Elaine Newton-Bruzza

Tutor in Spanish Language and Culture

Background

Dr Elaine Newton-Bruzza came to the University of Edinburgh in September 2015 from her Pacific Northwest home city of Portland, Oregon in the US to undertake her PhD in Hispanic Studies, which she earned in 2020 for her research on lunfardo and gender in tango lyrics. Prior to moving to Scotland, she taught Spanish for 18 years in the US, and she has been teaching at the University of Edinburgh since 2018. She enjoys dancing Argentine tango and is fascinated by the poetry of its lyrics. Additionally, Elaine is a freelance translator who has several published translations related to tango, its history and its culture.

Qualifications

PhD, Hispanic Studies: University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. Research thesis: “Lunfardo and Gendered Discourse: Creation and Analysis of a Linguistic Corpus of Tango Lyrics”. 2020.

Master of Arts, Translation Studies: Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain. Concentrations: Translation Theory, Humanistic/Literary Translation. Master’s Thesis: “A Culture Marked: Racist Epithets in Translations of Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”. 2011.

Master of Arts, Teaching: University of Portland, Portland, Oregon, USA. Concentrations: Secondary teaching methods, World Language teaching methods, Spanish endorsement. M.A.T. Project: “Applying the Natural Approach to the ¡Ya Verás! Primer Nivel (Gutiérrez & Rosso-O’Laughlin, 1991) Spanish Program: A Proposal.” 1996.              

Bachelor of Arts, Spanish, Cum Laude: Southern Oregon University, Ashland, Oregon, USA. 1983.            

Undergraduate teaching

Spanish 4 Honours Language Paper 2 - Translation

Spanish Language 2 - Oral Tutorial

Spanish Language 2 - Grammar Tutorial

Spanish Language 1A - Language Tutorial

Foundation Spanish Language 1 - Tutorial

Foundation Spanish Language 2 - Tutorial

Spanish Language 1B - Oral Tutorial

Postgraduate teaching

MSc Portfolio Spanish

Research summary

Elaine’s broad research interests are in Translation Studies, principally concerning the translation of cultural markers, and in Spanish linguistics.

Past research interests

Elaine’s doctoral thesis centers on a sociolinguistic study of cultural markers in tango lyrics. She is particularly interested in how the use of lunfardo cultural markers to describe and reinforce masculine and feminine stereotypes may provide a type of linguistic scaffolding upon which the cultural construction of gender is erected in tango lyrics.

Project activity

Book launch and film screening: "I Am Tango. Biography of María Nieves." (Oliva, María Oliva, trans. Elaine Newton-Bruzza. Stuttgart: Abrazos, 2016) and "Our Last Tango" ["Un tango más]. January 27, 2017. Gave presentation of newly published translation of this world renown tango performer's biography and introduced the documentary film about María Nieves' and Juan Carlos Copes' dance partnership. Sponsored by Hispanic Studies at University of Edinburgh.

Film screening: "Tango Negro. The African Roots of Tango". September 30, 2016. Gave introductory presentation for film screening. Event sponsored by Hispanic Studies at University of Edinburgh, Centro de Lingua Portuguesa - Instituto Camões.

Organiser

June 2019: VI Latin American Cultural Colloquium, University of Edinburgh

Chaired panel.

March 2019: Water of Life Society, University of Edinburgh                                

Organized and presented second annual tasting event: ‘Women and Whisky’, highlighting women’s influence on the whisky industry.

May 2018: V Latin American Cultural Colloquium, University of Edinburgh                        

Organizing committee member: Set up and coordinated Eventbrite page and ticketing for event.

March 2018: Water of Life Society, University of Edinburgh. 

Organized and presented special tasting event: “Women and Whisky” featuring prominent women in the whisky industry.

March 2017: IV Latin American Cultural Colloquium, University of Edinburgh

Chaired panel.

Participant

May 2018: V Latin American Cultural Colloquium, University of Edinburgh                        

Roundtable panelist: “Translating Cultures: Literature, Publishing, and Linguistic Diversity.”

Papers delivered

November 2018: “Corpus Linguistics in Scotland” Network Meeting, University of Edinburgh

Presented “Lunfardo and Gendered Discourse: Towards the Creation of a Tango Lyrics Corpus.”

November 2018: Translation Studies Seminar, University of Edinburgh

Presented “Lunfardo and Gendered Discourse: Towards the Creation of a Tango Lyrics Corpus.”

June 2018: Cultural presentation, Zentrum für Argentinische Kultur [Center for Argentine Culture] Saarbrücken, Germany. 

Presented “Dicen que dicen. An Overview of Tango Lyrics.”                             

November 2017: Translation Studies Seminar, University of Edinburgh          

Presented “Cultural Markers in Translation: The Case of Lunfardo in Tango Lyrics.”

March 2017: Translation Studies Seminar, University of Edinburgh          

Presented “Cultural Markers in Translation: The Case of Lunfardo in Tango Lyrics.”

February 2017: Conference panel presentation, Universidad de Vigo                                          

II CIJIELC [Congreso Internacional de Jóvenes Investigadores en Estudios Literarios y Culturales], Panel: "Discursos femeninos articulados desde el Cono Sur: Voces poéticas, narrativas e históricas en Chile y Argentina durante el siglo XX.” Presented “La mina del tango. Gendered Discourse in Tango Lyrics.”

2018: Benzecry Sabá, Gustavo. Translation Editor for documentary film:  The History of the Embrace in Tango Dance.[Original title: La historia del abrazo en la danza de tango.] 

November 2016: Oliva, María. I Am Tango. Biography of María Nieves [Original title: María Nieves. Soy Tango].

June 2016: Martínez, Antonio, Al sueño que le dio la luz.

March 2016: Emmerich, Norberto. Webpage: "European Union Democracy Observatory on Citizenship. Country Profile: Argentina, Access to Electoral Rights." http://cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/handle/1814/40588/EUDO_CIT_ER_2016_01.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y     

March 2016: López, Magdalena. Webpage: "European Union Democracy Observatory on Citizenship. Country Profile: Paraguay, Access to Electoral Rights." http://cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/handle/1814/40624/EUDO_CIT_ER_2016_02.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y           

January 2015: Benzecry Sabá, Gustavo. The Quest for the Embrace. The History of Tango Dance 1800-1983. [Original title: Los Legionarios del abrazo. Historia del tango danza 1800-1983]. Co-translated with Derrick del Pilar.

2012: Benzecry Sabá, Gustavo. Tango FAQs. 60 Frequently Asked Questions about Dancing Argentine Tango. Buenos Aires: Tangogen.

November 2011: Master’s Thesis: “A Culture Marked: Racist Epithets in Translations of Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”  RECERCAT (Dipòsit de la Recerca de Catalunya)  [Research Repository of Catalonia] http://www.recercat.cat/handle/2072/179212 .