Interest in online teaching and learning has grown rapidly since the start of the global COVID-19... more Interest in online teaching and learning has grown rapidly since the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic. As universities across the world decided to transfer their teaching provision online, translation and interpreting (T&I) educators faced the daunting task of delivering their courses effectively in this new mode. Common challenges included: designing and administering suitable assessments, ensuring student engagement, and fostering peer collaboration and interaction. Research in the field of online and distance learning provides a rich source of information to address these challenges, and yet, it remains underexplored despite its potential to inform and enhance T&I teaching practices. We introduce this special issue by presenting some fruitful research areas that could provide new directions for T&I pedagogy and improve our students’ remote learning experiences in the future. It is against this backdrop that the special issue was conceived. Contributions cover teaching translation and interpreting at a distance, and contextual issues and trends resulting from the act of teaching T&I online.
Back in 2000, videoconference systems were introduced in criminal courts in Eng-land and Wales so... more Back in 2000, videoconference systems were introduced in criminal courts in Eng-land and Wales so that defendants could attend their pre-trial court hearings from prison. Since then, the number of cases heard via videoconference interpreting technologies has been on the increase. In order to be able to conduct a hearing remotely, courts and prisons are equipped with cameras, screens, microphones, and loudspeakers which link up both locations so that participants can hear and see each other. In terms of research, various reports on the viability of such systems acknowledge the benefits of conducting court hearings remotely, whilst also highlighting shortfalls. Interestingly, most of these studies were carried out in a monolingual setting, and fewer studies examine the impact of videoconference interpreting equipment in multilingual court settings. In this context the interpreter's role, and more particularly her role perception when technologies are used in a courtroom, remains under-explored. This paper will demonstrate that, unlike in face-to-face court hearings, technologies force some interpreters to create split role models.
Her Majesty’s Courts Service in England and Wales has been subject to various changes within the ... more Her Majesty’s Courts Service in England and Wales has been subject to various changes within the past seventeen years. New working methods have been adopted, while the introduction of technologies has revolutionised the legal sphere. Since 2000, courts in England and Wales have indeed been increasingly using videoconference (VC) technologies to speed up the legal process, to enhance security, and to reduce costs, all of this in a context of budgetary constraints. Such VC pieces of equipment mean that all parties are not required to be physically in attendance in court for a case to be heard. In fact, a defendant may attend his pre trial court hearing from his detention centre since the courtroom and the prison will be linked via cameras, screens, and microphones. Interestingly, the court interpreter can be called to interpret in either location. Even though some may embrace the advent of technological tools available in court interpreting, the effect that they may have is still unknown. Some studies have explored various linguistic and para-linguistic features of Videoconference Interpreting (VCI). However, although the court interpreter’s role, from a conduit to that of an active participant, has been widely researched in Interpreting Studies (e.g. Hale, 2008; Martin and Ortega Herráez, 2009), the role of the court interpreter when interpreting via VC systems is an under-researched field. In this context, this thesis examines the interpreter’s perception of her role, whether she is located in court or in prison, through the analysis of eighteen interviews conducted with practising court interpreters. Building on research carried out on the use of VCI in court and the court interpreter’s role in a face to face setting, this study adopts an interdisciplinary approach by examining the interpreter’s role perception through the lens of role-space and that of Actor Network Theory. It is argued that the interpreter’s perception of her role-space varies, depending on whether she considers herself, in Actor-Network Theory terms, as a primum movens or not, alongside the role-space axes of presentation of self, participant alignment, and/or interaction management. Furthermore, the court interpreter deploys many-but-mostly-covert role interessement devices to ensure that the other court actors rally on the interpreter’s perception of her role. This thesis ends with various recommendations as to how the court interpreter can re-align her role-space when interpreting in VCI.
With the implementation of new EU regulations that emphasize on the use of new technologies, Her ... more With the implementation of new EU regulations that emphasize on the use of new technologies, Her Majesty’s Courts Service has been subject to various changes. Since 2002, courts have increasingly been using videoconference (VC) technologies to increase safety, reduce costs, and speed up the legal process. The role of the public service interpreter in an institutionalised setting has been the focus of various studies since the 90s. These led to the development of various frameworks (Wadensjö; 1998, Mason; 2009) anchored in sociological paradigms and allowing the multifaceted role of the public service interpreter in a face-to-face context to be examined. However, the role of the court interpreter when interpreting via VC systems remains under-researched. Despite some studies carried out in this area (such as Braun & Taylor 2011), it is currently unclear whether the use of VC technologies affects the court interpreter’s perception of their role. Although sociology has been used as an interdisciplinary research tool in Translation and Interpreting Studies (Wadensjö, 1998; Inghilleri, 2005; Hannah, 2006), the aim of this paper is to present a lesser-known alternative: Actor-Network Theory, and more particularly, the sociological principle of Translation. This paper will first define the four phases that constitute Translation, namely problematization, interessement, enrolment, and mobilisation (Callon, 1986). It will then suggest how Translation can be applied as a methodology in Translation and Interpreting Studies. It will finally examine how the four phases of Translation can help analyse qualitatively the court interpreter’s perception of their role in VCI through interviews carried out with court interpreters.
