METM24 presentation

Variations in persuasive tone: a comparison of multilingual health information websites

Amy Dara Hochberg, Barcelona, Spain

Health information websites frequently contain texts intended to persuade the reader to take action. When such texts are translated, it is important to consider how the writer’s attitude influences the reader’s perception of the texts, and how the persuasive characteristics of the texts have been preserved or culturally adapted in translation.

Understanding how the writer’s attitude in health information websites influences the reader’s decision-making process is crucial for improving health outcomes in diverse communities. By assessing the impact of language adaptation on the reception of health information, we can determine whether the persuasive message has been effectively communicated.

This presentation reports on an analysis of 73 multilingual health information websites focusing on HIV and tuberculosis diagnostic testing, with texts in English, Spanish, and Catalan. The methodology is based on an adaptation of Clerehan et al.’s (2016) Evaluative Linguistics Framework, which in turn is based on Halliday’s (2014) Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL). One aspect of SFL is metafunction, which involves the writer’s attitude. Its characteristics include relational and engagement markers, hedging, person markers, and self-mentions. Original versions of either English, Spanish, or Catalan texts were compared with translations into the other two languages to ascertain whether the writer’s tone in the texts had been preserved in the translation or was culturally adapted for the target audience. Examples from English, Spanish, and Catalan websites will be used for illustration.

This presentation provides an opportunity to learn how a focus on certain elements can improve the persuasive power of multilingual texts for culturally diverse communities. As such, it will be valuable for translators and editors in the healthcare field as well as in other fields in which persuasion plays a role (e.g., marketing, politics, and public administration). As knowledge of Spanish and Catalan is not required to follow this presentation, translators working with other languages will also benefit.

References

Clerehan, R., Guillemin, F., Epstein, J., & Buchbinder, R. (2016). Using the Evaluative Linguistic Framework for Questionnaires to assess comprehensibility of self-report health questionnaires. Value in Health, 19, 335-342. 
Halliday, M.A.K., Matthiessen, C.M.I.M. (2014). An introduction to functional grammar (4th ed.). Routledge.

About the presenter

Amy Dara Hochberg has a PhD in Translation Studies and Language Sciences and two masters: in Translation Studies and in Public Health. In addition to her work as a post-doctoral researcher, Amy Dara translates academic and medical texts from Spanish to English and Catalan to English. Her multilingual abilities belie her profound hearing loss.