Public Service Interpreting Research Articles

Developing New Learning Resources for the Linguistic Mediators’ Training in Modern Social Environment

The topicality of the research is stipulated by the challenges of bringing the educational content and learning materials in line with the needs that young translators and interpreters have entering the labour market in modern fast developing society. The article aims to analyze from students’ perspective the practical value and effectiveness of the learning materials for language mediators’ training developed on the basis of the new content-focused technology in comparison to learning materials developed within the framework of the traditional approach. The methodology of the research included survey based experiment as well as the method of statistic data processing. The experiment involved the students doing their master degree course on Public Service Interpreting and Translation (total number of the participants is 30 students). The experiment was conducted in several stages including two surveys: the entry survey focused on obtaining the students’ feedback on their general satisfaction with traditional learning materials, students’ assessment of the materials’ effectiveness for training as well as identifying particular areas of professional interest and respective needs; the second survey elicited students’ responses concerning the effectiveness of the proposed new materials. The research enhances the awareness of the specific characteristics of the public services setting for training lingo cultural mediators. Practical learning materials were worked out and implemented into practice. The correlated training of interpreting and translation skills was proved. Based on the results obtained in the course of the experiment the authors propose new content focused approach to developing learning materials which constitutes practical outcomes of the research. The article had both theoretical and practical value as the theoretical background and the proposed methodology can be applied to developing training courses on translation and interpreting in various professional domains.

Strategies in public service interpreting

Strategies have been far more widely researched in conference interpreting than in the interactional setting of public service interpreting (PSI), although studies of the latter by Wadensjö and other authors suggest a strategic rationale for certain types of rendition (especially non-renditions). The present article describes an exploratory, qualitative study, based on roleplay, to identify strategies in PSI: the roleplays were designed to incorporate a variety of ‘rich points’, coinciding with peak demands on the interpreter’s problem-solving capacities and therefore particularly relevant to empirical study of interpreting strategies. Five interpreter-mediators with the Chinese–Spanish/Catalan language combination were each asked to interpret three different dialogues, in which the primary participants’ input was a re-enactment of real situations. Analysis of the transcribed video recordings was complemented by a preliminary questionnaire and by retrospective interviews with the interpreters. Their strategies, classified according to whether the problems concerned were essentially linguistic or involved the dynamics of interaction, in some cases reflect priorities typically associated with intercultural mediation. The advantages and limitations of using ‘rich points’ and roleplays in the study of interpreting strategies are briefly discussed

Combining different methods of data collection in public service interpreting doctoral research: examples from the Spanish context

During the past ten years, public service interpreting (PSI) has become a flourishing field of research. Different kinds of studies have explored issues such as the role of public service interpreters, accuracy and deviations in their renditions, or primary participants’ views on and expectations of PSI. In terms of research methods, it is becoming increasingly popular to combine different data collection methods in the field of PSI, especially in large research projects. The aim of this article is to describe how multiple datasets have been used in a sample of studies. It presents a review of PhD dissertations in Spain that have combined different kinds of surveys, focus groups and/or direct observation. This is followed by a description of how a multimethod approach can contribute to the advance of PSI research and how it can compensate for the limitations of certain single-method approaches to PSI. It argues that, while multimethod research may be more demanding and time-consuming from the researcher’s point of view, it is more effective in terms of providing a holistic view of the object of study.

CONNECTING TRANSLATION EMPLOYERS AND TRAINERS. EXPERIENCE OF INTERNSHIPS IN PUBLIC SERVICE INTERPRETING AND TRANSLATION TRAINING

The University of Alcalá, Madrid, offers a 1-year Master’s Degree course in Public Service Interpreting and Translation (PSIT). The curriculum is based on the principle of cross-fertilization of the three main parameters of training, research and practice. The implementation of this principle in practice means alliances and cooperation with all stakeholders that in one way or other participate in the translation and interpreting (T&I) working environment. Special attention needs to be paid to the job market and to the real recruitment conditions, as well as to the requirements for professional translators and interpreters. In the present article the focus is on one of the main parameters of a successful curriculum, i.e. practice in training, or internships. Internships serve as an introduction to the workplace. The pros and cons of the experience are discussed from three points of view: that of trainers, institutions and students. The informatikon obtained from all three parties has revealed both strong and weak points of the process, but it helped to know what happened outside and inside the classroom for both sides—PSIT students and trainers, on the one hand, and providers of public services on the other. Conclusions serve as feedback and are taken into account when trying to improve educational aspects.

