Why should more books on mental health be translated?
Translating books on psychology, psychiatry and neurosciences into Greek provides multiple benefits for professionals and the wider public in general. This is why:
Access to Knowledge
Translating scientific books into Greek helps make knowledge available to a wider group of the population. Many people, including university students and professionals, may not be linguistically competent enough to read scientific texts in English. A translated text provides access to specialised knowledge for these persons, which might be vital in their further education and professional career.
Education and Training
In Greece, the disciplines of psychology, psychiatry and neurosciences are taught at universities and students need access to valid pertinent literature in their own language for better comprehending the topics of their studies. Translation helps improve the quality of education and the promotion of scientific research in our country.
Familiarisation with Scientific Terms
Book translation also helps readers to become familiar with scientific terms in their own mother tongue. This is important for the growth of scientific terminology and for enriching Greek vocabulary in a range of disciplines.
Supporting Professional and Scientific Communities
Translated reference material can support professional and scientific communities in Greece because it allows researches and professionals to keep up with the latest developments in their chosen disciplines. This way, they can better participate in international discourse and promote our cooperation with other countries.
Dissemination of Scientific Concepts/Ideas
Books on psychology, psychiatry and neurosciences contain information that can help the general public to better understand the human mind and behaviour. Translating such books into Greek can contribute towards disseminating such ideas and concept and help people improve their own self-knowledge and their relationships with others.
Tackling Monolingualism in Humanities and Exact Sciences
English is the prevailing language in international reference literature, and this can become an impediment for non-English speaking audiences. Translating books into Greek reduces the dependence of researches and students on English reference sources and reinforces multilingualism in psychological sciences, making them more accessible and inclusive.
English Bibliography and Humanities/ Exact Sciences
English is the lingua franca of academia. The majority of research articles and books on psychology and psychiatry is published in English. This offers several advantages, for example dissemination of research to a global audience and reinforcement of the cooperation of scientists from different countries. However, the supremacy of English in bibliography may also deter participation of non-English speaking scientists in international discourse and limit dissemination of knowledge around the globe.
Translating even more books and university textbooks on psychology, psychiatry and neuroscience into Greek is truly important for the improvement of education in general, the strengthening of the scientific community and the dissemination of scientific knowledge to the general public.