Found in translation: A loving reflection on language translation in research

Often language translation is portrayed through the lens of loss, as epitomized in the phrase lost in translation. This is an important lens which has implications for epistemic justice in social work research. However, grounding our reflection in borderlands theorizing and our dissertation research projects in Pokhara, Nepal and Seoul, South Korea, we instead wish to center this reflection on what we found in translation. Specifically, we share how the process of language translation invited us to further analysis, deeper critical reflexivity, dialogue, and agency. First, we discuss aspects of our research that seemed impossible to translate, and how this impossibility served as a catalyst for deeper analysis. Second, we reflect on how the process of translating the phrases and words from their original language into English led us to dig into additional layers of critical reflexivity. Third, we reflect on how translating (or deciding not to translate) a single word could open opportunities for dialogue and for the researcher’s own agentic voice. We close by arguing that such reflections can and should be applied in other borderland spaces in which social work scholars find themselves, including the spaces created between disciplines, within classrooms, and between communities and academia, even when those involved appear to share the same language.