The dynamics of public service interpreting and translation: specificities and challenges in education and professionalisation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37536/FITISPos-IJ.2025.12.1.433Keywords:
PSIT practice, PSIT education, PSIT stakeholders, ProfessionalisationAbstract
This feature article outlines the common characteristics in the process of providing for the needs of multilingual communication in practice and education in different countries, the trajectories that countries may be going through in the field of PSIT and the
challenges that stakeholders face in this process. The article also analyses the situation in the field of PSIT in Slovakia, describes the crisis solutions implemented in the initial phase of increased demand for PSIT services and defines the context for PSIT education and further developments in PSIT.
Downloads
References
Act No. 204/2011 on the use of languages of national minorities. (2011). https://www.slovlex.sk/ezbierky/pravnepredpisy/SK/ZZ/2011/204/20110701.html
Angelelli, C. V. (2004). Medical interpreting and cross-cultural communication. Cambridge University Press.
Baistow, K. (2000). The emotional and psychological impact of community interpreting.Babelea.
Balogh, K., Salaets, H., & Van Schoor, D. (2016). TraiLLD: Training in languages of lesser diffusion. Lanoo Campus. https://www.arts.kuleuven.be/tolkwetenschap/projecten/ trailld/training-in-languages-of-lesser-fiffusion
Chlebušová, K. (2023). Spôsoby komunikácie migrantov s verejnými inštitúciami na Slovensku: potreby, bariéry a možné riešenia v oblasti prekladu a tlmočenia vo verejnej službe [ways of communication between migrants and public institutions in Slovakia: needs, barriers
and possible solutions in the field of public service translation and interpreting]. UKF.[Master’s thesis]
Corsellis, A. (2002a). Interpreting and translation in the UK public service: the pursuit of excellence versus, and via, expediency. In G. Anderman & M. Rogers (Eds.), Translation today: trends and perspectives (pp. 71–90). Multilingual Matters.
Corsellis, A. (2002b). Creating a professional context for public service interpreting. In C. Valero-Garcés & G. Mancho Barés (Eds.), Community interpreting and translating: new needs for new realities (pp. 31–39). Universidad de Alcalá. https://uahmastercitisp.
es/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/TISP-NUEVAS-NECESIDADES-PARA-NUEVASREALIDADES-2002.pdf#page=31
D›Hayer, D. (2012). Public service interpreting and translation: moving towards a (virtual) community of practice. Meta, 57(1), 235–247.
ENPSIT. (2024). European Network for Public Service Interpreting and Translation. http://www.enpsit.org/
Giambruno, C. (Ed.). (2014). Assessing legal interpreter quality through testing and certification: the Qualitas project. Publicationes Universidad de Alicante.
Hodáková, S., & Ukušová, J. (2023). From the booth to the field: interpreters’ current situation in the context of the refugee crisis in Slovakia. In C. Valero Garcés (Ed.), Traducción e interpretación en los servicios públicos TISP: 8. Congreso Internacional TIPS, 22-24 March
Universidad De Alcalá (pp. 63–72). Universidad de Alcalá.
Hodáková, S. (2024a). Translation and interpreting in humanitarian and community contexts: how does university training respond to current societal challenges in the field of migration and integration? In K. Bednárová-Gibová (Ed.), Advancing teaching
translation and interpreting in higher education: insights & outlooks (pp. 29–42). Prešovská univerzita.
Hodáková, S. (2024b). Základné zásady a etické princípy v tlmočení (nielen) vo verejnej službe: interaktívny vzdelávací modul [basic rules and ethical principles in interpreting (not only) in the public service: an interactive training module]. UKF.
Hodáková, S., Vieriková, L., Shvets, O., & Ukušová, J. (2024a). Tlmočenie v zdravotníctve: interaktívny modul pre jazykové kombinácie slovenčina - ruština - ukrajinčina – angličtina [interpreting in healthcare: an interactive module for language combinations Slovak
- Russian - Ukrainian - English]. UKF.
Hodáková, S., Vieriková, L., Shvets, O., & Ukušová, J. (2024b). Tlmočenie vo sférach sociálneho systému: interaktívny modul pre jazykové kombinácie slovenčina - ruština - ukrajinčina – angličtina [interpreting in the spheres of the social system: an interactive module for
language combinations Slovak - Russian - Ukrainian - English]. UKF.
Hodáková, S., & Kuklová, M. (2025, in press). International cooperation as a contribution to the development of a complex profile of future public service interpreters. FITISPos International Journal, 12(1).