Her Majesty’s Courts Service in England and Wales has been subject to various changes within the ... more Her Majesty’s Courts Service in England and Wales has been subject to various changes within the past decade. New working methods have been adopted, while the introduction of new technologies has revolutionised the legal sphere. Since 2002, courts in England and Wales have indeed increasingly been using videoconference (VC) technologies to speed up the legal process and reduce costs, against the backdrop of budgetary constraints. Within this context, an important social actor is the legal interpreter, whose role, according to the UK Interpreter’s Oath, is “to well and faithfully interpret and make true explanation of all such matters and things as shall be required of [him/her] according to the best of [his/her] skill and understanding” between English and a foreign language. The role of the public service interpreter in an institutionalised setting has been the focus of various studies since the 90s. These gave birth to various frameworks (Wadensjö; 1998, Mason; 2009) finding their roots in sociological paradigms and allowing the multifaceted role of the public service interpreter in a face-to-face context to be examined. However, the role of the court interpreter when interpreting via VC systems is an under-researched field. Despite some studies carried out in this area (such as Braun & Taylor 2011), it is currently unclear whether the use of VC technologies affects the role played by the court interpreter. While some studies have been carried out on their use in monolingual court settings, where results suggest that there is only a minimal impact on the proceedings and their outcomes (Fullwood et al.; 2008, Hodges; 2008), some of their findings raise issues that could impact on the role of the interpreter in such environment. This paper therefore aims to contextualise the role of the interpreter within the UK and to highlight features specific to VC interpreting that could alter the role of the court interpreter.
Interest in online teaching and learning has grown rapidly since the start of the global COVID-19... more Interest in online teaching and learning has grown rapidly since the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic. As universities across the world decided to transfer their teaching provision online, translation and interpreting (T&I) educators faced the daunting task of delivering their courses effectively in this new mode. Common challenges included: designing and administering suitable assessments, ensuring student engagement, and fostering peer collaboration and interaction. Research in the field of online and distance learning provides a rich source of information to address these challenges, and yet, it remains underexplored despite its potential to inform and enhance T&I teaching practices. We introduce this special issue by presenting some fruitful research areas that could provide new directions for T&I pedagogy and improve our students’ remote learning experiences in the future. It is against this backdrop that the special issue was conceived. Contributions cover teaching translation and interpreting at a distance, and contextual issues and trends resulting from the act of teaching T&I online
Videoconference (VC) systems have been used in courts in England and Wales for more than fifteen ... more Videoconference (VC) systems have been used in courts in England and Wales for more than fifteen years. However, it can be argued that research into how new technologies and interpreters interact in legal settings is still in its infancy. The aim of this article is to analyse whether court interpreters perceive their role differently when they interpret through VC systems, and whether the location (i.e. if they are present in court or in prison) has an impact upon their perception. This article will adopt an innovative approach by using Actor-Network Theory (ANT), and more precisely the sociological construct of Translation. This framework will be applied to three interviews that were conducted with practising legal interpreters in the UK. It will be posited that interpreters create small networks in an interpreted communicative event, in which they Translate only some of the court actors. To do so, they deploy various devices to influence and rally the other actors behind the inter...
Back in 2000, videoconference systems were introduced in criminal courts in England and Wales so ... more Back in 2000, videoconference systems were introduced in criminal courts in England and Wales so that defendants could attend their pre-trial court hearings from prison. Since then, the number of cases heard via videoconference interpreting technologies has been on the increase. In order to be able to conduct a hearing remotely, courts and prisons are equipped with cameras, screens, microphones, and loud-speakers which link up both locations so that participants can hear and see each other. In terms of research, various reports on the viability of such systems acknowledge the benefits of conducting court hearings remotely, whilst also highlighting shortfalls. Interestingly, most of these studies were carried out in a monolingual setting, and fewer studies examine the impact of videoconference interpreting equipment in multilingual court settings. In this context the interpreter's role, and more particularly her role perception when technologies are used in a courtroom, remains u...
Her Majesty’s Courts Service in England and Wales has been subject to various changes within the ... more Her Majesty’s Courts Service in England and Wales has been subject to various changes within the past seventeen years. New working methods have been adopted, while the introduction of technologies has revolutionised the legal sphere. Since 2000, courts in England and Wales have indeed been increasingly using videoconference (VC) technologies to speed up the legal process, to enhance security, and to reduce costs, all of this in a context of budgetary constraints. Such VC pieces of equipment mean that all parties are not required to be physically in attendance in court for a case to be heard. In fact, a defendant may attend his pre trial court hearing from his detention centre since the courtroom and the prison will be linked via cameras, screens, and microphones. Interestingly, the court interpreter can be called to interpret in either location. Even though some may embrace the advent of technological tools available in court interpreting, the effect that they may have is still unkn...
Videoconference (VC) systems have been used in courts in England and Wales for more than fifteen ... more Videoconference (VC) systems have been used in courts in England and Wales for more than fifteen years. However, it can be argued that research into how new technologies and interpreters interact in legal settings is still in its infancy. The aim of this article is to analyse whether court interpreters perceive their role differently when they interpret through VC systems, and whether the location (i.e. if they are present in court or in prison) has an impact upon their perception. This article will adopt an innovative approach by using Actor-Network Theory (ANT), and more precisely the sociological construct of Translation. This framework will be applied to three interviews that were conducted with practising legal interpreters in the UK. It will be posited that interpreters create small networks in an interpreted communicative event, in which they Translate only some of the court actors. To do so, they deploy various devices to influence and rally the other actors behind the interpreters’ perceptions of their roles. It will also be argued that although Translation has rarely been applied in Translation and Interpreting Studies, it offers new, innovative avenues for research in Interpreting Studies, especially when new technologies are under scrutiny.
