Papers in Interpreting and Translation by Maria Gomez Amich
Todorova, M., & Ruiz Rosendo, L. (2021). Interpreting conflict: A comparative framework. London: Palgrave MacMillan., 2021
Modern warfare is nowadays primarily based on joint-military operations carried out by internatio... more Modern warfare is nowadays primarily based on joint-military operations carried out by internationally-deployed armies applying a series of strategies that require interaction with local security forces and civilians. When there is no common language, however, interpreters in conflict zones (ICZ) play a key role in opening lines of communication. Gómez-Amich offers a much-needed analysis of how military personnel perceive the role and agency played by ICZ in Afghanistan. This chapter draws on data collected through two separate series of narrative interviews with the Spanish troops stationed in Afghanistan (NATO ISAF 2003-2015), and with Afghan interpreters who were locally recruited. Results evidence how issues such as identity, ideology and interdependency actively challenge the traditional narrative of the interpreter as an invisible and impartial facilitator of communication.
Barranco-Droege, Rafael Solving the riddle of interpreting quality: dimensions and challenges. Granada: Comares. ISBN 978-84-9045-914-0., 2020
We live in a planet dominated by unbroken conflict in which the figure of the interpreter in conf... more We live in a planet dominated by unbroken conflict in which the figure of the interpreter in conflict zones (ICZ) has been present since ancient times. Tragic situations such as war and conflict are the breeding grounds in which ICZ have acquired and developed their language skills. These interpreters rarely have any previous training in interpreting techniques and consequently tend to learn the job on the ground. The law of supply and demand rules the hiring procedures in conflict zones and consequently, armed forces deployed to foreign lands tend to prioritise a series of particular requirements when recruiting ICZ. Aspects such as family history, ideology and ethnicity, as well as certain traits, such as being flexible, obedient, resourceful and trustworthy appear best suited to fulfilling the troops’ key needs on the ground. This paper, which is based on a much larger doctoral research project (Gómez-Amich 2017), draws upon a series of semi-structured, in-depth narrative interviews with five local interpreters from Afghanistan who worked for the Spanish troops deployed in that country as part of the NATO ISAF mission between 2003 and late 2014. The results of this study suggest that untrained interpreters adapt their performance to what they believe are the parties’ needs and expectations, which are framed within very particular and sometimes dramatically dissimilar cultures. At the same time, the way they judge their own performance appears to be informed by their ideas about the role of an ICZ.
Although irregular warfare (IW) is considered the oldest form of warfare, the war scenarios have ... more Although irregular warfare (IW) is considered the oldest form of warfare, the war scenarios have considerably changed in the 21st century. Nowadays, IW seems to plague much of the non-Western world (White, Some Thoughts on Irregular Warfare) and, consequently, new actors,
strategies and approaches have been brought into play, resulting into a new balance between State and Non-State organizations. Accordingly, and considering that “winning the war has ceased to mean only the annihilation of the enemy, but also transforming civilians into allies in the theatre of war” (Cumming, Influencing the Population: 43) collaborations between civilians and military personnel – based, among others, on new warfare tactics such as Petraeus’ Cultural Awareness concept – have been adopted. This may bring up, however, numerous concerns, including communication challenges when there is no common language. The interpreter in conflict zones (ICZ) funnels two or more realities in such contexts. This paper draws on five narrative interviews
with five local ICZs from Afghanistan who supported and worked for the Spanish troops deployed in that country until the end of 2014. The main objective was to explore the life stories of these five locally-recruited interpreters who were born and raised a in a war-torn country, and to understand their perceptions regarding a series of aspects that, besides being closely related to their human nature – identity, culture, ideology and loyalty – tend to enhance, as per our initial hypothesis, the danger inherent in the local interpreter’s “otherness”, leading to a number of dilemmas including autonomous vs. heteronymous (see Cronin, The Empire Talks Back), civilian interpreter’s involvement vs. mistrust, or traditional enemy vs. irregular actors. The conclusions of this research
study highlight a series of regularities among ICZs’ narratives with regard to how they experienced war, loyalty, and role as ICZs, all analysed from both the personal and the professional dimensions.
