A Community of Practice for Interpreting: the missing link

Photo from European Commission Interpreters (Facebook) O n the 26th and 27th of March,  I was privileged to attend the annual DG Interpretation University Conference.The Directorate General Interpretation (European Commission), also known as DG SCIC works closely with universities that provide conference interpreting training to ensure quality. Every year, university representatives are invited to come together and reflect on interpreting studies and the interpreting profession with DG SCIC at the European Commission in Brussels. You can still watch the conference  on line. During the conference, a very relevant question was asked: Photo from European Commission Interpreters (Facebook) "Is one year enough to train conference interpreters at University?" I would like to use this post to expand on the contribution I made on that day. First of all, one year may be enough for some interpreting students but not for others....

As I attend conferences and share thoughts with colleagues, I realise that the Community of Practice mindset is far more than a model to work with, it is deeply embedded in everything I do. As I read and research further into a new CoP model for interpreting studies and the evolution of the interpreting profession, I become more and more aware that the CoP seed is growing faster than I expected.  This is especially true in my teaching. When I say 'teaching', I don't only mean 'formal time in the classroom'. From the first encounter with a potential student to the moment a graduate is working and happily doing so, there is a bond that needs nurturing. The formal teaching as well as the informal chats and what I call the 'hot chocolate treatment' are all part of what I call 'teaching' and 'learning'.  Photo selected on http://www.sheknows.com By the way, the 'hot chocolate treatment' is simple: when I see a student who struggl...

Every cohort of students differs from one year to the next...one could get used to it. However, call me naive, I never cease to be taken by surprise. This year is not different. Let me explain... Designing a lesson or a course goes far beyond what makes good content and how to best convey knowledge and key concepts. It is all about designing an experience that keeps you motivated, learning and asking for more.  However, there are different categories of lessons.  First, there are lessons you enjoy teaching. You have tried them before, you have refined and fine tuned the outcome; like with play dough, you can mould your lesson to individual students' needs, the uniqueness of a  group, and their likes and dislikes.  Then, there are lessons when you know that you need to dig further into ideas, knowledge and innovative strategies to make your lesson work.  Your inquisitive mind is then fully switched on (Origin:www.redbubble.com) Finally, and th...

T ime has come to let go of secrets. Mine is simple: every year, at the same period, I feel stressed out and lost. Make no mistake, it always coincides with teaching a new cohort of interpreting students... More than 40 postgraduate interpreting students have entrusted me to bring them through a personal and professional journey  of learning and discovery. They have paid money and made sacrifices with the hope that their interpreting career can take off and allow them to earn a living, gain satisfaction and make progression. Every year, the same symptoms creep in about one week before the teaching starts; I feel I do not know anything. A spiral of thoughts and doubts bombard my confidence and I am reduced to a nervous wreck. I anticipate the joys, think about the students I interviewed, the work we will do together and the development of professional lives including mine. What is normally positive becomes paralysing. However hard I try, I cannot convince myself that it will...

This week, on the 11th and 12th September, I attended a very good interpreting conference in Newcastle University:   talking to the world . Two days of inspiring presentations and discussions, networking and socialising with interpreting on centre stage. I always feel it is a privilege to take part in such forums. One presentation in particular grabbed my attention; t he role of the educational interpreter: A dynamic model by  Herculene Kotzé,  North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa . Herculene explains how at a superficial level the role of the interpreter seems to be well defined in most codes of conduct, despite some controversies. In South Africa, there are 11 official languages . As such, universities face the true challenge to decide on their language strategy and choose official languages to use in the classroom and still remain inclusive. North West University, Potchefstroom decided to use English and Afrikaans. As such, educational interpreters ...

Photo taken from NewTrendsinManagement:  http://newtrendsinmanagement.wikispaces.com/Communities+of+Practice The summer holidays are now officially over. Even though I have worked all summer on PhD research and admissions of interpreting students for the master's interpreting programmes at London Metropolitan University, I have enjoyed the flexibility, balanced meals and the luxury of eight hours sleep of the August period. It is now time to get ready and juggle with the numerous balls in the air...  timetable... language combinations...  resources... conferences... communication with students... Facebook page... staff meetings and so on. I have to confess that I actually love it! Y esterday I received an invitation to speak at Hogeschool Universiteit Brussel  HUB  about the  Communities of Practice spirit that enhances a collaborative approach in interpreting courses. When speaking to the course leader asking for further details on what parti...

In my previous post, I presented the three essential ingredients for a Communities of Practice to exist,  as presented by Etienne Wenger . However, let's have a quick recap. Remember what they are?  - a Domain        - a Community   - a Practice Excellent, you remember them all. Let's now try and see if these ingredients work 'in real life'. Today, I would like to illustrate the 'theory' with a concrete example: the Public Service Interpreting and Translation Network Group  (PSITNG). A few words about the PSITNG; the group was launched in 2008. Founding members of the PSITNG are mostly representatives of the PSIT industry who were consulted during the curriculum design of the new Master's in Public Service Interpreting - MAPSI (Health and Legal ) at London Metropolitan University. As course leader of Master programmes in interpreting, I invested quite a lot of time and energy making sure the MAPSI was meeting t...