Transcript Interpreting services in legal and medical settings in

Training Legal Interpreters and Translators
in Response to the New Directive
Gertrud Hofer
Zurich University of Applied Sciences
Centre for Continuing Professional Education
Eulita, Madrid, 15./16.3.2012
Gertrud Hofer, ZHAW
Great expectations by legal professionals
Linguistic/interpreting prerequisites
• Precision as to content (≠ translate word for word!)
• Completeness of interpreting
• Linguistic competence in 2 languages
• Cultural awareness
• Terminological expertise
• Specialised knowledge and vocabulary
Legal prerequisites
• No police record
• No contact to criminal persons
• Availability
Eulita, Madrid, 15./16.3.2012
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Great expectations call for qualification
To guarantee a fair trial interpreters must be qualified!
• Qualified interpreters must be in command of all interpreting techniques
 Consecutive interpreting
 Simultaneous (Whispering)
 Sight translation
• Specialised legal knowledge
• Socio-cultural awareness
• Professional ethics
Eulita, Madrid, 15./16.3.2012
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Options of training curricula
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B.A. Curriculum
M.A. Curriculum
Curriculum of Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
Eulita, Madrid, 15./16.3.2012
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B.A./M.A. programmes
Advantages
• Widely accepted degrees
• University trainers
→
Linguistic competence
→
Pedagogical experience
• Guaranteed length of training (180 ECTS)
• Government funding
• European Transfer Credits
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B.A./M.A. programmes: It can be done!
German-speaking countries
B.A. Curriculum
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Magdeburg-Stendal (limited range of languages)
•
Karl-Franzen Universität (limited range of languages)
M.A. Curriculum
Magdeburg-Stendal (limited range of languages)
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B.A./M.A. programmes for legal interpreting
Challenges
• Longterm planning
• Constant change of languages (due to migration fluxes)
• Recruitment of trainers
• Background of participants
• Admission of students with varying backgrounds
• Access to register of authorities/courts
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Problem areas
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Range of languages? Constant changes at short notice?
Background of participants?
Background of trainers? Linguistics, interpreting, specialised (legal)
knowledge?
→ complex demands
Eulita, Madrid, 15./16.3.2012
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Wide range of languages
60s
70s
80s
90s
After 2000
2011
INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM «Interpretation Practices and Oral Intercultural Communication», November 20th - 21 st, 2009 – Paris
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Background of participants
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Migrants (first generation)
Bilinguals (second generation)
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Conference Interpreters
Translators
Legal Experts
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Background of trainers
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Experienced Conference Interpreters (train the trainers)
Legal Experts
Language Experts (tandem: Language experts and interpreters)
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Continuing Professional Development: Solving
some of the Problems
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Magdeburg-Stendal (unlimited range of languages)
University of Hamburg (unlimited range of languages)
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Zurich University of Applied Sciences (unlimited range of languages)
Co-operation with Police, Prosecution, Court: Development of training
programme (2 days)
Eulita, Madrid, 15./16.3.2012
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Practical questions arising from
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Trainers
- language-independent courses?
- heterogeneity of participants?
- design of exercises?
- language competence?
- bidirectional interpreting?
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Legal experts (Providers/Trainers)
- 10 golden rules for interpreters?
- number of participants?
- testing methods?
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Course participants
- compatibility with practice at work?
- too much theory taught by conference interpreters?
- note-taking practice?
- course length vs. course outcome?
Eulita, Madrid, 15./16.3.2012
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Main points of discussion with legal experts
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Training target
Training content
Examinations → registration
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Training targets
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To reinforce background knowledge of law and legal procedure
To improve understanding of interpreting process
To further and fine-tune interpreting skills (language-independent)
→ Interdisciplinarity (legal strand/interpreting strand)
→ Introduction of professional standards for legal interpreters
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3 levels of training programmes
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Basic Course
Intermediate Course
Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS)
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CPD Curriculum Level 1 - 3
Level 1: Basic Course
Special legal
knowledge
 introduction to criminal law and civil law
Interpreting
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
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
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
Eulita, Madrid, 15./16.3.2012
Gertrud Hofer, ZHAW
introduction to interpreting techniques
consecutive interpreting (GE-GE)
introduction to note-taking
ethical principles
professional conduct
breathing and voice training
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Level 1: Exam
Special legal
knowledge
 71 questions (multiple choice)
Interpreting
 consecutive interpreting (GE-GE), 150 words
(newspaper articles with legal background)
 Questions on ethics, professional conduct
ECTS
1 (16 lessons + 16 hours of self-study + exam)
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Enforcing compulsory completion of Basic Course
in Canton of Zurich
Provider’s side
• Representatives of Police, Prosecutor and Courts: Favourable opinion on
training
• Emanation of programme: Top-down process of growing acceptance of
need of training
• Other Cantons: Support of training
Interpreters’ side
• Reluctance on the part of «experienced» interpreters (fear of high
standards of conference interpreters, aversion to theoretical parts)
