Professional Ethics of Interpretation

Teacher(s)

De Smet Anne; Frogneux Cécile (coordinator);

Language

French

Prerequisites

• Be familiar with conference interpreting (consecutive and simultaneous),
• Have a grounding in law.

The prerequisite(s) for this Teaching Unit (Unité d’enseignement – UE) for the programmes/courses that offer this Teaching Unit are specified at the end of this sheet.

Main themes

The course will address:

• the history of interpretation,
• interpretation in its various contexts: spatial, environmental, contextual, etc.
• standards, rights and duties in this field,
• various practical scenarios

and, in a comprehensive approach, :

• models of interpretation, ethics and teleology;
• analysis of the ethical and professional issues involved in an assignment
• the question of the interpreter's positioning before, during and after the assignment.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

Contribution of the teaching unit to learning outcomes of the programme This teaching unit contributes to the development and command of the following learning outcomes assigned to the Master’s degree in Interpreting : 7.1. Engaging in professional practice using a scientifically based approach (from a theoretical and methodological perspective) characterised by critical distance; 7.3. Critically assess one's knowledge, skills (linguistic and other) and practice; 8.1. Professionally manage the different stages from the request for an interpretation assignment to the interpretation service delivery and only accept assignments that they are capable of fulfilling; 8.2. Be familiar with, respect and apply the legal guidelines and ethical principles governing the interpreting profession, in particular those relating to discretion, confidentiality and professional secrecy, taking into account the specific nature of the field of work; 8.3. Be aware of and apply, when providing their services, the profession’s recognised quality standards and not accept an interpreting assignment if it is likely to take place in conditions that do not allow for high-quality work; 8.4. Stay informed about developments in the profession and the evolving quality standards; 8.5. Position oneself within the interpreting profession and its expertise, define their scope and characteristics,develop and promote one's professional identity, and position oneself in the job market; 8.6. Demonstrate concentration, perseverance, tact and self-control, particularly in stressful situations. Specific learning outcomes on completion of this teaching unit On completion of this teaching unit, the student is able to: Know, respect and apply the legal frameworks and ethical principles governing the interpreting profession (in particular discretion, confidentiality and professional secrecy), bearing in mind the specific nature of a particular field of work. Position himself/herself in relation to the interpreting profession and possible career choices, his/her expertise, define its contours, promote his/her professional identity and position himself/herself in the job market. Evaluate the request for interpreting services and only accept it if he/she is able to fulfil it and if the material conditions meet the standards of the profession. Demonstrate concentration, perseverance, tact and self-control, particularly in stressful situations.

Content

• The course presents and explains the origins of the interpreting professions from the specific angle of ethics and professional positioning in the face of diverse audiences. The various deontological and teleological models of the interpreter will be studied and analyzed. The course will also cover professional standards, the rights and duties of interpreters, the specific process and taxation involved in becoming a freelance (interpreter, and the various organizations representing the interpreting professions in Belgium and internationally.
• Development and analysis of the ethical and deontological issues involved in interpreting.
• History of interpreting
• Models of interpretation, deontology and teleology

Teaching methods

• Sessions presenting the different facets of professional reality
• Theoretical presentations during class sessions
• Research work to be carried out between sessions and presentation to the group during the course
• Reflective work carried out in small groups during classes
• Home reading
• Case studies to explore the interpreter's deontological and ethical position and its legal implications
• Oral presentation of a research paper and summaries of readings from scientific articles and/or professional accounts
• Group discussions and role-playing exercises
• Compulsory readings of scientific articles (chosen from a list provided) on interpreter ethics

Evaluation methods

June session :
Continuous formative assessment (attendance and participation during sessions) and certificative assessment at the end of the term. The final grade is made up of an oral presentation during one of the course sessions (with submission of a document summarizing the presentation), worth 30% of the final grade, and an oral examination: live analysis of a complex ethical situation > justification of the ethical and deontological choices made. The oral exam is worth 70% of the final grade. Students must demonstrate their ability to make links with the theories covered in the course, and to critically analyze and position themselves in the face of a complex situation.
August/September session:
Examination modalities are identical to those of the January session, including the transfer of the mark obtained for the assignment presented in class, which counts for 30% of the final mark.
 

Bibliography

• Bernard, A., Encrevé, F., Jeggly, F., (2008), L’interprétation en langue des signes, « La déontologie du métier », (pp. 37-65), Paris, Presses Universitaires de France.
• Stahuljak, Alexandre, (2020), les fixeurs au Moyen-Âge, histoire et littérature connectées. UH Seuil, Paris.
• Dean, R., Pollard, R. (2022), Promoting the Use of Normative Ethics in the Practice of Community Interpreting, Gallaudet University Press, Washington D.C..
• Holcomb K., T., Smith, D. (2017), Deaf Eyes on Interpreting, Gallaudet University Press, Washington D.C..
• Shaw, S., (2014), Preparing Interpreting Students to be Allies in the Deaf Community. The Interpreters’ Newsletter, 19 (2014), PP 1-11.
• Rudvin, M. (2002), How Neutral is ‘NEUTRAL’ ? Issues in Interaction and Participation in Community Interpreting, in Garzone (ed.). Pespective on Interpreting. 
• Pöchhacker, Franz (2016) Introducting Interpreting Studies, Routledge, London.
• Stone, C., Shaw, E., Brunson, J. (2019), The Academic Foundations of Interpreting Studies, an Introduction to Its Theories, Gallaudet Press University, Washington. 
• Dear, R et Pollard, R (2014), The Demand Control Schema: Interpreting as a Practice Profession, CreateSpace, United States.
• De Meulder, M., Pouliot, O., & Gebruers, K. (2021). Remote Sign Language Interpreting in Times of COVID-19. University of Applied Sciences Utrecht.
• Facchini, I.| (2023)Queer (mis)representation in interpreting: investigating feasibility and acceptability in institutions (IPCITI conference procedings).
• Convention Internationale du Droit des Personnes Handicapées (CDPH)

Faculty or entity

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