Abstract
Her Majesty’s Courts Service in England and Wales has been subject to various changes w... more Abstract Her Majesty’s Courts Service in England and Wales has been subject to various changes within the past fifteen years. New working methods have been adopted, while the introduction of new technologies has revolutionised the legal sphere. Since 2000, courts in England and Wales have indeed increasingly been using videoconference (VC) technologies to speed up the legal process, to enhance security, and to reduce costs, in a context of budgetary constraints. Such VC pieces of equipment mean that all parties are not required to be physically in attendance in court for a case to be heard. In fact, a defendant may attend his own court proceedings from his detention centre since the courtroom and the prison will be linked via cameras, screens, and microphones. Interestingly, the court interpreter can be called to interpret in either location, and Braun and Taylor (2012) differentiate between Videoconference Interpreting A (VCI A), where the court interpreter will be present in court, and Videoconference Interpreting B (VCI B), where she will be with the defendant in prison, for instance. Although some may embrace the advent of new technological tools available in court interpreting, the effect that they may have is still unknown. Some studies have explored linguistic and para-linguistic features of VCI use (Braun and Taylor 2012; Fowler 2012, 2013). However, the role of the court interpreter when interpreting via VC systems is an under-researched field. Notwithstanding the above, the role of the public service interpreter in an institutionalised setting has been the focus of various studies since the 90s. These led to the development of various frameworks (Wadensjö 1998, Mason 2009) allowing the multifaceted role of the public service interpreter in a face-to-face context to be examined. These frameworks were anchored in sociological paradigms based mainly on the works by Goffman and Bourdieu. More recently, Llewelyn-Jones and Lee (2014) designed the concept of Role-Space in Interpreting Studies. Instead of labelling a particular role with various specificities, their study examines the interpreter’s role through three main angles: presentation of self, alignment, and interaction management. As such, their approach paves the way for new research avenues since it conceives the interpreter’s role through a three-dimensional model that unravels role multiplicity and complexity. This paper aims to examine how court interpreters perceive their role when working with new technologies. Interviews conducted with court interpreters will be analysed through the lens of Role-Space. It will be posited that new technologies can create a new and hybrid form of court interpreting, and that the interpreter not only perceives her role differently compared to a face-to-face setting, but her perception will also differ in a VCI A or VCI B context.
With the implementation of new EU regulations that emphasize on the use of new technologies, Her ... more With the implementation of new EU regulations that emphasize on the use of new technologies, Her Majesty’s Courts Service has been subject to various changes. Since 2002, courts have increasingly been using videoconference (VC) technologies to increase safety, reduce costs, and speed up the legal process. The role of the public service interpreter in an institutionalised setting has been the focus of various studies since the 90s. These led to the development of various frameworks (Wadensjö; 1998, Mason; 2009) anchored in sociological paradigms and allowing the multifaceted role of the public service interpreter in a face-to-face context to be examined. However, the role of the court interpreter when interpreting via VC systems remains under-researched. Despite some studies carried out in this area (such as Braun & Taylor 2011), it is currently unclear whether the use of VC technologies affects the court interpreter’s perception of their role. Although sociology has been used as an interdisciplinary research tool in Translation and Interpreting Studies (Wadensjö, 1998; Inghilleri, 2005; Hannah, 2006), the aim of this paper is to present a lesser-known alternative: Actor-Network Theory, and more particularly, the sociological principle of Translation. This paper will first define the four phases that constitute Translation, namely problematization, interessement, enrolment, and mobilisation (Callon, 1986). It will then suggest how Translation can be applied as a methodology in Translation and Interpreting Studies. It will finally examine how the four phases of Translation can help analyse qualitatively the court interpreter’s perception of their role in VCI through interviews carried out with court interpreters.
Her Majesty’s Courts Service in England and Wales has been subject to various changes within the ... more Her Majesty’s Courts Service in England and Wales has been subject to various changes within the past decade. New working methods have been adopted, while the introduction of new technologies has revolutionised the legal sphere. Since 2002, courts in England and Wales have indeed increasingly been using videoconference (VC) technologies to speed up the legal process and reduce costs, against the backdrop of budgetary constraints.
Within this context, an important social actor is the legal interpreter, whose role, according to the UK Interpreter’s Oath, is “to well and faithfully interpret and make true explanation of all such matters and things as shall be required of [him/her] according to the best of [his/her] skill and understanding” between English and a foreign language.
The role of the public service interpreter in an institutionalised setting has been the focus of various studies since the 90s. These gave birth to various frameworks (Wadensjö; 1998, Mason; 2009) finding their roots in sociological paradigms and allowing the multifaceted role of the public service interpreter in a face-to-face context to be examined. However, the role of the court interpreter when interpreting via VC systems is an under-researched field. Despite some studies carried out in this area (such as Braun & Taylor 2011), it is currently unclear whether the use of VC technologies affects the role played by the court interpreter. While some studies have been carried out on their use in monolingual court settings, where results suggest that there is only a minimal impact on the proceedings and their outcomes (Fullwood et al.; 2008, Hodges; 2008), some of their findings raise issues that could impact on the role of the interpreter in such environment.
This paper therefore aims to contextualise the role of the interpreter within the UK and to highlight features specific to VC interpreting that could alter the role of the court interpreter.
Owing to budgetary and time constraints new working methods have been adopted in conference, busi... more Owing to budgetary and time constraints new working methods have been adopted in conference, business and public service settings. New technologies are now forming an integral part of the interpreter’s life. In such contexts, the use of videoconference interpreting and remote interpreting is on the increase. However, research and training in this area are scarce and interpreters often learn on the job.
This presentation aims to present what remote interpreting and videoconference interpreting entail and how they differ. It will then look into the use of new technologies in court settings and how this affects the interpreter. The presentation, based on the latest research and personal experience, will hopefully highlight pitfalls interpreters should be aware of.
Interest in online teaching and learning has grown rapidly since the start of the global COVID-19... more Interest in online teaching and learning has grown rapidly since the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic. As universities across the world decided to transfer their teaching provision online, translation and interpreting (T&I) educators faced the daunting task of delivering their courses effectively in this new mode. Common challenges included: designing and administering suitable assessments, ensuring student engagement, and fostering peer collaboration and interaction. Research in the field of online and distance learning provides a rich source of information to address these challenges, and yet, it remains underexplored despite its potential to inform and enhance T&I teaching practices. We introduce this special issue by presenting some fruitful research areas that could provide new directions for T&I pedagogy and improve our students’ remote learning experiences in the future. It is against this backdrop that the special issue was conceived. Contributions cover teaching translation and interpreting at a distance, and contextual issues and trends resulting from the act of teaching T&I online.
