Technologies In Interpreter-Mediated Criminal Court Hearings: an Actor-Network Theory account of the interpreter’s perception of her role-space

Her Majesty’s Courts Service in England and Wales has been subject to various changes within the past seventeen years. New working methods have been adopted, while the introduction of technologies has revolutionised the legal sphere. Since 2000, courts in England and Wales have indeed been increasingly using videoconference (VC) technologies to speed up the legal process, to enhance security, and to reduce costs, all of this in a context of budgetary constraints. Such VC pieces of equipment mean that all parties are not required to be physically in attendance in court for a case to be heard. In fact, a defendant may attend his pre trial court hearing from his detention centre since the courtroom and the prison will be linked via cameras, screens, and microphones. Interestingly, the court interpreter can be called to interpret in either location. Even though some may embrace the advent of technological tools available in court interpreting, the effect that they may have is still unknown. Some studies have explored various linguistic and para-linguistic features of Videoconference Interpreting (VCI). However, although the court interpreter’s role, from a conduit to that of an active participant, has been widely researched in Interpreting Studies (e.g. Hale, 2008; Martin and Ortega Herráez, 2009), the role of the court interpreter when interpreting via VC systems is an under-researched field. In this context, this thesis examines the interpreter’s perception of her role, whether she is located in court or in prison, through the analysis of eighteen interviews conducted with practising court interpreters. Building on research carried out on the use of VCI in court and the court interpreter’s role in a face to face setting, this study adopts an interdisciplinary approach by examining the interpreter’s role perception through the lens of role-space and that of Actor Network Theory. It is argued that the interpreter’s perception of her role-space varies, depending on whether she considers herself, in Actor-Network Theory terms, as a primum movens or not, alongside the role-space axes of presentation of self, participant alignment, and/or interaction management. Furthermore, the court interpreter deploys many-but-mostly-covert role interessement devices to ensure that the other court actors rally on the interpreter’s perception of her role. This thesis ends with various recommendations as to how the court interpreter can re-align her role-space when interpreting in VCI

Technologies and role-space: how videoconference interpreting affects the court interpreter’s perception of her role

Back in 2000, videoconference (VC) systems were introduced in criminal courts in England and Wales so that defendants could attend their pre-trial court hearings from prison. Since then, the number of cases heard via VC technologies has been on the increase, and, in its 2015-2016 annual report, Her Majesty's Courts & Tribunals Service (2016) indicates that approximatively 25% of court hearings were conducted through this technological means. In order to be able to conduct a hearing remotely, courts and prisons are equipped with cameras, screens, microphones, and loud-speakers which link up both locations so that participants can hear and see each other. In terms of research, various reports on the viability of such systems acknowledge the benefits of conducting court hearings remotely, whilst also highlighting shortfalls (such as Johnson & Wiggins, 2006; Plotnikoff & Woolfson, 1999, 2000). Interestingly, most of these studies were carried out in a monolingual setting, and fewer studies examine the impact of VC equipment in multilingual court settings (Braun, 2011, 2013, 2016; Fowler, 2012, 2013). In this context the interpreter’s role, and more particularly her role perception when technologies are used in a courtroom, remains under-explored. Notwithstanding the above, the court interpreter’s role has been subject to many studies in face-to-face settings. Scholars such as Hale (2008) and Nartowska (2016) demonstrate that the court interpreter plays a more active role than that of a conduit or a machine translation, and many labels have been created to designate the interpreter’s role(s). Moving away from role-labels, Llewellyn-Jones and Lee (2014) investigate how the interpreter’s role can be conceptualised as 3-D models by analysing it along three axes: presentation of self, participant alignment, and interaction management. This paper aims to report on a doctoral study that explores practising court interpreters’ perceptions of their role in England and Wales. To do so, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eighteen participants, and the data gathered was analysed through the prism of role-space. It will be argued that, in line with Llewellyn-Jones and Lee (2014)’s models, some interpreters perceive their role as a 3-D fixed entity, whilst other create a 3-D continuum. However, building on Llewellyn-Jones and Lee (2014), this paper will also demonstrate that, unlike in face-to-face court hearings, technologies force some interpreters to create split role models

Tight junctions potentiate the insulative properties of small CNS myelinated axons