Knowledge Centre on Translation and Interpretation. (n.d.). https://knowledge-centretranslation-interpretation.ec.europa.eu/en
Mikkelson, H. (2004). The professionalization of community interpreting. aiic.net. https:// aiic.org/document/92/AIICBlogOct2004MIKKELSONCommunityinterpreting_EN.pdf
Ministry of the Interior. (2022). Štatistický prehľad legálnej a nelegálnej migrácie cudzincov na Slovensku [Statistical overview of legal and illegal migration of foreigners in Slovakia].
Ministry of the Interior. (2023). Štatistický prehľad legálnej a nelegálnej migrácie cudzincov na
Slovensku [Statistical overview of legal and illegal migration of foreigners in Slovakia]. https://www.minv.sk/?rok-2023-2
Müglová, D., & Hodáková, S. (2024). Tlmočenie vo sférach verejnej služby: priebeh, priority, perspektívy [interpreting in public service spheres: process, priorities, perspectives]. UKF.
Národnostné menšiny (n.d.) https://www.narodnostnemensiny.vlada.gov.sk/narodnostne-mensiny/ historia-a-sucasnost-nm/?csrt=2983075055819185405
Ozolins, U. (2010). Factors that determine the provision of public service interpreting: comparative perspectives on government motivation and language service implementation. JoSTrans, 14, 194–215.
Pöchhacker, F. (2000). Dolmetschen: konzeptuelle grundlagen und deskriptive untersuchungen. Stauffenburg Verlag.
Pöllabauer, S. (2020). Does it all boil down to money? The Herculean task of public service interpreter training – a quantitative analysis of training initiatives in Austria. In M.
Štefková, K. Kerremans, & B. Bossaert (Eds.), Training public service interpreters and translators: a European perspective (pp. 31–57). Comenius University of Bratislava.
Prunč, E. (2012). Rights, realities and responsibilities in community interpreting. The Interpreters' Newsletter, 17, 1–12.
Štefková, M. (2020). Public service interpreting and translation in Slovakia. In M. Štefková, K. Kerremans, & B. Bossaert (Eds.), Training public service interpreters and translators: a European perspective (pp. 124–136). Comenius University of Bratislava.
Štefková, M., & Šveda, P. (2022). War in Ukraine and public service interpreting in Slovakia: initial impressions and implications. Bridge: Trends and Traditions in Translation and Interpreting Studies, 3(1), 42–57.
Tiselius, E., & Herring, R. E. (2023). What should be included in (public service) interpreter education? Bridge: Trends and Traditions in Translation and Interpreting Studies, 4(1), 46–71.
Tužinská, H. (2015). Tlmočenie v štátnej správe: deskriptívne a preskriptívne prístupy [interpreting in state administration: descriptive and prescriptive approaches]. Sociální studia/Social Studies, 12(2), 51–68.
UNHCR Operational Data Portal. (2023). Ukraine refugee situation. https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine
University of Prešov. (n.d.). Institute of Ukrainian Studies. https://www.unipo.sk/filozofickafakulta/instituty-fakulty/iuass/
Valero Garcés, C. (2003). Responding to communication needs: current issues and challenges in community interpreting and translating in Spain. In L. Brunette, G. L. Bastin, I. Hemlin, & H. Clarke (Eds.), The critical link 3: interpreters in the community (pp. 177–192). John Benjamins.
Valero-Garcés, C. (2005). Emotional and psychological effects on interpreters in public services: a critical factor to bear in mind. Translation Journal, 9(3). Available at https://translationjournal.net/journal/33ips.htm
Valero-Garcés, C. (2019). Training public service interpreters and translators: facing challenges. Revista de Llengua i Dret/Journal of Language and Law, 71, 88-105. https://doi.org/10.2436/rld.i71.2019.3262
WG PSIT and LLD. (n.d.). EMT PSIT working group on LLD https://knowledge-centretranslation-interpretation.ec.europa.eu/en/knowledge-centre-communities/emtpsit-working-group-lld
Yakunkina, V. (2024). Úloha tlmočníka v čase utečeneckej krízy na Slovensku [the role of the interpreter in the refugee crisis in Slovakia]. UKF. [Bachelor thesis]
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Soňa Hodáková
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
a. Authors retain copyright and guaranteeing the journal the right to be the first publication of the work as licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
b. Authors can set separate additional agreements for non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in the journal (eg, place it in an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
c. It allows and encourages authors to disseminate their work electronically (eg, in institutional repositories or on their own website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as to a subpoena more early and most of the published works (See The Effect of Open Access) (in English).