Back in 2000, videoconference systems were introduced in criminal courts in Eng-land and Wales so... more Back in 2000, videoconference systems were introduced in criminal courts in Eng-land and Wales so that defendants could attend their pre-trial court hearings from prison. Since then, the number of cases heard via videoconference interpreting technologies has been on the increase. In order to be able to conduct a hearing remotely, courts and prisons are equipped with cameras, screens, microphones, and loudspeakers which link up both locations so that participants can hear and see each other. In terms of research, various reports on the viability of such systems acknowledge the benefits of conducting court hearings remotely, whilst also highlighting shortfalls. Interestingly, most of these studies were carried out in a monolingual setting, and fewer studies examine the impact of videoconference interpreting equipment in multilingual court settings. In this context the interpreter's role, and more particularly her role perception when technologies are used in a courtroom, remains under-explored. This paper will demonstrate that, unlike in face-to-face court hearings, technologies force some interpreters to create split role models.
Her Majesty’s Courts Service in England and Wales has been subject to various changes within the ... more Her Majesty’s Courts Service in England and Wales has been subject to various changes within the past seventeen years. New working methods have been adopted, while the introduction of technologies has revolutionised the legal sphere. Since 2000, courts in England and Wales have indeed been increasingly using videoconference (VC) technologies to speed up the legal process, to enhance security, and to reduce costs, all of this in a context of budgetary constraints. Such VC pieces of equipment mean that all parties are not required to be physically in attendance in court for a case to be heard. In fact, a defendant may attend his pre trial court hearing from his detention centre since the courtroom and the prison will be linked via cameras, screens, and microphones. Interestingly, the court interpreter can be called to interpret in either location. Even though some may embrace the advent of technological tools available in court interpreting, the effect that they may have is still unknown. Some studies have explored various linguistic and para-linguistic features of Videoconference Interpreting (VCI). However, although the court interpreter’s role, from a conduit to that of an active participant, has been widely researched in Interpreting Studies (e.g. Hale, 2008; Martin and Ortega Herráez, 2009), the role of the court interpreter when interpreting via VC systems is an under-researched field. In this context, this thesis examines the interpreter’s perception of her role, whether she is located in court or in prison, through the analysis of eighteen interviews conducted with practising court interpreters. Building on research carried out on the use of VCI in court and the court interpreter’s role in a face to face setting, this study adopts an interdisciplinary approach by examining the interpreter’s role perception through the lens of role-space and that of Actor Network Theory. It is argued that the interpreter’s perception of her role-space varies, depending on whether she considers herself, in Actor-Network Theory terms, as a primum movens or not, alongside the role-space axes of presentation of self, participant alignment, and/or interaction management. Furthermore, the court interpreter deploys many-but-mostly-covert role interessement devices to ensure that the other court actors rally on the interpreter’s perception of her role. This thesis ends with various recommendations as to how the court interpreter can re-align her role-space when interpreting in VCI.
With the implementation of new EU regulations that emphasize on the use of new technologies, Her ... more With the implementation of new EU regulations that emphasize on the use of new technologies, Her Majesty’s Courts Service has been subject to various changes. Since 2002, courts have increasingly been using videoconference (VC) technologies to increase safety, reduce costs, and speed up the legal process. The role of the public service interpreter in an institutionalised setting has been the focus of various studies since the 90s. These led to the development of various frameworks (Wadensjö; 1998, Mason; 2009) anchored in sociological paradigms and allowing the multifaceted role of the public service interpreter in a face-to-face context to be examined. However, the role of the court interpreter when interpreting via VC systems remains under-researched. Despite some studies carried out in this area (such as Braun & Taylor 2011), it is currently unclear whether the use of VC technologies affects the court interpreter’s perception of their role. Although sociology has been used as an interdisciplinary research tool in Translation and Interpreting Studies (Wadensjö, 1998; Inghilleri, 2005; Hannah, 2006), the aim of this paper is to present a lesser-known alternative: Actor-Network Theory, and more particularly, the sociological principle of Translation. This paper will first define the four phases that constitute Translation, namely problematization, interessement, enrolment, and mobilisation (Callon, 1986). It will then suggest how Translation can be applied as a methodology in Translation and Interpreting Studies. It will finally examine how the four phases of Translation can help analyse qualitatively the court interpreter’s perception of their role in VCI through interviews carried out with court interpreters.
Her Majesty’s Courts Service in England and Wales has been subject to various changes within the ... more Her Majesty’s Courts Service in England and Wales has been subject to various changes within the past decade. New working methods have been adopted, while the introduction of new technologies has revolutionised the legal sphere. Since 2002, courts in England and Wales have indeed increasingly been using videoconference (VC) technologies to speed up the legal process and reduce costs, against the backdrop of budgetary constraints. Within this context, an important social actor is the legal interpreter, whose role, according to the UK Interpreter’s Oath, is “to well and faithfully interpret and make true explanation of all such matters and things as shall be required of [him/her] according to the best of [his/her] skill and understanding” between English and a foreign language. The role of the public service interpreter in an institutionalised setting has been the focus of various studies since the 90s. These gave birth to various frameworks (Wadensjö; 1998, Mason; 2009) finding their roots in sociological paradigms and allowing the multifaceted role of the public service interpreter in a face-to-face context to be examined. However, the role of the court interpreter when interpreting via VC systems is an under-researched field. Despite some studies carried out in this area (such as Braun & Taylor 2011), it is currently unclear whether the use of VC technologies affects the role played by the court interpreter. While some studies have been carried out on their use in monolingual court settings, where results suggest that there is only a minimal impact on the proceedings and their outcomes (Fullwood et al.; 2008, Hodges; 2008), some of their findings raise issues that could impact on the role of the interpreter in such environment. This paper therefore aims to contextualise the role of the interpreter within the UK and to highlight features specific to VC interpreting that could alter the role of the court interpreter.