PhD dissertation - University of Granada (Spain), 2017
Introduction and conclusions in English: http://digibug.ugr.es/handle/10481/47868
Undoubtedly, Secret Intelligence Services' stories are based on people. And so is this article, w... more Undoubtedly, Secret Intelligence Services' stories are based on people. And so is this article, which presents a new insight through a unique testimony from a narrative interview of an MI6 veteran linguist whose existence was kept highly guarded for more than 40 years. Drawing on first-hand testimony and a range of historical publications, this article presents a thematic study of key details about the decoding, translating and indexing activities performed by MI6 veterans. It is interwoven with data collected from a three-and-a-half hour interview which was subsequently manually analysed according to keywords and themes. Owing to the small corpus, this article does not seek to draw any conclusions but rather to serve as a tribute to all those who worked with languages at MI6 sections during World War II.
Revista Traditori
Número 4, marzo 2013
Las guerras y las zonas de conflicto han sido y siguen... more Revista Traditori
Número 4, marzo 2013
Las guerras y las zonas de conflicto han sido y siguen siendo parte de nuestras vidas. No conocen de fronteras, ni culturas, etnias o lenguas. Las armas utilizadas en las zonas de conflicto son de naturaleza militar, política, económica, ideológica, cultural (Baigorri y Fernández: 2010) y, por supuesto, lingüística. Muy pocos nos paramos a pensar: ¿cómo puede un iraquí entender a los soldados americanos si no comparten un idioma común? La lengua, una de las herramientas más poderosas, es empleada para ejercer control, dominar y manipular (Bahadir: 2010) y desempeña un papel imprescindible en el duelo que la guerra representa. La existencia de líneas de comunicación entre superpotencias necesita figuras que sean capaces de aunar realidades lingüístico-culturales a veces completamente diferentes entre sí.
Nawa Journal of Language and Communication
Volume 7.2, December 2013
Years ago it would have ... more Nawa Journal of Language and Communication
Volume 7.2, December 2013
Years ago it would have been difficult to believe that Afghan, Farsi, Serbo
-
Croatian or Pashto would
be strategic languages
today. History proves that conflicts are breeding grounds for language interpreters, creating ideal conditions for learning, practising and using a language. From the First World War in 1914, to current or recent conflicts in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq or Libya, we have
witnessed how these tragic situations allow for natives to work in their own minority languages in the heart of the conflict, even though most lack professional training. In any other sphere of professional interpreting activity it would be unacceptable to hire an interpreter with no proper training in linguistics or interpreting techniques. This is not the case in conflict zones, where the law of supply and demand rules. Without conflict interpreters, (invading) armies could be at a disadvantage. So too could international journalists without their language “fixers” or NGOs and peace activists without their language mediators. These language specialists are an integral part of our collective history, yet their existence is unknown to many.
Key words : interpreting, conflict zones, military interpreters,
terps, intercultural communication, international conflict, fixers.
Publicado en prensa, La Tribuna de Toledo, 10 de octubre de 2013.
Conference Presentations by Maria Gomez Amich
They are the voice and the ears of journalists, international organizations, troops, and humanita... more They are the voice and the ears of journalists, international organizations, troops, and humanitarian workers. Without them, we would be at significant disadvantage within the war/conflict arena. Several studies have proved that war and conflicts are a breeding ground for them, creating ideal conditions for learning a language that will later help them find employment. They are an integral piece of our collective history, yet their existence is unknown to many of us.
This paper examines interpreters and fixers -two professions that are critical in conflict zones, yet they do not enjoy the recognition they deserve.
Years ago it would have been difficult to believe that Afghan, Farsi, Serbo-Croatian or Pashto wo... more Years ago it would have been difficult to believe that Afghan, Farsi, Serbo-Croatian or Pashto would be strategic languages today. History had proved that war and international armed conflict are a breeding ground for language interpreters, creating ideal conditions for learning, practicing and using a language.
Since the First World War in 1914, to current armed conflict in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq or Libya, we have witnessed how these tragic situations allow for natives to work in their own minority languages in the heart of the conflict, even though most lack professional training. In any other sphere of professional interpreting activity it would be unacceptable to hire an interpreter with no proper training in linguistics or interpreting techniques. This is not the case in war zones, where the law of supply and demand rules. Without war interpreters, invading armies could be at a disadvantage. So too, could war journalists without their language fixers, or NGOs, or peace activists without their linguistic mediators. These language specialists are an integral piece of our collective history, yet their existence is unknown to many of us.
