Chapter 10. Teaching legal interpreting at university level

Abstract

Legal Interpreting (LI) can be considered a specialised branch of Community Interpreting (CI). It encompasses interpreting in all legal settings, such as lawyer- client interviews, immigration-related interviews, police-related matters, tribunal hearings and court hearings and trials. In addition to a high level of bilingualism, legal interpreters need to possess specialist knowledge of the relevant legal systems, of the goals of the institutions concerned and of the discourse and language of their participants. Interpreters also need to understand their role and the way they can influence proceedings, have a solid theoretical underpinning to substantiate their choices and possess high level interpreting skills in order to perform to the required standard. Competent interpreting is crucial for the fair administration of justice, as inadequate interpreting can lead to juridical errors. Legal interpreters, therefore, require specialised education and training in order to become qualified to work in this setting. This chapter will present an overview of the education and training in interpreting in legal settings offered at the University of New South Wales, Australia, where the authors work. The course is part of a suite of post-graduate programmes but can also be taken by students who are external to the university as a stand-alone course, including practitioners seeking professional development opportunities. The course draws on the theories and research into forensic linguistics and LI as well as on practical experience from those who teach it.