Interest in online teaching and learning has grown rapidly since the start of the global COVID-19... more Interest in online teaching and learning has grown rapidly since the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic. As universities across the world decided to transfer their teaching provision online, translation and interpreting (T&I) educators faced the daunting task of delivering their courses effectively in this new mode. Common challenges included: designing and administering suitable assessments, ensuring student engagement, and fostering peer collaboration and interaction. Research in the field of online and distance learning provides a rich source of information to address these challenges, and yet, it remains underexplored despite its potential to inform and enhance T&I teaching practices. We introduce this special issue by presenting some fruitful research areas that could provide new directions for T&I pedagogy and improve our students’ remote learning experiences in the future. It is against this backdrop that the special issue was conceived. Contributions cover teaching translation and interpreting at a distance, and contextual issues and trends resulting from the act of teaching T&I online
Videoconference (VC) systems have been used in courts in England and Wales for more than fifteen ... more Videoconference (VC) systems have been used in courts in England and Wales for more than fifteen years. However, it can be argued that research into how new technologies and interpreters interact in legal settings is still in its infancy. The aim of this article is to analyse whether court interpreters perceive their role differently when they interpret through VC systems, and whether the location (i.e. if they are present in court or in prison) has an impact upon their perception. This article will adopt an innovative approach by using Actor-Network Theory (ANT), and more precisely the sociological construct of Translation. This framework will be applied to three interviews that were conducted with practising legal interpreters in the UK. It will be posited that interpreters create small networks in an interpreted communicative event, in which they Translate only some of the court actors. To do so, they deploy various devices to influence and rally the other actors behind the inter...
Back in 2000, videoconference systems were introduced in criminal courts in England and Wales so ... more Back in 2000, videoconference systems were introduced in criminal courts in England and Wales so that defendants could attend their pre-trial court hearings from prison. Since then, the number of cases heard via videoconference interpreting technologies has been on the increase. In order to be able to conduct a hearing remotely, courts and prisons are equipped with cameras, screens, microphones, and loud-speakers which link up both locations so that participants can hear and see each other. In terms of research, various reports on the viability of such systems acknowledge the benefits of conducting court hearings remotely, whilst also highlighting shortfalls. Interestingly, most of these studies were carried out in a monolingual setting, and fewer studies examine the impact of videoconference interpreting equipment in multilingual court settings. In this context the interpreter's role, and more particularly her role perception when technologies are used in a courtroom, remains u...
Her Majesty’s Courts Service in England and Wales has been subject to various changes within the ... more Her Majesty’s Courts Service in England and Wales has been subject to various changes within the past seventeen years. New working methods have been adopted, while the introduction of technologies has revolutionised the legal sphere. Since 2000, courts in England and Wales have indeed been increasingly using videoconference (VC) technologies to speed up the legal process, to enhance security, and to reduce costs, all of this in a context of budgetary constraints. Such VC pieces of equipment mean that all parties are not required to be physically in attendance in court for a case to be heard. In fact, a defendant may attend his pre trial court hearing from his detention centre since the courtroom and the prison will be linked via cameras, screens, and microphones. Interestingly, the court interpreter can be called to interpret in either location. Even though some may embrace the advent of technological tools available in court interpreting, the effect that they may have is still unkn...
Videoconference (VC) systems have been used in courts in England and Wales for more than fifteen ... more Videoconference (VC) systems have been used in courts in England and Wales for more than fifteen years. However, it can be argued that research into how new technologies and interpreters interact in legal settings is still in its infancy. The aim of this article is to analyse whether court interpreters perceive their role differently when they interpret through VC systems, and whether the location (i.e. if they are present in court or in prison) has an impact upon their perception. This article will adopt an innovative approach by using Actor-Network Theory (ANT), and more precisely the sociological construct of Translation. This framework will be applied to three interviews that were conducted with practising legal interpreters in the UK. It will be posited that interpreters create small networks in an interpreted communicative event, in which they Translate only some of the court actors. To do so, they deploy various devices to influence and rally the other actors behind the interpreters’ perceptions of their roles. It will also be argued that although Translation has rarely been applied in Translation and Interpreting Studies, it offers new, innovative avenues for research in Interpreting Studies, especially when new technologies are under scrutiny.
Abstract
Her Majesty’s Courts Service in England and Wales has been subject to various changes w... more Abstract Her Majesty’s Courts Service in England and Wales has been subject to various changes within the past fifteen years. New working methods have been adopted, while the introduction of new technologies has revolutionised the legal sphere. Since 2000, courts in England and Wales have indeed increasingly been using videoconference (VC) technologies to speed up the legal process, to enhance security, and to reduce costs, in a context of budgetary constraints. Such VC pieces of equipment mean that all parties are not required to be physically in attendance in court for a case to be heard. In fact, a defendant may attend his own court proceedings from his detention centre since the courtroom and the prison will be linked via cameras, screens, and microphones. Interestingly, the court interpreter can be called to interpret in either location, and Braun and Taylor (2012) differentiate between Videoconference Interpreting A (VCI A), where the court interpreter will be present in court, and Videoconference Interpreting B (VCI B), where she will be with the defendant in prison, for instance. Although some may embrace the advent of new technological tools available in court interpreting, the effect that they may have is still unknown. Some studies have explored linguistic and para-linguistic features of VCI use (Braun and Taylor 2012; Fowler 2012, 2013). However, the role of the court interpreter when interpreting via VC systems is an under-researched field. Notwithstanding the above, the role of the public service interpreter in an institutionalised setting has been the focus of various studies since the 90s. These led to the development of various frameworks (Wadensjö 1998, Mason 2009) allowing the multifaceted role of the public service interpreter in a face-to-face context to be examined. These frameworks were anchored in sociological paradigms based mainly on the works by Goffman and Bourdieu. More recently, Llewelyn-Jones and Lee (2014) designed the concept of Role-Space in Interpreting Studies. Instead of labelling a particular role with various specificities, their study examines the interpreter’s role through three main angles: presentation of self, alignment, and interaction management. As such, their approach paves the way for new research avenues since it conceives the interpreter’s role through a three-dimensional model that unravels role multiplicity and complexity. This paper aims to examine how court interpreters perceive their role when working with new technologies. Interviews conducted with court interpreters will be analysed through the lens of Role-Space. It will be posited that new technologies can create a new and hybrid form of court interpreting, and that the interpreter not only perceives her role differently compared to a face-to-face setting, but her perception will also differ in a VCI A or VCI B context.
