The European Network for Public Service Interpreting and Translation (ENPSIT) and the Université de Paris-Diderot organize a two-day seminar on June 5 & 6, 2015, in Paris, France: "Beating Babel in multilingual service settings". The seminar focuses on competencies and standardisation, training, testing and accreditation & certification.
Competencies and standards
Which competencies do public service interpreters and translators need? How do you determine them? How do you integrate them into a competency profile or matrix? How do you derive a clearly established standard from them? What are the relevant (inter)national standards available?
Training
How can training programmes, training content and methods be developed? What do university and training institutes offer? What level of training is required?
Testing
How can valid tests or assessments for public service interpreters and translators be established? What are relevant test contents, test formats; test methods? How do you assess test results?
Accreditation & certification
Why do testing and certification institutes (need to) exist or not? What is or may be their added value?
The full programme is available at www.enpsit.eu
ENPSIT?
The European Network for Public Service Interpreting, founded in October 2013, is working towards a European policy and funding for public service interpreting and translation. The members consist of public service interpreting and translation agencies, public service interpreters and translators, teachers, assessors, researchers and their organizations and institutes from member states of the European Union. Stakeholders from other regions are free to join as supporting members.
Recommendations
ENPSIT recommends that the European Commission should (1) acknowledge public service interpreting and translating as necessary instruments within a European integration policy that incorporates diversity and equal opportunities, (2) guarantee one’s right to high quality language support in service provision in a governmental or social context, (3) introduce European quality standards for public service interpreting and translation, (4) acknowledge and finance public service interpreting and translation agencies, and (5) provide support for consultation and partnership structures for public service interpretering and translation.