Claudin family proteins form the physical barriers of tight junctions (TJs) and regulate paracellular diffusion across polarized epithelia. In addition to these heterotypic TJs, claudin 11 forms autotypic TJs comprising the radial component of central nervous system myelin. The exact function of these TJs has been unclear, although their location at the membrane perimeter is well sited to regulate diffusion between the interstitium and intramyelinic space. In this study, we demonstrate that claudin 11 affords rapid nerve conduction principally for small diameter myelinated axons. Claudin 11–null mice have preserved myelin and axonal architecture, but as much as a 60% decrease in conduction. They also have increased action potential thresholds and activated internodal potassium channels. These data indicate that TJs modulate the biophysical properties of myelin. Computational modeling reveals that claudin 11 reduces current flow through myelin and moderates its capacitive charging. Together, our data shed new light on myelin structural components and our understanding of the biology and pathophysiology of this membrane

Teaching Translation and Interpreting in Virtual Environments

Interest in online teaching and learning has grown rapidly since the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic. As universities across the world decided to transfer their teaching provision online, translation and interpreting (T&I) educators faced the daunting task of delivering their courses effectively in this new mode. Common challenges included: designing and administering suitable assessments, ensuring student engagement, and fostering peer collaboration and interaction. Research in the field of online and distance learning provides a rich source of information to address these challenges, and yet, it remains underexplored despite its potential to inform and enhance T&I teaching practices. We introduce this special issue by presenting some fruitful research areas that could provide new directions for T&I pedagogy and improve our students’ remote learning experiences in the future. It is against this backdrop that the special issue was conceived. Contributions cover teaching translation and interpreting at a distance, and contextual issues and trends resulting from the act of teaching T&I online

Interpreting and technology

Unlike other professions, the impact of information and communication technology on interpreting has been moderate so far. However, recent advances in the areas of remote, computer-assisted, and, most recently, machine interpreting, are gaining the interest of both researchers and practitioners. This volume aims at exploring key issues, approaches and challenges to the interplay of interpreting and technology, an area that is still underrepresented in the field of Interpreting Studies. The contributions to this volume cover topics in the area of computer-assisted and remote interpreting, both in the conference as well as in the court setting, and report on experimental studies

Interpreting and technology

Unlike other professions, the impact of information and communication technology on interpreting has been moderate so far. However, recent advances in the areas of remote, computer-assisted, and, most recently, machine interpreting, are gaining the interest of both researchers and practitioners. This volume aims at exploring key issues, approaches and challenges to the interplay of interpreting and technology, an area that is still underrepresented in the field of Interpreting Studies. The contributions to this volume cover topics in the area of computer-assisted and remote interpreting, both in the conference as well as in the court setting, and report on experimental studies

Interpreting and technology

Unlike other professions, the impact of information and communication technology on interpreting has been moderate so far. However, recent advances in the areas of remote, computer-assisted, and, most recently, machine interpreting, are gaining the interest of both researchers and practitioners. This volume aims at exploring key issues, approaches and challenges to the interplay of interpreting and technology, an area that is still underrepresented in the field of Interpreting Studies. The contributions to this volume cover topics in the area of computer-assisted and remote interpreting, both in the conference as well as in the court setting, and report on experimental studies

Interpreting and technology

Unlike other professions, the impact of information and communication technology on interpreting has been moderate so far. However, recent advances in the areas of remote, computer-assisted, and, most recently, machine interpreting, are gaining the interest of both researchers and practitioners. This volume aims at exploring key issues, approaches and challenges to the interplay of interpreting and technology, an area that is still underrepresented in the field of Interpreting Studies. The contributions to this volume cover topics in the area of computer-assisted and remote interpreting, both in the conference as well as in the court setting, and report on experimental studies

Interpreting and technology

Unlike other professions, the impact of information and communication technology on interpreting has been moderate so far. However, recent advances in the areas of remote, computer-assisted, and, most recently, machine interpreting, are gaining the interest of both researchers and practitioners. This volume aims at exploring key issues, approaches and challenges to the interplay of interpreting and technology, an area that is still underrepresented in the field of Interpreting Studies. The contributions to this volume cover topics in the area of computer-assisted and remote interpreting, both in the conference as well as in the court setting, and report on experimental studies

Interpreting and technology

Unlike other professions, the impact of information and communication technology on interpreting has been moderate so far. However, recent advances in the areas of remote, computer-assisted, and, most recently, machine interpreting, are gaining the interest of both researchers and practitioners. This volume aims at exploring key issues, approaches and challenges to the interplay of interpreting and technology, an area that is still underrepresented in the field of Interpreting Studies. The contributions to this volume cover topics in the area of computer-assisted and remote interpreting, both in the conference as well as in the court setting, and report on experimental studies