With the implementation of new EU regulations that emphasize on the use of new technologies, Her ... more With the implementation of new EU regulations that emphasize on the use of new technologies, Her Majesty’s Courts Service has been subject to various changes. Since 2002, courts have increasingly been using videoconference (VC) technologies to increase safety, reduce costs, and speed up the legal process. The role of the public service interpreter in an institutionalised setting has been the focus of various studies since the 90s. These led to the development of various frameworks (Wadensjö; 1998, Mason; 2009) anchored in sociological paradigms and allowing the multifaceted role of the public service interpreter in a face-to-face context to be examined. However, the role of the court interpreter when interpreting via VC systems remains under-researched. Despite some studies carried out in this area (such as Braun & Taylor 2011), it is currently unclear whether the use of VC technologies affects the court interpreter’s perception of their role. Although sociology has been used as an interdisciplinary research tool in Translation and Interpreting Studies (Wadensjö, 1998; Inghilleri, 2005; Hannah, 2006), the aim of this paper is to present a lesser-known alternative: Actor-Network Theory, and more particularly, the sociological principle of Translation. This paper will first define the four phases that constitute Translation, namely problematization, interessement, enrolment, and mobilisation (Callon, 1986). It will then suggest how Translation can be applied as a methodology in Translation and Interpreting Studies. It will finally examine how the four phases of Translation can help analyse qualitatively the court interpreter’s perception of their role in VCI through interviews carried out with court interpreters.
Her Majesty’s Courts Service in England and Wales has been subject to various changes within the ... more Her Majesty’s Courts Service in England and Wales has been subject to various changes within the past decade. New working methods have been adopted, while the introduction of new technologies has revolutionised the legal sphere. Since 2002, courts in England and Wales have indeed increasingly been using videoconference (VC) technologies to speed up the legal process and reduce costs, against the backdrop of budgetary constraints.
Within this context, an important social actor is the legal interpreter, whose role, according to the UK Interpreter’s Oath, is “to well and faithfully interpret and make true explanation of all such matters and things as shall be required of [him/her] according to the best of [his/her] skill and understanding” between English and a foreign language.
The role of the public service interpreter in an institutionalised setting has been the focus of various studies since the 90s. These gave birth to various frameworks (Wadensjö; 1998, Mason; 2009) finding their roots in sociological paradigms and allowing the multifaceted role of the public service interpreter in a face-to-face context to be examined. However, the role of the court interpreter when interpreting via VC systems is an under-researched field. Despite some studies carried out in this area (such as Braun & Taylor 2011), it is currently unclear whether the use of VC technologies affects the role played by the court interpreter. While some studies have been carried out on their use in monolingual court settings, where results suggest that there is only a minimal impact on the proceedings and their outcomes (Fullwood et al.; 2008, Hodges; 2008), some of their findings raise issues that could impact on the role of the interpreter in such environment.
This paper therefore aims to contextualise the role of the interpreter within the UK and to highlight features specific to VC interpreting that could alter the role of the court interpreter.
Owing to budgetary and time constraints new working methods have been adopted in conference, busi... more Owing to budgetary and time constraints new working methods have been adopted in conference, business and public service settings. New technologies are now forming an integral part of the interpreter’s life. In such contexts, the use of videoconference interpreting and remote interpreting is on the increase. However, research and training in this area are scarce and interpreters often learn on the job.
This presentation aims to present what remote interpreting and videoconference interpreting entail and how they differ. It will then look into the use of new technologies in court settings and how this affects the interpreter. The presentation, based on the latest research and personal experience, will hopefully highlight pitfalls interpreters should be aware of.
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Thesis Chapters by Jerome Devaux
Even though some may embrace the advent of technological tools available in court interpreting, the effect that they may have is still unknown. Some studies have explored various linguistic and para-linguistic features of Videoconference Interpreting (VCI). However, although the court interpreter’s role, from a conduit to that of an active participant, has been widely researched in Interpreting Studies (e.g. Hale, 2008; Martin and Ortega Herráez, 2009), the role of the court interpreter when interpreting via VC systems is an under-researched field.
In this context, this thesis examines the interpreter’s perception of her role, whether she is located in court or in prison, through the analysis of eighteen interviews conducted with practising court interpreters. Building on research carried out on the use of VCI in court and the court interpreter’s role in a face to face setting, this study adopts an interdisciplinary approach by examining the interpreter’s role perception through the lens of role-space and that of Actor Network Theory.
It is argued that the interpreter’s perception of her role-space varies, depending on whether she considers herself, in Actor-Network Theory terms, as a primum movens or not, alongside the role-space axes of presentation of self, participant alignment, and/or interaction management. Furthermore, the court interpreter deploys many-but-mostly-covert role interessement devices to ensure that the other court actors rally on the interpreter’s perception of her role. This thesis ends with various recommendations as to how the court interpreter can re-align her role-space when interpreting in VCI.
Papers by Jerome Devaux
interpreters interact in legal settings is still in its infancy. The aim of this article is to analyse whether court interpreters perceive their role differently when they interpret through VC
systems, and whether the location (i.e. if they are present in court or in prison) has an impact upon their perception. This article will adopt an innovative approach by using Actor-Network Theory (ANT), and more precisely the sociological construct of Translation. This framework will be applied to three interviews that were conducted with practising legal interpreters in the UK. It will be posited that interpreters create small networks in an interpreted communicative event, in which they Translate only some of the court actors. To do so, they deploy various devices to influence and rally the other actors behind the interpreters’ perceptions of their roles. It will also be argued that although Translation has rarely been applied in Translation and Interpreting Studies, it offers new, innovative avenues for research in Interpreting Studies, especially when new technologies are under scrutiny.
