Abstract:
International organisations extensively recruit interpreters for different meetings and events, making them an attractive market for conference interpreters worldwide. This presentation will describe the characteristics of interpreting in this context, through a summary of the research carried out thus far, and drawing on my own experience as a researcher, conference interpreter trainer and interpreter at international organisations. By focusing on the work carried out at different organisations as an example, I will draw on the notion of interpreting as a socially situated practice: an activity carried out in a specific community of practice. In this instance, that community is the organisation, characterised by its mandate, themes, norms, texts and ideology and culture and, more specifically, the speeches that are interpreted, the role of the interpreter in the institution and the interpreter’s work. Therefore, the skills and competencies expected from interpreters include not only excellent interpreting skills, but also professional integrity and extensive background knowledge of the organisation they work for, as well as thorough preparation of the documents and materials relevant to their meetings. The presentation will examine different aspects, such as the skills needed to work in this context, admission criteria and access, language combinations, interpreting modalities, the preparation and documentation process, as well as the challenges faced by the interpreter. These challenges have been driven by new realities, such as the use of new technologies and the advent of remote interpreting. The presentation will conclude with some general remarks on potential avenues for future research.
About the Speaker:
Lucía Ruiz Rosendo is an associate professor at the University of Geneva’s Faculty of Translation and Interpreting (FTI), where she is the Director of the Interpreting Department. Her main line of research is interpreting in conflict zones, the history of interpreting, and interpreting at international organisations. She has recently co-edited Interpreting Conflict. A Comparative Framework (Palgrave 2021), Interpreter Training in Conflict and Post-conflict Situations (Routledge 2022) and Towards an Atlas of the History of Interpreting. Voices from around the Word (John Benjamins, 2023). Her research has appeared in a range of volumes and journals in the fields of Translation, Peace and Conflict Studies and Social Military History. She is the coordinator of various courses for training interpreters in the field, such as the course run jointly between the FTI and the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross). Lucía is also a conference interpreter for the international organisations based in Switzerland and an active AIIC member.
Background Readings:
- Ruiz Rosendo, L., & Diur, M. (2017). Employability in the United Nations: An empirical analysis on interpreter training and the LCE. The Interpreter and Translator Trainer, 11(2), 223-237.
- Ruiz Rosendo, L., & Diur, M. (2017). Admission exams at international organisations: The United Nations’ Language Competitive Examination. CLINA. An Interdisciplinary Journal of Translation, Interpreting and Intercultural Communication, 3(2), 33-52.
- Ruiz Rosendo, L., & Diur, M. (2021). Conference interpreting in the United Nations. In M. Albl-Mikasa, & E. Tiselius (Eds.), Routledge Handbook of Conference Interpreting (pp. 115-125). London: Routledge.
- Ruiz Rosendo, L. (2022). Interpreting for international organizations. In J. Franco, & R. Muñoz (eds.), ENTI (Encyclopaedia of Translation and Interpreting).
- Ruiz Rosendo, L., & Diur, M. (2021). Conference interpreting skills: Looking back and looking forward. In K. G. Seeber (Ed.), 100 Years of conference interpreting: Looking back and looking forward (pp. 110-121). Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