Het zelfbeeld van sociaal tolken, een miskend en onderschat beroep

Abstract Public service interpreters (sociaal tolken in Dutch) – who work in hospitals and legal settings (such as courts and police stations) – play a fundamental role in the communication and integration process of allochtonous people. It is therefore not surprising that the final report of the Special Interest Group of Translation and Interpreting for Public Services points out that the profession is referred to as: ‘not just a matter of communication, but a matter of natural rights, of human rights: rights to be promoted, defended and guaranteed’ (SIGTIPS Final Report 2011, p. 7). Despite its significant social function, public service interpreting still lacks professionalization, even though the situation often changes from country to country. In some European countries, privatization and outsourcing of public service interpreting result in the violation of the right to linguistic assistance in public services, a phenomenon which has had significant repercussions not only at social level, but also on interpreters’ self-perception of their status. Drawing on Inghilleri’s theories on the way in which macro-social features have an impact on interpreting (2004; 2007), the present contribution presents the findings of a survey on the professional status of 39 public service interpreters working in The Netherlands, a multicultural and multilingual country where the provision of interpreting services has been particularly impacted by national policies. Special attention will be paid to the following questionnaire sections: income, perception of status, social value and the future of the profession.

Experimental Analysis of Service Providers’ Assessment of Interpreter Mediated Communication

Modern world is characterized by a high degree of multilingualism as developed countries experience an inflow of immigrants. The attitude to them in host societies varies considerably. This unavoidably triggers some changes in the attitude to public service interpreters, whose professional goal is to eliminate language barriers for people with limited language proficiency in their communication with public institutions. The purpose of the article is to carry out experimental analysis of service providers’ assessment of interpreter mediated communication in healthcare and legal settings from two perspectives: professional and social. The authors conducted a survey on medical professionals’ and court personnel's opinion of interpreter mediated communication. For this purpose we worked out a questionnaire consisting of seven questions universal for both categories of the respondents. Both medical and legal professionals assess their experience of interpreter assisted communication as positive in terms of effectiveness, respect for professional roles and promoting institutional values. However, this holds true only in case of professional interpreters. Medical professionals tend to be frustrated by interpretation done by ad hoc interpreters, usually patients’ relatives. In turn, legal professionals, especially at pre-trial stage, tend to have less difficulties working with ad hoc interpreters, they evidence greater preparedness to such communication and appear to be more in control, comparing to medical professionals.

Healthcare Videos Addressed to the Migrant Population: From Intercultural Mediation to Transcreation

Population movements result in multilingual and multicultural societies. Apart from the great amount of foreigners from different nationalities who visit Spain each year for short stays, during the last decades we have witnessed a great increase in the number of long-term students, workers and retired people who choose Spain as their destination. The need to reach and involve these groups of the population in healthcare promotion campaigns has challenged the role of public service interpreters and translators, who have been involved in the translation and elaboration of leaflets, posters, and also videos in a variety of languages. The objects of study of this piece of research are videos published in Spain addressed particularly to the migrant population. Our departure point is a reflection on the effectiveness of these videos. If they are to reach the migrant populations, who possess different ways of conceptualising and understanding health and care, may have different communication styles, and, of course, speak languages different from that of the health provider, it might be appropriate for the videos to be adapted. Just as advertising is transcreated in order to efficiently reach members of different cultures to persuade them, so health promotion campaigns should also be the object of transformation. The aim of this research is, thus, to analyse healthcare videos addressed to the migrant population in Spain to determine the kind of adaptations performed. The theoretical framework for this study is based on intercultural communication and public service translation. The methodology derives from a variety of disciplines, which include discourse analysis, publicity and advertising, ethnography, and sociology.

La enseñanza de la interpretación jurídica online. Experiencias docentes en un programa oficial de postgrado

En el curso 2006-2007 se inició en la Universidad de Alcalá (UAH) en Máster Oficial en Comunicación Intercultural, Interpretación y Traducción en los Servicios Públicos...