Talks by Jerome Devaux
Her Majesty’s Courts Service in England and Wales has been subject to various changes within the past fifteen years. New working methods have been adopted, while the introduction of new technologies has revolutionised the legal sphere. Since 2000, courts in England and Wales have indeed increasingly been using videoconference (VC) technologies to speed up the legal process, to enhance security, and to reduce costs, in a context of budgetary constraints.
Such VC pieces of equipment mean that all parties are not required to be physically in attendance in court for a case to be heard. In fact, a defendant may attend his own court proceedings from his detention centre since the courtroom and the prison will be linked via cameras, screens, and microphones. Interestingly, the court interpreter can be called to interpret in either location, and Braun and Taylor (2012) differentiate between Videoconference Interpreting A (VCI A), where the court interpreter will be present in court, and Videoconference Interpreting B (VCI B), where she will be with the defendant in prison, for instance.
Although some may embrace the advent of new technological tools available in court interpreting, the effect that they may have is still unknown. Some studies have explored linguistic and para-linguistic features of VCI use (Braun and Taylor 2012; Fowler 2012, 2013). However, the role of the court interpreter when interpreting via VC systems is an under-researched field.
Notwithstanding the above, the role of the public service interpreter in an institutionalised setting has been the focus of various studies since the 90s. These led to the development of various frameworks (Wadensjö 1998, Mason 2009) allowing the multifaceted role of the public service interpreter in a face-to-face context to be examined. These frameworks were anchored in sociological paradigms based mainly on the works by Goffman and Bourdieu. More recently, Llewelyn-Jones and Lee (2014) designed the concept of Role-Space in Interpreting Studies. Instead of labelling a particular role with various specificities, their study examines the interpreter’s role through three main angles: presentation of self, alignment, and interaction management. As such, their approach paves the way for new research avenues since it conceives the interpreter’s role through a three-dimensional model that unravels role multiplicity and complexity.
This paper aims to examine how court interpreters perceive their role when working with new technologies. Interviews conducted with court interpreters will be analysed through the lens of Role-Space. It will be posited that new technologies can create a new and hybrid form of court interpreting, and that the interpreter not only perceives her role differently compared to a face-to-face setting, but her perception will also differ in a VCI A or VCI B context.
The role of the public service interpreter in an institutionalised setting has been the focus of various studies since the 90s. These led to the development of various frameworks (Wadensjö; 1998, Mason; 2009) anchored in sociological paradigms and allowing the multifaceted role of the public service interpreter in a face-to-face context to be examined. However, the role of the court interpreter when interpreting via VC systems remains under-researched. Despite some studies carried out in this area (such as Braun & Taylor 2011), it is currently unclear whether the use of VC technologies affects the court interpreter’s perception of their role.
Although sociology has been used as an interdisciplinary research tool in Translation and Interpreting Studies (Wadensjö, 1998; Inghilleri, 2005; Hannah, 2006), the aim of this paper is to present a lesser-known alternative: Actor-Network Theory, and more particularly, the sociological principle of Translation. This paper will first define the four phases that constitute Translation, namely problematization, interessement, enrolment, and mobilisation (Callon, 1986). It will then suggest how Translation can be applied as a methodology in Translation and Interpreting Studies. It will finally examine how the four phases of Translation can help analyse qualitatively the court interpreter’s perception of their role in VCI through interviews carried out with court interpreters.
Within this context, an important social actor is the legal interpreter, whose role, according to the UK Interpreter’s Oath, is “to well and faithfully interpret and make true explanation of all such matters and things as shall be required of [him/her] according to the best of [his/her] skill and understanding” between English and a foreign language.
The role of the public service interpreter in an institutionalised setting has been the focus of various studies since the 90s. These gave birth to various frameworks (Wadensjö; 1998, Mason; 2009) finding their roots in sociological paradigms and allowing the multifaceted role of the public service interpreter in a face-to-face context to be examined. However, the role of the court interpreter when interpreting via VC systems is an under-researched field. Despite some studies carried out in this area (such as Braun & Taylor 2011), it is currently unclear whether the use of VC technologies affects the role played by the court interpreter. While some studies have been carried out on their use in monolingual court settings, where results suggest that there is only a minimal impact on the proceedings and their outcomes (Fullwood et al.; 2008, Hodges; 2008), some of their findings raise issues that could impact on the role of the interpreter in such environment.
This paper therefore aims to contextualise the role of the interpreter within the UK and to highlight features specific to VC interpreting that could alter the role of the court interpreter.
This presentation aims to present what remote interpreting and videoconference interpreting entail and how they differ. It will then look into the use of new technologies in court settings and how this affects the interpreter. The presentation, based on the latest research and personal experience, will hopefully highlight pitfalls interpreters should be aware of.
Even though some may embrace the advent of technological tools available in court interpreting, the effect that they may have is still unknown. Some studies have explored various linguistic and para-linguistic features of Videoconference Interpreting (VCI). However, although the court interpreter’s role, from a conduit to that of an active participant, has been widely researched in Interpreting Studies (e.g. Hale, 2008; Martin and Ortega Herráez, 2009), the role of the court interpreter when interpreting via VC systems is an under-researched field.
In this context, this thesis examines the interpreter’s perception of her role, whether she is located in court or in prison, through the analysis of eighteen interviews conducted with practising court interpreters. Building on research carried out on the use of VCI in court and the court interpreter’s role in a face to face setting, this study adopts an interdisciplinary approach by examining the interpreter’s role perception through the lens of role-space and that of Actor Network Theory.
