Research areas in interpreting
In Interpreting, we mainly research Children and interpreting, Cognitive aspects of interpreting, Speech-to-text interpreting, Interpreter-mediated interaction and Interpreter training.
Children and interpreting
Children use interpreters and as act as interpreters (often referred to as “language mediators” or “child language brokers”) in different contexts. Central questions in this area include how children understand interpreting and how interpreting affects children, which children act as interpreters and in which contexts children interpret. In this area, both quantitative and qualitative methods are used, including interviews, questionnaires and field observations.
Cognitive aspects of interpreting
In this area the interpreting process is studied using a multitude of empirical methods. This gives an insight into the transfer from source to target text in different interpreting and translation contexts. At the Institute of Interpreting and Translation studies the research on cognitive aspects focuses on the characteristics of these processes in different, clearly defined, translation problems or interpreting situations. We also focus on how the cognitive processes change with the development of interpreter or translator competence.
Interpreter-mediated encounters in pain rehabilitation
Chronic pain is an increasing health issue and it affects approximately 20% of the population of Europe. Apart from functional impairments and limitations in activities for the individual, chronic pain often leads to considerable socioeconomic costs. According to international studies, ethnic minorities with limited knowledge about majority society have fewer opportunities to receive adequate treatment for their pain problems. This corresponds well with the situation reported by the National Quality Registry for Pain Rehabilitation (NRS), a Swedish quality registry for specialist care. Experience shows a lack of equity in health care and many patients being excluded from pain rehabilitation programs because of language barriers. Rehabilitation programs need development to offer interpreter-mediated treatments.
Interpreter-mediated interaction in the fields of law, health, education, diplomacy, journalism etc.
Research into interpreter-mediated interaction focusses on communicative practices and social interaction, involving individuals speaking in different languages with the assistance of interpreters. It may concern professionally educated interpreters or individuals without interpreting training who are commissioned, or take it upon themselves to interpret, e.g. children, who spontaneously volunteer language assistance (ad hoc interpreting) to parents and institutional representatives. Interpreter-mediated interaction can be explored as situated, genre-specific, communicative practice, through the application of e.g. discourse analysis, multimodal analysis and narrative analysis.
Interpreter training
Research into interpreter training can focus on training methods (class room-based, on-line-based, various types of role-play, etc.), methods for testing eligibility (entrance exams) and methods for assessing quality (formative/summative testing and authorization). Research into interpreter training also include studies of interpreting teacher training, as well as studies of interprofessional education, for those who work with interpreters when performing their job in legal, medical, social service and other institutional settings.
Simulations of interpreter-mediated conversations
Simulations of interpreter-mediated conversations are common when training or testing interpreters and interpreter users. The range of such simulations vary from drill exercises in a language lab environment with recorded utterances, to role-playing scenarios with participants from, for example, healthcare institutions or the judiciary. In the latter simulations, interpreters undergo practice in more or less realistic situations, or are tested for authorization. Research on simulation of interpreted conversations at TÖI currently focuses on how role-playing games and other simulations are constructed and investigates, among other things, what can be practiced and tested with different types of role-playing games.
Speech-to-text interpreting
A number of central aspects of speech-to-text interpreting (STTI) are studied at the institute, e.g. human-display interaction, characteristics of high-speed typing during STTI, and the use of prosodic cues in STTI. Furthermore, the development of respeaking as a method for speech-to-text interpreting in Sweden is investigated.
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Our researchers in interpreting
Professor in translation and interpreting
Last updated: November 8, 2022
Source: Institute for Interpreting and Translation Studies