The Professional Status of Public Service Interpreters. A Comparison with Nurses

Abstract: This paper aims to investigate the relationship between the professional status of public service interpreters and that which sociologists (Etzioni, 1969; Abbott and Meerabeau, 1998) have attributed to semi-professionals such as nurses. Drawing on the sociological theories of professionalization (Albrecht et al., 2003) and on certain hypotheses suggested by interpreting scholars (Sela-Sheffy and Shlesinger, 2011), the concept of semi-profession will be defined and discussed. Subsequently, the three sociological features shared by the two professions – the lack of specialised training, increasing feminisation and the caring nature of their tasks – will be analysed from a sociological perspective. To test these assumptions, the results of a global questionnaire on the status of public service interpreters – which gathered 888 responses – will be illustrated and commented. The data showed a close relationship between the two professions, which appears to confirm the hypothesis that nurses and public service interpreters are still following the path towards full professionalization.Resumen: Mediante este trabajo pretendemos analizar la relación entre el estatus profesional de los intérpretes de SSPP y el estatus que algunos sociólogos (Etzioni, 1969; Abbott and Meerabeau, 1998) han atribuido a semiprofesionales como las enfermeras. Basándonos en las teorías sobre el proceso de profesionalización (Albrecht et al., 2003) y en las hipótesis sugeridas por algunos estudiosos de interpretación (Sela-Sheffy y Shlesinger, 2011), vamos a definir y discutir el concepto de semiprofesión. Además, las tres principales características sociológicas comunes a las dos profesiones – la falta de educación especializada, la creciente feminización y la actitud solidaria de algunas de las tareas que desarrollan – se analizarán desde una perspectiva sociológica. Para probar estas afirmaciones, los resultados de una encuensta global sobre el estatus profesional de los intérpretes que trabajan en los SSPP – que obtuvo 888 respuestas – serán analizados y comentados. La evidencia ha mostrado una relación cercana entre las dos profesiones, que parece validar la hipótesis de que la interpretación de SSPP y la enfermería todavía están siguendo el camino hacia una mayor profesionalización.

Etica, filosofia e mediazione linguistica: dall’Etica della filosofia occidentale al codice deontologico della mediazione linguistica

Abstract – Over the last few years, the issue of professional ethics has received much attention in the field of interpreting and translation, and in particular in the field of Community Interpreting (CI) or Public Service Interpreting (PSI). (In this chapter we will refer to CI or PSI in Italian as ‘Mediazione Linguistica’.) Today, ‘ethics’ figures prominently in the literature, in international conferences, in interpreting courses, in translation/interpreting mailing lists as well as in the working lives of professional interpreters. As an object of theoretical inquiry (meta-ethics) as well as a guide for human conduct (normative ethics), ethics has been a prime focus of Western moral philosophy since the time of the Ancient Greeks. This chapter situates the main ethical tenets of the CI/PSI interpreting profession within the framework of the main principles of moral philosophy, namely notions of ‘good’, ‘virtue’, ‘duty’, ‘responsibility’, ‘utility’ and ‘consequence of actions’. The three principal ethical tenets of CI/PSI discussed in this chapter, Accuracy, Impartiality and Confidentiality, were identified on the basis of a general literature review and more specifically from a variegated (and to some degree representative) sample of CI/PSI Codes of Ethics. The chapter argues that there is an underlying connection between the principal tenets of moral philosophy and those of the interpreting profession (which mirror similar ethical principles in other professions). The tenet of Accuracy could be seen as a ‘contract’ between interpreter and client, interpreter and source, interpreter and text/translation process/profession. The chapter situates the interpreter’s sense of duty and responsibility towards this tenet at an individual and collective level, within the Kantian tradition of Duty. The other two tenets – impartiality and confidentiality – safeguard the interpreter’s conduct towards the source (author/speaker), professional community and institution as well as towards the receiver (reader/listener).

La interpretación en contextos de violencia de género con referencia al caso español

Official statistics show that the prevalence of gender-based violence (gv) in Spain is twice as high among foreign women, who are particularly vulnerable to this type of violence for different reasons. Spanish authorities have taken measures aimed at creating a comprehensive system of public resources to meet the needs of victims. However, if many GV victims fail to come forward for help for different reasons, foreign victims must also face language barriers. The current official support network does not include specific language services for these women, and interpreting in gv cases follows the pattern of Public Service Interpreting (psi), which means that communication problems are solved with non-professional solutions more often than not. Against this background, this paper will discuss the particular complexity of communication in gv contexts which demands that interpreters develop specific competences. Without the proper qualification of interpreters and professionalisation of language services, foreign victims of gv can be revictimised by the very same system envisaged to guarantee the rights and safety of all women, regardless of their nationality, national or ethnic origin, race, religion, or other status.