It is argued that the interpreter’s perception of her role-space varies, depending on whether she considers herself, in Actor-Network Theory terms, as a primum movens or not, alongside the role-space axes of presentation of self, participant alignment, and/or interaction management. Furthermore, the court interpreter deploys many-but-mostly-covert role interessement devices to ensure that the other court actors rally on the interpreter’s perception of her role. This thesis ends with various recommendations as to how the court interpreter can re-align her role-space when interpreting in VCI.
interpreters interact in legal settings is still in its infancy. The aim of this article is to analyse whether court interpreters perceive their role differently when they interpret through VC
systems, and whether the location (i.e. if they are present in court or in prison) has an impact upon their perception. This article will adopt an innovative approach by using Actor-Network Theory (ANT), and more precisely the sociological construct of Translation. This framework will be applied to three interviews that were conducted with practising legal interpreters in the UK. It will be posited that interpreters create small networks in an interpreted communicative event, in which they Translate only some of the court actors. To do so, they deploy various devices to influence and rally the other actors behind the interpreters’ perceptions of their roles. It will also be argued that although Translation has rarely been applied in Translation and Interpreting Studies, it offers new, innovative avenues for research in Interpreting Studies, especially when new technologies are under scrutiny.
Her Majesty’s Courts Service in England and Wales has been subject to various changes within the past fifteen years. New working methods have been adopted, while the introduction of new technologies has revolutionised the legal sphere. Since 2000, courts in England and Wales have indeed increasingly been using videoconference (VC) technologies to speed up the legal process, to enhance security, and to reduce costs, in a context of budgetary constraints.
Such VC pieces of equipment mean that all parties are not required to be physically in attendance in court for a case to be heard. In fact, a defendant may attend his own court proceedings from his detention centre since the courtroom and the prison will be linked via cameras, screens, and microphones. Interestingly, the court interpreter can be called to interpret in either location, and Braun and Taylor (2012) differentiate between Videoconference Interpreting A (VCI A), where the court interpreter will be present in court, and Videoconference Interpreting B (VCI B), where she will be with the defendant in prison, for instance.
Although some may embrace the advent of new technological tools available in court interpreting, the effect that they may have is still unknown. Some studies have explored linguistic and para-linguistic features of VCI use (Braun and Taylor 2012; Fowler 2012, 2013). However, the role of the court interpreter when interpreting via VC systems is an under-researched field.
Notwithstanding the above, the role of the public service interpreter in an institutionalised setting has been the focus of various studies since the 90s. These led to the development of various frameworks (Wadensjö 1998, Mason 2009) allowing the multifaceted role of the public service interpreter in a face-to-face context to be examined. These frameworks were anchored in sociological paradigms based mainly on the works by Goffman and Bourdieu. More recently, Llewelyn-Jones and Lee (2014) designed the concept of Role-Space in Interpreting Studies. Instead of labelling a particular role with various specificities, their study examines the interpreter’s role through three main angles: presentation of self, alignment, and interaction management. As such, their approach paves the way for new research avenues since it conceives the interpreter’s role through a three-dimensional model that unravels role multiplicity and complexity.
This paper aims to examine how court interpreters perceive their role when working with new technologies. Interviews conducted with court interpreters will be analysed through the lens of Role-Space. It will be posited that new technologies can create a new and hybrid form of court interpreting, and that the interpreter not only perceives her role differently compared to a face-to-face setting, but her perception will also differ in a VCI A or VCI B context.
The role of the public service interpreter in an institutionalised setting has been the focus of various studies since the 90s. These led to the development of various frameworks (Wadensjö; 1998, Mason; 2009) anchored in sociological paradigms and allowing the multifaceted role of the public service interpreter in a face-to-face context to be examined. However, the role of the court interpreter when interpreting via VC systems remains under-researched. Despite some studies carried out in this area (such as Braun & Taylor 2011), it is currently unclear whether the use of VC technologies affects the court interpreter’s perception of their role.
Although sociology has been used as an interdisciplinary research tool in Translation and Interpreting Studies (Wadensjö, 1998; Inghilleri, 2005; Hannah, 2006), the aim of this paper is to present a lesser-known alternative: Actor-Network Theory, and more particularly, the sociological principle of Translation. This paper will first define the four phases that constitute Translation, namely problematization, interessement, enrolment, and mobilisation (Callon, 1986). It will then suggest how Translation can be applied as a methodology in Translation and Interpreting Studies. It will finally examine how the four phases of Translation can help analyse qualitatively the court interpreter’s perception of their role in VCI through interviews carried out with court interpreters.
Within this context, an important social actor is the legal interpreter, whose role, according to the UK Interpreter’s Oath, is “to well and faithfully interpret and make true explanation of all such matters and things as shall be required of [him/her] according to the best of [his/her] skill and understanding” between English and a foreign language.
The role of the public service interpreter in an institutionalised setting has been the focus of various studies since the 90s. These gave birth to various frameworks (Wadensjö; 1998, Mason; 2009) finding their roots in sociological paradigms and allowing the multifaceted role of the public service interpreter in a face-to-face context to be examined. However, the role of the court interpreter when interpreting via VC systems is an under-researched field. Despite some studies carried out in this area (such as Braun & Taylor 2011), it is currently unclear whether the use of VC technologies affects the role played by the court interpreter. While some studies have been carried out on their use in monolingual court settings, where results suggest that there is only a minimal impact on the proceedings and their outcomes (Fullwood et al.; 2008, Hodges; 2008), some of their findings raise issues that could impact on the role of the interpreter in such environment.
This paper therefore aims to contextualise the role of the interpreter within the UK and to highlight features specific to VC interpreting that could alter the role of the court interpreter.
This presentation aims to present what remote interpreting and videoconference interpreting entail and how they differ. It will then look into the use of new technologies in court settings and how this affects the interpreter. The presentation, based on the latest research and personal experience, will hopefully highlight pitfalls interpreters should be aware of.