Intercultural communication in collaborative translation: Language, identity, and social inclusion in Hong Kong

Situated in Hong Kong, this paper reports findings on intercultural communication between 43 participants engaged in collaborative translation and media production through a service-learning course at a local university. The participants are from diverse backgrounds and speak Cantonese, Mandarin, English, Czech, Hindi, and other languages as their first and additional languages. Adopting an ethnographic action research methodology, the data collected include fieldnotes, teaching and learning materials, and transcripts of student presentations and interviews. This paper examines the experiences of participants’ collaboration regarding mutual understanding, collaboration processes, and the development of interculturality. Applying the ‘communities of practice’ theory, the data is analysed vis-à-vis mutual recognition, joint enterprise, and shared repertoire. The analysis reveals challenges faced by Hong Kong’s youth in navigating a multicultural environment and highlights how participants’ behaviour draws upon their cultural and linguistic identities to respond to these challenges, showcasing the potential of collaborative translation to enhance social inclusion.

香港歷史文化獨特，在這一背景下，43位来自不同文化、說不同語言的同學協作翻譯並共同製作多媒體視頻。基於「實踐社群」理論，文章從“相互認可”、“共同事業” 和“分享智庫”三方面分析活動參與者之間的互動及其跨文化交際能力的培養，揭示了香港青年在多元文化環境中所面臨的挑戰，他們如何基於文化和語言身份應對這些挑戰，以及協作翻譯促進社會包容的潛力。