• Interdisciplinary training framework was appreciated
• Overwhelming wish for registration of «new» interpreters after first training
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Outcomes of Basic Course
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Number of interpreters reduced from 1,000 legal interpreters (2003 –
2007) to 550
Number of languages reduced from 120 to 80
Registration by Advisory Panel following examination
Attainment of a minimal quality standard by means of selection
Participants who fail are temporarily or permanently struck off the register
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Promoting Quality management: Test after complaints
Clients of police, prosecution, courts report to the legal experts
Test of 1 hour
• Talk on a legal subject in both languages 20 minutes
• Consecutive interpreting (bidirectional): authentic texts (e. g. protocols,
indictments, judgments)
20 minutes
• Sight translation (2 versions) 20 minutes: authentic texts
•
Results
total
17
recommended
1
partly recommended 4
not recommended
9
special cases
3
Growing interest of clients in test
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Results of cooperation
Co-operation leads to
• higher awareness of all aspects of interpreting and translation
among all the stakeholders (interpreters, trainers, legal professionals)
• awareness of the need for common aims
• trust in another institution
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Programme for legal interpreters
Level 2: Intermediate Course (60 lessons + self study)
Concept: consolidation of interpreting skills with all the subcompetencies
Interpreting
Eulita, Madrid, 15./16.3.2012
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consecutive interpreting GE/GE
note-taking
whispering interpreting
sight translation
ethics
breathing techniques and voice training
internet research techniques
legal terminology
Role plays with legal experts (tandem)
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Level 2: Oral examination
Interpreting
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ETCS
3 (60 lessons + 30 hours self-study + admission exam
for CAS)
Eulita, Madrid, 15./16.3.2012
Gertrud Hofer, ZHAW
consecutive interpreting (GE/GE) 200 words
sight translation 200 words (A – B)
questions on ethics, professional conduct
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Programme for legal interpreters
Level 3: Certificate Course of Advanced Studies
(150 lessons + self study)
Concept based on interdisciplinarity
• Special knowledge: Criminal Law, Civil Law, Aliens Law, Procedural Law
etc.
• Interpreting skills (note-taking, consecutive interpreting GE/GE, whispering
interpreting, sight translation, ethics, breathing techniques and voice
training)
• Internet research techniques, written translation
• Oral exam interpreting (consecutive interpreting GE/GE, professional
conduct, sight translation)
• Written exam: special knowledge, translation of a legal document
(B language into A language); 70% of interpreters also translate
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Module
Interpreting
- Consolidation of interpreting skills
- Consecutive translation (note-taking technique)
- Sight translation
- Whispering interpreting
- role plays with legal experts (tandem)
Module
Terminology/Research
techniques
- Terminology
- Drawing up glossaries
- Research techniques
Module
(Intercultural)
Communication
- Voice training
- Conducting negotiations
Module
Translation Workshop
- Translation Theory
- Guidelines
- Translation Practice
(legal translation, language-specific)
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- Introduction to legal interpreting
Introduction
- Legal professions
Module
Specialised
Knowledge
Eulita, Madrid, 15./16.3.2012
Gertrud Hofer, ZHAW
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General law
Criminal law
Public law
Penal procedures law
Family law
Alien law
Public welfare law
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Level 3: Oral and written examination
Interpreting
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consecutive interpreting (GE/GE) 200 words
sight translation 200 words (A – B)
questions on ethics, professional conduct
Specialised legal
knowledge
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20 questions and cases (open-ended)
Written
translation
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indictment
summary penalty order
judgment
200 words (B-A)
ECTS
Eulita, Madrid, 15./16.3.2012
Gertrud Hofer, ZHAW
15 (160 lessons + 300 hours self-study + exam)
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Outcomes of Intermediate Course and
Certificate Course of Advanced Studies
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Growing interest of participants
Qualifying examinations (specifically mentioned in register)
Pass rates
48 % at Intermediate level (most of them practising legal interpreters)
77 % at Certificate level (international exchange of trainers)
Certificate mentioned in register of Panel at High Court of Canton of Zurich
Attainment of higher quality standards by means of training
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Conclusions
Weaknesses
• Wide range of languages is not covered (Somali, Tigrinya, Tamil)
• Bidirectional interpreting cannot be tested
• Heterogeneity of participants
• Need of samples of texts in various languages (sight translation) and
(video-)taped data in as many languages as possible (interpreting
practice)
Strengths
Professionalisation leads to
• Wider acknowledgement of guidelines for legal interpreters
• More detailed knowledge about legal interpreting as a professional activity
• Better understanding of the need for training programmes
• Better qualified interpreters even with less common languages
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Contributions of and for Eulita
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Accreditation system of Eulita for training programmes for continuing
professional development
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Cooperation of training institutes and associations: short courses in
interpreting and/or translations for specific languages/training for trainers?
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Cooperation of training institutes within the network of Eulita: establishing
training programmes (MAS) for legal interpreting and translation
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Development of e-learning units (authentic data!)
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Collecting/contributing teaching materials for the website of Eulita
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Assistance of trainers from other countries (interpreters, linguists, leegal
experts)
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Thank you for your attention!
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