Papers in Spanish as a Foreign Language by Maria Gomez Amich
La importancia de incorporar al aula ELE una serie de elementos que van más allá de la gramática ... more La importancia de incorporar al aula ELE una serie de elementos que van más allá de la gramática es algo en lo que los docentes solemos coincidir cada vez más. Sin embargo, el empleo de contenidos relacionados con la historia y el uso de esta como herramienta didáctica no resulta tan frecuente. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo destacar la practicidad de considerar la historia como una herramienta didáctica y el potencial didáctico que esta tiene en nuestra aula de ELE.
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Papers in Interpreting and Translation by Maria Gomez Amich
strategies and approaches have been brought into play, resulting into a new balance between State and Non-State organizations. Accordingly, and considering that “winning the war has ceased to mean only the annihilation of the enemy, but also transforming civilians into allies in the theatre of war” (Cumming, Influencing the Population: 43) collaborations between civilians and military personnel – based, among others, on new warfare tactics such as Petraeus’ Cultural Awareness concept – have been adopted. This may bring up, however, numerous concerns, including communication challenges when there is no common language. The interpreter in conflict zones (ICZ) funnels two or more realities in such contexts. This paper draws on five narrative interviews
with five local ICZs from Afghanistan who supported and worked for the Spanish troops deployed in that country until the end of 2014. The main objective was to explore the life stories of these five locally-recruited interpreters who were born and raised a in a war-torn country, and to understand their perceptions regarding a series of aspects that, besides being closely related to their human nature – identity, culture, ideology and loyalty – tend to enhance, as per our initial hypothesis, the danger inherent in the local interpreter’s “otherness”, leading to a number of dilemmas including autonomous vs. heteronymous (see Cronin, The Empire Talks Back), civilian interpreter’s involvement vs. mistrust, or traditional enemy vs. irregular actors. The conclusions of this research
study highlight a series of regularities among ICZs’ narratives with regard to how they experienced war, loyalty, and role as ICZs, all analysed from both the personal and the professional dimensions.
https://www.lourdesderioja.com/2018/06/05/the-interpreter-a-neutral-go-between/
Número 4, marzo 2013
Las guerras y las zonas de conflicto han sido y siguen siendo parte de nuestras vidas. No conocen de fronteras, ni culturas, etnias o lenguas. Las armas utilizadas en las zonas de conflicto son de naturaleza militar, política, económica, ideológica, cultural (Baigorri y Fernández: 2010) y, por supuesto, lingüística. Muy pocos nos paramos a pensar: ¿cómo puede un iraquí entender a los soldados americanos si no comparten un idioma común? La lengua, una de las herramientas más poderosas, es empleada para ejercer control, dominar y manipular (Bahadir: 2010) y desempeña un papel imprescindible en el duelo que la guerra representa. La existencia de líneas de comunicación entre superpotencias necesita figuras que sean capaces de aunar realidades lingüístico-culturales a veces completamente diferentes entre sí.
Volume 7.2, December 2013
Years ago it would have been difficult to believe that Afghan, Farsi, Serbo
-
Croatian or Pashto would
be strategic languages
today. History proves that conflicts are breeding grounds for language interpreters, creating ideal conditions for learning, practising and using a language. From the First World War in 1914, to current or recent conflicts in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq or Libya, we have
witnessed how these tragic situations allow for natives to work in their own minority languages in the heart of the conflict, even though most lack professional training. In any other sphere of professional interpreting activity it would be unacceptable to hire an interpreter with no proper training in linguistics or interpreting techniques. This is not the case in conflict zones, where the law of supply and demand rules. Without conflict interpreters, (invading) armies could be at a disadvantage. So too could international journalists without their language “fixers” or NGOs and peace activists without their language mediators. These language specialists are an integral part of our collective history, yet their existence is unknown to many.
Key words : interpreting, conflict zones, military interpreters,
terps, intercultural communication, international conflict, fixers.
Conference Presentations by Maria Gomez Amich
This paper examines interpreters and fixers -two professions that are critical in conflict zones, yet they do not enjoy the recognition they deserve.
Since the First World War in 1914, to current armed conflict in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq or Libya, we have witnessed how these tragic situations allow for natives to work in their own minority languages in the heart of the conflict, even though most lack professional training. In any other sphere of professional interpreting activity it would be unacceptable to hire an interpreter with no proper training in linguistics or interpreting techniques. This is not the case in war zones, where the law of supply and demand rules. Without war interpreters, invading armies could be at a disadvantage. So too, could war journalists without their language fixers, or NGOs, or peace activists without their linguistic mediators. These language specialists are an integral piece of our collective history, yet their existence is unknown to many of us.
