In the Lay-reader’s Eyes - Reassurance of Translation Quality
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment1 Jan 2022 - 31 Dec 2023
The multiple outbreaks of the COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria, Australia 2020, demonstrated the importance of translation/interpreting services disseminating vital information to linguistically diversified communities and their members. In particular, Community Translation/Interpreting, a nascent field of study, facilitates language access to rights and services in order to benefit those members’ health and social wellbeing. The mission of my research proposal is to contribute to establishing an interpreter certification system in New Zealand. This project’s aims are: 1) to offer a set of assessment criteria for translators/interpreters that is practical and pedagogically sound; and 2) to ensure the criteria are consistent with and potentially applicable to the requirements of an MBIE programme, Language Assistance Services (LAS). Achieving these aims will also allow me to provide advice and guidance about implementing the established assessment criteria at other institutes providing translator/interpreter education in Aotearoa New Zealand. I have developed and applied a set of assessment criteria to evaluate the quality of Community Translation/Interpreting in my previous studies. My latest study also revealed conflicting opinions on translation quality between translators and end-users. Though the end-users are the real readers of a translation, studies on assessment of translation quality (including interpreting) have largely neglected the fundamental role that end-users play. The current study bridges this gap in New Zealand where an initiative by MBIE is taking place to establish an NZ certification system for interpreters and standards for interpreting services with LAS Programme. As an academic advisor to LAS, my aspiration for my research is to promote understanding among diversified languages, including Māori and other languages, preventing misunderstandings among diversified communities in our society and promoting social inclusion of other language groups into NZ’s bicultural society. Though there is no Mātauranga Māori being used, potential connections to Vision Mātauranga will be monitored throughout the research.