The impact of emotional and psychological factors on public service interpreters: Preliminary studies

The impact of psychological and emotional factors on public service interpreters is widely accepted by those working in the field, yet studies on the matter remain sparse. Drawing on research conducted in the early 21st century, this paper presents various preliminary studies (Master theses) by students of the European Masters in Intercultural Communication, Public Service Interpreting and Translation at the Universidad de Alcalá de Henares (Madrid, Spain). The main objective of the current review is to determine whether conclusions from previous research are reproducible in new contexts (in particular, the context explored is Spain in the second decade of the 21st century). The subject matter of the studies includes challenges facing non-professional interpreters in different settings; the influence of emotional and psychological factors on conference interpreters, public service interpreters and public service interpreting (PSI) students; interpreting in mental health; and burnout syndrome in PSI. Data for the research has been drawn from interviews and questionnaires. A review of past research on PSI illustrates that interpreters in public services perform their task in challenging settings that are fraught with delicate content, that they are exposed to significant psychological and emotional stress, are expected to perform numerous occupational tasks, and finally, that they are subjected to ever-changing physical, psychological and environmental conditions. The subsequent review of more recent research lends further credibility to past findings and furthermore highlights the need for training in coping with the situations and tensions that have been demonstrated to affect the PSI interpreter’s work.

The influence of governmental policy on public service interpreting in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, the government has become involved in public service interpreting by issuing measures shaping the professional conditions for interpreters and by monitoring the quality of their services. Under the Sworn Interpreters and Translators Act (2007) a register was set up for interpreters who meet predefined requirements for “basic interpreter competencies”. According to the 2007 Act, institutions in the legal domain as well as in the immigration and police services are obliged to work exclusively with certified interpreters. In this way, the government has contributed to the professionalization of legal interpreting. In recent years however, this development has been reversed in other sectors of public service interpreting (PSI). Some forms of PSI, it would seem, are more equal than others. In public health for example, there are only advisory regulations concerning the use of interpreters, and there is no obligation to work with certified interpreters. Although the government was initially involved in the administration and financing of interpreting agencies in all the fields of PSI, over the years it has gradually transferred this responsibility to the users of these services. In 2012, the government stopped most of its funding of healthcare interpreting. In spite of the presence of several indicators of professionalization of interpreters in the Netherlands, such as certification, a code of ethics, compensation and a system of continuing education for interpreters, their effectiveness is limited because they concern only interpreters working in the legal domain or in immigration and police services. The level of professionalization in PSI as a whole could be increased if the government were to implement its theoretical stance that both legal and healthcare interpreting are matters of public interest enshrined in the Dutch law, and if other fields of PSI besides legal interpreting were included in the existing framework for certification, training and continuing education.

Getting organized to beat Babel in multilingual service encounters: The European Network for Public Service Interpreting and Translation (ENPSIT)

People are on the move, coming in from beyond the borders of the European Union and circulating within it. Our major cities in particular are rapidly becoming “super-diverse” communities with many different (cultural) minorities. Many immigrant groups are, at least in the initial phase of their residence in a new community, often unable to communicate effectively in the official language. This poses important challenges for public service providers, who ought to be able to ensure equal access to their services to anyone who requires them. Yet, not all public service providers in Europe are prepared or equipped to operate in such a multilingual environment, and in many countries both comprehensive policies and structural funding are still lacking. As a result, public service interpreting and translation are available and made use of very unevenly. Following earlier initiatives to put public service interpreting and translation (PSIT) on the agendas of the European Commission and EU member states, such as the report drawn up by the European Language Council’s Special Interest Group on Translation and Interpreting for Public Services (SIGTIPS) in 2011, more recently the European Network for Public Service Interpreting and Translation (ENPSIT) was founded. Its main aims are to have the right to high-quality language assistance in service contexts officially recognized, and to see the development of (harmonized) public service interpreter and translator training, assessment and accreditation across the EU. This paper sketches (i) the societal framework within which PSIT provision is organized, (ii) how ENPSIT wishes to deploy strategies to influence European and national policy-making as well as foster excellent PSIT training and quality assurance, and (iii) how the fight for optimal communication in public services is not, nor should be, restricted to improving PSIT.

