Teaching… Naturally: Collaborative Efforts in Interpreter Training for Development

Abstract

[EN]The notion of 'interpreting for development' encompasses, on the one hand, paid professional activities undertaken with the aim of improving society (e.g., paid professional interpreting for NGOs or institutions) and, on the other hand, ad-hoc interpreting tasks for audiences without means (eg. interpreting in Social Forums or in humanitarian contexts). 'Interpreting for development' and, by way of consequence, 'interpreter training for development' can benefit largely from new and free technologies, both saving scarce financial resources, and helping trainees acquire interpreting competence and abilities. Collaborative learning tools and environments, along with databases, such as the Speech Repository of the European Commission, increase the use of material taken from real-life and a wide range of discourses and situations. Using innovative technology or hardware, however, does not imply that the contents or the methodology of a course are improved per se. In this respect, action research constitutes a useful contribution to the variety of paradigms in didactics of interpreting enriching our field of study (Pöchhacker, 2004:202). According to Carr and Kemmis (1986), the main objective of action research is to improve practice, the understanding of practice and the situation in which the practice takes place. By analysing and understanding their practices, action researchers can put new ideas in place, solve certain problems or become more effective in a given area, thus improving their practice. The article will analyse student feedback taken from different contexts and trainee backgrounds, including undergraduate classes and a taster course before a Social Forum. The Weltanschauung of interpreting for development would entail the joining of ideologically complementary efforts in training practices. From a constructivist perspective, it could also favour the appearance of new networks for the exchange of teaching materials and methodologies at a global level.