Papers in Spanish as a Foreign Language by Maria Gomez Amich
strategies and approaches have been brought into play, resulting into a new balance between State and Non-State organizations. Accordingly, and considering that “winning the war has ceased to mean only the annihilation of the enemy, but also transforming civilians into allies in the theatre of war” (Cumming, Influencing the Population: 43) collaborations between civilians and military personnel – based, among others, on new warfare tactics such as Petraeus’ Cultural Awareness concept – have been adopted. This may bring up, however, numerous concerns, including communication challenges when there is no common language. The interpreter in conflict zones (ICZ) funnels two or more realities in such contexts. This paper draws on five narrative interviews
with five local ICZs from Afghanistan who supported and worked for the Spanish troops deployed in that country until the end of 2014. The main objective was to explore the life stories of these five locally-recruited interpreters who were born and raised a in a war-torn country, and to understand their perceptions regarding a series of aspects that, besides being closely related to their human nature – identity, culture, ideology and loyalty – tend to enhance, as per our initial hypothesis, the danger inherent in the local interpreter’s “otherness”, leading to a number of dilemmas including autonomous vs. heteronymous (see Cronin, The Empire Talks Back), civilian interpreter’s involvement vs. mistrust, or traditional enemy vs. irregular actors. The conclusions of this research
study highlight a series of regularities among ICZs’ narratives with regard to how they experienced war, loyalty, and role as ICZs, all analysed from both the personal and the professional dimensions.
https://www.lourdesderioja.com/2018/06/05/the-interpreter-a-neutral-go-between/
Número 4, marzo 2013
Las guerras y las zonas de conflicto han sido y siguen siendo parte de nuestras vidas. No conocen de fronteras, ni culturas, etnias o lenguas. Las armas utilizadas en las zonas de conflicto son de naturaleza militar, política, económica, ideológica, cultural (Baigorri y Fernández: 2010) y, por supuesto, lingüística. Muy pocos nos paramos a pensar: ¿cómo puede un iraquí entender a los soldados americanos si no comparten un idioma común? La lengua, una de las herramientas más poderosas, es empleada para ejercer control, dominar y manipular (Bahadir: 2010) y desempeña un papel imprescindible en el duelo que la guerra representa. La existencia de líneas de comunicación entre superpotencias necesita figuras que sean capaces de aunar realidades lingüístico-culturales a veces completamente diferentes entre sí.
Volume 7.2, December 2013
Years ago it would have been difficult to believe that Afghan, Farsi, Serbo
-
Croatian or Pashto would
be strategic languages
today. History proves that conflicts are breeding grounds for language interpreters, creating ideal conditions for learning, practising and using a language. From the First World War in 1914, to current or recent conflicts in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq or Libya, we have
witnessed how these tragic situations allow for natives to work in their own minority languages in the heart of the conflict, even though most lack professional training. In any other sphere of professional interpreting activity it would be unacceptable to hire an interpreter with no proper training in linguistics or interpreting techniques. This is not the case in conflict zones, where the law of supply and demand rules. Without conflict interpreters, (invading) armies could be at a disadvantage. So too could international journalists without their language “fixers” or NGOs and peace activists without their language mediators. These language specialists are an integral part of our collective history, yet their existence is unknown to many.
Key words : interpreting, conflict zones, military interpreters,
terps, intercultural communication, international conflict, fixers.
This paper examines interpreters and fixers -two professions that are critical in conflict zones, yet they do not enjoy the recognition they deserve.
Since the First World War in 1914, to current armed conflict in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq or Libya, we have witnessed how these tragic situations allow for natives to work in their own minority languages in the heart of the conflict, even though most lack professional training. In any other sphere of professional interpreting activity it would be unacceptable to hire an interpreter with no proper training in linguistics or interpreting techniques. This is not the case in war zones, where the law of supply and demand rules. Without war interpreters, invading armies could be at a disadvantage. So too, could war journalists without their language fixers, or NGOs, or peace activists without their linguistic mediators. These language specialists are an integral piece of our collective history, yet their existence is unknown to many of us.