Interpreted communication with children in Public-Sector Services

Many areas of the public sector, including, for example, healthcare and social services, are experiencing a growing need for interpreters in order to enable or facilitate communication. Although public service interpreters interpret mainly between adults, they are also sometimes called upon to interpret for children. This article argues that shifting from a monolingual to a multilingual perspective may assist public service professionals when planning and conducting meetings with children from ethnic minority backgrounds. In addition, such a perspective may improve our theoretical understanding of interpreter-mediated communication. The proposed adoption of a multilingual perspective is based on research into multilingualism, and on a review of the literature concerning interpreter-mediated communication with children.

Problems and strategies in public service interpreting as perceived by a sample of Chinese-Catalan/Spanish interpreters

ABSTRACT Problems and strategies have been widely discussed in Translation and Interpreting Studies, but they have received scarce attention in the field of Public Service Interpreting (PSI). On the basis of interviews with 20 public service interpreters working in the Chinese-Catalan/Spanish combination, this article analyses their answers in relation to the problems and difficulties they usually encounter, which are classified into two categories: word level and discourse level. Different ideas on curriculum design and training approaches are suggested and discussed on the basis of this analysis, while also considering that most interpreters had not received formal training in PSI at the moment of the interviews.

Traumatiske reaksjoner hos tolker i offentlig sektor


 
 
 This article aims to see how traumatic reactions may influence public service interpreters in their interpreting performance. It looks at relevant research results and refers to reflective reports and written examinations about secondary traumatic stress and other psychological reactions written by interpreters that attended a one-semester study programme in public service interpreting at Telemark University College in 2004.
 The article is divided into three parts starting with a definition of the key concept used to describe traumatic reactions that may arise when meeting traumatised people. Thereafter it briefly presents neurophysiologic research results that show a relation between emotional reactions and the interpreting process.
 Part two describes the content of the above mentioned one semester programme in interpreting that included the topic of interpreting in emotional challenging situations and part three connects the students’ reflections to the key concepts around traumatic reactions and analyses how this topic may be integrated in interpreting studies.
 
 

Understanding new hybrid professions: Bourdieu, illusio and the case of public service interpreters

Public spending reductions across the advanced capitalist world are creating new professions that have a ‘hybrid’ status and/or role. However, research on professional learning has paid little attention to them. This qualitative study of one such profession, public service interpreting (PSI), addresses that lacuna. The paper focuses on interpreters’ interactions with other professionals and with migrants using public services. It evokes Bourdieu’s important but neglected concept of illusio – the extent to which players invest commitment in the stakes of a field – to frame the analysis. This highlights the lack of autonomy for PSI, interpreters’ own ambiguous illusio, and their conflicts with the illusio of more powerful professions with which they must work. We conclude that there is a need for more research on the power relations between new hybrid professions and established professions, and that Bourdieu’s illusio is a potent analytical concept for this task.

Hacia una especialización en interpretación en el ámbito de la violencia de género: investigación, formación y profesionalización

In the past few years the academic and scientific community has shown increased interest in the field of Public Service Translation and Interpreting. This has clearly highlighted the importance of training and professionalization to ensure the provision of top quality language mediation services. Interpreting in the field of gender-based violence is no exception. Providing language mediation to foreign victims in different areas and stages of gender violence assistance services involves specific features which would seem to require further specialized training for the public service interpreters involved. This paper intends to provide an overview of such specific needs for specialized training, analyze the experience of other countries in this area, and outline possible ways to achieve the necessary specialization from the standpoint of research, training and professional practice.

Asioimistulkkauksen toimijuudet

Public service interpreting is a practice in which different agents collaborate in a wide array of communicative situations. At the same time, these heterogeneous situations are regimented by strict institutional, structural, and professional constraints. Thus, agency, i.e. functional ability based on individual identities and cultural models, materialized through collective activities, is a particularly challenging field of inquiry in such settings. This collaborative paper aims at examining agency in public service interpreting from the perspectives of a researcher specialized in the theory of agency, a public service interpreter who is also a researcher, and the head of a public interpreting service agency. Therefore, the goal is to combine theory and practice and bring together different stakeholders’ points of view. Through this critical examination of the notion of agency, the authors aim at identifying a common ground that could function as a basis for a more cooperative model of agency in this context. The paper originates from a panel organized at the Finnish Symposium on Translation and Interpreting Studies held at the University of Tampere in April 2014.