealth and diversity of contemporary world literature. The issues of translation it also brings up are important for students to think about in this sort of class, and the way the website foregrounds this process is helpful for students to understand how they are able to read these works.                  — Miciah Hussey, Adjunct Instructor, Baruch College, CUNY

I found [the international literature on the site] to be more interesting than I had expected and hope to get the chance to read more international literature because of this. — Student, Baruch College, CUNY

It’s a really useful site to have. We are sort of focused right now on censorship, what Americans can publish or access in comparison with other countries, so the idea of words travelling without borders is exciting — Global History teacher, Lamoille Union High School, Vermont

 

For a dialogue between educators using WWB Campus materials in the aftermath of the 2015 Paris Attacks, please see this screenshot.

For a summary of instructors discussing the origins of their interest in international literature, please see this screenshot.